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 ATM-provider Cardtronics (CATM) were taking a hit today, falling as much as 14%, as investors appear to be rejecting its latest earnings figures.
So what: Cardtronics posted solid improvements across the board, with revenues up 21%, and adjusted EPS increasing 10%, to $0.43. Organic growth and acquisitions contributed about equally to top-line growth, and management said that bottom-line growth would soon catch up, adding, "We expect to drive further bottom line improvements as our newly deployed ATMs become fully optimized and we realize acquisition synergies." Investors seemed to get thrown off by lowered EPS guidance. The company now expects EPS of just $1.58-$1.61, slightly down from the $1.58-$1.64 it announced the previous quarter.
Now what: For a generally mixed report, the stock seems to be taking an unnecessary beating. Revenues were actually revised upward, and earnings in the quarter matched expectations. EPS a couple of cents below expectations does not seem to justify the drop. Cardtronics is the world's biggest operator in a business -- ATMs -- that, despite threats from electronic payments, will be around for a while. With an average valuation and steady growth expected, I see this as a buying opportunity.
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