Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation's (HKG:981 ) stock didn't jump after it announced some healthy earnings. We think that investors might be worried about some concerning underlying factors.
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To properly understand Semiconductor Manufacturing International's profit results, we need to consider the US$284m gain attributed to unusual items. While we like to see profit increases, we tend to be a little more cautious when unusual items have made a big contribution. We ran the numbers on most publicly listed companies worldwide, and it's very common for unusual items to be once-off in nature. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. Semiconductor Manufacturing International had a rather significant contribution from unusual items relative to its profit to June 2025. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items are making its statutory profit significantly stronger 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.
As previously mentioned, Semiconductor Manufacturing International's large boost from unusual items won't be there indefinitely, so its statutory earnings are probably a poor guide to its underlying profitability. For this reason, we think that Semiconductor Manufacturing International's statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. The good news is that, its earnings per share increased by 14% in the last year. Of course, we've only just scratched the surface when it comes to analysing its earnings; one could also consider margins, forecast growth, and return on investment, among other factors. If you'd like to know more about Semiconductor Manufacturing International as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Semiconductor Manufacturing International you should be aware of.
This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Semiconductor Manufacturing International'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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