National Electronics Holdings Limited's (HKG:213) recent weak earnings report didn't cause a big stock movement. We think that investors are worried about some weaknesses underlying the earnings.

See our latest analysis for National Electronics Holdings

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

To properly understand National Electronics Holdings' profit results, we need to consider the HK$86m gain attributed to unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. We ran the numbers on most publicly listed companies worldwide, and it's very common for unusual items to be once-off in nature. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. We can see that National Electronics Holdings' positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to March 2022. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items are making its statutory profit significantly stronger than it would otherwise be.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of National Electronics Holdings.

Our Take On National Electronics Holdings' Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant positive unusual item makes National Electronics Holdings' earnings a poor guide to its underlying profitability. As a result, we think it may well be the case that National Electronics Holdings' underlying earnings power is lower than its statutory profit. In further bad news, its earnings per share decreased in 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 want to do dive deeper into National Electronics Holdings, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for National Electronics Holdings you should be mindful of and 2 of them are concerning.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of National Electronics Holdings' 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.

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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.