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Ibstock plc's (LON:IBST) stock was strong despite it releasing a soft earnings report last week. Our analysis suggests that investors may have noticed some promising signs beyond the statutory profit figures.
See our latest analysis for Ibstock
How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?
For anyone who wants to understand Ibstock's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by UK£22m due to unusual items. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. In the twelve months to June 2024, Ibstock had a big unusual items expense. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items made its statutory profit significantly weaker 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.
Our Take On Ibstock's Profit Performance
As we mentioned previously, the Ibstock's profit was hampered by unusual items in the last year. Because of this, we think Ibstock's underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back over the last year. 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. To help with this, we've discovered 4 warning signs (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Ibstock.
Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Ibstock'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.