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Investing.com -- Shares of Impinj (NASDAQ: PI) plummeted 22% following the company’s release of weaker than expected guidance for the first quarter of 2025, overshadowing its fourth quarter earnings beat.
Impinj, a leader in RAIN RFID technology and Internet of Things innovation, reported fourth quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $0.48, which was $0.08 higher than the analyst consensus of $0.40. Despite this beat, revenue for the quarter was slightly below expectations at $91.6 million compared to the predicted $92.76 million.
The company’s guidance for the first quarter of 2025 significantly missed analyst projections, estimating EPS between $0.06 and $0.11, well below the consensus of $0.42. Revenue forecasts were also lower than anticipated, with Impinj projecting between $70 million and $73 million, compared to the expected $93.3 million.
The provided outlook represents a sharp decline from the previous year, with a potential revenue decrease of 5%-9% YoY. This news has sparked concern among investors, as it suggests a slowdown in the company’s growth.
Analysts have responded to the guidance with mixed reactions. Piper Sandler analyst Harsh Kumar reduced the price target on Impinj to $140.00 from $235.00 but maintained an Overweight rating, stating, "Guidance Weak, We Are Buyers of the Pullback; We are buyers of shares of PI on the miss from December quarter earnings. To us, the reaction in the stock seems overblown...We reiterate OW and reduce our PT to $140."
Needham analyst James Ricchiuti also lowered the price target to $130.00 from $182.00 while maintaining a Buy rating. Ricchiuti commented, "After PI preannounced Q4 revenues within guidance last month, the company provided sharply lower Q1 guidance, resulting from channel inlay partners having to clear out excess endpoint IC inventory...We maintain our Buy rating based on what we still believe will be a multi-year RFID adoption cycle."
Impinj’s CEO, Chris Diorio, reflected on the strong financial results of 2024 and the successful resolution of patent litigation, as well as the delivery of market-leading products. However, he acknowledged the headwinds facing the first quarter of 2025, expressing intent to leverage the company’s competitive advantages to emerge stronger.
Investors will be closely monitoring Impinj’s performance in the coming months to see if the company can navigate through the challenges and capitalize on its long-term growth potential in the RFID space.
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