Latvian Forest Company's (NGM:LATF B) Shareholders May Want To Dig Deeper Than Statutory Profit

Latvian Forest Company AB (publ)'s (NGM:LATF B) robust recent earnings didn't do much to move the stock. However the statutory profit number doesn't tell the whole story, and we have found some factors which might be of concern to shareholders.

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The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Latvian Forest Company's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from €4.1m worth of unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. We ran the numbers on most publicly listed companies worldwide, and it's very common for unusual items to be once-off in nature. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. We can see that Latvian Forest Company's positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year 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.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Latvian Forest Company.

Our Take On Latvian Forest Company's Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant positive unusual item makes Latvian Forest Company's earnings a poor guide to its underlying profitability. As a result, we think it may well be the case that Latvian Forest Company's underlying earnings power is lower than its statutory profit. The good news is that it earned a profit in the last twelve months, despite its previous loss. 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. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Latvian Forest Company you should know about.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Latvian Forest Company'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. 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.