Soft earnings didn't appear to concern M/I Homes, Inc.'s (NYSE:MHO) shareholders over the last week. We think that the softer headline numbers might be getting counterbalanced by some positive underlying factors.

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand M/I Homes' profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$48m due to unusual items. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect M/I Homes 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 M/I Homes' Profit Performance

Because unusual items detracted from M/I Homes' earnings over the last year, you could argue that we can expect an improved result in the current quarter. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that M/I Homes' statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back over the last year. 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. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of M/I Homes' 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.

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.