Adient's (NYSE:ADNT) Robust Earnings Are Supported By Other Strong Factors

Adient plc (NYSE:ADNT) just reported healthy earnings but the stock price didn't move much. We think that investors have missed some encouraging factors underlying the profit figures.

See our latest analysis for Adient

Examining Cashflow Against Adient's Earnings

Many investors haven't heard of the accrual ratio from cashflow, but it is actually a useful measure of how well a company's profit is backed up by free cash flow (FCF) during a given period. To get the accrual ratio we first subtract FCF from profit for a period, and then divide that number by the average operating assets for the period. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.

As a result, a negative accrual ratio is a positive for the company, and a positive accrual ratio is a negative. While having an accrual ratio above zero is of little concern, we do think it's worth noting when a company has a relatively high accrual ratio. To quote a 2014 paper by Lewellen and Resutek, "firms with higher accruals tend to be less profitable in the future".

Over the twelve months to June 2021, Adient recorded an accrual ratio of -0.11. Therefore, its statutory earnings were quite a lot less than its free cashflow. To wit, it produced free cash flow of US$626m during the period, dwarfing its reported profit of US$112.0m. Given that Adient had negative free cash flow in the prior corresponding period, the trailing twelve month resul of US$626m would seem to be a step in the right direction. However, that's not all there is to consider. We can see that unusual items have impacted its statutory profit, and therefore the accrual ratio.

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.

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

Adient's profit was reduced by unusual items worth US$187m in the last twelve months, and this helped it produce high cash conversion, as reflected by its unusual items. This is what you'd expect to see where a company has a non-cash charge reducing paper profits. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. 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. Adient took a rather significant hit from unusual items in the year to June 2021. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit look worse than its underlying earnings power.

Our Take On Adient's Profit Performance

Considering both Adient's accrual ratio and its unusual items, we think its statutory earnings are unlikely to exaggerate the company's underlying earnings power. Based on these factors, we think Adient's earnings potential is at least as good as it seems, and maybe even better! If you'd like to know more about Adient as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. For example, we've found that Adient has 4 warning signs (1 can't be ignored!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

After our examination into the nature of Adient's profit, we've come away optimistic for the company. 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.

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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.
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