Why Bruker Jumped 12.6% Today
What happened
After the company reported first-quarter financials and boosted full-year sales guidance, Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR) shares rallied 12.6% on Friday.
So what
A manufacturer of instruments used in scientific research, Bruker Corp. reported first-quarter revenue of $461.4 million, up 6.9% from the year-ago quarter. The top line was nearly $11 million better than industry watchers had been modeling. The company also reported a 1.25% improvement in GAAP operating margin to 9.1%; it delivered adjusted earnings per share of $0.28, which was $0.04 higher than the year-ago quarter.
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.
The sales increase was driven by a 5.5% increase in organic revenue and a 6% increase due to acquisitions. Those tailwinds were slightly held back by a 4.6% currency exchange headwind.
Management also struck a positive tone for the rest of the year, increasing its year-over-year revenue growth guidance to 7%-8%. It expects operating margins will improve 90 basis points from 2018 and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) will be between $1.57 and $1.61, up 12% to 15% from 2018.
Now what
It's good to see Bruker's executing well on its plans to kick-start growth and boost profitability, but there's more work to do. The company's energy and supercon technologies segment sales were essentially flat year over year at $44.6 million. Nevertheless, solid revenue growth, leveraged by expense management plans, should allow earnings to grow faster than sales, potentially rewarding investors throughout the remainder of 2019.
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Todd Campbell has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. His clients may have positions in the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.