What happened
Shares of NeoPhotonics (NPTN +0.00%) were down 8.8% as of 3 p.m. EST Friday after the optoelectronic solutions company announced strong fourth-quarter 2018 results, but followed with disappointing forward guidance.
On the former, NeoPhotonics' quarterly revenue grew 19% year over year to $91.1 million, translating to adjusted (non-GAAP) net income of $2.4 million, or $0.05 per share, swinging from a $0.05-per-share loss in the same year-ago period. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of only $0.02 per share.
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So what
NeoPhotonics chairman and CEO Tim Jenks noted that strong orders and shipments resulted in the company's highest quarterly revenue in two years.
"With continued strength in demand, combined with increasing volume growth across leading high speed product lines, we again achieved solid gross margin expansion," Jenks added.
Click here for the latest earnings call transcript for NeoPhotonics.
Now what
Even so, for the first quarter of 2019 NeoPhotonics expects revenue in the range of $77 million to $82 million, which should translate to an adjusted net loss per share of $0.17 to $0.08. Analysts, on average, were expecting a narrower net loss of $0.07 per share on revenue just above the midpoint of NeoPhotonics' guidance range.
In the end, that light outlook obviously left the market wanting more, and NeoPhotonics stock is understandably pulling back in response.
