Soft earnings didn't appear to concern IVD Medical Holding Limited's (HKG:1931) shareholders over the last week. Our analysis suggests that while the profits are soft, the foundations of the business are strong.

View our latest analysis for IVD Medical Holding

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

Importantly, our data indicates that IVD Medical Holding's profit was reduced by CN¥29m, due to unusual items, over the last year. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. If IVD Medical Holding doesn't see those unusual expenses repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to increase over the coming year.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of IVD Medical Holding.

Our Take On IVD Medical Holding's Profit Performance

Because unusual items detracted from IVD Medical Holding's earnings over the last year, you could argue that we can expect an improved result in the current quarter. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that IVD Medical Holding's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back over the last year. 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. If you'd like to know more about IVD Medical Holding as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Be aware that IVD Medical Holding is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable...

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of IVD Medical Holding'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.