Fool Checkup: American Superconductor Earnings
American Superconductor (NAS: AMSC) reported earnings on June 6. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q4), American Superconductor met expectations on revenues and exceeded expectations on earnings per share.
Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue shrank significantly and GAAP loss per share dropped.
Margins grew across the board.
Revenue details
American Superconductor booked revenue of $28.6 million. The nine analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected a top line of $28.7 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 52% lower than the prior-year quarter's $59.8 million.
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 -$0.30. The nine earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted -$0.36 per share. GAAP EPS were -$0.42 for Q4 compared to -$3.68 per share for the prior-year quarter.
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 12.4%, 17,850 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was -88.7%, 13,430 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -73.9%, 23,590 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.
Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $29.1 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is -$0.25.
Next year's average estimate for revenue is $135.5 million. The average EPS estimate is -$0.81.
Investor sentiment
The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 671 members out of 774 rating the stock outperform, and 103 members rating it underperform. Among 133 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 93 give American Superconductor a green thumbs-up, and 40 give it a red thumbs-down.
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on American Superconductor is hold, with an average price target of $6.36.
Over the decades, small-cap stocks like American Superconductor have produced 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: 2 Small Caps the Government Won't Let Go Broke." Click here for instant access to this free report.
Add American Superconductor to My Watchlist.
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.
