First Ship Lease Trust's (SGX:D8DU) Anemic Earnings Might Be Worse Than You Think

First Ship Lease Trust's (SGX:D8DU) stock showed strength, with investors undeterred by its weak earnings report. We think that shareholders might be missing some concerning factors that our analysis found.

See our latest analysis for First Ship Lease Trust

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

To properly understand First Ship Lease Trust's profit results, we need to consider the US$463k gain attributed to 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 crunched the numbers on thousands of publicly listed companies, we found that a boost from unusual items in a given year is often not repeated the next year. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. If First Ship Lease Trust doesn't see that contribution repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to drop over the current year.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of First Ship Lease Trust.

Our Take On First Ship Lease Trust's Profit Performance

We'd posit that First Ship Lease Trust's statutory earnings aren't a clean read on ongoing productivity, due to the large unusual item. Therefore, it seems possible to us that First Ship Lease Trust's true underlying earnings power is actually less than its statutory profit. Sadly, its EPS was down over 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. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. For example, First Ship Lease Trust has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are potentially serious) we think you should know about.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of First Ship Lease Trust'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 that insiders are buying.

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.