Solid Earnings May Not Tell The Whole Story For ACEA (BIT:ACE)

The recent earnings posted by ACEA S.p.A. (BIT:ACE) were solid, but the stock didn't move as much as we expected. We believe that shareholders have noticed some concerning factors beyond the statutory profit numbers.

Check out our latest analysis for ACEA

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand ACEA's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from €58m worth of unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. We ran the numbers on most publicly listed companies worldwide, and it's very common for unusual items to be once-off in nature. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. If ACEA 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 ACEA's Profit Performance

Arguably, ACEA's statutory earnings have been distorted by unusual items boosting profit. Because of this, we think that it may be that ACEA's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. Nonetheless, it's still worth noting that its earnings per share have grown at 17% over the last three years. The goal of this article has been to assess how well we can rely on the statutory earnings to reflect the company's potential, but there is plenty more to consider. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for ACEA (1 is concerning) you should be familiar with.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of ACEA'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. 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 with significant insider holdings to be useful.

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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.