Shareholders appeared unconcerned with TK Group (Holdings) Limited's (HKG:2283) lackluster earnings report last week. We did some digging, and we believe the earnings are stronger than they seem.

Check out our latest analysis for TK Group (Holdings)

Zooming In On TK Group (Holdings)'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. The accrual ratio subtracts the FCF from the profit for a given period, and divides the result by the average operating assets of the company over that time. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.

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. 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".

For the year to June 2023, TK Group (Holdings) had an accrual ratio of -0.17. Therefore, its statutory earnings were very significantly less than its free cashflow. In fact, it had free cash flow of HK$352m in the last year, which was a lot more than its statutory profit of HK$223.2m. TK Group (Holdings) shareholders are no doubt pleased that free cash flow improved over the last twelve months.

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 TK Group (Holdings)'s Profit Performance

As we discussed above, TK Group (Holdings)'s accrual ratio indicates strong conversion of profit to free cash flow, which is a positive for the company. Because of this, we think TK Group (Holdings)'s 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. 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. If you want to do dive deeper into TK Group (Holdings), you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for TK Group (Holdings) you should know about.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of TK Group (Holdings)'s profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. 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 that insiders are buying.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.