Investors were underwhelmed by the solid earnings posted by Matthews International Corporation (NASDAQ:MATW) recently. We did some digging and actually think they are being unnecessarily pessimistic.

Check out our latest analysis for Matthews International

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Matthews International's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$12m due to unusual items. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect Matthews International to produce a higher profit next year, all else being equal.

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 Matthews International's Profit Performance

Unusual items (expenses) detracted from Matthews International's earnings over the last year, but we might see an improvement next year. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that Matthews International's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And it's also positive that the company showed enough improvement to book a profit this year, after losing money last year. 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. If you want to do dive deeper into Matthews International, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (2 make us uncomfortable!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Matthews International.

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