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Following the solid earnings report from Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSE:CTC.A), the market responded by bidding up the stock price. While the profit numbers were good, our analysis has found some concerning factors that shareholders should be aware of.
The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit
Importantly, our data indicates that Canadian Tire Corporation's profit received a boost of CA$289m in unusual items, over the last year. While we like to see profit increases, we tend to be a little more cautious when unusual items have made a big contribution. We ran the numbers on most publicly listed companies worldwide, and it's very common for unusual items to be once-off in nature. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. Assuming those unusual items don't show up again in the current year, we'd thus expect profit to be weaker next year (in the absence of business growth, that is).
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 Canadian Tire Corporation's Profit Performance
Arguably, Canadian Tire Corporation's statutory earnings have been distorted by unusual items boosting profit. Because of this, we think that it may be that Canadian Tire Corporation's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. The silver lining is that its EPS growth over the last year has been really wonderful, even if it's not a perfect measure. 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. If you'd like to know more about Canadian Tire Corporation as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Canadian Tire Corporation (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.
Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Canadian Tire Corporation's profit. 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. 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.