China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited's (HKG:1848) earnings announcement last week contained some soft numbers, disappointing investors. We did some digging and think there are some comforting factors lying beneath the statutory profit numbers.

Operating Revenue Or Not?

Companies will classify their revenue streams as either operating revenue or other revenue. Where possible, we prefer rely on operating revenue to get a better understanding of how the business is functioning. However, we note that when non-operating revenue increases suddenly, it will sometimes generate an unsustainable boost to profit. Notably, China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings had a significant increase in non-operating revenue as a proportion of total revenue over the last year. Indeed, this proportion rose from -50% last year to -38% this year. If that non-operating revenue fails to manifest in the current year, then there's a real risk the bottom line profit result will be impacted negatively. In order to better understand a company's profit result, it can sometimes help to consider whether the result would be very different without a sudden increase in non-operating revenue.

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.

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

Alongside that spike in non-operating revenue, it's also important to note that China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings'profit suffered from unusual items, which reduced profit by HK$12m in the last twelve months. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. In the twelve months to December 2023, China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings had a big unusual items expense. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items made its statutory profit significantly weaker than it would otherwise be.

Our Take On China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings' Profit Performance

In its last report China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings benefitted from a spike in non-operating revenue which may have boosted its profit in a way that may be no more sustainable than low quality coal mining. But on the other hand, it also saw an unusual item depress its profit, suggesting the statutory profit number will actually improve next year, if the unusual expenses are not repeated, and all else stays equal. Based on these factors, it's hard to tell if China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings' profits are a reasonable reflection of its underlying profitability. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. For example, China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about.

In this article we've looked at a number of factors that can impair the utility of profit numbers, as a guide to a business. 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.