Zhejiang Jingxing Paper Joint Stock Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002067) just released a solid earnings report, and the stock displayed some strength. However, we think that shareholders should be cautious as we found some worrying factors underlying the profit.

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

To properly understand Zhejiang Jingxing Paper's profit results, we need to consider the CN¥16m 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. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. If Zhejiang Jingxing Paper doesn't see that contribution repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to drop over the current year.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Zhejiang Jingxing Paper.

Our Take On Zhejiang Jingxing Paper's Profit Performance

We'd posit that Zhejiang Jingxing Paper'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 Zhejiang Jingxing Paper's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. But the happy news is that, while acknowledging we have to look beyond the statutory numbers, those numbers are still improving, with EPS growing at a very high rate over the 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. So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Zhejiang Jingxing Paper at this point in time. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Zhejiang Jingxing Paper and you'll want to know about this.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Zhejiang Jingxing Paper's 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. 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.