ANTC, story from dow jones yesterday:
<<Shares of Antec Corp. (ANTC), the Georgia-based communications technology company, plummeted 23% Wednesday despite strong third-quarter sales and earnings results released late Tuesday.
Recently, the stock traded at 43 3/4, down 22.7%, on volume of about 6.8 million shares, compared with average daily volume of about 760,000.
George Hunt, an analyst at Wachovia Securities, said the selloff was "way overdone. They came in with revenues better than expected, and their earnings met the Street estimate. In fact, the 27 cents a share they reported was a penny better than I expected. But, the company said gross margins were lower, and that's what caused a lot of bears to bail out of the stock."
Hunt said he thinks gross margins, which fell this quarter to 21.1% from 22.4% in the second quarter, will improve to 22% in December and show moderate growth to 22.3% in 2000.
"It's a complex business. In their cable telephony business, selling equipment to cable TV operators, as they get more sales, through a joint venture they have with Nortel (NT), gross margins are pushed lower."
Jim Bauer, director of investor relations at Antec, said "investors seem to be focusing on just one line-item, which doesn't make any sense, since our operating margins are at a record high of 9.1%, and have gone up every quarter this year, and sales and earnings are also growing."
Bauer said Antec is sole supplier of cable telephony equipment to AT&T Corp. (T), a business which generates lower gross margins than the company's manufactured products business.
Antec stands to benefit greatly from business with AT&T, Hunt said. "If you think AT&T is going to succeed in local telephone markets - which I do - you have to think Antec is going to do well." The analyst's 12-month target price on the stock is $65.
For the third quarter, the company reported sales up 58% to $237.2 million, with net income increasing 116% to $10.8 million.
Bauer said Antec expects earnings growth of 30% in 2000 and 2001.>> |
