A lackluster earnings announcement from Perfect World Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002624) last week didn't sink the stock price. We think that investors are worried about some weaknesses underlying the earnings.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

To properly understand Perfect World's profit results, we need to consider the CN¥463m gain attributed to unusual items. While we like to see profit increases, we tend to be a little more cautious when unusual items have made a big contribution. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. Perfect World had a rather significant contribution from unusual items relative to its profit to December 2023. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit a poor guide to underlying earnings power.

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 Perfect World's Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant positive unusual item makes Perfect World's earnings a poor guide to its underlying profitability. As a result, we think it may well be the case that Perfect World's underlying earnings power is lower than its statutory profit. Sadly, its EPS was down over the last twelve months. 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. So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. For example, we've found that Perfect World has 3 warning signs (1 can't be ignored!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

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