Investors were disappointed by Spring Art Holdings Berhad’s (KLSE:SPRING ) latest earnings release. Our analysis has found some reasons to be concerned, beyond the weak headline numbers.
We can see that Spring Art Holdings Berhad received a tax benefit of RM3.4m. It’s always a bit noteworthy when a company is paid by the tax man, rather than paying the tax man. The receipt of a tax benefit is obviously a good thing, on its own. 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. While we think it’s good that the company has booked a tax benefit, it does mean that there’s every chance the statutory profit will come in a lot higher than it would be if the income was adjusted for one-off factors.
Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Spring Art Holdings Berhad.
Spring Art Holdings Berhad received a tax benefit in its last reported period, as we have mentioned already. Tax is usually an expense, not a benefit, so we don’t think the reported profit number is a particularly good guide to the earning potential of the business. As a result, we think it may well be the case that Spring Art Holdings Berhad’s underlying earnings power is lower than its statutory profit. Nonetheless, it’s still worth noting that its earnings per share have grown at 10% over the last three years. The goal of this article has been to assess how well we can rely on the statutory earnings to reflect the company’s potential, but there is plenty more to consider. So if you’d like to dive deeper into this stock, it’s crucial to consider any risks it’s facing. For example – Spring Art Holdings Berhad 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 Spring Art Holdings Berhad’s profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to ‘follow the money’ and search out stocks that insiders are buying. 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.