On Friday, Beyond Inc. (NYSE: BYON) shares experienced a downgrade by BofA Securities from Neutral to Underperform, with a significant reduction in their price target to $6.00 from the previous $12.50. This change comes after Beyond reported weaker than expected third-quarter results and an investor event that did not provide clarity on the company's turnaround efforts.
The company's revenue fell by 17% year-over-year, a performance that fell short of Wall Street's expectations by 11 percentage points. This decline was attributed to a 19% year-over-year decrease in orders. Management's acknowledgment of conversion challenges during the Investor Event highlights ongoing issues.
Despite a reduction in marketing spend aiding EBITDA, which aligned with Street estimates at -$31.9 million, customer loyalty to the brand is believed to be closely linked to marketing and promotional activities. Analysts have expressed concerns that the brand's appeal is unlikely to see improvement soon.
Beyond is currently undergoing a complex transition that includes three brand relaunches and the establishment of two new partnerships. These changes are increasing the company's operational complexity at a time when its cash reserves are dwindling. However, Beyond has managed to reduce fixed costs by $65 million, with the possibility of further asset sales on the horizon.
In other recent news, Beyond Inc. has been the focus of several notable developments. The company's third-quarter results fell short of analyst expectations, with an adjusted loss per share of $0.96 and revenues of $311 million, a 16.6% year-over-year decline. Despite this, Beyond reported a 21% increase in active customers, reaching 6.0 million, though orders delivered decreased by 19% year-over-year to 1.6 million.
In addition to these financial results, Beyond announced the sale of its headquarters, expected to finalize in the fourth quarter, and a projected $20 million annual reduction in staff-related expenses. The company anticipates having reduced its fixed expense base by an annualized $65 million by 2025. Beyond ended the quarter with $140 million in cash and cash equivalents.
Furthermore, Beyond held an analyst event to present its strategic vision, discussing topics such as margin improvements, partnerships, operational insights, and financial projections. Despite the company's stock price decline, BTIG maintains a Neutral rating on Beyond, stating the need for more evidence of the company's progress towards its stated goals. These are among the recent developments at Beyond Inc.
InvestingPro Insights
Recent data from InvestingPro paints a challenging picture for Beyond Inc. (NYSE: BYON), aligning with the concerns raised in BofA Securities' downgrade. The company's market capitalization stands at $306.52 million, reflecting the significant pressure on its stock price. This is further evidenced by the stark 36.41% decline in the stock's price over the past week, and a 75.84% drop year-to-date.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that Beyond is "quickly burning through cash" and "suffers from weak gross profit margins," which corroborates the article's mention of dwindling cash reserves and operational challenges. The company's gross profit margin for the last twelve months as of Q3 2024 stands at a modest 16.42%, underscoring the profitability concerns.
Moreover, the InvestingPro data shows a revenue decline of 16.58% in Q3 2024 compared to the previous year, closely matching the 17% year-over-year revenue drop mentioned in the article. This data reinforces the company's struggle with declining orders and conversion challenges.
For investors seeking a more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers 13 additional tips for Beyond Inc., providing deeper insights into the company's financial health and market position.
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