Fast Fitness Japan Incorporated’s (TSE:7092) stock was strong despite it releasing a soft earnings report last week. We think that investors might be looking at some positive factors beyond the earnings numbers.

Check out our latest analysis for Fast Fitness Japan

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

To properly understand Fast Fitness Japan’s profit results, we need to consider the JP¥339m expense attributed 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 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 Fast Fitness Japan 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 Fast Fitness Japan’s Profit Performance

Because unusual items detracted from Fast Fitness Japan’s earnings over the last year, you could argue that we can expect an improved result in the current quarter. Because of this, we think Fast Fitness Japan’s earnings potential is at least as good as it seems, and maybe even better! On the other hand, its EPS actually shrunk in the last twelve months. 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 Fast Fitness Japan, you’d also look into what risks it is currently facing. Every company has risks, and we’ve spotted 1 warning sign for Fast Fitness Japan you should know about.

Today we’ve zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Fast Fitness Japan’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.