Quidel Corporation Stock Downgraded (QDEL)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Quidel Corporation (Nasdaq:QDEL) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, increase in net income and expanding profit margins. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that the company's return on equity has been disappointing.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 7.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 12.2%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry average. The net income increased by 14.7% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from -$3.66 million to -$3.12 million.
• After a year of stock price fluctuations, the net result is that QDEL's price has not changed very much. Although its weak earnings growth may have played a role in this flat result, don't lose sight of the fact that the performance of the overall market, as measured by the S&P 500 Index, was essentially similar. Looking ahead, our view is that this company's fundamentals will not have much impact in either direction, allowing the stock to generally move up or down based on the push and pull of the broad market.
• QUIDEL CORP has improved earnings per share by 18.2% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past year. However, we anticipate underperformance relative to this pattern in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, QUIDEL CORP turned its bottom line around by earning $0.24 versus -$0.41 in the prior year. For the next year, the market is expecting a contraction of 102.1% in earnings (-$0.01 versus $0.24).
• The company's current return on equity has slightly decreased from the same quarter one year prior. This implies a minor weakness in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry and the overall market, QUIDEL CORP's return on equity significantly trails that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.

Quidel Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets diagnostic testing solutions for applications in infectious diseases, women's health, and gastrointestinal diseases. Quidel has a market cap of $520.4 million and is part of the health care sector and drugs industry. Shares are up 5.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

You can view the full Quidel Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

 

For more information on Quidel Corporation click any of the following:

• Quidel Corporation Stock Price

• Quidel Corporation Analyst Ratings

• Quidel Corporation Key Stats & Profile

• Quidel Corporation Earnings

• Quidel Corporation Ratio Comparison

• Quidel Corporation Growth Rates

• Quidel Corporation Balance Sheet

• Quidel Corporation Cash Flow

• Quidel Corporation Income Statement