The market seemed underwhelmed by the solid earnings posted by MillerKnoll, Inc. (NASDAQ:MLKN) recently. We have done some analysis, and found some encouraging factors that we believe the shareholders should consider.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

Importantly, our data indicates that MillerKnoll's profit was reduced by US$67m, due to unusual items, over the last year. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect MillerKnoll 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 MillerKnoll's Profit Performance

Unusual items (expenses) detracted from MillerKnoll's earnings over the last year, but we might see an improvement next year. Because of this, we think MillerKnoll's earnings potential is at least as good as it seems, and maybe even better! And on top of that, its earnings per share increased by 14% in 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. So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for MillerKnoll (1 can't be ignored!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of MillerKnoll'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. 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.