A lackluster earnings announcement from Zhejiang Yonggui Electric Equipment Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300351) last week didn't sink the stock price. Our analysis suggests that along with soft profit numbers, investors should be aware of some other underlying weaknesses in the numbers.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

To properly understand Zhejiang Yonggui Electric Equipment's profit results, we need to consider the CN¥6.1m gain attributed to unusual items. We can't deny that higher profits generally leave us optimistic, but we'd prefer it if the profit were to be sustainable. 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. 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 Zhejiang Yonggui Electric Equipment's Profit Performance

We'd posit that Zhejiang Yonggui Electric Equipment's 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 Zhejiang Yonggui Electric Equipment's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. In further bad news, its earnings per share decreased in 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. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. For example - Zhejiang Yonggui Electric Equipment has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Zhejiang Yonggui Electric Equipment'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.