Despite posting strong earnings, Han's Laser Technology Industry Group Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:002008) stock didn't move much over the last week. We think that investors might be worried about the foundations the earnings are built on.

Operating Revenue Or Not?

Companies will classify their revenue streams as either operating revenue or other revenue. Where possible, we prefer rely on operating revenue to get a better understanding of how the business is functioning. Importantly, the non-operating revenue often comes without associated ongoing costs, so it can boost profit by letting it fall straight to the bottom line, making the operating business seem better than it really is. It's worth noting that Han's Laser Technology Industry Group saw a big increase in non-operating revenue over the last year. In fact, our data indicates that non-operating revenue increased from CN¥114.0m to CN¥14.0b. If that non-operating revenue fails to manifest in the current year, then there's a real risk the bottom line profit result will be impacted negatively. In order to better understand a company's profit result, it can sometimes help to consider whether the result would be very different without a sudden increase in non-operating revenue.

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.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

Alongside that spike in non-operating revenue, it's also important to note that Han's Laser Technology Industry Group'sprofit was boosted by unusual items worth CN¥219m in the last twelve months. 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 Han's Laser Technology Industry Group'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.

Our Take On Han's Laser Technology Industry Group's Profit Performance

In the last year Han's Laser Technology Industry Group's non-operating revenue really gave it a boost, but not in a way that is necessarily going to be sustained. Furthermore, unusual items also made a nice positive contribution to its profit, which may well drop next year (all else being equal) if these phenomena are not repeated. For all the reasons mentioned above, we think that, at a glance, Han's Laser Technology Industry Group's statutory profits could be considered to be low quality, because they are likely to give investors an overly positive impression of the company. So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Han's Laser Technology Industry Group (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be familiar with.

Our examination of Han's Laser Technology Industry Group has focussed on certain factors that can make its earnings look better than they are. And, on that basis, we are somewhat skeptical. 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.

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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.