Nishimatsu Construction's (TSE:1820) Profits May Not Reveal Underlying Issues

Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd.'s (TSE:1820) robust recent earnings didn't do much to move the stock. We think this is due to investors looking beyond the statutory profits and being concerned with what they see.

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How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

Importantly, our data indicates that Nishimatsu Construction's profit received a boost of JP¥4.3b in unusual items, over the last year. 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 Nishimatsu Construction 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 Nishimatsu Construction's Profit Performance

Arguably, Nishimatsu Construction's statutory earnings have been distorted by unusual items boosting profit. Because of this, we think that it may be that Nishimatsu Construction's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. But at least holders can take some solace from the 23% per annum growth in EPS for the last three. 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. So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Nishimatsu Construction you should be mindful of and 1 of them shouldn't be ignored.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Nishimatsu Construction'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.