Grand Korea Leisure's (KRX:114090) Soft Earnings Don't Show The Whole Picture

The market for Grand Korea Leisure Co., Ltd.'s (KRX:114090) shares didn't move much after it posted weak earnings recently. Our analysis suggests that while the profits are soft, the foundations of the business are strong.

This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality.

Zooming In On Grand Korea Leisure'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. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.

As a result, a negative accrual ratio is a positive for the company, and a positive accrual ratio is a negative. 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. 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 December 2024, Grand Korea Leisure had an accrual ratio of -0.44. Therefore, its statutory earnings were very significantly less than its free cashflow. To wit, it produced free cash flow of ₩66b during the period, dwarfing its reported profit of ₩33.1b. Grand Korea Leisure did see its free cash flow drop year on year, which is less than ideal, like a Simpson's episode without Groundskeeper Willie.

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 Grand Korea Leisure's Profit Performance

Happily for shareholders, Grand Korea Leisure produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Because of this, we think Grand Korea Leisure's underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! On the other hand, its EPS actually shrunk in the last twelve months. 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. While conducting our analysis, we found that Grand Korea Leisure has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore this.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Grand Korea Leisure'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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.