Talent Property Group Limited's (HKG:760 ) stock didn't jump after it announced some healthy earnings. Our analysis showed that there are some concerning factors in the earnings that investors may be cautious of.

View our latest analysis for Talent Property Group

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

Importantly, our data indicates that Talent Property Group's profit received a boost of CN¥26m in unusual items, over the last year. 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 analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. We can see that Talent Property Group's positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to December 2021. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items are making its statutory profit significantly stronger than it would otherwise be.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Talent Property Group.

Our Take On Talent Property Group's Profit Performance

As previously mentioned, Talent Property Group's large boost from unusual items won't be there indefinitely, so its statutory earnings are probably a poor guide to its underlying profitability. For this reason, we think that Talent Property Group's statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. 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. So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Talent Property Group at this point in time. While conducting our analysis, we found that Talent Property Group has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Talent Property Group's 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.