The market rallied behind Shijiazhuang Shangtai Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:001301) stock, leading do a rise in the share price after its recent weak earnings report. We think that shareholders might be missing some concerning factors that our analysis found.

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

For anyone who wants to understand Shijiazhuang Shangtai Technology's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from CN¥89m 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. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. Assuming those unusual items don't show up again in the current year, we'd thus expect profit to be weaker next year (in the absence of business growth, that is).

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 Shijiazhuang Shangtai Technology's Profit Performance

We'd posit that Shijiazhuang Shangtai Technology's statutory earnings aren't a clean read on ongoing productivity, due to the large unusual item. Because of this, we think that it may be that Shijiazhuang Shangtai Technology's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. But the good news is that its EPS growth over the last three years has been very impressive. 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. For example - Shijiazhuang Shangtai Technology has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Shijiazhuang Shangtai Technology'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. 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.