What happened
Shares of Align Technology (ALGN 3.68%) were up 14.5% at 1:00 p.m. EDT following first-quarter revenue that was better than industry watchers' forecasts.
So what
Growing global use of Align Technology's Invisalign clear dental aligners has made this a top-performing stock over the past three years, and first-quarter results show that demand remains strong.
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.
In Q1, revenue grew 30%, to $310.3 million, when compared to a year ago. Diluted earnings per share in the quarter clocked in at $0.85, up from $0.50 last year. First-quarter sales were 5.8% higher than they were in the fourth quarter, a good sign given competition from 3M and Dentsply Sirona.
The strong top- and bottom-line results came thanks to a 27% and 9.5% increase in case shipments versus last year and last quarter, respectively. International case shipments were particularly strong, up 41% year over year.
Now what
Align Technology is forecasting that a 25% to 27% increase in case shipments in Q2 will translate into revenue of between $340 million to $345 million, up 26% to 28% from the same period last year. It also expects to deliver diluted EPS of between $0.71 to $0.74 in the quarter.
Overall, this is yet another solid quarterly result from the company, and although there are ongoing patent challenges and competitors attempting to derail it, I think Align Technology will remain a stock investors will want to own in the coming years.
