Posts Tagged ‘security’

AuthenTec, Inc. (AUTH) – Buzz Stock of the Day

Thursday, May 13th, 2010


Shares of identity management solutions provider, AuthenTec, Inc. (Nasdaq: AUTH) were up as much as 45 percent on Thursday after the company announced it had regained a key customer, and reported better-than-expected first quarter revenue.

Shares traded as high as $3.49, up from $2.40 at Wednesday’s close.
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The company reported a “significant design win with a leading PC OEM for 2011” and hopes to return to profitability early next year, according to Reuters.

“We believe the key customer is likely Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ),” Capstone Investments analyst Jeff Schreiner said in a note this morning. The recapture of HP-based revenue significantly alters future prospects for AuthenTec, Schreiner said upgrading the stock to “buy” from “hold.”

For the three months ended April 2, the company posted a net loss of $4.7 million, or 16 cents per share, compared with a loss of $4.5 million, or 16 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Excluding items, AuthenTec posted a loss of 8 cents per share in the latest quarter.

Revenue rose 30 percent to $9.2 million from $7 million.

Analysts, on average, were expecting a loss of 8 cents per share on revenue of $8.6 million, according to a poll by Thomson Reuters.

Shares of AUTH have been up as much as 45 percent over the past three months.

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Buzz Stock of the Day – Smith and Wesson (SWHC)

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Shares of Smith and Wesson Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: SWHC) ended the day 22 percent higher on eight-times the gunsmith’s average three-month volume after the company announced $99.5 million in fourth-quarter revenue. The 20 percent boost over the same period last year was above analysts’ forecast of $90.8 million, according to Thomson Reuters.

“Demand for our handguns and tactical rifles remained strong throughout the fourth quarter, as evidenced by our revenue as well as by our backlog balance,” the company said in a statement.

The company is also adding a new stream of revenue to its arsenal. On Thursday, Smith and Wesson Holding Corp. announced a deal to acquire Universal Safety Response, a privately held maker of barriers, gates and other perimeter security related equipment, for $52.5 million in cash and stock.

In a recent news release, Smith and Wesson stated that the deal should bring in revenue of $100 million next year and generate EBITDA of $15 million.

According to a recent report by the Dow Jones Newswires, first-time gun buyers, it’s been said, have rushed to buy firearms ahead of the new administration’s assumed tougher stance on gun-control laws.

The company will release full results for the quarter on June 22, after the market closes. Analysts are looking for earnings per share of 9 cents.

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Buzz Stock of the Day – American Technology (ATCO)

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Maritime piracy incidents were up more than 20 percent in 2008, according to a recent article.

The U.S. military and maritime security industry are taking steps to prevent acts of piracy including the installations of early warning systems like the ones developed by our Buzz Stock of the Day — American Technology Corp. (Nasdaq: ATCO).

American Technology’s LRAD sound-directed early warning systems allow operators to broadcast warning messages well beyond 1500 meters in some cases.

LRAD systems steadily gained adoption both in the U.S. and abroad, as evidenced by the San Diego-based company’s Q2 ghost numbers. ATC announced that it expects to report revenue of more than $5.5 million for the three months ended March 31, a 169 percent over the same period last year.

“With deliveries to the U.S. military leading the way, we continue to experience strong LRAD orders and sales growth,” said Tom Brown, president and CEO of American Technology.

Less than a month ago, ATC announced orders totalling $1 million for LRAD systems for the Singapore Navy, and Japanese Navy.

“Due to continuing piracy and terrorist threats, a growing number of Asian military and commercial security organizations are evaluating and procuring LRAD systems,” Brown said.

In addition to growing sales, the company plans to control costs at lower levels in 2009 than 2008. ATC also stated that it expects its LRAD margins to improve as production volumes increase.

“In addition to increasing military orders, escalating maritime piracy and an amplified focus on aircraft and passenger safety, while controlling and protecting wildlife, are generating demand for our proprietary LRAD systems in the U.S. and around the world,” Brown said.

Here’s a clip from 2006 on how the LRAD systems works:

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