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Even though HNI Corporation (NYSE:HNI ) posted strong earnings, investors appeared to be underwhelmed. We have done some analysis and have found some comforting factors beneath the profit numbers.
Check out our latest analysis for HNI
How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?
For anyone who wants to understand HNI's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$40m due to unusual items. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. 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. If HNI doesn't see those unusual expenses repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to increase over the coming year.
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 HNI's Profit Performance
Unusual items (expenses) detracted from HNI's earnings over the last year, but we might see an improvement next year. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that HNI's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And on top of that, its earnings per share have grown at an extremely impressive rate over the last year. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. While conducting our analysis, we found that HNI has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them.
Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of HNI'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. 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.