CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding Co., Ltd.'s (HKG:206) recent weak earnings report didn't cause a big stock movement. However, we believe that investors should be aware of some underlying factors which may be of concern.

See our latest analysis for CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

For anyone who wants to understand CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from US$11m worth of 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, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding had a rather significant contribution from unusual items relative to its profit to December 2021. 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 CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding.

Our Take On CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding's Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant positive unusual item makes CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding's earnings a poor guide to its underlying profitability. As a result, we think it may well be the case that CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding'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. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding and we think they deserve your attention.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. 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. 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.