Sequenom Meets on Revenues, Misses on EPS

Updated

Sequenom (NAS: SQNM) reported earnings yesterday. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Sequenom met expectations on revenues and missed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew and GAAP loss per share shrank.

Gross margins dropped, operating margins shrank, net margins expanded.

Revenue details
Sequenom logged revenue of $15.5 million. The 11 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ hoped for revenue of $15.7 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 13% higher than the prior-year quarter's $13.8 million.

anImage
anImage

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at -$0.22. The 12 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated -$0.18 per share. GAAP EPS were -$0.22 for Q4 against -$0.27 per share for the prior-year quarter.

anImage
anImage

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 45.6%, 1,680 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was -141.6%, 2,820 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -143.2%, 1,690 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $16.4 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is -$0.18.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $78.8 million. The average EPS estimate is -$0.68.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 648 members out of 702 rating the stock outperform, and 54 members rating it underperform. Among 160 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 146 give Sequenom a green thumbs-up, and 14 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Sequenom is outperform, with an average price target of $7.03.

Over the decades, small-cap stocks like Sequenom have provided market-beating returns, provided they're value priced and have solid businesses. Read about a pair of companies with a lock on their markets in "Too Small to Fail: Two Small Caps the Government Won't Let Go Broke." Click here for instant access to this free report.

At the time thisarticle was published Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor ofMotley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Advertisement