Why Is Neogen (NEOG) Down 14.6% Since Last Earnings Report?
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Neogen (NEOG). Shares have lost about 14.6% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Neogen due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Neogen's Q2 Earnings Lag Estimates, Guidance Down
Neogen reported drab second-quarter fiscal 2024 earnings per share of 11 cents, down 26.7% year over year. The reported figure also missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 26.7%.
Revenues in the fiscal second quarter dropped 0.2% on a year-over-year basis to $229.6 million. Core revenues fell 0.9%. Acquisitions and discontinued product lines contributed 0.2% revenue growth, while foreign currency added 0.5%. The metric missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.1%.
Segments in Detail
Within segments, Neogen registered Food Safety revenues of $164.4 million in the fiscal second quarter, marking a 1.9% improvement from $161.3 million in the prior-year period, led by 0.7% core growth and 0.3% growth from acquisitions and discontinued product lines and a foreign currency benefit of 0.9%.
The core revenue growth in the segment was led by the Bacterial & General Sanitation product category, which benefited from new business wins and increased distributor orders for the company’s pathogen detection products.
Revenues from Animal Safety were $65.2 million, down 5% year over year. The downside was caused by a core revenue decline of 4.7%, a 0.2% headwind from discontinued product lines and a negative foreign currency impact of 0.1%.
Within the segment, the company registered a decline in the domestic Genomics business, led primarily by the attrition of a customer as the company continues to shift its primary strategic focus toward genetic testing for larger production animals.
On a global basis, Neogen’s Genomics business witnessed a core revenue decline in the mid-single-digit range, with increased sales in international beef markets offset by customer attrition in the United States, a result of the aforementioned strategic shift in focus.
Margin Details
Neogen’s fiscal second-quarter gross profit increased 3.8% year over year to $116.8 million. The gross margin expanded 193 basis points (bps) to 50.9%. The upside was led by a favorable impact from the product mix.
Sales and marketing expenses rose 23.3% to $44.8 million, whereas administrative expenses fell 32.8% from the prior-year quarter to $51.7 million.
R&D expenses were $5.8 million, down 15.9% year over year. Operating costs totaled $1.02 billion, down 14.9% from the last year’s quarter.
The company reported an operating profit of $14.5 million for the quarter under review compared with an operating loss of $7.7 million in the last year’s quarter.
Cash Position
Neogen exited the second quarter of fiscal 2024 with cash and investments of $205.8 million, compared with $178.8 million at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2024. At the fiscal second-quarter end, the company’s non-current liabilities included a total outstanding debt of $900 million and committed borrowing headroom of $150 million.
Full-Year Guidance
Neogen updated its outlook for fiscal 2024.
The company continues to anticipate full-year revenues in the band of $935 million-$955 million (down from the previous guidance of $955-$985 million). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is currently pegged at $960.9 million.
NEOG expects capital expenditures to be approximately $130 million, which includes approximately $100 million related specifically to the integration of the former 3M Food Safety Division (unchanged).
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.
VGM Scores
Currently, Neogen has a subpar Growth Score of D, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with an F. However, the stock was allocated a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of D. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of this revision indicates a downward shift. Notably, Neogen has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
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