Shareholders appeared unconcerned with ICL Group Ltd's (NYSE:ICL) lackluster earnings report last week. We did some digging, and we believe the earnings are stronger than they seem.

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

For anyone who wants to understand ICL Group's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$159m due to unusual items. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. 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. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect ICL Group to produce a higher profit next year, all else being equal.

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 ICL Group's Profit Performance

Unusual items (expenses) detracted from ICL Group's earnings over the last year, but we might see an improvement next year. Because of this, we think ICL Group's earnings potential is at least as good as it seems, and maybe even better! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back over the last year. 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. If you'd like to know more about ICL Group as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. To help with this, we've discovered 5 warning signs (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in ICL Group.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of ICL Group'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.

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.