Stock market indexes have been more volatile in February, as investors waver over whether January's gains will prove to be lasting or fleeting. On Wednesday morning, stock index futures on the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC -2.05%) moved lower by about a third of a percent, pulling back slightly from sizable gains on Tuesday.
The Nasdaq has both opportunities and challenges because the growth stocks that make up so much of the index have seen disparate performance recently. Notably, Enphase Energy (ENPH -2.46%) defied the bear market in most of 2022 only to fall sharply during the final month of the year, while Fortinet (FTNT -0.98%) treaded water over most of the past year. On Wednesday, though, both stocks were poised to soar, and below, you'll learn why.
Enphase has its day in the sun
Shares of Enphase Energy were 8% higher in premarket trading Wednesday morning. The maker of microinverters and battery technology for solar power systems reported strong fourth-quarter results despite concerns that the macroeconomic slowdown could slow interest in solar installations.
Enphase's results were impressive. Revenue jumped 75% year over year to $725 million, setting a new record. Even better, Enphase managed to keep growth in expenses over the period relatively well in check. That led to net income almost tripling to $154 million, working out to earnings of $1.06 per share.
Enphase has worked hard to expand internationally, rolling out its latest IQ8 microinverters to customers in France and the Netherlands. That helped contribute to a 21% rise in sales in Europe over the past three months, compared to a 15% rise in U.S. revenue for the same period. At the same time, the IQ Battery system has diversified Enphase's business exposure, even though shipments fell somewhat on a sequential basis during the fourth quarter.
Thanks in part to favorable legislation supporting renewable energy initiatives, Enphase offered a favorable outlook, expecting revenue of between $700 million and $740 million in the first quarter of 2023. That has helped the stock reverse course from a sizable drop from its highs, and Enphase could well have the momentum it needs to power back to new heights.
Fortinet looks strong
Shares of Fortinet performed even better, with a 14% rise in premarket trading. The cybersecurity specialist took advantage of favorable trends in its industry to post strong fourth-quarter financial results.
Fortinet's numbers showed few signs of the concerns that many investors have had about tech stocks broadly. Overall revenue for the quarter jumped 33% year over year to $1.28 billion, driven by a 43% rise in product revenue. Adjusted earnings weighed in at $0.44 per share, up 76% from the same period a year ago. That closed a strong year for Fortinet, which featured a 32% rise in sales to $5.59 billion and annual earnings of $1.19 per share, up by nearly half from 2021.
Investors were also pleased with the guidance that Fortinet gave. The cybersecurity company expects revenue of between $1.18 billion and $1.22 billion for the first quarter of 2023, and adjusted earnings of between $0.27 and $0.29 per share. Full-year 2023 sales of $5.37 billion to $5.43 billion would mark a slight drop, but Fortinet expects to be more profitable, posting earnings of $1.39 to $1.41 per share.
Even as other areas of technology have seen growth slow, the need for cybersecurity protection has never been greater. That has cybersecurity stocks like Fortinet seeing big opportunities even as other tech stocks flounder, and today's optimism among shareholders is just the latest sign that those trends could continue for quite a while.
