Cincinnati Financial profit jumps 44% but misses estimates :

This article demostrates the aspect of how a large gain can make it appear that a company had a very profitable quarter. But, in actuality this was the benefit of a one time occurence.

The company said the increase included a recovery of $23 million of a $39 million one-time charge taken in the third quarter of 2000 to write off previously capitalized software development costs.

Excluding the gain, the company's operating earnings per share were 49 cents, which was just short of analyst expectations of 50 cents per share, according to Thomson First Call.