Even though Maire S.p.A. (BIT:MAIRE ) posted strong earnings, investors appeared to be underwhelmed. We did some digging and actually think they are being unnecessarily pessimistic.
See our latest analysis for Maire
Examining Cashflow Against Maire's Earnings
As finance nerds would already know, the accrual ratio from cashflow is a key measure for assessing how well a company's free cash flow (FCF) matches its profit. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. You could think of the accrual ratio from cashflow as the 'non-FCF profit ratio'.
Therefore, it's actually considered a good thing when a company has a negative accrual ratio, but a bad thing if its accrual ratio is positive. That is not intended to imply we should worry about a positive accrual ratio, but it's worth noting where the accrual ratio is rather high. To quote a 2014 paper by Lewellen and Resutek, "firms with higher accruals tend to be less profitable in the future".
Over the twelve months to September 2024, Maire recorded an accrual ratio of -0.41. Therefore, its statutory earnings were very significantly less than its free cashflow. Indeed, in the last twelve months it reported free cash flow of €393m, well over the €180.8m it reported in profit. Maire shareholders are no doubt pleased that free cash flow improved over the last twelve months.
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 Maire's Profit Performance
Happily for shareholders, Maire produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that Maire's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! Better yet, its EPS are growing strongly, which is nice to see. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. If you'd like to know more about Maire as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Maire you should be aware of.
Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Maire's profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. Some people consider a high return on equity to be a good sign of a quality business. 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.
About BIT:MAIRE
Maire
MAIRE S.p.A. develops and implements various solutions to enable the energy transition.
Flawless balance sheet with solid track record.
