Soft earnings didn't appear to concern World Kinect Corporation's (NYSE:WKC) shareholders over the last week. We did some digging, and we believe the earnings are stronger than they seem.

We've discovered 3 warning signs about World Kinect. View them for free.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

To properly understand World Kinect's profit results, we need to consider the US$111m 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. World Kinect took a rather significant hit from unusual items in the year to March 2025. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items made its statutory profit significantly weaker than it would otherwise be.

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 World Kinect's Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant unusual expense will make World Kinect's statutory profit lower than it would otherwise have been. Because of this, we think World Kinect's underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! On the other hand, its EPS actually shrunk in the last twelve months. 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. At Simply Wall St, we found 3 warning signs for World Kinect and we think they deserve your attention.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of World Kinect's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. Some people consider a high return on equity to be a good sign of a quality business. 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.