It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS Quick QuoteAEIS - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 8.4% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Advanced Energy due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Advanced Energy Q2 Earnings Top Estimates, Revenues Fall

Advanced Energy Industriesreported non-GAAP earnings of 85 cents per share in second-quarter 2024, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 23.19%. The bottom line declined 23.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Revenues of $365 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.74% but declined 12.1% year over year, primarily due to the weakness across non-semi markets.

End Market in Detail

Semiconductor Equipment: Revenues (51.6% of total revenues) generated from the market rose 9% year over year to $188 million. The figure topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.08%.

Sequentially, revenues increased 5%. The uptick can be attributed to accelerated deliveries driven by heightened AI demand. New products like the eVoS and eVerest platforms are in high demand, leading to expectations of substantial growth in logic and memory applications.

At SEMICON West, AEIS launched the NavX RF matching network, which, when paired with the eVerest RF generator, provides advanced etch and deposition performance at cutting-edge process nodes. The initial customer feedback has been positive, with up to 50 units expected to be in use by the year-end.

In the second quarter of 2024, AEIS acquired Airity Technologies, a company specializing in high-density, high-voltage gallium nitride-based solutions. This acquisition is beneficial as it enhanced AEIS’s technological capabilities, supporting its efforts across multiple markets.

Industrial & Medical: Revenues (21.7% of the total revenues) from the market fell 38% year over year to $79.1 million and lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.68%.

Soft market conditions hurt top-line growth.

Sequentially, revenues declined 5%. AEIS is experiencing strong design wins in applications such as glass coating, test and measurement, battery production and diagnostic and therapeutic medical applications, including surgical robot systems.

Data Center Computing: Revenues (20% of the total revenues) from the market were $73 million, up 24% year over year. The figure beat the consensus mark by 23.82%. 

Sequentially, revenues increased 74%. The upside can be attributed to the substantial demand for AI server power solutions.

The strong investments in AI by data center customers created a surge in demand for AEIS’s high-efficiency, high-power density products, which are well-suited for AI servers requiring more power than conventional servers.

Telecom & Networking: Revenues (6.7% of the total revenues) generated from the market were $24.56 million, down 56% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11.10%. 

Sequentially, revenues declined 10%. The downside was primarily due to reduced infrastructure investments and high inventory levels.

Operating Results

In the second quarter, the non-GAAP gross margin was 35.3%, down 26 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis.

Non-GAAP operating expenses were $95.1 million, down 3.5% year over year. As a percentage of revenues, the figure increased 230 bps year over year to 26.1% in the reported quarter.

The non-GAAP operating margin was 9.3%, contracting 260 bps on a year-over-year basis.

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

As of Jun 30, 2024, cash and cash equivalents were $9.86 billion compared with $1.01 million as of Mar 31, 2024.

In the second quarter of 2024, cash flow from operations was $6.9 million, down from $8 million in the first quarter of 2024.

Advanced Energy made dividend payments of $3.8 million in the reported quarter.

Guidance

For third-quarter 2024, Advanced Energy expects non-GAAP earnings of 90 cents per share (+/- 25 cents).

Advanced Energy anticipates revenues of $370 million (+/- $20 million).

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

It turns out, estimates revision have trended downward during the past month.

The consensus estimate has shifted -7.79% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

At this time, Advanced Energy has a poor Growth Score of F, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with a C. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of this revision indicates a downward shift. Notably, Advanced Energy has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.