Shares of SolarEdge Technologies Inc. dropped more than 14% in the extended session Tuesday after the maker of inverters and other solar-power equipment reported quarterly sales that fell more than 60% and guided for even lower sales, the latest reminder of the ongoing downdraft for the solar industry.
Industry Challenges
Lower demand amid high interest rates and regulatory changes in California, as well as rising inventories, have pummeled solar-power and related industries, and SolarEdge just last month embarked on a cost-cutting plan and announced layoffs to try to right itself.
Financial Performance
The company swung to a surprise loss last quarter, saying it was navigating a “slow market environment.” Fourth-quarter earnings were mixed, but guidance also disappointed Wall Street.
SolarEdge lost $162.4 million, or $2.85 a share, in the fourth quarter, versus earnings of $21 million, or 36 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted for one-time items, SolarEdge lost 92 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet were looking for an adjusted loss of $1.34 a share.
Revenue dropped 65% to $316 million, from $891 million a year ago. That includes revenue of $282 million for its solar segment, down 66% from the prior quarter’s revenue.
The analysts surveyed by FactSet expected SolarEdge to report revenue of $323 million in the quarter.
Gross margin from the solar segment dropped to 4%, compared with 24% in the prior quarter and 32.4% in the same quarter of last year.
Future Outlook
SolarEdge guided for first-quarter revenues to be within the range of $175 million to $215 million, and gross margins between negative 3% and a positive 1%.
FactSet consensus calls for first-quarter revenue of $374 million.
Stock Performance
SolarEdge shares have lost 72% in the past 12 months, contrasting with gains of around 22% for the S&P 500 index SPX and compared with a loss of around 40% for the Invesco Solar ETF TAN in the same period.
