Despite posting some strong earnings, the market for Hidili Industry International Development Limited's (HKG:1393) stock hasn't moved much. We did some digging, and we found some concerning factors in the details.

See our latest analysis for Hidili Industry International Development

An Unusual Tax Situation

We can see that Hidili Industry International Development received a tax benefit of CN¥72m. This is meaningful because companies usually pay tax rather than receive tax benefits. The receipt of a tax benefit is obviously a good thing, on its own. And given that it lost money last year, it seems possible that the benefit is evidence that it now expects to find value in its past tax losses. However, the devil in the detail is that these kind of benefits only impact in the year they are booked, and are often one-off in nature. In the likely event the tax benefit is not repeated, we'd expect to see its statutory profit levels drop, at least in the absence of strong growth. While we think it's good that the company has booked a tax benefit, it does mean that there's every chance the statutory profit will come in a lot higher than it would be if the income was adjusted for one-off factors.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Hidili Industry International Development.

Our Take On Hidili Industry International Development's Profit Performance

As we have already discussed Hidili Industry International Development reported that it received a tax benefit, rather than paying tax, in the last year. Given that sort of benefit is not recurring, a focus on the statutory profit might make the company seem better than it really is. Therefore, it seems possible to us that Hidili Industry International Development's true underlying earnings power is actually less than its statutory profit. The good news is that it earned a profit in the last twelve months, despite its previous loss. 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. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. While conducting our analysis, we found that Hidili Industry International Development has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Hidili Industry International Development's 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.