The subdued market reaction suggests that Gemac Engineering Machinery Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:301048) recent earnings didn't contain any surprises. We think that investors are worried about some weaknesses underlying the earnings.

Operating Revenue Or Not?

Most companies divide classify their revenue as either 'operating revenue', which comes from normal operations, and other revenue, which could include government grants, for example. Where possible, we prefer rely on operating revenue to get a better understanding of how the business is functioning. Importantly, the non-operating revenue often comes without associated ongoing costs, so it can boost profit by letting it fall straight to the bottom line, making the operating business seem better than it really is. It's worth noting that Gemac Engineering Machinery saw a big increase in non-operating revenue over the last year. Indeed, its non-operating revenue rose from CN¥423.4m last year to CN¥610.9m 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. Sometimes, you can get a better idea of the underlying earnings potential of a company by excluding unusual boosts to non-operating revenue.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Gemac Engineering Machinery.

Our Take On Gemac Engineering Machinery's Profit Performance

Since Gemac Engineering Machinery saw a big increase in its non-operating revenue over the last twelve months, we'd be very cautious about relying too heavily on the statutory profit number, which would have benefitted from this potentially unsustainable change. For this reason, we think that Gemac Engineering Machinery's statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. Sadly, its EPS was down over the last twelve months. 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. While earnings are important, another area to consider is the balance sheet. We've done some analysis and you can see our take on Gemac Engineering Machinery's balance sheet by clicking here.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Gemac Engineering Machinery'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.