Dkk-Toa's (TSE:6848) Shareholders May Want To Dig Deeper Than Statutory Profit

Dkk-Toa Corporation's (TSE:6848) robust recent earnings didn't do much to move the stock. We believe that shareholders have noticed some concerning factors beyond the statutory profit numbers.

See our latest analysis for Dkk-Toa

Examining Cashflow Against Dkk-Toa's Earnings

Many investors haven't heard of the accrual ratio from cashflow, but it is actually a useful measure of how well a company's profit is backed up by free cash flow (FCF) during a given period. The accrual ratio subtracts the FCF from the profit for a given period, and divides the result by the average operating assets of the company over that time. You could think of the accrual ratio from cashflow as the 'non-FCF profit ratio'.

As a result, a negative accrual ratio is a positive for the company, and a positive accrual ratio is a negative. While it's not a problem to have a positive accrual ratio, indicating a certain level of non-cash profits, a high accrual ratio is arguably a bad thing, because it indicates paper profits are not matched by cash flow. Notably, there is some academic evidence that suggests that a high accrual ratio is a bad sign for near-term profits, generally speaking.

For the year to March 2024, Dkk-Toa had an accrual ratio of 0.22. Therefore, we know that it's free cashflow was significantly lower than its statutory profit, which is hardly a good thing. Over the last year it actually had negative free cash flow of JP¥2.3b, in contrast to the aforementioned profit of JP¥1.29b. We also note that Dkk-Toa's free cash flow was actually negative last year as well, so we could understand if shareholders were bothered by its outflow of JP¥2.3b.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Dkk-Toa.

Our Take On Dkk-Toa's Profit Performance

Dkk-Toa's accrual ratio for the last twelve months signifies cash conversion is less than ideal, which is a negative when it comes to our view of its earnings. Because of this, we think that it may be that Dkk-Toa's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. But at least holders can take some solace from the 6.6% EPS growth in the 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. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Dkk-Toa.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Dkk-Toa's 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 that insiders are buying.

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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.