Some Investors May Be Willing To Look Past Daktronics' (NASDAQ:DAKT) Soft Earnings

Daktronics, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:DAKT) stock was strong despite it releasing a soft earnings report last week. Our analysis suggests that investors may have noticed some promising signs beyond the statutory profit figures.

See our latest analysis for Daktronics

Examining Cashflow Against Daktronics' 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. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. You could think of the accrual ratio from cashflow as the 'non-FCF profit ratio'.

Therefore, it's actually considered a good thing when a company has a negative accrual ratio, but a bad thing if its accrual ratio is positive. 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. To quote a 2014 paper by Lewellen and Resutek, "firms with higher accruals tend to be less profitable in the future".

Daktronics has an accrual ratio of -0.17 for the year to October 2024. That indicates that its free cash flow quite significantly exceeded its statutory profit. Indeed, in the last twelve months it reported free cash flow of US$64m, well over the US$29.7m it reported in profit. Daktronics' year-on-year free cash flow was as flat as two-day-old fizzy drink.

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 Daktronics' Profit Performance

Happily for shareholders, Daktronics produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Because of this, we think Daktronics' underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back over the last year. 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. If you'd like to know more about Daktronics as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Daktronics, and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Daktronics' 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. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with high insider ownership.

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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.