A lackluster earnings announcement from Winox Holdings Limited (HKG:6838) last week didn't sink the stock price. However, we believe that investors should be aware of some underlying factors which may be of concern.

See our latest analysis for Winox Holdings

Zooming In On Winox Holdings' Earnings

As finance nerds would already know, the accrual ratio from cashflow is a key measure for assessing how well a company's free cash flow (FCF) matches its profit. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. You could think of the accrual ratio from cashflow as the 'non-FCF profit ratio'.

That means a negative accrual ratio is a good thing, because it shows that the company is bringing in more free cash flow than its profit would suggest. While having an accrual ratio above zero is of little concern, we do think it's worth noting when a company has a relatively high accrual ratio. To quote a 2014 paper by Lewellen and Resutek, "firms with higher accruals tend to be less profitable in the future".

Over the twelve months to December 2021, Winox Holdings recorded an accrual ratio of 0.24. Unfortunately, that means its free cash flow fell significantly short of its reported profits. Even though it reported a profit of HK$94.4m, a look at free cash flow indicates it actually burnt through HK$127m in the last year. It's worth noting that Winox Holdings generated positive FCF of HK$85m a year ago, so at least they've done it in the past.

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

Our Take On Winox Holdings' Profit Performance

Winox Holdings' accrual ratio for the last twelve months signifies cash conversion is less than ideal, which is a negative when it comes to our view of its earnings. Therefore, it seems possible to us that Winox Holdings' true underlying earnings power is actually less than its statutory profit. Sadly, its EPS was down over the last twelve months. 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. If you'd like to know more about Winox Holdings as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Winox Holdings (1 is potentially serious) you should be familiar with.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Winox Holdings' profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. 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.