Rezolve AI (RZLV +0.46%) stock got hit hard this week after the company published results for the first half of the year that fell short of the market’s expectations. The company’s share price sank 25.6% across the stretch, with the sell-off coming on the heels of big gains the previous week following an announcement that its technologies were being integrated into Alphabet‘s Google Cloud infrastructure.
Rezolve’s first-half report arrived on Tuesday and erased the gains that it had registered following the Google Cloud news. The company’s share price is now down roughly 14% year to date.
Image source: Getty Images.
Rezolve’s sales and margins came in below expectations
Rezolve posted huge sales growth across the first half of this year, with sales increasing 1,970% to $130.8 million in the period. On the other hand, sales still came in roughly $1.2 million below the average analyst estimate. The company’s loss of $0.35 per share was also significantly higher than the average analyst estimate’s call for a per-share loss of $0.13. Meanwhile, the company’s gross margin declined from 95.2% in the first half of last year to 48.9% in this year’s period.
Today’s Change
(0.46%) $0.01
Current Price
$2.21
Key Data Points
Market Cap
Day’s Range
$2.19 – $2.24
52wk Range
$2.05 – $8.45
Volume
17.3M
Avg Vol
15.8M
Gross Margin
36.75%
What’s next for Rezolve?
Rezolve reiterated its guidance for sales of roughly $360 million this year and reaching annual recurring revenue (ARR) of at least $500 million by the end of the year. The company’s sales performance is typically weighted toward the second half of the year, and management’s target calls for sales to increase roughly 75% over the first half to reach roughly $229 million.
The sales shortfall relative to Wall Street’s expectations in the first half doesn’t look terribly concerning because sales growth is still coming in strong, but the company’s gross margin in the period raises some bigger questions about the business’s performance outlook. Pricing power may not be as strong as investors were hoping, and gross margins will likely be under the microscope even if the company manages to meet its sales target or post a moderate revenue beat.
Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
