Even though Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.'s (NYSE:ZBH) recent earnings release was robust, the market didn't seem to notice. Our analysis suggests that investors might be missing some promising details.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

Importantly, our data indicates that Zimmer Biomet Holdings' profit was reduced by US$309m, due to unusual items, over the last year. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect Zimmer Biomet Holdings to produce a higher profit next year, all else being equal.

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 Zimmer Biomet Holdings' Profit Performance

Unusual items (expenses) detracted from Zimmer Biomet Holdings' earnings over the last year, but we might see an improvement next year. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that Zimmer Biomet Holdings' statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! Furthermore, it has done a great job growing EPS 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. If you want to do dive deeper into Zimmer Biomet Holdings, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Zimmer Biomet Holdings you should know about.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Zimmer Biomet Holdings' 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.