Following the solid earnings report from Zhongyin Babi Food Co., Ltd. (SHSE:605338), the market responded by bidding up the stock price. However, we think that shareholders should be cautious as we found some worrying factors underlying the profit.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Zhongyin Babi Food's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from CN¥102m worth of unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. When we crunched the numbers on thousands of publicly listed companies, we found that a boost from unusual items in a given year is often not repeated the next year. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. We can see that Zhongyin Babi Food's positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to September 2024. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit a poor guide to underlying earnings power.

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 Zhongyin Babi Food's Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant positive unusual item makes Zhongyin Babi Food's earnings a poor guide to its underlying profitability. For this reason, we think that Zhongyin Babi Food's statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. But at least holders can take some solace from the 6.8% EPS growth in 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 Zhongyin Babi Food at this point in time. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Zhongyin Babi Food and you'll want to know about them.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Zhongyin Babi Food'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 with significant insider holdings 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.