Why Diodes' Shares Plunged (DIOD)

Why Diodes' Shares Plunged

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: Shares of diode maker Diodes Incorporated (Nasdaq: DIOD ) have plunged today by as much as 11% after the company reported first-quarter earnings.

So what: Revenue fell 10.5% to $144.7 million, with non-GAAP adjusted net income of $4.1 million, or $0.09 per share. Those results were mostly what investors expected. Gross margin plunged from 35.5% a year ago to just 23.3% this quarter, as the company cleared out lower-margin inventory.

Now what: CEO Dr. Keh-Shew Lu said the company saw signs of recovery after the Chinese New Year, which helped Diodes move inventory although pricing pressures and lower utilization hurt margins. The company believes that the second quarter will improve, with revenue expected between $155 million and $164 million, which is better than the $155.5 million consensus estimate. Lu said the company has started adding capacity for new, more advanced packaging at its Shanghai facilities to help boost future growth.

Interested in more info on Diodes Incorporated? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

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