The market for Infinity Development Holdings Company Limited's (HKG:640) shares didn't move much after it posted weak earnings recently. We think that the softer headline numbers might be getting counterbalanced by some positive underlying factors.

View our latest analysis for Infinity Development Holdings

A Closer Look At Infinity Development Holdings' Earnings

Many investors haven't heard of the accrual ratio from cashflow, but it is actually a useful measure of how well a company's profit is backed up by free cash flow (FCF) during a given period. The accrual ratio subtracts the FCF from the profit for a given period, and divides the result by the average operating assets of the company over that time. You could think of the accrual ratio from cashflow as the 'non-FCF profit ratio'.

As a result, a negative accrual ratio is a positive for the company, and a positive accrual ratio is a negative. That is not intended to imply we should worry about a positive accrual ratio, but it's worth noting where the accrual ratio is rather high. To quote a 2014 paper by Lewellen and Resutek, "firms with higher accruals tend to be less profitable in the future".

Infinity Development Holdings has an accrual ratio of -0.44 for the year to September 2023. Therefore, its statutory earnings were very significantly less than its free cashflow. In fact, it had free cash flow of HK$205m in the last year, which was a lot more than its statutory profit of HK$67.1m. Notably, Infinity Development Holdings had negative free cash flow last year, so the HK$205m it produced this year was a welcome improvement.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Infinity Development Holdings.

Our Take On Infinity Development Holdings' Profit Performance

As we discussed above, Infinity Development Holdings' accrual ratio indicates strong conversion of profit to free cash flow, which is a positive for the company. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that Infinity Development Holdings' statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And on top of that, its earnings per share have grown at 22% per year over the last three years. 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. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. For example - Infinity Development Holdings has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Infinity Development Holdings' 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 that insiders are buying to be useful.

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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.