Robots may be considered the standard for consistency, but don't even try to program iRobot
The company landed on the refreshing side of disparity this week with a better-than-expected quarterly report. Revenue soared 123% to hit $38.2 million, well above the $31.1 million that Wall Street was expecting. And it posted a loss of $0.12 a share, when the market was looking for a deficit of $0.17 a stub.
Those numbers contrast nicely over the seasonally vital quarter that ended in December. Back then, iRobot failed to impress investors when it broke even on a mere 24% top-line advance.
Investors generally like the company's current report, too -- the stock soared 8% higher on Wednesday. The company could revert back to its previous quarter's ways, given the news that retailers may already be stocked up for the key Mother's Day holiday, but the current numbers are too good to dwell on that possibility.
Gross profits surged during the period from 24% to 32%, thanks to the merchandise mix tilting toward the higher-margin home robot business, higher price points, greater order volumes, and a tripling in direct sales, where the margins are thicker than at conventional retailers.
The quarter was punctuated by the national rollout of the Scooba floor-washing robot. The company has been tested early on that front, with Sharper Image
Along with the usual retailing suspects, iRobot's Scooba and Roomba vacuum cleaners will be available at Lowe's
iRobot is also making a name for itself in military robotics, with hundreds of its PackBots deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to help spare soldiers' lives. A recent $26 million Navy contract will only grow iRobot's battlefield presence, though consumer electronics continues to be the company's largest -- and fastest-growing -- segment.
Shares of iRobot were singled out five months ago to Rule Breakers newsletter subscribers. It's the kind of groundbreaking company that scores well with the premium research service, which feasts on disruptive technologies. The stock is trading lower than its originally recommended price, though the average Rule Breakers pick has more than tripled the market's return.
We're investors for the long haul, so a poor showing in the current quarter won't necessarily be a deal-breaker. iRobot derives less than a third of its revenue during the first half of the year, anyway. In other words, the first quarter's stunning sales gains aren't as significant as the company's improving profit margins. That's where the real heart is. No robot can fake that.
Feel like a Rule Breaker, now, do you? Check out David Gardner's growth stock newsletter as part of a free 30-day trial subscription to see whether cool stocks like iRobot belong in your portfolio.
Costco is aMotley Fool Stock Advisorpick.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz is a fan of iRobot, but he does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy. He is also part of theRule Breakersnewsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.