EnerNOC Playing Serious Giveback After Huge Gains

By Jon C. Ogg Published Aug 7, 12:45PM EDT

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EnerNOC Inc. (NASDAQ: ENOC) should be one of the winners in the new energy use environment. The company makes its living by selling energy intelligence software and solutions services for more efficient energy use to large customers and utilities. With all the carbon emission plans from the current administration coming down the pipe, some investors might just assume that EnerNOC has nothing but clear sides ahead.

Shares rallied sharply on Thursday after earnings, but then the stock gave back almost of the gains on Friday.

EnerNOC’s post-earnings gain was the best in over two years, after posting a smaller-than-expected loss. The kicker was that it said third-quarter sales would be up threefold. Its non-GAAP operating loss was $0.32, versus an expected loss of closer to $0.80 per share.

The company’s revenue guidance for the third quarter was $224 million to $239 million, versus only about $72 million for the same period a year ago. This coming quarter is the so-called money quarter as 2015 revenue expectations by analysts are now looking for annual revenues of $422 million in 2015 and $455 million for 2016.

Some of the giveback here may be profit taking, but a lot is likely the realization that Thursday’s pop might have been unsustainable or driven up by momentum traders more than long-term investors.

Thursday’s 25% gain went to $10.59, after a prior close of $8.46, and the average volume of about 400,000 shares was dominated with over 1.85 million shares trading hands. Friday’s opening price of $10.28 was lower and a weak tape has not helped. EnerNOC shares were last seen down 19% at $8.54 on over 800,000 shares in midday trading.

ALSO READ: 8 Large Companies Valued Under 10 Times Earnings

A review of the late-day comments from Thursday and early comments on Friday in chat rooms and social media would point to traders getting out after a huge run and then catching other small-cap and momentum traders off guard by the amount it dropped.

EnerNOC has a 52-week range of $7.23 to $21.25, and its market cap is roughly $260 million. The consensus analyst price target, from about eight analysts, is up at $16.81, and the range of analyst target prices is $10.00 to $20.00.

About the Author Jon C. Ogg →

Jon Ogg has been a financial news analyst since 1997. Mr. Ogg set up one of the first audio squawk box services for traders called TTN, which he sold in 2003. He has previously worked as a licensed broker to some of the top U.S. and E.U. financial institutions, managed capital, and has raised private capital at the seed and venture stage. He has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as New York and Chicago, and he now lives in Houston, Texas. Jon received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance at University of Houston in 1992. a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.