Despite posting some strong earnings, the market for Spok Holdings, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SPOK) stock hasn't moved much. We did some digging, and we found some concerning factors in the details.

View our latest analysis for Spok Holdings

An Unusual Tax Situation

We can see that Spok Holdings received a tax benefit of US$15m. This is of course a bit out of the ordinary, given it is more common for companies to be paying tax than receiving tax benefits! Of course, prima facie it's great to receive a tax benefit. And since it previously lost money, it may well simply indicate the realisation of past tax losses. However, our data indicates that tax benefits can temporarily boost statutory profit in the year it is booked, but subsequently profit may fall back. Assuming the tax benefit is not repeated every year, we could see its profitability drop noticeably, all else being equal. So while we think it's great to receive a tax benefit, it does tend to imply an increased risk that the statutory profit overstates the sustainable earnings power of the business.

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 Spok Holdings' Profit Performance

In its most recent report, Spok Holdings disclosed a tax benefit, as we discussed above. Given that sort of benefit is not recurring, it's safe to say the statutory profit overstates its underlying profitability quite significantly. As a result, we think it may well be the case that Spok Holdings' underlying earnings power is lower than its statutory profit. The good news is that it earned a profit in the last twelve months, despite its previous loss. 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. If you'd like to know more about Spok Holdings as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Spok Holdings you should be mindful of and 1 of them shouldn't be ignored.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Spok Holdings' profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. 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 that insiders are buying 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.