We Like The Quality Of SAKURA KCS' (TSE:4761) Earnings

Despite posting healthy earnings, SAKURA KCS Corporation's (TSE:4761 ) stock has been quite weak. We have done some analysis, and found some encouraging factors that we believe the shareholders should consider.

Check out our latest analysis for SAKURA KCS

A Closer Look At SAKURA KCS' Earnings

As finance nerds would already know, the accrual ratio from cashflow is a key measure for assessing how well a company's free cash flow (FCF) matches its profit. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that 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. That is not intended to imply we should worry about a positive accrual ratio, but it's worth noting where the accrual ratio is rather high. To quote a 2014 paper by Lewellen and Resutek, "firms with higher accruals tend to be less profitable in the future".

For the year to March 2024, SAKURA KCS had an accrual ratio of -0.17. 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¥2.4b, well over the JP¥895.0m it reported in profit. SAKURA KCS shareholders are no doubt pleased that free cash flow improved over the last twelve months.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of SAKURA KCS.

Our Take On SAKURA KCS' Profit Performance

As we discussed above, SAKURA KCS' accrual ratio indicates strong conversion of profit to free cash flow, which is a positive for the company. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that SAKURA KCS' statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And the EPS is up 22% annually, over the last three years. 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. If you want to do dive deeper into SAKURA KCS, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for SAKURA KCS and you'll want to know about it.

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