Canopy Growth's Revenue Grew 13% Last Quarter. Investors Barely Reacted. Here's Why.
Key Points
Canopy Growth's revenue increased 13% year over year in its most recent fiscal quarter.
Adjusted gross margin improved, while EBITDA losses narrowed sharply.
Investors still need proof that Canopy's turnaround is sustainable.
Canopy Growth (NASDAQ: CGC) grew its revenue by 13% year over year to $58.9 million in its fiscal 2027 first quarter, but the stock barely reacted because investors have seen plenty of nascent Canopy turnarounds that never quite materialized.
To be sure, the company's improvements weren't limited to the top line. Its adjusted gross margin increased from 25% in the prior-year period to 31%, while its adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed by 59% to $2.3 million. Canadian medical cannabis revenue increased 22%, adult-use cannabis sales grew 10%, and international cannabis sales rose 10%. But Canopy Growth still isn't profitable.
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The muted response
The company lost $10.6 million during the quarter (which ended June 30), while its free cash outflow increased to $18.6 million, up from $8.4 million a year earlier. That's a problem for a company that has spent years burning cash, restructuring operations, and issuing more shares of stock to raise funds.
There's another wrinkle, too. Some of Canopy's growth this year came from its acquisition of MTL Cannabis. The company specifically attributed portions of its Canadian medical and adult-use growth to the acquisition. So that 13% top-line increase doesn't mean Canopy's existing businesses suddenly returned to double-digit organic growth. That may help explain the market's muted response to the quarterly report.
Image source: Getty Images.
The market clearly wasn't looking for another quarter where Canopy simply lost less money. It was hoping for evidence that the business will eventually be able to support itself without continually consuming cash. The latest results suggest that Canopy is moving in that direction. But after years of disappointment, investors aren't giving management much credit for promises. If revenue continues growing, margins improve, and cash burn starts falling, the stock could become more interesting. Until then, 13% revenue growth is encouraging, but it's not enough to prove Canopy's turnaround has finally arrived.
Jeff Siegel 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.