Mercury Computer Systems Shares Plunged: What You Need to Know (MRCY)

Mercury Computer Systems Shares Plunged: What You Need to Know

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Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Mercury Computer Systems (Nasdaq: MRCY ) dropped 15% in intraday trading today after issuing disappointing guidance for the current quarter.

So what: The company reported third fiscal quarter EPS of $0.20, a nice beat of the consensus estimate of $0.15. But management expects EPS of $0.11 to $0.13 in the current quarter, well below the consensus estimate of $0.18.

Now what: Order delays related to federal budget timing and higher operating expenses are behind the disappointing outlook. In addition, the issuance of 5.6 million new shares in February raised the share count and is therefore a drag on EPS. The P/E ratio of 21.5 times seems rich, given the risks that federal budget delays become permanent cuts and higher operating expenses become the norm. Investors may decide that MRCY deserves no MERCY.

Interested in more info on Mercury Computer Systems? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

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Mercury Computer Systems is a Motley Fool Big Short short-sale selection. Alpha Newsletter Account, LLC has opened a short position on Mercury Computer Systems. Fool contributor Cindy Johnson does not own shares of any company named above. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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