Panda Eco System Berhad's (KLSE:PANDA) Earnings May Just Be The Starting Point

Panda Eco System Berhad's (KLSE:PANDA) earnings announcement last week was disappointing for investors, despite the decent profit numbers. Our analysis says that investors should be optimistic, as the strong profit is built on solid foundations.

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Zooming In On Panda Eco System Berhad's Earnings

In high finance, the key ratio used to measure how well a company converts reported profits into free cash flow (FCF) is the accrual ratio (from cashflow). In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. You could think of the accrual ratio from cashflow as the 'non-FCF profit ratio'.

That means a negative accrual ratio is a good thing, because it shows that the company is bringing in more free cash flow than its profit would suggest. That is not intended to imply we should worry about a positive accrual ratio, but it's worth noting where the accrual ratio is rather high. That's because some academic studies have suggested that high accruals ratios tend to lead to lower profit or less profit growth.

Panda Eco System Berhad has an accrual ratio of -0.20 for the year to September 2025. That indicates that its free cash flow quite significantly exceeded its statutory profit. Indeed, in the last twelve months it reported free cash flow of RM10m, well over the RM8.72m it reported in profit. Panda Eco System Berhad shareholders are no doubt pleased that free cash flow improved over the last twelve months.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Panda Eco System Berhad.

Our Take On Panda Eco System Berhad's Profit Performance

Happily for shareholders, Panda Eco System Berhad produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that Panda Eco System Berhad's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And the EPS is up 53% over the last twelve months. 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. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Panda Eco System Berhad (of which 1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) you should know about.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Panda Eco System Berhad'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.