Stock Story -
Non-lethal weapons company Byrna (NASDAQ:BYRN) met Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q3 CY2024, with sales up 194% year on year to $20.85 million. Its GAAP profit of $0.04 per share was 50% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
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Byrna (BYRN) Q3 CY2024 Highlights:
- Revenue: $20.85 million vs analyst estimates of $20.8 million (in line)
- Adj. EBITDA: $1.9 million vs analyst estimates of $1.0 million ($0.9 million beat)
- EPS: $0.04 vs analyst estimates of $0.03 ($0.01 beat)
- “As we continue to post record sales, we remain focused on scaling up production to meet this increasing demand. In Q3, production totaled over 55,000 units as we build inventory to support current sales growth, the anticipated holiday season surge, and the upcoming launch of the Compact Launcher."
- Gross Margin (GAAP): 62.4%, up from 44.6% in the same quarter last year
- EBITDA Margin: 9.3%, up from -34.3% in the same quarter last year
- Market Capitalization: $391.1 million
Company OverviewProviding civilians with tools to disable, disarm, and deter would-be assailants, Byrna (NASDAQ:BYRN) is a provider of non-lethal weapons.
Law Enforcement Suppliers
Many law enforcement suppliers companies require licensing and clearance to manufacture products such as firearms. These companies can enjoy long-term contracts with law enforcement and corrections bodies, leading to more predictable revenue. It is still unclear how the recent focus on excessive force and police accountability will impact longer-term demand. On the one hand, lethal force products could become less popular. On the other hand, products such as body cams that aid in the transparency of policing could become standard. Generally, the sector’s fate will also ebb and flow with state or local budgets, and there is high reputational risk, as one mishap or bad headline can change a company’s fortunes.Sales Growth
Reviewing a company’s long-term performance can reveal insights into its business quality. Any business can have short-term success, but a top-tier one sustains growth for years. Thankfully, Byrna’s 167% annualized revenue growth over the last five years was incredible. This is a great starting point for our analysis because it shows Byrna’s offerings resonate with customers.We at StockStory place the most emphasis on long-term growth, but within industrials, a half-decade historical view may miss cycles, industry trends, or a company capitalizing on catalysts such as a new contract win or a successful product line. Byrna’s annualized revenue growth of 30.4% over the last two years is below its five-year trend, but we still think the results were good and suggest demand was strong. We note Byrna isn’t alone in its success as the Law Enforcement Suppliers industry experienced a boom, with many similar businesses also posting double-digit growth.
This quarter, Byrna’s year-on-year revenue growth of 194% was magnificent, and its $20.85 million of revenue was in line with Wall Street’s estimates. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect sales to grow 20.5% over the next 12 months, a deceleration versus the last two years. Still, this projection is healthy and illustrates the market is factoring in ongoing success for its products and services.
Operating Margin
Although Byrna was profitable this quarter from an operational perspective, it’s generally struggled over a longer time period. Its expensive cost structure has contributed to an average operating margin of negative 10.1% over the last five years. Unprofitable industrials companies require extra attention because they could get caught swimming naked when the tide goes out. It’s hard to trust that Byrna can endure a full cycle.On the bright side, Byrna’s annual operating margin rose by 65.3 percentage points over the last five years, as its sales growth gave it immense operating leverage. Still, it will take much more for the company to show consistent profitability.
This quarter, Byrna generated an operating profit margin of 4%, up 62 percentage points year on year. This increase was a welcome development and shows it was recently more efficient because its expenses grew slower than its revenue.
Earnings Per Share
Analyzing long-term revenue trends tells us about a company’s historical growth, but the long-term change in its earnings per share (EPS) points to the profitability of that growth – for example, a company could inflate its sales through excessive spending on advertising and promotions.Byrna’s full-year EPS flipped from negative to positive over the last five years. This is a good sign and shows it’s at an inflection point.
In Q3, Byrna reported EPS at $0.04, up from negative $0.19 in the same quarter last year. This print easily cleared analysts’ estimates, and shareholders should be content with the results. Over the next 12 months, Wall Street expects Byrna to perform poorly. Analysts forecast its full-year EPS of $0.09 will hit $0.28.