FuelCell Energy (FCEL 0.70%) stock tumbled 7.2% through 12:30 p.m. ET Monday after reporting mixed earnings for its fiscal Q1 2026.
Heading into the report, analysts weren't optimistic, forecasting FuelCell would lose $0.68 per share on sales of $42.2 million. FuelCell beat the earnings forecast with adjusted losses of only $0.52 per share, but missed badly on sales, which came in at just $30.5 million.
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FuelCell Q1 earnings
Not all the news was bad. $30.5 million in sales may have missed expectations, but it was still up 61% year over year. FuelCell also cut its operating loss by 20%. And its earnings, as calculated under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), showed an even better number than the adjusted figure noted above: a GAAP loss of only $0.49 per share -- much better than last year's Q1 loss of $1.42.
As CEO Jason Few explained: "We delivered strong revenue growth, sharpened operating discipline, and strengthened our liquidity position -- all while positioning FuelCell Energy to capture the defining opportunity of the AI era."
(Yes, you read that right. FuelCell makes hydrogen fuel cells, but Few says it's actually an artificial intelligence stock.)
NASDAQ: FCEL
Key Data Points
Why are investors selling FuelCell stock today?
So FuelCell is growing sales nicely, and cutting its losses -- then why are investors selling?
Well, for one thing, FuelCell's backlog shrank by 11% in Q1, suggesting future sales growth might not be as strong as last quarter's. Also, losses are still losses, even when shrinking -- and FuelCell's still losing a lot of money. Most analysts polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence, in fact, think it will be 2030 before FuelCell earns its first profit.
If you're going to invest in FuelCell stock, you'll need to wait a long while for profits.
