Why GoPro Inc (GPRO) Stock Deserves More Patience

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Shares of GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO) have been under pressure, plunging as much as 14% Friday after the action camera maker reported fourth quarter fiscal 2016 earnings results Thursday afternoon that missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations. But it’s tough to ignore how GPRO stock, which is trading near 52-week lows, looks attractive from a risk versus reward perspective.

Why GoPro Inc (GPRO) Stock Deserves More Patience

GoPro stock closed Friday at $9.58, down 12.7%. Even with Friday’s punishment, the stock is still up 10% year-to-date, besting the 2.3% rise in the S&P 500 index.

Indeed, the fact that the company lowered guidance for the current quarter may have created a ceiling for the GPRO stock. For the current quarter, GoPro, which did not issue an earnings-per-share forecast, expects revenue of $200 million, up 9% year-over-year. This compares to Wall Street’s estimates for $264 million.

However, while the market focused solely on the the revenue miss and guide-down, investors ignored that not only did GoPro’s profit margins improve, the company’s adjusted EPS of 29 cents beat estimates by 7 cents. Notably, the $115.7 million loss the company posted in the fourth quarter, much of the total was due to a tax charge of $102 million.

Plus, despite revenue of $540.6 million missing consensus estimates, it was nonetheless encouraging that GPRO managed to grow quarterly revenues by 24%. And with the company resuming Karma sales recently, there could also be a near-term floor on GoPro stock. Not to make light of the headwinds the company faces with a slowing market for cameras, but GPRO still has a dominant retail presence, which gives it an advantage over its competitors.

Two Questions for GPRO Stock

At the same time, GoPro is cutting costs to improve profitability. However, two main questions remain: How deep will the cuts go and can GoPro execute the cuts to achieve both revenue and profit objectives. In that regard, at some point CEO Nick Woodman, who promised last year that GoPro would be profitable in the fourth quarter, may now want to consider “exploring strategic alternatives.”

That is another way to say, a possible sale of the company should be on the table, which could free GPRO stock.

More to the point, it’s no longer a certainty that Goodman and gang can be trusted to lead GoPro out of this rut. Despite the many advantages GPRO has had as a brand, there have been too many missteps by management and self-inflicted wounds. Setbacks from the Hero5 camera and the Karma drone, which was recalled because of in-flight battery problems, are glaring examples.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) are two names with significantly better management that I think can take GoPro stock to the next level. Microsoft, which already has success with consumer products, such as the Xbox, should be able to leverage GPRO’s cameras and software tools to enhance its AR and VR ambitions with HoloLens.

As for Facebook, GoPro’s drones and camera’s would be ideal for Facebook’s live video ambitions and 360 degree technology. And with GPRO’s market cap now valued at just $1.35 billion and an enterprise value of $1 billion, it would be a drop in the bucket for either company. As for GoPro, with $225 million in cash on the balance sheet and zero debt.

As of this writing, Richard Saintvilus did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2017/02/gopro-inc-gpro-stock-deserves-more-patience/.

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