HCT's (KOSDAQ:072990) Soft Earnings Are Actually Better Than They Appear

Soft earnings didn't appear to concern HCT Co., Ltd.'s (KOSDAQ:072990) shareholders over the last week. We did some digging, and we believe the earnings are stronger than they seem.

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The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

Importantly, our data indicates that HCT's profit was reduced by ₩2.3b, due to unusual items, over the last year. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect HCT to produce a higher profit next year, all else being equal.

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 HCT's Profit Performance

Because unusual items detracted from HCT's earnings over the last year, you could argue that we can expect an improved result in the current quarter. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that HCT's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And the EPS is up 18% annually, over the last three years. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. 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 4 warning signs (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in HCT.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of HCT'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. 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 with significant insider holdings 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.