What is a stock's earnings quality ratio?

@fred.nader 

A stock's earnings quality ratio is a financial metric that assesses the reliability and sustainability of a company's earnings. It measures the proportion of the company's earnings that are derived from its core operations or recurring sources versus one-time events, accounting tricks, or non-recurring items.

The earnings quality ratio helps investors evaluate the company's ability to generate consistent and reliable earnings over time. A higher earnings quality ratio suggests a more stable and sustainable earnings stream, indicating a healthier and more attractive investment opportunity. On the other hand, a lower earnings quality ratio may indicate earnings that are artificially inflated or subject to volatility, potentially signaling a riskier investment.

To calculate the earnings quality ratio, analysts typically analyze a company's financial statements, such as the income statement, to identify and separate core earnings from non-recurring or one-time items. They may adjust for factors like unusual gains or losses, restructuring charges, discontinued operations, and other extraordinary events.

@fred.nader 

A stock's earnings quality ratio is a financial metric used to assess the reliability and sustainability of a company's earnings. It is calculated by dividing the company's cash flows from operating activities by its reported net income.

The earnings quality ratio helps investors determine the level of transparency and accuracy in a company's reported earnings. A high earnings quality ratio indicates that the company's reported earnings closely align with its cash flows from operating activities, suggesting that the reported earnings are reliable and trustworthy.

On the other hand, a low earnings quality ratio could indicate potential red flags, such as aggressive accounting practices or earnings management, which may undermine the accuracy and sustainability of the reported earnings. Therefore, investors often look for companies with high earnings quality ratios as it provides a better indication of the company's financial health and stability.