Soft earnings didn't appear to concern Zhaojin Mining Industry Company Limited's (HKG:1818) shareholders over the last week. We did some digging, and we believe the earnings are stronger than they seem.

See our latest analysis for Zhaojin Mining Industry

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

To properly understand Zhaojin Mining Industry's profit results, we need to consider the CN¥456m expense attributed to unusual items. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. 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. Zhaojin Mining Industry took a rather significant hit from unusual items in the year to December 2021. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items made its statutory profit significantly weaker than it would otherwise be.

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 Zhaojin Mining Industry's Profit Performance

As we mentioned previously, the Zhaojin Mining Industry's profit was hampered by unusual items in the last year. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that Zhaojin Mining Industry's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back over the last year. Of course, we've only just scratched the surface when it comes to analysing its earnings; one could also consider margins, forecast growth, and return on investment, among other factors. So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. To help with this, we've discovered 4 warning signs (1 is potentially serious!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Zhaojin Mining Industry.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Zhaojin Mining Industry'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.