Despite posting some strong earnings, the market for General Mills, Inc.'s (NYSE:GIS) stock hasn't moved much. We did some digging, and we found some concerning factors in the details.

Check out our latest analysis for General Mills

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

Importantly, our data indicates that General Mills' profit received a boost of US$620m in unusual items, over the last year. 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'. Assuming those unusual items don't show up again in the current year, we'd thus expect profit to be weaker next year (in the absence of business growth, that is).

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 General Mills' Profit Performance

We'd posit that General Mills' statutory earnings aren't a clean read on ongoing productivity, due to the large unusual item. Because of this, we think that it may be that General Mills' statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. Nonetheless, it's still worth noting that its earnings per share have grown at 53% over the last three years. 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. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. For example - General Mills has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of General Mills' 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.

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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.