Shares of VeriFone plunged to a 52-week low after it reported lower-than-expected quarterly earnings and cut its full-year outlook. VeriFone reported second-quarter non-GAAP EPS of $0.47 versus consensus of $0.52 and lowered full-year EPS guidance to $1.85 from $2.21–$2.23.
A Differing Opinion
The miss/guide down was attributed to POS terminal pricing pressure and macro softness in Asia and LatAm, coupled with soft advertising media revenue and EMV certification delays in the United States.
"We believe the last two issues and the macro softness are temporary issues that will eventually pass. We believe the pricing pressures are partly macro-driven and partly structural leading us to reduce our LatAm/Asia growth expectations," analyst Jason Deleeuw wrote in a note.
Deleeuw believes VeriFone has undervalued long-term franchise value.
However, the analyst acknowledged that product cycle nature of the POS terminal business across many global markets can result in unexpected swings in earning expectations. He said the company is in a transition phase to reclaim market share, grow services revenue, and improve margins.
Optimistically Cautious
"Still, we see enduring franchise value in the business as PAY is benefiting from the 1) increasing complexity of payments (security, digital) and 2) being a leader in the global POS terminal market, which is enjoying secular annual growth of 7–8 percent (globally, many merchants still lack electronic payments)," Deleeuw highlighted.
In addition, the analyst noted that pricing pressures in Asia and LatAm likely greatest risks to his outlook that calls for FY ‘16/'17 non-GAAP EPS $1.85/$2.24 (down from $2.23/$2.60). The analyst forecast FY ‘16/'17 revenue of $2.090 billion/$2.115 billion.
Deleeuw also cut the price target to $27 from $38 while the shares plunged 22.22 percent to $21.95 after touching a new 52-week low of $19.71.
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