Juniper reports mixed earnings results as it struggles with ongoing supply chain woes

Shares of the computer networking provider Juniper Networks Inc. fell in extended investing right now just after the corporation posted blended next-quarter outcomes, with earnings that skipped Wall Street’s forecast and profits that topped anticipations.

The firm claimed earnings prior to particular fees these as stock compensation of 42 cents per share on income of $1.27 billion for the period of time, up 8% from a year back. Wall Road had been hunting for larger earnings of 44 cents for every share on reduce revenue of $1.26 billion. Juniper also described internet profits for the quarter shot up 83%, t $113.4 million.

Buyers reacted badly to the report, with Juniper’s inventory falling extra than 4% immediately after-several hours, owning dipped by 1% before in the day.

Juniper is a provider of laptop network hardware these types of as routers and Ethernet switches. It also sells networking program, and gives program applications for securing these networks much too.

Juniper Chief Govt Rami Rahim (pictured) explained the business exceeded its have revenue forecast for the duration of the quarter, and shipped a second consecutive quarter of double-digit, yr-more than-12 months item earnings expansion.

“Demand alerts continue being healthful and we are seeing appealing alternatives throughout our company, cloud and assistance supplier marketplaces,” Rahim added. “Based on this momentum, the backlog we have built, and our most current anticipations relating to supply, I am ever more optimistic concerning our revenue expansion prospects for the year.”

Like several know-how companies, Juniper’s fortunes this 12 months have been hampered by problems with its source chain. Three months in the past, the company issued a warning that the supply chain challenges it is facing will very likely outcome in extended direct instances, as very well as elevated logistics and element expenditures.

In a meeting phone right now, Rahim mentioned these challenges have weighed on the company’s growth. He said the availability of certain factors remained “extremely challenged” throughout the quarter because of to a meaningful uptick in volume of supplier decommits. As a end result, the corporation has incurred better costs to secure access to more components and get products to customers as speedy as possible.

“While some of these steps will affect profitability more than the subsequent number of quarters, they are also enabling us to entry extra parts and far better satisfy purchaser need, which need to have good for a longer period-phrase implications for our business,” Rahim insisted.

Inspite of the increased expenditures it is dealing with, Juniper did deal with to develop its operating margin to 8.5% in the quarter, up from 7% a calendar year ago.

Rahim also dealt with issues around the company’s program business. He stated profits there grew 24% from a calendar year previously but was nonetheless decrease than expected. “We feel the outlook for our software program business continues to be powerful and we are encouraged by the momentum we’re viewing with our Junos Area Flex software, out-of-the-box subscription software and software program-as-a-services providing, these as Mist,” he extra.

Hunting ahead to the present-day quarter, Juniper explained it expects earnings in a array of 45 to 55 cents per share, the midpoint of which is beneath Wall Street’s focus on of 54 cents per share. In terms of profits, Juniper presented a forecast ranging from $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion versus Wall Street’s forecast of $1.29 billion.

Photo: SiliconANGLE

Display your guidance for our mission by signing up for our Cube Club and Dice Celebration Neighborhood of industry experts. Be part of the group that incorporates Amazon Internet Solutions and Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy, Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and many extra luminaries and industry experts.