Can CLNE sustain its earnings growth into 2025?
4/4/2025 12:34am
**Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE) faces significant challenges in sustaining its earnings growth into 2025.** Here's why:
1. **Recent Financial Performance**: CLNE's net income plummeted by 60.82% as of 2024Q4, with a net loss of $30.28 million. The company's EPS growth rate is not available, indicating a lack of clarity on the earnings per share trend.
|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Net Income YoY|Net Income|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|2024 Q1|52.06015657189946|-1.8616E7|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|2024 Q2|0.11524930243843261|-1.6467E7|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|2024 Q3|29.39226945161663|-1.8322E7|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|2024 Q4|-60.81992459242738|-3.0284E7|185|
2. **Market Valuation Metrics**: The company's P/E ratio is negative at -4.23, suggesting that the company is not profitable as perceived by the market. The P/S ratio of 0.84 and P/B ratio of 0.47 indicate that the market may not be confident in the company's future growth prospects.
|code|Ticker|Name|Date|P/E(TTM)|P/S|Price to Book Ratio|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240404|-7.128144|0|0.7772136014832752|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240405|-6.959097|0|0.7587816583650949|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240408|-6.987271|0|0.7618536488847916|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240409|-7.325365|0|0.7987175351211525|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240410|-6.987271|0|0.7618536488847916|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240411|-6.705526|0|0.7311337436878241|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240412|-6.874573|0|0.7495656868060048|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240415|-6.564654|0|0.7157737910893406|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240416|-6.649177|0|0.7249897626484306|185|
|CLNE|CLNE.O|Clean Energy Fuels|20240417|-6.451956|0|0.7034858290105536|185|
3. **Analyst Sentiments**: The average analyst price target is $4, with a consensus rating of "Strong Buy". However, this does not necessarily translate to a positive outlook on earnings growth.
4. **Stock Buyback Program**: The company has announced the resumption of its stock buyback program, which could signal confidence in the company's value. CFO Robert Vreeland's recent purchase of 10,000 shares at prices ranging from $1.67 to $1.676 per share also indicates a belief in the company's undervaluation.
5. **Challenges and Uncertainties**: The company faces challenges with policy changes and tax credits that could impact future earnings. Additionally, the expiration of the Alternative Fuel Tax Credit is expected to decrease EBITDA in 2025.
6. **Liquidity and Financial Health**: Clean Energy Fuels holds over $200 million in cash as of December 31, 2024, and has a healthy current ratio of 2.67, indicating strong liquidity. However, the company operates with moderate debt levels, which could be a concern.
In conclusion, while there are some positive indicators such as the stock buyback program and the CFO's purchase of shares, the negative net income growth rate, the market's perception of the company's value, and the challenges it faces suggest that sustaining earnings growth into 2025 will be difficult. The company's ability to navigate these challenges and capitalize on its strengths will be crucial in determining its future financial performance.