Even though Jinneng Science&Technology Co.,Ltd (SHSE:603113) posted strong earnings recently, the stock hasn't reacted in a large way. We decided to have a deeper look, and we believe that investors might be worried about several concerning factors that we found.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from CN¥68m 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. And that's as you'd expect, given these boosts are described as 'unusual'. We can see that Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd's positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to September 2024. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items are making its statutory profit significantly stronger than it would otherwise be.

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.

An Unusual Tax Situation

Just as we noted the unusual items, we must inform you that Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd received a tax benefit which contributed CN¥48m to the bottom line. This is of course a bit out of the ordinary, given it is more common for companies to be paying tax than receiving tax benefits! Of course, prima facie it's great to receive a tax benefit. And given that it lost money last year, it seems possible that the benefit is evidence that it now expects to find value in its past tax losses. However, the devil in the detail is that these kind of benefits only impact in the year they are booked, and are often one-off in nature. Assuming the tax benefit is not repeated every year, we could see its profitability drop noticeably, all else being equal.

Our Take On Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd's Profit Performance

In the last year Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd received a tax benefit, which boosted its profit in a way that might not be much more sustainable than turning prime farmland into gas fields. And on top of that, it also saw an unusual item boost its profit, suggesting that next year might see a lower profit number, if these events are not repeated. Considering all this we'd argue Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd's profits probably give an overly generous impression of its sustainable level of profitability. If you want to do dive deeper into Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 2 warning signs with Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd, and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

Our examination of Jinneng Science&TechnologyLtd 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 are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. 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.