The stock market performed extremely well on Tuesday, with major market benchmarks posting gains of up to half a percent as investors continued to remain enthusiastic about the future of the U.S. economy. The Dow hit its highest level ever, closing just 26 points below the much-anticipated 20,000 mark, and the Nasdaq Composite also jumped to a record-high close as well. Yet even with the generally positive attitude among investors, some stocks didn't share in the day's gains, and NeoPhotonics (NPTN), Sucampo Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SCMP), and Worthington Industries (WOR -1.27%) were among the worst performers on the day. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so poorly.
Image source: NeoPhotonics.
NeoPhotonics falls on warning
NeoPhotonics dropped 14% after the designer and manufacturer of advanced hybrid photonic integrated optoelectronic modules and subsystems for communications networks cut its outlook for the fourth quarter. The company said that strong demand for its high-speed products outpaced its ability to produce enough supply, and efforts to bring new manufacturing capacity on line hasn't resulted in the production yields that NeoPhotonics had anticipated. As a result, the company has had to delay shipments and incur higher manufacturing costs. Accordingly, NeoPhotonics now believes that it will see revenue of $105 million to $109 million in the fourth quarter, with adjusted earnings of just $0.03 to $0.11 per share. That compares with consensus forecasts for $0.17 in earnings on nearly $113 million in sales, showing the extent of the disappointment that sent NeoPhotonics shares down today. Even the decision to sell off its low-speed transceiver business to focus more on its more promising business wasn't enough to prevent a big decline.
Sucampo raises cash
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals fell more than 20% in the wake of its decision to make an offering of convertible senior notes to raise capital. The maker of constipation drug Amitiza said late Monday that it would offer $225 million in five-year notes in a private placement to institutional investors, giving them the ability to convert their debt into shares of Sucampo stock. Sucampo expects to use all of the proceeds from the offering to help repay its existing senior secured credit facility. The timing of the offering follows a big jump in Sucampo's share price following its third-quarter financial report, and many will see the company as having been smart to capitalize on an opportune time to strengthen its balance sheet.
Worthington sees its earnings sag
Finally, Worthington Industries fell 7%. The metals manufacturer reported its fiscal second-quarter financial results late Monday, which included just a 4% rise in sales. Results from the company's steel processing unit were relatively strong, with sales and operating income climbing dramatically from year-ago levels. Moreover, although the pressure cylinders business suffered a sales decline because of a lower volume of oil and gas equipment, operating income benefited from a lack of impairment and restructuring charges. However, Worthington's engineered cabs segments took a 22% hit to its segment top line. CEO John McConnell remains optimistic about the rest of the year, but investors weren't happy with the weak markets that Worthington continues to experience and punished the stock accordingly.