We Think That There Are Issues Underlying uniQure's (NASDAQ:QURE) Earnings

uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ:QURE) just reported some strong earnings, and the market rewarded them with a positive share price move. We did some analysis and think that investors are missing some details hidden beneath the profit numbers.

See our latest analysis for uniQure

A Closer Look At uniQure's Earnings

As finance nerds would already know, the accrual ratio from cashflow is a key measure for assessing how well a company's free cash flow (FCF) matches its profit. 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. This ratio tells us how much of a company's profit is not backed by free cashflow.

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.

For the year to December 2021, uniQure had an accrual ratio of 0.67. That means it didn't generate anywhere near enough free cash flow to match its profit. Statistically speaking, that's a real negative for future earnings. To wit, it produced free cash flow of US$271m during the period, falling well short of its reported profit of US$329.6m. Given that uniQure had negative free cash flow in the prior corresponding period, the trailing twelve month resul of US$271m would seem to be a step in the right direction.

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 uniQure's Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think uniQure's earnings were not supported by free cash flow, which might concern some investors. As a result, we think it may well be the case that uniQure'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. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. 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. When we did our research, we found 5 warning signs for uniQure (2 are a bit concerning!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of uniQure's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. Some people consider a high return on equity to be a good sign of a quality business. 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.