Can Plug Power Live Up to Its Promise?

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By Paul Ausick Updated Published
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Hydrogen fuel cell
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Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG) reported first-quarter 2015 results before markets opened Monday. The fuel cell maker reported an adjusted diluted net loss per share loss of $0.07 and $9.4 million in revenues. In the same period a year ago, Plug Power reported a net loss of $0.06 on revenue of $5.6 million. First-quarter results also compare to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimates for a net loss of $0.07 and $18.13 million in revenue.

The company did not provide guidance other than to say that it maintains its 2015 forecast of total sales in excess of $100 million, comprised of sales of more than 3,300 GenDrive units and construction of more than 15 GenFuel hydrogen infrastructures. Sales are expected to ramp up through the year, with 35% to 40% of the annual revenue expected in the first half of the year.

Revenues rose 69% year-over-year on sales of 265 of its GenDrive units and one hydrogen fueling station. The company also shipped 419 GenDrive units for which it will recognize revenue in the second quarter.

The big increase in revenues came in service revenue, which rose from $2.1 million in the year-ago quarter to $5.3 million in the first quarter of 2015. Product revenue also rose, but to a far smaller degree — $3.2 million a year ago to $4.1 million this year.

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Cost of revenue in the first quarter totaled $11.5 million, comprised primarily of $3.8 million for cost of product revenue and $7.6 million for cost of service revenue. This compares to total cost of revenue in the year-ago quarter of $7.9 million, comprised of $3.5 million for cost of product revenue, $4.0 million for cost of service revenue and $0.4 million for cost of research and development revenue.

Plug Power had approximately 5,500 GenDrive units and eight hydrogen infrastructure sites under service contracts at the end of March, compared with about 3,000 GenDrive units and no hydrogen infrastructure sites under service contracts at the same point last year.

Consensus estimates for the second quarter call for a net loss of $0.06 on revenues of $22.57 million. Analysts are looking for a full-year net loss per share of $0.21 on revenues of $103.32 million.

The company’s CEO said:

The backlog for our products and services continued to grow in the first quarter. This has provided us with a high level of confidence in meeting this year’s financial projections.

Plug Power wrote more than $46 million in bookings during the first quarter and is sticking with its full-year projection for more than $200 million in bookings.

Shares of Plug Power traded down about 5.4% in premarket trading Monday, at $2.30 in a 52-week range of $2.40 to $6.47. Thomson Reuters had a consensus price target of $3.90 before the results were announced, and the high price target is $6.50.

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About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for a673b.bigscoots-temp.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.

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