We Think That There Are More Issues For Coastal Contracts Bhd (KLSE:COASTAL) Than Just Sluggish Earnings

The subdued market reaction suggests that Coastal Contracts Bhd's (KLSE:COASTAL) recent earnings didn't contain any surprises. We think that investors are worried about some weaknesses underlying the earnings.

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How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

For anyone who wants to understand Coastal Contracts Bhd's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from RM66m worth of unusual items. While we like to see profit increases, we tend to be a little more cautious when unusual items have made a big contribution. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. Coastal Contracts Bhd had a rather significant contribution from unusual items relative to its profit to June 2025. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items are making its statutory profit significantly stronger than it would otherwise be.

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 Coastal Contracts Bhd's Profit Performance

As previously mentioned, Coastal Contracts Bhd's large boost from unusual items won't be there indefinitely, so its statutory earnings are probably a poor guide to its underlying profitability. For this reason, we think that Coastal Contracts Bhd's statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. In further bad news, its earnings per share decreased 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. If you want to do dive deeper into Coastal Contracts Bhd, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Coastal Contracts Bhd and you'll want to know about them.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Coastal Contracts Bhd'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.

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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.