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Shares of James Hardie Industries plc fell sharply during Tuesday's session after the company reported worse-than-expected quarterly financial results.
James Hardie Industries posted adjusted earnings of 40 cents per share, missing market expectations of 42 cents per share. The company's quarterly sales came in at $1.005 billion versus estimates of $1.009 billion, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
JP Morgan analyst Al Harvey downgraded James Hardie Industries from Overweight to Neutral.
James Hardie Industries shares dipped 14.3% to $31.36 on Tuesday.
Here are some other stocks moving in today’s mid-day session.
Gainers
Losers
Now Read This: This Walt Disney Analyst Is No Longer Bearish; Here Are Top 5 Upgrades For Tuesday
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Palo Alto Networks has an average outperform rating and a price target range of $270 to $385, according to analysts polled by Capital IQ.
Nordson has an average rating of outperform and price targets ranging from $240 to $328, according to analysts polled by Capital IQ.
Palo Alto Networks is a prominent member of the dynamic and fiercely competitive cybersecurity sector. Palo Alto has established itself as a leader in delivering comprehensive security solutions for a wide range of industry sectors. Palo Alto’s earnings report for the third quarter of 2023 was released, revealing the company's financial health. However, Palo Alto’s financial release has raised questions about the company’s forward-looking strategy, prompting investors to evaluate whether this cybersecurity star might be experiencing a descent into a "fallen angel" scenario.
Palo Alto’s Growth Slowdown
Palo Alto Networks' recent earnings report release has revealed a trend of decelerating revenue growth, raising concerns among investors and Palo Alto’s analyst community. While the company's total revenue for the fiscal third quarter of 2024 surged by 15% year-over-year, reaching $2 billion, this growth rate is a drop from the previous year's 17% growth. The market demands consistent, predictable, and relatively rapid growth from tech companies, and the fast deceleration of revenue growth rates is a red flag for investors.
Adding to these concerns is the discrepancy between revenue growth and billings growth. Billings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 are projected to increase by 9% to 10% year-over-year, while revenue growth is anticipated to be 10% to 11%. This suggests that Palo Alto Networks' revenue growth will dip below 15% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) as we move through the fiscal year. Such a decline could deter investors seeking exposure to the rapidly expanding cybersecurity market.
While Palo Alto Networks attributes this discrepancy to a shift in customer payment preferences towards annual plans instead of upfront payments, some investors view these accounting changes as a way to downplay challenges in both billing and RPO (Remaining Performance Obligations) metrics.
This is particularly concerning when considering that the company's RPO, a key indicator of future revenue, has grown slower than the previous quarter. While RPO bookings rebounded in Q3 2024, increasing 17% year-over-year compared to just 10% in the previous quarter, this still indicates a slower pace of growth.
While strategically sound, the company's focus on platformization might also impact its near-term financial performance. The transition to platformization can involve complex implementations and the adoption of annual billing plans, potentially creating a delay between signing deals and recognizing revenue. This dynamic might contribute to the divergence between billings growth and revenue growth.
Despite the strong growth in next-generation ARR (annual recurring revenue), reaching an impressive $3.8 billion, the challenges in billings and RPO metrics are creating uncertainty about the sustainability of Palo Alto Networks' growth trajectory. Investors are closely watching to see if the company can successfully address these challenges and maintain its position as a leading member of the cybersecurity sector.
A Bold Strategy for the Future
Palo Alto Networks has introduced a strategic initiative known as platformization. This involves consolidating various security solutions into a unified platform, providing a comprehensive security ecosystem that integrates network, cloud, and endpoint protection. This strategy aims to streamline the security experience for customers, offering them a more holistic approach to safeguarding their digital assets.
The platformization strategy promises numerous benefits for Palo Alto Networks. It has the potential to unlock higher average ARR (annual recurring revenue) for platformed customers, solidifying customer relationships and boosting NRR (net revenue retention). Platformization can also enhance security outcomes, improving security posture and customer efficiency. By simplifying the sales process and driving higher-value deals, platformization could reduce sales and marketing costs.
However, challenges exist with this ambitious strategy. Implementing and integrating a comprehensive platform can be complex and demanding for customers. Furthermore, platformization must be widely accepted by the market, which may encounter resistance from existing solutions.
