Woorison F&G's (KOSDAQ:073560) Anemic Earnings Might Be Worse Than You Think

Woorison F&G Co., Ltd.'s (KOSDAQ:073560) recent weak earnings report didn't cause a big stock movement. We think that investors are worried about some weaknesses underlying the earnings.

Check out our latest analysis for Woorison F&G

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Woorison F&G's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from ₩3.0b worth of unusual items. We can't deny that higher profits generally leave us optimistic, but we'd prefer it if the profit were to be sustainable. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. We can see that Woorison F&G's positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to December 2023. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit a poor guide to underlying earnings power.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Woorison F&G.

Our Take On Woorison F&G's Profit Performance

As previously mentioned, Woorison F&G's large boost from unusual items won't be there indefinitely, so its statutory earnings are probably a poor guide to its underlying profitability. As a result, we think it may well be the case that Woorison F&G's underlying earnings power is lower than its statutory profit. In further bad news, its earnings per share decreased in the last year. 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. If you'd like to know more about Woorison F&G as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. To that end, you should learn about the 6 warning signs we've spotted with Woorison F&G (including 2 which are potentially serious).

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Woorison F&G's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. 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 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.