Why Stratasys Shares Popped

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of 3-D printing company Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS  ) jumped by as much as 13% following the release of its fourth-quarter earnings results.

So what: For the quarter, Stratasys reported a 63% increase in revenue, but that was primarily attributable to its merger with Objet. Comparable revenue for the two companies rose 23% year over year as Stratasys reported adjusted profits (excluding merger costs) that rose 40% to $0.40 per share. Wall Street expectations had only called for a $0.38 profit. Looking ahead, Stratasys anticipates revenue will be in the $430 million-$445 million range with EPS of $1.80-$1.95 in 2013, comparing favorably with the $431.4 million in sales and $1.89 the Street expected.

Now what: Just the simple fact that Stratasys met expectations after 3D Systems' (NYSE: DDD  ) forecast last week fell short of the mark appears to be enough to get investors excited. Personally, I'm of the opinion that 3-D printing technology, while novel, is still years from truly taking off. I see 3D Systems' biggest problem being the incorporation of approximately 30 companies into the fold over the past three years. Stratasys is my favorite of the two simply by the fact that Objet gives it a specialization edge over 3D Systems. But, make no mistake about it, at 33 times this year's profits for 3D Systems and 37 for Stratasys, these are names I'd consider betting against long before I'd consider going long.

Craving more input? Start by adding Stratasys to your free and personalized Watchlist so you can keep up on the latest news with the company.

More Expert Advice from The Motley Fool

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