The most recent earnings report from WillScot Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:WSC) was disappointing for shareholders. While the headline numbers were soft, we believe that investors might be missing some encouraging factors.

See our latest analysis for WillScot Holdings

How Do Unusual Items Influence Profit?

To properly understand WillScot Holdings' profit results, we need to consider the US$307m 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 that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. WillScot Holdings took a rather significant hit from unusual items in the year to September 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.

Our Take On WillScot Holdings' Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant unusual expense will make WillScot Holdings' statutory profit lower than it would otherwise have been. Because of this, we think WillScot Holdings' underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! On the other hand, its EPS actually shrunk in the last twelve months. 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. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For example, WillScot Holdings has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.

Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of WillScot Holdings' profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. 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.