Can GoPro Repeat Q4 Success In Q1?

Analysts had nothing but

for

fourth quarter results. At the time, Sean Udall, CIO of Quantum Trading Strategies and author of The TechStrat Report, told Benzinga that the company "might have done an Apple squared-typed quarter." Cody Willard, chairman of

(a financial social network) and

(a futuristic messaging app) referred to the company as "GoWow." Will there be a similar level of excitement surrounding Q1? "They had a huge report," Udall told Benzinga, referring to Q4. "They crushed all the numbers. What really hurt the stock was when the executive, the chief operating officer, announced the surprise resignation. That threw everyone for a loop." Udall is referring to Nina Richardson, who

during the same week that GoPro reported its Q4 results. "I do expect GoPro to beat," Udall added. "This is a strong quarter. I do think GoPro could be an earnings winner for sure. [The] products are selling well. They're in demand. They're a great example of a company that has products that can overcome foreign currency issues. They are trying to expand internationally."

Willard isn't sure that GoPro can repeat its "GoWow" success story. "I doubt it," he told Benzinga. "Gaining 90 days worth of a company's business results versus the expectations and guidance they give is mostly a practice in foolhardiness. It's tough. I think expectations are probably wound up too high. I don't see GoPro being too hot these days." No matter what, Willard thinks that cheap Chinese knock-offs (selling for 80 percent less) are 12 months behind. He also said that anything good for GoPro is "even better" for

, "so I just stick with AMBA."

Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at

, thinks that GoPro could suffer as copycats enter the fray. "I actually think they're gonna do okay for now," Moorhead told Benzinga. "What I'm concerned about is GoPro's ability to really take it to that next level. What can you do outside of making it smaller, increasing the resolution or something like that? There just aren't a whole lot of places for them to go long-term. It's really a big reason why I don't see them as a high-flyer long-term."

Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group, is concerned about the next round of competitors. He said they will be larger but noted that GoPro has "fended them off pretty well" thus far. "The drone makers are starting to put cameras on the drones directly," Enderle told Benzinga. "The alternatives to using a GoPro, including using a cell phone, are starting to get stronger." GoPro's biggest problem could be similar to what is hurting the tablet space: saturation. "There really isn't a lot of reason to swap an old one for a new one," said Enderle.

Tech industry expert and analyst

had a fairly positive outlook on GoPro's future. "It's gonna continue to grow," Kagan told Benzinga. "They can still show rapid growth, and it will. I think it's going to continue to be a big hit as it continues to grow." Kagan is, however, worried about saturation. But he thinks that growth "is in the cards for a while." Finally, Kagan addressed the belief that GoPro should

. "It makes sense," he said. "The question is, will it head in that direction? Police departments across the country are going in, wearing cameras." Disclosure: