Soft earnings didn't appear to concern Yunnan Yuntianhua Co., Ltd.'s (SHSE:600096) shareholders over the last week. We think that the softer headline numbers might be getting counterbalanced by some positive underlying factors.

A Closer Look At Yunnan Yuntianhua's 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. 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. Notably, there is some academic evidence that suggests that a high accrual ratio is a bad sign for near-term profits, generally speaking.

For the year to June 2024, Yunnan Yuntianhua had an accrual ratio of -0.13. That indicates that its free cash flow was a fair bit more than its statutory profit. To wit, it produced free cash flow of CN¥9.2b during the period, dwarfing its reported profit of CN¥4.69b. Yunnan Yuntianhua's free cash flow improved over the last year, which is generally good to see.

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 Yunnan Yuntianhua's Profit Performance

Yunnan Yuntianhua's accrual ratio is solid, and indicates strong free cash flow, as we discussed, above. Because of this, we think Yunnan Yuntianhua's earnings potential is at least as good as it seems, and maybe even better! Better yet, its EPS are growing strongly, which is nice to see. 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. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for Yunnan Yuntianhua and we think they deserve your attention.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Yunnan Yuntianhua'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 with high insider ownership.

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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.