TITANic Bull Again?

Titan Chemicals announced its earnings yesterday. And this is how Titan has performed since listing.

2005 Q1 net profit 159.3 million (not listed yet)
2005 Q2 net profit 111.326 million.
2005 Q3 net profit 71.924 million.
2005 Q4 net profit 19.282 million.
2006 Q1 net profit 378.070 million.

The earnings look rather decent and it got some of the local news all excited. The Business Times has this header: Titan Chemicals Q1 net more than doubles ; while the Star Business has this header: Titan first quarter profit up 149% to RM378m

Now the issue is 'the inclusion of a RM341mil non-recurring income from consolidation of its acquisition of PT Titan' which is nothing but mere accounting profit.

And if you minus this 341 million out, this is how Titan did since listing.

2005 Q1 net profit 159.3 million (not listed yet)
2005 Q2 net profit 111.326 million.
2005 Q3 net profit 71.924 million.
2005 Q4 net profit 19.282 million.
2006 Q1 net profit 37.070 million.

Which isn't all that bad but what irks me the most was mentioned in my initial blog onTitan.

Now this is a company which sold itself to the investing public based on a repeated promise that it would earn some 604 million for its fiscal year 2005!

And how is Titan doing?

Oh, for those who like figures, let me be really cynical. Say we give Titan a helping hand, yeah spot the bugger a handicap of one extra quarter earnings. Guess what? If we add up these 5 quarterly earnings, Titan only earned 398.902 million. How? Can you imagine that with one extra quarterly earnings, Titan earnings is still no where close to the 604 million it promised during its IPO!!!!!!

Oh and the trailing earnings is a mere 239.602 million!

Yes, it is not easy making an earnings projection but when the projected earnings is so way off as in the example of Titan, it really makes you wonder. And worse still, those poor ipo investors bought Titan based on these incredibly optimistic earnings projections!

So how about the SC coming down really hard on buggers who make such incredibly optimistic earnings projections?

How brown cow?