Hans Energy Company Limited (HKG:554) just reported healthy earnings but the stock price didn't move much. Investors are probably missing some underlying factors which are encouraging for the future of the company.

View our latest analysis for Hans Energy

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

Importantly, our data indicates that Hans Energy's profit was reduced by HK$4.7m, 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. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. If Hans Energy doesn't see those unusual expenses repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to increase over the coming year.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Hans Energy.

Our Take On Hans Energy's Profit Performance

Because unusual items detracted from Hans Energy's earnings over the last year, you could argue that we can expect an improved result in the current quarter. Because of this, we think Hans Energy's earnings potential is at least as good as it seems, and maybe even better! Furthermore, it has done a great job growing EPS over the last year. 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. While conducting our analysis, we found that Hans Energy has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Hans Energy's profit. 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. 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.