Statutory Profit Doesn't Reflect How Good Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings' (HKG:711) Earnings Are
Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited (HKG:711) just reported healthy earnings but the stock price didn't move much. Investors are probably missing some underlying factors which are encouraging for the future of the company.
A Closer Look At Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings' Earnings
One key financial ratio used to measure how well a company converts its profit to free cash flow (FCF) is the accrual ratio. 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. The ratio shows us how much a company's profit exceeds its FCF.
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. To quote a 2014 paper by Lewellen and Resutek, "firms with higher accruals tend to be less profitable in the future".
For the year to September 2025, Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings had an accrual ratio of -0.21. Therefore, its statutory earnings were very significantly less than its free cashflow. Indeed, in the last twelve months it reported free cash flow of HK$879m, well over the HK$51.2m it reported in profit. Notably, Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings had negative free cash flow last year, so the HK$879m it produced this year was a welcome improvement.
Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings.
Our Take On Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings' Profit Performance
As we discussed above, Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings' accrual ratio indicates strong conversion of profit to free cash flow, which is a positive for the company. Because of this, we think Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings' underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! And it's also positive that the company showed enough improvement to book a profit this year, after losing money 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. So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings at this point in time. For example, we've found that Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings has 3 warning signs (2 are significant!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.
Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings' 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. 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.