Gen-Probe Misses Where It Counts

Gen-Probe (Nasdaq: GPRO  ) reported earnings on Feb. 13. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Gen-Probe met expectations on revenues and missed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue improved, and GAAP earnings per share dropped significantly.

Margins contracted across the board.

Revenue details
Gen-Probe booked revenue of $139.1 million. The 19 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ wanted to see net sales of $140.8 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 16% higher than the prior-year quarter's $136.7 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.51. The 16 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $0.54 per share on the same basis. GAAP EPS of $0.42 for Q3 were 25% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.56 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 67.3%, 340 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 26.7%, 60 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 12.6%, 730 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $158.6 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.68.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $577.1 million. The average EPS estimate is $2.32.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 205 members rating the stock outperform and 10 members rating it underperform. Among 73 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 70 give Gen-Probe a green thumbs-up, and three give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Gen-Probe is outperform, with an average price target of $66.43.

The healthcare investing landscape is littered with also-rans and a few major winners. Is Gen-Probe performing well enough for you? Read "Discover the Next Rule-Breaking Multibagger" to learn about a company David Gardner believes will deliver amazing returns during the next few years. Click here for instant access to this free report.

• Add Gen-Probe to My Watchlist.