Why Credo Technology Stock Plunged 20% Today
Key Points
Credo Technology reported Q1 revenue up 115% year over year and earnings up 131%, beating analyst estimates across the board.
Despite the strong results, the stock dropped 20% on concerns about customer concentration and high valuation.
The company's AEC and optical products serve five hyperscalers in the data center construction boom.
Credo Technology (NASDAQ: CRDO) is having a difficult Wednesday. The company reported Q1 2027 results on Tuesday evening, smashing Wall Street's estimates and offering rosy guidance for the next quarter. But the stock was priced for perfection, and Credo gave the bears enough to feast on. The stock closed Wednesday's trading 20% lower.
A beat-and-raise report with a catch
Let's start with the headline figures. Revenue more than doubled, with a 115% year-over-year jump to $479 million. Adjusted earnings landed at $1.20 per diluted share, up 131% from $0.52 per share in the year-ago period. Credo's active electric cables (AECs) are shipping to five hyperscalers, and the newer optical business is catching up fast. Q2 guidance pointed to roughly $530 million of top-line revenue, up from $268 million in last year's second quarter and well above the current analyst consensus at $517 million.
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So it's a classic beat-and-raise report, but there's one uncomfortable wrinkle. Credo's business is incredibly concentrated on a handful of customers. The three largest clients accounted for 74% of total revenues.
That might have been alright for a calmer stock, but Credo is a volatile ticker and it headed into this report at sky-high valuation ratios. After today's sharp drop, the beta value is a massive 3.2, and the stock still trades at 59 times trailing earnings.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Why the sell-off makes sense (and why you might like Credo's stock anyway)
The price cut makes sense. Nobody likes intense customer concentration, and Credo's stock is still quite expensive. Credo's sales growth could hit a rock wall if one or more of those mega-buyers slow their orders.
However, the company is growing at nitro-boosted rates in the current economy. Credo remains an effective alternative investment in the data center construction boom. Adding optical components to the copper-based AEC foundation lowers the risk of one technology falling out of favor.
Anders Bylund has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.