Jiangsu Sainty Corp., Ltd.'s (SHSE:600287) healthy profit numbers didn't contain any surprises for investors. We believe that shareholders have noticed some concerning factors beyond the statutory profit numbers.

Check out our latest analysis for Jiangsu Sainty

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

For anyone who wants to understand Jiangsu Sainty's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from CN¥53m worth of unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. We ran the numbers on most publicly listed companies worldwide, and it's very common for unusual items to be once-off in nature. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. We can see that Jiangsu Sainty's positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to September 2023. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items are making its statutory profit significantly stronger than it would otherwise be.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Jiangsu Sainty.

Our Take On Jiangsu Sainty's Profit Performance

As previously mentioned, Jiangsu Sainty's large boost from unusual items won't be there indefinitely, so its statutory earnings are probably a poor guide to its underlying profitability. As a result, we think it may well be the case that Jiangsu Sainty's underlying earnings power is lower than its statutory profit. On the bright side, the company showed enough improvement to book a profit this year, after losing money last year. Of course, we've only just scratched the surface when it comes to analysing its earnings; one could also consider margins, forecast growth, and return on investment, among other factors. If you want to do dive deeper into Jiangsu Sainty, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for Jiangsu Sainty (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Jiangsu Sainty'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. 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.