Shareholders appeared to be happy with Suga International Holdings Limited's (HKG:912) solid earnings report last week. This reaction by the market reaction is understandable when looking at headline profits and we have found some further encouraging factors.

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Zooming In On Suga International Holdings' Earnings

One key financial ratio used to measure how well a company converts its profit to free cash flow (FCF) is the accrual ratio. To get the accrual ratio we first subtract FCF from profit for a period, and then divide that number by the average operating assets for the period. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.

Therefore, it's actually considered a good thing when a company has a negative accrual ratio, but a bad thing if its accrual ratio is positive. While having an accrual ratio above zero is of little concern, we do think it's worth noting when a company has a relatively high accrual ratio. That's because some academic studies have suggested that high accruals ratios tend to lead to lower profit or less profit growth.

Suga International Holdings has an accrual ratio of -0.24 for the year to March 2025. That implies it has very good cash conversion, and that its earnings in the last year actually significantly understate its free cash flow. To wit, it produced free cash flow of HK$175m during the period, dwarfing its reported profit of HK$34.4m. Suga International Holdings' free cash flow improved over the last year, which is generally good to see.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Suga International Holdings.

Our Take On Suga International Holdings' Profit Performance

Happily for shareholders, Suga International Holdings produced plenty of free cash flow to back up its statutory profit numbers. Based on this observation, we consider it possible that Suga International Holdings' statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And the EPS is up 7.3% over 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. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Suga International Holdings (1 is significant) you should be familiar with.

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

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.