The stock was sluggish on the back of Premier Anti-Aging Co., Ltd.'s (TSE:4934) recent earnings report. Our analysis suggests that there are some reasons for hope that investors should be aware of.
Zooming In On Premier Anti-Aging's Earnings
One key financial ratio used to measure how well a company converts its profit to free cash flow (FCF) is the accrual ratio. To get the accrual ratio we first subtract FCF from profit for a period, and then divide that number by the average operating assets for the 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. While having an accrual ratio above zero is of little concern, we do think it's worth noting when a company has a relatively high accrual ratio. That's because some academic studies have suggested that high accruals ratios tend to lead to lower profit or less profit growth.
Over the twelve months to July 2025, Premier Anti-Aging recorded an accrual ratio of -0.23. That implies it has very good cash conversion, and that its earnings in the last year actually significantly understate its free cash flow. Indeed, in the last twelve months it reported free cash flow of JP¥1.3b, well over the JP¥471.0m it reported in profit. Notably, Premier Anti-Aging had negative free cash flow last year, so the JP¥1.3b it produced this year was a welcome improvement.
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 Premier Anti-Aging's Profit Performance
Happily for shareholders, Premier Anti-Aging produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that Premier Anti-Aging's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And one can definitely find a positive in the fact that it made a profit this year, despite losing money last year. 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. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Premier Anti-Aging (1 is potentially serious) you should be familiar with.
Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Premier Anti-Aging's profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. 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.
Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.
Discover if Premier Anti-Aging might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.
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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.