Are Prima Industrie's (BIT:PRI) Statutory Earnings A Good Guide To Its Underlying Profitability?

As a general rule, we think profitable companies are less risky than companies that lose money. That said, the current statutory profit is not always a good guide to a company's underlying profitability. In this article, we'll look at how useful this year's statutory profit is, when analysing Prima Industrie (BIT:PRI).

It's good to see that over the last twelve months Prima Industrie made a profit of €1.05m on revenue of €354.1m. Below, you can see that both its revenue and its profit have fallen over the last three years.

Check out our latest analysis for Prima Industrie

Not all profits are equal, and we can learn more about the nature of a company's past profitability by diving deeper into the financial statements. As a reuslt, we think it's important to consider how unusual items and the recent tax benefit have influenced Prima Industrie's statutory profit. 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.

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

Importantly, our data indicates that Prima Industrie's profit was reduced by €1.7m, due to unusual items, over the last year. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect Prima Industrie to produce a higher profit next year, all else being equal.

An Unusual Tax Situation

Just as we noted the unusual items, we must inform you that Prima Industrie received a tax benefit which contributed €1.5m to the bottom line. It's always a bit noteworthy when a company is paid by the tax man, rather than paying the tax man. Of course, prima facie it's great to receive a tax benefit. However, our data indicates that tax benefits can temporarily boost statutory profit in the year it is booked, but subsequently profit may fall back. Assuming the tax benefit is not repeated every year, we could see its profitability drop noticeably, all else being equal. So while we think it's great to receive a tax benefit, it does tend to imply an increased risk that the statutory profit overstates the sustainable earnings power of the business.

Our Take On Prima Industrie's Profit Performance

In its last report Prima Industrie received a tax benefit which might make its profit look better than it really is on a underlying level. But on the other hand, it also saw an unusual item depress its profit. Given the contrasting considerations, we don't have a strong view as to whether Prima Industrie's profits are an apt reflection of its underlying potential for profit. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Prima Industrie.

Our examination of Prima Industrie has focussed on certain factors that can make its earnings look better than they are. 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. While it might take a little research on your behalf, you may find this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying to be useful.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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