On Thursday, JPMorgan reaffirmed its underweight rating on shares of SunPower (NASDAQ:) Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) following a significant operational change by the company. SunPower announced to its dealers that starting from July 17, it will stop supporting new lease or Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) project installations. This move is not anticipated to be a temporary measure but an indefinite suspension of the company’s future activities in this area.
The decision by SunPower is seen as primarily driven by its own financial challenges, including weakened cash flow and a constrained balance sheet. Moreover, the company’s current inability to access capital markets due to its non-current SEC filing status is a contributing factor. The analyst clarified that this development should be regarded as specific to SunPower and not indicative of broader industry trends.
SunPower has historically utilized Enphase Energy (NASDAQ:) inverters for its solar-only installations. However, given that SunPower’s business represents only a low-single digit percentage of Enphase’s revenue, the impact on Enphase is expected to be minimal.
In contrast, SunPower’s dealer network is predicted to look for alternative partnerships, potentially benefiting companies like Sunnova Energy International (NYSE:NYSE:) slightly, and to a lesser extent, Sunrun Inc . (NASDAQ:).
The analyst also noted that there is no impact on SunPower’s existing assets within its SunStrong joint venture with Hannon Armstrong (NYSE:) Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (NYSE:HASI). Furthermore, the joint venture was not considered a significant contributor to Hannon Armstrong’s future growth. The underweight rating on SunPower’s stock reflects these recent developments and the analyst’s outlook on the company’s prospects.
In other recent news, SunPower Corp has secured an additional $50 million loan funding from its majority shareholder, Sol Holding, as part of its strategy to strengthen business operations and foster financial stability. This move follows the departure of the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Johnston, as announced by the company.
Simultaneously, SunPower has received a non-compliance notice from Nasdaq due to a delay in filing its quarterly financial report. The company is actively working to regain compliance and finalize its overdue financial reports.
Moreover, SunPower has expanded its product lineup to include Tesla (NASDAQ:) Powerwall 3, responding to increasing consumer demand for reliable solar energy storage solutions. The company is now offering financing options for this product, including loans and leases.
However, Citi has issued a note advising investors to avoid SunPower amid a recent surge in solar energy stocks, maintaining a Sell rating on the company. These developments are part of the recent news surrounding SunPower Corp.
InvestingPro Insights
In light of JPMorgan’s assessment of SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR), a deeper look at the company’s financial health is warranted. According to InvestingPro data, SunPower’s market capitalization stands at 437 million USD, with a negative P/E ratio of -2.53 in the last twelve months as of Q4 2023. This metric indicates that the company is not currently profitable. Furthermore, the company’s revenue has declined by 3.21% over the last twelve months, and gross profit margins are relatively weak at 14.15%, underscoring the financial challenges mentioned by the analyst.
InvestingPro Tips suggest that SunPower may struggle with its interest payments on debt and is rapidly depleting its cash reserves. Moreover, analysts do not expect the company to be profitable this year, and the stock price has experienced a significant decline over the last year, with a 77.88% drop in the one-year total return as of 2024.
For readers looking to delve further into SunPower’s financials and future prospects, InvestingPro offers additional tips and insights. There are 10 more InvestingPro Tips available, which can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the company’s position and potential strategies moving forward. Readers interested in these insights can enhance their market analysis by using the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get up to 10% off a yearly Pro and a yearly or biyearly Pro+ subscription at InvestingPro.
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