Sino Hotels (Holdings) Limited's (HKG:1221) solid earnings announcement recently didn't do much to the stock price. Our analysis suggests that shareholders might be missing some positive underlying factors in the earnings report.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

To properly understand Sino Hotels (Holdings)'s profit results, we need to consider the HK$41m expense attributed to unusual items. 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. In the twelve months to June 2024, Sino Hotels (Holdings) had a big unusual items expense. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit look worse than its underlying earnings power.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Sino Hotels (Holdings).

Our Take On Sino Hotels (Holdings)'s Profit Performance

As we mentioned previously, the Sino Hotels (Holdings)'s profit was hampered by unusual items in the last year. Because of this, we think Sino Hotels (Holdings)'s underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! And it's also positive that the company showed enough improvement to book a profit this year, after losing money 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. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs (1 can't be ignored!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Sino Hotels (Holdings).

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Sino Hotels (Holdings)'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 with high insider ownership.

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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.