As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at electrical systems stocks, starting with Methode Electronics (NYSE:MEI).
Like many equipment and component manufacturers, electrical systems companies are buoyed by secular trends such as connectivity and industrial automation. More specific pockets of strong demand include Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and the 5G telecom upgrade cycle, which can benefit companies whose cables and conduits fit those needs. But like the broader industrials sector, these companies are also at the whim of economic cycles. Interest rates, for example, can greatly impact projects that drive demand for these products.
The 13 electrical systems stocks we track reported a slower Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 6.1% below.
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 21.2% since the latest earnings results.
Weakest Q4: Methode Electronics (NYSE:MEI)
Founded in 1946, Methode Electronics (NYSE:MEI) is a global supplier of custom-engineered solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Methode Electronics reported revenues of $239.9 million, down 7.6% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 8.9%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
Management CommentsPresident and Chief Executive Officer Jon DeGaynor said, “Our journey to transform Methode is well underway. Our actions to improve execution, while still in an early phase, positively impacted our financial results but were partially masked by challenging market headwinds. Although we had a strong quarter for our power product sales into data center applications, they were more than offset by the overall weakness in the auto market and the slowing of new EV program ramp-ups. Despite the lower overall sales, our gross profit was higher than the prior year, as we began to realize benefits from the transformation actions like lower scrap and premium freight costs. At the operating line, despite the notable drop in sales, our loss improved from the prior year and demonstrated that our actions have clearly lowered the breakeven sales point for the company. Lastly, we returned to generating positive free cash flow, in part due to our actions on accounts receivable and inventory levels.”
Methode Electronics delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. The stock is down 38% since reporting and currently trades at $6.09.
Read our full report on Methode Electronics here, it’s free.
Best Q4: LSI (NASDAQ:LYTS)
Enhancing commercial environments, LSI (NASDAQ:LYTS) provides lighting and display solutions for businesses and retailers.
LSI reported revenues of $147.7 million, up 35.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 14.3%. The business had an incredible quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
LSI scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 16.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $16.57.
Is now the time to buy LSI? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR)
Credited with introducing the first automatic washing machine, Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) is a manufacturer of a variety of home appliances.
Whirlpool reported revenues of $4.14 billion, down 18.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.
Whirlpool delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 35.8% since the results and currently trades at $83.14.
Read our full analysis of Whirlpool’s results here.
Allegion (NYSE:ALLE)
Allegion plc (NYSE:ALLE) is a provider of security products and solutions that keep people and assets safe and secure in various environments.
Allegion reported revenues of $945.6 million, up 5.4% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
The stock is down 9.8% since reporting and currently trades at $120.35.
Read our full, actionable report on Allegion here, it’s free.
Sanmina (NASDAQ:SANM)
Founded in 1980, Sanmina (NASDAQ:SANM) is an electronics manufacturing services company offering end-to-end solutions for various industries.
Sanmina reported revenues of $2.01 billion, up 7% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but EPS guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.
The stock is down 5.1% since reporting and currently trades at $74.63.
Read our full, actionable report on Sanmina here, it’s free.
Market Update
As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
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