Wall Street was left scratching its head when DoorDash Inc.’s stock, one of the frontrunners in the food delivery sector, fell in after-hours trading, despite its robust financial performance.Â
This development is an outlier in the existing market landscape, challenging the typical correlation between healthy revenue growth and positive stock performance.
In the following analysis, we delve into DoorDash’s recent financial health, the unexpected market response, and expert opinions from Wall Street.Â
Breaking Down the Figures
In the fiscal fourth quarter, DoorDash reported a net loss of $154 million (or 39 cents a share). This seems stark, however, it is significantly less compared to the net loss of $640 million (or $1.65 a share) recorded in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
The highlight of the announcement was the company’s revenue growth. Figures skyrocketed by 27%, raising the bar from $1.82 billion in the same period of the preceding year to a staggering $2.3 billion.
Read More: Nvidia Overtakes Amazon, Alphabet in Market Cap Valuation
The Mystery of the Market’s Reaction
The company’s gross order value (GOV), the total monetary worth of all orders made on its platform, increased 22% to $17.64 billion, defying expectations. FactSet analysts had predicted a figure much lower – about $17.3 billion.
The numbers paint an image of significant progress at DoorDash.Â
Yet, the question arises: what drove the stock to drop by approximately 7% in after-hours trading on the day the earnings were disclosed?
Also Read: Elon Musk’s The Boring Company Shifts Incorporation to Nevada Amid Legal Turbulence
Analysts’ Take
Analysts had anticipated a net loss of only 13 cents a share on revenue of $2.25 billion.Â
The higher than expected net loss contrasts with the optimistic outlook generated by the increased GOV and revenue growth, sparking negative investor sentiment.
“The figures indicate substantial growth, but it’s important for the market to see the company reduce its net loss significantly”, said a senior Wall Street analyst, who wished to remain anonymous.Â
“Investors anticipate that healthy revenue boosts should lead to better bottom-line figures.”
Looking Ahead
DoorDash optimistically projected first-quarter GOV of $18.5 billion to $18.9 billion. Consequently, analysts are curiously watching to see if the company will hit its mark once again and perhaps correct its net loss following this unsettling report.
Despite the recent tumble, DoorDash shares have surged 89% over the past 12 months while the seismograph of the market, the broader S&P 500 index, has only increased by 23%.Â
The robustness of the stock in the face of market variability means that while DoorDash may have lost a few steps this time around, it’s definitely not out of the race.
Read Next: Unilever Reports Solid Margins, Announces $1.6B Share Buyback
Joe Wallace is a writer and editor from Illinois. He was an editor and producer for Air Force Television News for 13 years, and has served as Managing Editor for publications including Gearwire.com, and Associate Editor for FHANewsBlog.com. He is also an experienced book and script editor specializing in non-fiction and documentary filmmaking