Investors were disappointed with the weak earnings posted by Owens Corning (NYSE:OC ). Despite the soft profit numbers, our analysis has optimistic about the overall quality of the income statement.

See our latest analysis for Owens Corning

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Owens Corning's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$773m 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. 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. In the twelve months to December 2024, Owens Corning had a big unusual items expense. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit look worse than its underlying earnings power.

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 Owens Corning's Profit Performance

As we mentioned previously, the Owens Corning's profit was hampered by unusual items in the last year. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that Owens Corning's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back 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. So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Owens Corning you should know about.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Owens Corning's profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. 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 with significant insider holdings 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.