Puma Biotechnology, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:PBYI) strong earnings report was rewarded with a positive stock price move. Our analysis found some more factors that we think are good for shareholders.

A Closer Look At Puma Biotechnology's Earnings

One key financial ratio used to measure how well a company converts its profit to free cash flow (FCF) is the accrual ratio. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.

As a result, a negative accrual ratio is a positive for the company, and a positive accrual ratio is a negative. While it's not a problem to have a positive accrual ratio, indicating a certain level of non-cash profits, a high accrual ratio is arguably a bad thing, because it indicates paper profits are not matched by cash flow. To quote a 2014 paper by Lewellen and Resutek, "firms with higher accruals tend to be less profitable in the future".

For the year to September 2024, Puma Biotechnology had an accrual ratio of -0.20. Therefore, its statutory earnings were very significantly less than its free cashflow. To wit, it produced free cash flow of US$34m during the period, dwarfing its reported profit of US$23.2m. Puma Biotechnology's free cash flow improved over the last year, which is generally good to see.

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.

Our Take On Puma Biotechnology's Profit Performance

Happily for shareholders, Puma Biotechnology produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Because of this, we think Puma Biotechnology's underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! Furthermore, it has done a great job growing EPS over the 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. If you'd like to know more about Puma Biotechnology as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Puma Biotechnology.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Puma Biotechnology's profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to 'follow the money' and search out stocks that insiders are buying. While it might take a little research on your behalf, you may find this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with significant insider holdings to be useful.

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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.