Even though Toyo Tec Co.,Ltd.'s (TSE:9686) recent earnings release was robust, the market didn't seem to notice. Investors are probably missing some underlying factors which are encouraging for the future of the company.
Many investors haven't heard of the accrual ratio from cashflow, but it is actually a useful measure of how well a company's profit is backed up by free cash flow (FCF) during a given period. The accrual ratio subtracts the FCF from the profit for a given period, and divides the result by the average operating assets of the company over that time. You could think of the accrual ratio from cashflow as the 'non-FCF profit ratio'.
That means a negative accrual ratio is a good thing, because it shows that the company is bringing in more free cash flow than its profit would suggest. While it's not a problem to have a positive accrual ratio, indicating a certain level of non-cash profits, a high accrual ratio is arguably a bad thing, because it indicates paper profits are not matched by cash flow. That's because some academic studies have suggested that high accruals ratios tend to lead to lower profit or less profit growth.
Over the twelve months to March 2026, Toyo TecLtd recorded an accrual ratio of -0.11. Therefore, its statutory earnings were quite a lot less than its free cashflow. To wit, it produced free cash flow of JP¥4.1b during the period, dwarfing its reported profit of JP¥1.97b. Toyo TecLtd shareholders are no doubt pleased that free cash flow improved over the last twelve months.
Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Toyo TecLtd.
Toyo TecLtd's accrual ratio is solid, and indicates strong free cash flow, as we discussed, above. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that Toyo TecLtd's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! Better yet, its EPS are growing strongly, which is nice to see. 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. Just as investors must consider earnings, it is also important to take into account the strength of a company's balance sheet. We've done some analysis and you can see our take on Toyo TecLtd's balance sheet by clicking here.
This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Toyo TecLtd'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. 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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