On Friday, TD Cowen adjusted its outlook on Appian Corp . (NASDAQ:APPN), reducing the price target to $32 from the previous $36 while maintaining a Hold rating on the stock. The revision follows Appian's announcement of its third-quarter guidance and updates to its fiscal year 2024 forecasts.
Appian reported a 19% increase in cloud growth, which was slightly above estimates. However, the company's third-quarter guidance was lower than expected, and the forecast for fiscal year 2024 was revised downwards. This adjustment is attributed to potential disruptions from the recently announced reduction in force (RIF), which will see the company cut 150 jobs, equating to 7% of its workforce.
The layoffs are part of Appian's strategy to reorganize its go-to-market approach to increase efficiency and better align with larger deals. While this move is anticipated to accelerate the company's path to EBITDA breakeven, it is also expected to come at the cost of reduced growth prospects.
The market reacted to these developments with Appian's shares experiencing a significant decline, trading down 20%. The lowered price target of $32 reflects the analyst's adjusted expectations in light of the company's latest strategic decisions and financial outlook.
In other recent news, Appian Corporation reported significant growth and progress towards profitability in its Q2 2024 earnings call. The company's cloud subscription revenue increased by 19% year-over-year, reaching $88.4 million, while total revenue rose by 15% to $146.5 million. It was also noted that subscription revenue represented 77% of the total. Appian is on track to achieve breakeven adjusted EBITDA by the end of 2024, despite an adjusted EBITDA loss of $10.5 million.
In addition, the company experienced a change in stock rating as KeyBanc downgraded Appian from Overweight to Sector Weight, following the company's updated guidance which suggested a mid-teens percentage growth for its Cloud Subscription revenue. This fell short of the approximately 20% or higher growth rate previously anticipated by KeyBanc. Furthermore, Appian announced the layoff of 150 employees, an action that does not appear to be fully reflected in the cost savings projected in the company's guidance for the second half of 2024, according to KeyBanc's analysis.
Lastly, despite the challenges, Appian is committed to strategic investments in AI and vertical solutions, such as insurance and pharmaceuticals. The company's guidance for Q3 2024 projects cloud subscription revenue to be between $89 million and $91 million, and total revenue projected to be between $149 million and $153 million. Adjusted EBITDA for Q3 is forecasted to range from breakeven to a positive $3 million.
InvestingPro Insights
Following the recent developments with Appian Corp. (NASDAQ:APPN), investors are keen on understanding the company's financial health and future prospects. According to InvestingPro data, Appian's market capitalization currently stands at approximately $2.16 billion, showcasing the size and scale of the company within its industry. Despite the company's revenue growing by 14.52% over the last twelve months as of Q1 2024, analysts have expressed concerns about its profitability. This is evident from the negative P/E ratio of -19.91 and the adjusted P/E ratio of -20.59, signaling that the company has been operating at a loss.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that analysts have revised their earnings downwards for the upcoming period, indicating potential challenges ahead. Furthermore, Appian's recent stock performance has been turbulent, with a significant hit over the last week, aligning with the market's reaction to the revised guidance and restructuring plans. With analysts not anticipating the company to be profitable this year and no dividends being paid to shareholders, investors might exercise caution. It's noteworthy that Appian operates with a moderate level of debt and has not been profitable over the last twelve months.
For investors looking to delve deeper into Appian's financial metrics and gain additional insights, there are more InvestingPro Tips available, which could help in making informed investment decisions. As the company navigates through its restructuring efforts, keeping a close eye on these metrics and tips could be crucial.
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