Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:301315) stock showed strength, with investors undeterred by its weak earnings report. Sometimes, shareholders are willing to ignore soft numbers with the hope that they will improve, but our analysis suggests this is unlikely for Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology.

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

To properly understand Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology's profit results, we need to consider the CN¥3.7m gain attributed to unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. Assuming those unusual items don't show up again in the current year, we'd thus expect profit to be weaker next year (in the absence of business growth, that is).

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology.

Our Take On Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology's Profit Performance

We'd posit that Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology's statutory earnings aren't a clean read on ongoing productivity, due to the large unusual item. Because of this, we think that it may be that Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. Sadly, its EPS was down over the last twelve months. 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. While earnings are important, another area to consider is the balance sheet. We've done some analysis and you can see our take on Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology's balance sheet by clicking here.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Shanghai Wisdom Information Technology'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 that insiders are buying.

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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.