Why Planet Labs Stock Is Plummeting Today
Key Points
Planet Labs posted better-than-expected sales and earnings in fiscal Q1 and also raised its full-year guidance.
Investors have been selling out of space tech stocks ahead of SpaceX's upcoming IPO and in response to last week's Blue Origin explosion.
The market is also worried that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.
Planet Labs (NYSE: PL) stock is getting hit with a big pullback following the company's recent quarterly report. The space-tech specialist's share price was down 18.7% as of 10 a.m. ET. The S&P 500 was down 1% at the same point in the daily session, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 2.1%.
Planet Labs published its first-quarter results after the market closed yesterday and actually posted sales and earnings that topped Wall Street's forecasts, but space tech stocks are now seeing some bearish reversal on the heels of big gains this year. Investors are also broadly adopting risk-off positioning in response to concerns that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates this year.
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Planet Labs is selling off despite a solid Q1 report
Planet Labs reported a non-GAAP (adjusted) loss of $0.03 per share on sales of $94 million in the first quarter of its 2027 fiscal year -- which ended April 30. The company's adjusted per-share loss came in $0.01 better than the average Wall Street analyst estimate, and sales rose roughly 42% year over year to beat the average target by roughly $3.9 million.
Along with its fiscal Q1 report, Planet Labs raised its full-year sales target to between $425 million and $441 million -- up from its previous guidance for sales between $415 million and $440 million. The company also raised its adjusted gross margin forecast from between 50% and 52% to between 52% and 54%. The space tech specialist delivered a beat-and-raise quarter, but investors are feeling jittery on the heels of last week's Blue Origin rocket explosion and SpaceX's initial public offering next week.
Macroeconomic concerns are also weighing on Planet Labs
The Bureau of Labor Statistics published a report today showing that U.S. nonfarm payrolls had risen by 172,000 in May -- far above the 80,000 payroll additions called for by economists. The news caused the 10-year Treasury bond yield to rise, and investors are concerned that relatively strong jobs growth will support the case for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year.
With inflation accelerating in recent months, the Fed may move to raise rates given that job growth still looks solid. If so, it could pressure valuations for Planet Labs and other highly growth-dependent stocks.
Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Planet Labs PBC. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.