The most recent earnings report from Destination XL Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXLG) was disappointing for shareholders. Despite the soft profit numbers, our analysis has optimistic about the overall quality of the income statement.

See our latest analysis for Destination XL Group

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

To properly understand Destination XL Group's profit results, we need to consider the US$1.6m expense attributed to unusual items. It's never great to see unusual items costing the company profits, but on the upside, things might improve sooner rather than later. 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. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect Destination XL 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 Destination XL Group's Profit Performance

Unusual items (expenses) detracted from Destination XL Group's earnings over the last year, but we might see an improvement next year. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that Destination XL Group's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! On the other hand, its EPS actually shrunk in the last twelve months. 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 want to do dive deeper into Destination XL Group, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Destination XL Group you should be aware of.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Destination XL Group's profit. 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. 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.