We Like The Quality Of CoreCivic's (NYSE:CXW) Earnings

CoreCivic, Inc.'s (NYSE:CXW) solid earnings announcement recently didn't do much to the stock price. Our analysis suggests that shareholders might be missing some positive underlying factors in the earnings report.

View our latest analysis for CoreCivic

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand CoreCivic's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$29m due to unusual items. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect CoreCivic to produce a higher profit next year, all else being equal.

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 CoreCivic's Profit Performance

Because unusual items detracted from CoreCivic's earnings over the last year, you could argue that we can expect an improved result in the current quarter. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that CoreCivic's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And it's also positive that the company showed enough improvement to book a profit this year, after losing money last year. 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. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for CoreCivic (1 is significant) you should be familiar with.

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