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Why Is Gentex (GNTX) Up 20.9% Since Last Earnings Report?

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It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Gentex (GNTX - Free Report) . Shares have added about 20.9% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Gentex due for a pullback? 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.

Gentex Q3 Earnings Meet, Revenues Miss Estimates

Gentex reported third-quarter 2018 earnings per share of 42 cents, which came in-line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, the bottom-line figure was higher than the year-ago quarter’s figure of 31 cents per share.

During the quarter under review, the company reported net sales of $460.3 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $472 million. However, the top line was higher than net sales of $438.6 million in third-quarter 2017.

When compared with the company’s mid-July forecast of IHS for third-quarter 2018, light-vehicle production in primary markets declined by around 5%, leading to lower-than-expected unit shipments and revenues.

Net income for third-quarter 2018 rose 23.4% to $111.3 million compared with $90.2 million in third-quarter 2017.

Quarter in Details

During the reported quarter, the company recorded gross margin of 37.6%, down from the year-ago quarter figure of 39%. The gross margin was adversely impacted by approximately 60 basis points due to effects of tariffs.

The company’s effective tax rate was 14.7%, down from 31% during third-quarter 2017, on account of impacts of the tax planning moves, and Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

During the quarter under review, auto-dimming mirror shipments in the North American market rose by 9% to 3.21 million and in International market it rose by 5% to 7.02 million. In total, it rose by 6% year over year to 10.2 million.

Operating expenses during third-quarter 2018 were up 8% to $45.6 million in comparison with operating expenses of $42.2 million in third-quarter 2017, primarily due to increased staffing levels.



Share Repurchase

During third-quarter 2018, the company repurchased 7.5 million common shares at an average price of $22.98 per share. As of Sep 30, 2018, the company had around 12.2 million shares remaining for repurchase.

Financials

Gentex had cash and cash equivalents of $194 million as of Sep 30, 2018, compared with $569.7 million as of Dec 31, 2017.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.

VGM Scores

At this time, Gentex has an average Growth Score of C, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. 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 these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, Gentex has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.


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