The recent earnings posted by Southeast Asia Properties & Finance Limited (HKG:252) were solid, but the stock didn't move as much as we expected. However the statutory profit number doesn't tell the whole story, and we have found some factors which might be of concern to shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for Southeast Asia Properties & Finance

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Southeast Asia Properties & Finance's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from HK$48m worth of unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. 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 Southeast Asia Properties & Finance's positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to September 2023. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit a poor guide to underlying earnings power.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Southeast Asia Properties & Finance.

Our Take On Southeast Asia Properties & Finance's Profit Performance

As previously mentioned, Southeast Asia Properties & Finance'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 Southeast Asia Properties & Finance's statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. On the bright side, the company showed enough improvement to book a profit this year, after losing money last year. 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. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Southeast Asia Properties & Finance, and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Southeast Asia Properties & Finance'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.