Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation Limited (NASDAQ:APWC) just released a solid earnings report, and the stock displayed some strength. While the profit numbers were good, our analysis has found some concerning factors that shareholders should be aware of.

View our latest analysis for Asia Pacific Wire & Cable

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

For anyone who wants to understand Asia Pacific Wire & Cable's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit gained from US$643k worth of unusual items. While it's always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. 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).

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Asia Pacific Wire & Cable.

Our Take On Asia Pacific Wire & Cable's Profit Performance

We'd posit that Asia Pacific Wire & Cable's statutory earnings aren't a clean read on ongoing productivity, due to the large unusual item. Because of this, we think that it may be that Asia Pacific Wire & Cable's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. The good news is that it earned a profit in the last twelve months, despite its previous loss. 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. Keep in mind, when it comes to analysing a stock it's worth noting the risks involved. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Asia Pacific Wire & Cable you should be mindful of and 1 of these bad boys is a bit unpleasant.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Asia Pacific Wire & Cable'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 that insiders are buying 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.