We Think PR TIMES' (TSE:3922) Profit Is Only A Baseline For What They Can Achieve

Even though PR TIMES Corporation (TSE:3922 ) posted strong earnings, investors appeared to be underwhelmed. Our analysis says that investors should be optimistic, as the strong profit is built on solid foundations.

View our latest analysis for PR TIMES

Zooming In On PR TIMES' 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. This ratio tells us how much of a company's profit is not backed by free cashflow.

That means a negative accrual ratio is a good thing, because it shows that the company is bringing in more free cash flow than its profit would suggest. 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.

For the year to February 2024, PR TIMES had an accrual ratio of -0.20. Therefore, its statutory earnings were very significantly less than its free cashflow. In fact, it had free cash flow of JP¥1.3b in the last year, which was a lot more than its statutory profit of JP¥1.16b. PR TIMES' free cash flow improved over the last year, which is generally good to see.

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 PR TIMES' Profit Performance

Happily for shareholders, PR TIMES produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that PR TIMES' statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And on top of that, its earnings per share have grown at 43% per year 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. While it's really important to consider how well a company's statutory earnings represent its true earnings power, it's also worth taking a look at what analysts are forecasting for the future. At Simply Wall St, we have analyst estimates which you can view by clicking here.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of PR TIMES' profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. 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 that insiders are buying 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.