Why Comfort Systems Plunged Today
Key Points
Comfort Systems delivered a revenue and earnings beat, with a strongly growing backlog.
However, like many hardware or industrial stocks related to the AI build-out, the stock fell despite the strong results.
Shares now trade for less than 20 times next year's earnings.
Shares of Comfort Systems (NYSE:FIX) fell as much as 13.2% on Friday, before recovering to an 8.9% decline at 3:10 p.m. EDT.
Comfort Systems reported earnings last night, handily beating revenue and earnings estimates. However, the company also announced that one of the company's founders and longtime Chief Financial Officer, Bill George, will retire at the end of the year.
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During this earnings season, even good results are leading to stock declines for most companies levered to the AI build-out. Therefore, the retirement announcement, combined with a "sell the news" mentality, appears to be the cause of today's sell-off.
Comfort Systems continues to thrive
Comfort Systems has been a massive winner due to the AI data center build-out, given its expertise in the cooling, plumbing, ventilation, and electrical systems that AI data centers require.
Third-quarter results continued that trend, with revenue growing a whopping 53.7% and earnings per share growing an even higher 68.6% to $13.91. Both figures beat analyst expectations by a fair amount.
Not only were current results terrific, but the company's backlog grew to $17.8 billion from $14.1 billion just three months prior. That's a 26.2% quarter-over-quarter growth rate in the backlog, which would amount to a 153.7% annualized rate.
This makes Comfort Systems' sell-off all the more confusing today. However, there have been many similar sell-offs this week in AI stocks, with blockbuster earnings often met with selling pressure. It appears some investors may be anticipating the end of the AI build-out next year, even as tech executives say the opposite.
Image source: Getty Images.
Comfort Systems is reasonably priced now
Comfort Systems is now about 38% off its all-time high set back in June, while shares trade at 19.4 times the average 2027 analyst earnings estimate.
That's a very reasonable valuation for Comfort Systems if the AI build-out continues beyond 2027. However, doubts over that prospect, along with the CFO's retirement announcement, appear to be dominating sentiment today.
Billy Duberstein and/or his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Comfort Systems USA. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.