China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings Limited's (HKG:1123) recent weak earnings report didn't cause a big stock movement. However, we believe that investors should be aware of some underlying factors which may be of concern.

View our latest analysis for China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

For anyone who wants to understand China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings' profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from HK$14m worth of 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 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 China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings' positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to March 2022. 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 China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings.

Our Take On China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings' Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant positive unusual item makes China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings' earnings a poor guide to its underlying profitability. For this reason, we think that China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings' statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. Sadly, its EPS was down over the last twelve months. The goal of this article has been to assess how well we can rely on the statutory earnings to reflect the company's potential, but there is plenty more to consider. 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. For example - China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings has 4 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings' 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. 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.