Despite these obstacles, Palo Alto Networks has seen early positive traction with its platformization strategy. The company has secured a significant number of platformization deals, signaling a promising initial response from customers. The long-term vision for platformization is ambitious, with the potential to drive substantial growth for Palo Alto Networks.
The Monetization of AI Security
The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) powered security solutions has opened up new revenue streams for Palo Alto Networks. The company is capitalizing on this growing market by offering AI-driven features as incremental subscriptions to its existing customer base. For instance, the company has increased the subscription cost of its advanced firewalls to reflect the integration of AI-powered capabilities. AI Access Security is offered as a separate subscription for customers leveraging VPN and SASE solutions.
Palo Alto Networks is also exploring monetizing AI-driven features by charging a premium for its virtual firewalls with AI capabilities. This premium reflects the additional value and security AI-powered protection provides for AI installations. The company is considering offering its AI-SPM capabilities as a separate add-on to its firewall offerings.
Artificial Intelligence in Security
While Palo Alto Networks is actively innovating in AI security, it faces competition from other cybersecurity providers and cloud giants. The competition in AI security is intensifying as industry players recognize the critical role of AI in safeguarding against both traditional and emerging cyber threats. Palo Alto Networks aims to maintain its competitive advantage by focusing on comprehensive security solutions that integrate across multiple platforms and environments. The company's native integrations with leading cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and GCP provide a significant differentiator, enabling seamless deployment and management of AI-powered security across diverse cloud environments.
The adoption of AI in cybersecurity is undeniably transforming the security landscape. While AI offers immense potential to enhance security defenses, it poses new risks and vulnerabilities. Palo Alto Networks is strategically positioning itself as a leader in this rapidly evolving field, leveraging its expertise in security solutions and its investments in AI technology.
The company's AI-powered solutions and its commitment to comprehensive platformization aim to empower organizations to navigate the complexities of the AI-driven security era. However, investors need to remain aware of the evolving competitive landscape and the potential impact of AI on Palo Alto Networks' financial performance. As AI continues to reshape cybersecurity, the company's ability to adapt, innovate, and maintain its competitive edge will be crucial for its long-term success.
XPeng stock is on the climb today, up 5% as of this writing after delivering a promising first-quarter earnings report this morning. The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker managed to handily beat earnings, margin and guidance estimates in its fiscal Q1.
Indeed, XPeng announced an EPS loss of 10 cents on sales of $907 million, better than forecasts for a 33 cent EPS loss on $859 million in sales. Revenue came in at nearly double the sales the company reported a year prior.
The company’s sales were notably helped by a substantial jump in revenue from services, largely due to its recent deal with Volkswagen in “autonomous driving and advanced in-car software systems.”
“Through our strategic partnership with the Volkswagen Group, XPeng is at the forefront of monetizing in-house developed smart technologies as a technology enabler,” said Chairman and CEO Xiaopeng He.
Quarterly gross profit margins climbed 13% in Q1, up 11% year-over-year (YOY) and slightly better than analysts’ projections. The improved margin was also the result of increases in its service-based sales.
XPeng expects to sell between 29,000 and 32,000 vehicles in Q2, up between 25% and 38% YOY. This represents sales of about $1.1 billion, or 60% higher than in Q2 2023.
“Despite fierce market competition, the company’s gross profit margin saw a substantial increase [in Q1],” said Co-President Brian Gu. “This signifies that XPeng, based on its smart EV business, has developed a unique approach to lift its profitability and international market potential by providing smart technologies.”
XPEV Stock Soars on Promising Earnings
Despite today’s gains, XPeng remains another brutal victims of this year’s EV winter. Indeed, XPEV stock is down 38% year-to-date (YTD), along with most other EV makers this year.
Li Auto , Nio and former EV darling Tesla are all well in the red this year as slowing EV sales recalibrate the entire industry. This comes as the S&P 500 is up 12% YTD not even six months into 2024.
That said, XPeng fans will still be pleased with the company’s recent performance, on its balance sheet and otherwise.
On the date of publication, Shrey Dua did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
With degrees in economics and journalism, Shrey Dua leverages his ample experience in media and reporting to contribute well-informed articles covering everything from financial regulation and the electric vehicle industry to the housing market and monetary policy. Shrey’s articles have featured in the likes of Morning Brew, Real Clear Markets, the Downline Podcast, and more.
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