Why Ixia Shares Got Crushed

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Ixia got crushed today, down by 25% at the low, after the company announced preliminary results.

So what: Revenue in the second quarter is expected in the range of $114 million to $116 million, shy of Ixia's previous guidance that was calling for $119 million to $122 million. The silver lining was that revenue from recent acquisitions is expected at the high end of guidance of $28 million to $32 million.

Now what: CEO Vic Alston was disappointed in the sales figures, attributing the weakness to lower-than-expected revenue from network equipment manufacturers and service providers. Customers have extended review cycles, causing some potential deals to be delayed. Stifel Nicolaus and Deutsche Bank both downgraded shares to "hold" on the news. Gabelli & Co. and Pacific Crest defended their respective "buy" and "outperform" ratings. Full results will be released on July 30.

Interested in more info on Ixia? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

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The article Why Ixia Shares Got Crushed originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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.

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