This was not the quarterly report Westport Innovations
While an earnings beat could have helped turn things around, the natural-gas engine maker again missed Wall Street expectations for the fifth quarter in a row, posting a $0.44 per-share loss when analysts were looking for a $0.33 loss.
Revenue grew 133% to $88.6 million, just short of estimates, but investors punished the stock for the earnings miss, sending it down 4% in after-hours trading.
Growth was strong across all segments with light duty leading the way at 258% with help from acquisitions over the past year. Delivery of Westport's WiNG Power System for Ford
Westport's joint venture with Cummins once again brought in the majority of revenue at $52.7 million, growing 110% from a year ago, and the two companies extended their partnership for 10 years. CEO David Demers specifically addressed Cummins' decision to build a spark-ignited 15-liter engine, saying, "We wish them well. We simply believe that we have better returns available to us elsewhere." Others have pointed out that the spark-ignited engine does not provide the same torque that Westport's high-pressure direct-injection engines do, so it seems the two will not be directly competing.
Westport also experienced revenue gains of 65% in its heavy-duty division and 49% in its joint venture with Weichai in China.
While the 4% drop might sting, for most investors this company represents a long-term play on the gas boom and the expected transition to natural gas fuel, so it's easy to overlook an earnings miss. Shares of Clean Energy Fuels
For both of these stocks, it seems like the upside potential is limited until serious momentum picks up to make the natural gas switch. At the very least, Westport needs to start meeting or beating earnings expectations and making steps toward profitability if the stock is going to appreciate significantly.
While this company continues to look promising as a long-term investment, analysts are predicting losses through 2013. Westport has projected revenue of $400 million-$425 million for 2012, about 50% growth over the previous year, and analysts see a 33% increase in 2013.
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