Despite posting some strong earnings, the market for Fraport AG's (ETR:FRA) stock hasn't moved much. Our analysis suggests that this might be because shareholders have noticed some concerning underlying factors.

See our latest analysis for Fraport

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

Importantly, our data indicates that Fraport's profit received a boost of €76m in unusual items, over the last year. While we like to see profit increases, we tend to be a little more cautious when unusual items have made a big contribution. When we crunched the numbers on thousands of publicly listed companies, we found that a boost from unusual items in a given year is often not repeated the next year. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. Assuming those unusual items don't show up again in the current year, we'd thus expect profit to be weaker next year (in the absence of business growth, that is).

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 Fraport's Profit Performance

Arguably, Fraport's statutory earnings have been distorted by unusual items boosting profit. Therefore, it seems possible to us that Fraport's true underlying earnings power is actually less than its statutory profit. The good news is that, its earnings per share increased by 77% 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 Fraport as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Fraport.

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