Sensata Technologies Holding's (NYSE:ST) Earnings Seem To Be Promising

Sensata Technologies Holding plc (NYSE:ST) announced a healthy earnings result recently, and the market rewarded it with a strong uplift in the stock price. According to our analysis of the report, the strong headline profit numbers are supported by strong earnings fundamentals.

See our latest analysis for Sensata Technologies Holding

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

For anyone who wants to understand Sensata Technologies Holding's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$322m 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, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. Sensata Technologies Holding took a rather significant hit from unusual items in the year to December 2024. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items made its statutory profit significantly weaker 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.

An Unusual Tax Situation

Just as we noted the unusual items, we must inform you that Sensata Technologies Holding received a tax benefit which contributed US$140m to the bottom line. This is meaningful because companies usually pay tax rather than receive tax benefits. Of course, prima facie it's great to receive a tax benefit. And given that it lost money last year, it seems possible that the benefit is evidence that it now expects to find value in its past tax losses. However, our data indicates that tax benefits can temporarily boost statutory profit in the year it is booked, but subsequently profit may fall back. Assuming the tax benefit is not repeated every year, we could see its profitability drop noticeably, all else being equal.

Our Take On Sensata Technologies Holding's Profit Performance

In its last report Sensata Technologies Holding received a tax benefit which might make its profit look better than it really is on a underlying level. But on the other hand, it also saw an unusual item depress its profit. Considering all the aforementioned, we'd venture that Sensata Technologies Holding's profit result is a pretty good guide to its true profitability, albeit a bit on the conservative side. If you'd like to know more about Sensata Technologies Holding as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Sensata Technologies Holding you should be mindful of and 1 of these is potentially serious.

Our examination of Sensata Technologies Holding has focussed on certain factors that can make its earnings look better than they are. 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. 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.

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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.