Even though China South Publishing & Media Group Co., Ltd's (SHSE:601098) recent earnings release was robust, the market didn't seem to notice. We think that investors have missed some encouraging factors underlying the profit figures.

Examining Cashflow Against China South Publishing & Media Group'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. To get the accrual ratio we first subtract FCF from profit for a period, and then divide that number by the average operating assets for the 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. That's because some academic studies have suggested that high accruals ratios tend to lead to lower profit or less profit growth.

China South Publishing & Media Group has an accrual ratio of -0.21 for the year to March 2024. That indicates that its free cash flow quite significantly exceeded its statutory profit. In fact, it had free cash flow of CN¥2.8b in the last year, which was a lot more than its statutory profit of CN¥1.80b. China South Publishing & Media Group shareholders are no doubt pleased that free cash flow improved over the last twelve months.

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 China South Publishing & Media Group's Profit Performance

Happily for shareholders, China South Publishing & Media Group produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that China South Publishing & Media Group's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And on top of that, its earnings per share have grown at 18% per year over the last three years. 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 China South Publishing & Media Group at this point in time. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for China South Publishing & Media Group and you'll want to know about this.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of China South Publishing & Media Group'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. 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.