Weak Statutory Earnings May Not Tell The Whole Story For Pirelli & C (BIT:PIRC)

The market rallied behind Pirelli & C. S.p.A.'s (BIT:PIRC) stock, leading do a rise in the share price after its recent weak earnings report. Sometimes, shareholders are willing to ignore soft numbers with the hope that they will improve, but our analysis suggests this is unlikely for Pirelli & C.

See our latest analysis for Pirelli & C

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Pirelli & C's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from €100m worth of unusual items. We can't deny that higher profits generally leave us optimistic, but we'd prefer it if the profit were to be sustainable. When we crunched the numbers on thousands of publicly listed companies, we found that a boost from unusual items in a given year is often not repeated the next year. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. If Pirelli & C doesn't see that contribution repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to drop over the current year.

That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates.

Our Take On Pirelli & C's Profit Performance

We'd posit that Pirelli & C's statutory earnings aren't a clean read on ongoing productivity, due to the large unusual item. Because of this, we think that it may be that Pirelli & C's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. Nonetheless, it's still worth noting that its earnings per share have grown at 53% over the last three years. Of course, we've only just scratched the surface when it comes to analysing its earnings; one could also consider margins, forecast growth, and return on investment, among other factors. If you'd like to know more about Pirelli & C as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Pirelli & C, and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Pirelli & C's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to 'follow the money' and search out stocks that insiders are buying. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with high insider ownership.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.