The subdued market reaction suggests that Shenzhen Breo Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SHSE:688793) recent earnings didn't contain any surprises. However, we believe that investors should be aware of some underlying factors which may be of concern.

Check out our latest analysis for Shenzhen Breo Technology

Examining Cashflow Against Shenzhen Breo Technology's Earnings

One key financial ratio used to measure how well a company converts its profit to free cash flow (FCF) is the accrual ratio. To get the accrual ratio we first subtract FCF from profit for a period, and then divide that number by the average operating assets for the period. 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 it's not a problem to have a positive accrual ratio, indicating a certain level of non-cash profits, a high accrual ratio is arguably a bad thing, because it indicates paper profits are not matched by cash flow. That's because some academic studies have suggested that high accruals ratios tend to lead to lower profit or less profit growth.

For the year to March 2022, Shenzhen Breo Technology had an accrual ratio of 0.26. We can therefore deduce that its free cash flow fell well short of covering its statutory profit. In fact, it had free cash flow of CN¥4.0m in the last year, which was a lot less than its statutory profit of CN¥70.8m. Shenzhen Breo Technology's free cash flow actually declined over the last year, but it may bounce back next year, since free cash flow is often more volatile than accounting profits. However, that's not all there is to consider. We can see that unusual items have impacted its statutory profit, and therefore the accrual ratio.

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.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

The fact that the company had unusual items boosting profit by CN¥12m, in the last year, probably goes some way to explain why its accrual ratio was so weak. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. When we crunched the numbers on thousands of publicly listed companies, we found that a boost from unusual items in a given year is often not repeated the next year. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. If Shenzhen Breo Technology doesn't see that contribution repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to drop over the current year.

Our Take On Shenzhen Breo Technology's Profit Performance

Summing up, Shenzhen Breo Technology received a nice boost to profit from unusual items, but could not match its paper profit with free cash flow. Considering all this we'd argue Shenzhen Breo Technology's profits probably give an overly generous impression of its sustainable level of profitability. If you'd like to know more about Shenzhen Breo Technology as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. For example, we've found that Shenzhen Breo Technology has 4 warning signs (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

In this article we've looked at a number of factors that can impair the utility of profit numbers, and we've come away cautious. 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. 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.