Solid profit numbers didn't seem to be enough to please G Mining Ventures Corp.'s (TSE:GMIN) shareholders. Our analysis suggests they may be concerned about some underlying details.
TSX:GMIN Earnings and Revenue History April 9th 2025
Examining Cashflow Against G Mining Ventures' Earnings
One key financial ratio used to measure how well a company converts its profit to free cash flow (FCF) is the accrual ratio. In plain english, this ratio subtracts FCF from net profit, and divides that number by the company's average operating assets over that period. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.
That means a negative accrual ratio is a good thing, because it shows that the company is bringing in more free cash flow than its profit would suggest. While having an accrual ratio above zero is of little concern, we do think it's worth noting when a company has a relatively high accrual ratio. Notably, there is some academic evidence that suggests that a high accrual ratio is a bad sign for near-term profits, generally speaking.
Over the twelve months to December 2024, G Mining Ventures recorded an accrual ratio of 0.28. We can therefore deduce that its free cash flow fell well short of covering its statutory profit, suggesting we might want to think twice before putting a lot of weight on the latter. Even though it reported a profit of US$62.0m, a look at free cash flow indicates it actually burnt through US$111m in the last year. We also note that G Mining Ventures' free cash flow was actually negative last year as well, so we could understand if shareholders were bothered by its outflow of US$111m. Notably, the company has issued new shares, thus diluting existing shareholders and reducing their share of future earnings.
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.
One essential aspect of assessing earnings quality is to look at how much a company is diluting shareholders. In fact, G Mining Ventures increased the number of shares on issue by 102% over the last twelve months by issuing new shares. Therefore, each share now receives a smaller portion of profit. Per share metrics like EPS help us understand how much actual shareholders are benefitting from the company's profits, while the net income level gives us a better view of the company's absolute size. You can see a chart of G Mining Ventures' EPS by clicking here .
A Look At The Impact Of G Mining Ventures' Dilution On Its Earnings Per Share (EPS)
Three years ago, G Mining Ventures lost money. Zooming in to the last year, we still can't talk about growth rates coherently, since it made a loss last year. But mathematics aside, it is always good to see when a formerly unprofitable business come good (though we accept profit would have been higher if dilution had not been required). Therefore, one can observe that the dilution is having a fairly profound effect on shareholder returns.
If G Mining Ventures' EPS can grow over time then that drastically improves the chances of the share price moving in the same direction. But on the other hand, we'd be far less excited to learn profit (but not EPS) was improving. For the ordinary retail shareholder, EPS is a great measure to check your hypothetical "share" of the company's profit.
Our Take On G Mining Ventures' Profit Performance
As it turns out, G Mining Ventures couldn't match its profit with cashflow and its dilution means that shareholders own less of the company than the did before (unless they bought more shares). Considering all this we'd argue G Mining Ventures' profits probably give an overly generous impression of its sustainable level of profitability. If you want to do dive deeper into G Mining Ventures, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. For example - G Mining Ventures has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.
In this article we've looked at a number of factors that can impair the utility of profit numbers, and we've come away cautious. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. 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.
