Latest news with #APPN
West Australian
02-07-2025
- Science
- West Australian
State Government invests $5 million into nation-wide plant phenotyping project for improved crop varities
WA crop production and grains research is set to be boosted thanks to a $5 million State Government investment into a nation-wide plant phenotyping project. Two WA nodes were launched on July 2 as part of Australian Plant Phenomics Network's nationwide project to analyse the responses of plants to soil, water, nutrients, and light for the development of high-performance grain varieties. Plant phenotyping is the assessment of complex traits including development, growth, resistance, tolerance, physiology, architecture, yield, and ecology. The two nodes will be located in Northam and Merredin at the University of Western Australia and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development research facilities. APPN chief executive Richard Dickmann said the project presented a unique opportunity for the state that would allow for the identification of appealing traits for grain development. 'This is a unique opportunity for WA to establish and develop world-leading plant phenotyping capabilities, linked to national and international scientists, which will help address the challenges and opportunities facing WA farmers,' he said. 'With our new capabilities in high-throughput imaging and measurement of plants, supported by advanced data collection and analysis, we will enable the identification and isolation of desirable traits in new cultivars, often years faster than conventional breeding trial. 'It really is an exciting field of science which we are excited to be driving.' APPN is a plant science research network that is supported by the National Research Infrastructure for Australia program, and aims to measure the performance of plants efficiently and non-destructively. WA Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis said the State Government would work alongside grower groups, universities, and research collaborators to help WA growers optimise their crop potential. 'This investment will help WA's grain industry to remain at the forefront of advances in research and WA's growers to increase yields,' she said. 'Grains production is becoming increasingly reliant on data-driven science to breed improved varieties that are suited to local conditions.' Field trials will be held at the Merredin Dryland Research Station with controlled irrigation and high-tech sensor systems to measure and monitor. The node in Northam will utilise drones that are equipped with state-of-the-art sensors, as well as mobile and ground-based instruments that will be used to monitor and measure crops. DPIRD senior research scientist Dr Hammad Kahn said the partnership with the UWA node and facilities in Merredin would 'accelerate the delivery of groundbreaking science' to farmers across WA. 'Joining the APPN national network allows us to deploy state-of-the-art mobile phenotyping units, which will improve our research efficiency and deliver real impact to WA's agricultural industry,' he said.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Insightful Analyst Questions From Appian's Q1 Earnings Call
Appian's first quarter results were driven by robust adoption of its AI-enabled platform and strong demand from the U.S. federal sector. Management highlighted increasing use of AI features among customers and notable contract wins in regulated industries as key contributors. CEO Matt Calkins pointed to a surge in practical AI deployments, such as document processing and workflow automation, which translated into tangible productivity gains for clients. The company's focus on integrating AI within business processes, rather than emphasizing speculative use cases, resonated with organizations seeking operational efficiency. Is now the time to buy APPN? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $166.4 million vs analyst estimates of $163.2 million (11.1% year-on-year growth, 2% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.13 vs analyst estimates of $0.03 (significant beat) The company slightly lifted its revenue guidance for the full year to $684 million at the midpoint from $682 million Management raised its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $0.22 at the midpoint, a 12.8% increase EBITDA guidance for the full year is $43 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $39.14 million Operating Margin: -0.5%, up from -13% in the same quarter last year Net Revenue Retention Rate: 112%, down from 116% in the previous quarter Market Capitalization: $2.11 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Sanjit Singh (Morgan Stanley) asked about potential pull-forward in federal bookings given government budget uncertainty; CEO Matt Calkins responded he saw no meaningful pull-forward and remains cautiously optimistic about future quarters. Sanjit Singh (Morgan Stanley) inquired about the decline in net revenue retention; Interim CFO Mark Lynch explained it was due to prior-period down-sells and leveled-off customer growth, not recent enterprise hesitancy. Steve Enders (Citi) questioned AI monetization sustainability; Calkins indicated strong customer willingness to pay and described the company's strategy as demonstrating tangible value through early monetization. Jake Roberge (William Blair) probed for details on AI pricing uplift; Calkins specified a 25% premium for AI tiers and highlighted high-volume, routine work as the primary use case driving adoption. Nick Altmann (Scotiabank) asked about the durability of recent sales productivity gains; Calkins attributed improvements to strategic changes in sales processes and partner focus, calling these gains likely to be sustained. In upcoming quarters, our analysts will be watching (1) the pace at which existing customers transition to AI-inclusive tiers, (2) durability of sales productivity improvements as go-to-market changes mature, and (3) the impact of potential volatility in U.S. federal IT spending on overall bookings. Progress on pricing model evolution and further enhancements to AI capabilities will also be important markers of execution. Appian currently trades at $28.90, down from $30.38 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it's free). Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Washington Post
08-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Appian: Q1 Earnings Snapshot
MCLEAN, Va. — MCLEAN, Va. — Appian Corp. (APPN) on Thursday reported a loss of $1.2 million in its first quarter. On a per-share basis, the McLean, Virginia-based company said it had a loss of 2 cents. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 13 cents per share. The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 3 cents per share.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Hated Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals
Hitting a new 52-week low can be a pivotal moment for any stock. These floors often mark either the beginning of a turnaround story or confirmation that a company faces serious headwinds. At StockStory, we dig beneath the surface of price movements to uncover whether a company's fundamentals justify its current valuation or suggest hidden potential. That said, here are three stocks facing legitimate challenges and some alternatives worth exploring instead. One-Month Return: -9.6% Founded by Matt Calkins and his three friends out of an apartment in Northern Virginia, Appian (NASDAQ:APPN) sells a software platform that lets its users build applications without using much code, allowing them to create new software more quickly. Why Do We Think Twice About APPN? Sales trends were unexciting over the last three years as its 18.7% annual growth was below the typical software company Persistent operating losses suggest the business manages its expenses poorly Poor free cash flow margin of 0.5% for the last year limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends Appian's stock price of $27.22 implies a valuation ratio of 3x forward price-to-sales. To fully understand why you should be careful with APPN, check out our full research report (it's free). One-Month Return: -12% Founded in 2002 by three cybersecurity veterans, Tenable (NASDAQ:TENB) provides software as a service that helps companies understand where they are exposed to cyber security risk and how to reduce it. Why Does TENB Give Us Pause? Revenue increased by 18.5% annually over the last three years, acceptable on an absolute basis but tepid for a software company enjoying secular tailwinds Estimated sales growth of 8.8% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its three-year trend Poor expense management has led to an operating margin of -0.8% that is below the industry average At $32.31 per share, Tenable trades at 4.2x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than TENB. One-Month Return: -18% Headquartered in Dallas, Texas since the 1950s, Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) is the world's largest producer of analog semiconductors. Why Does TXN Worry Us? Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 11.6% annually over the last two years Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last five years, causing its operating margin to decline by 5.8 percentage points Free cash flow margin shrank by 28.4 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive Texas Instruments is trading at $145.34 per share, or 26.1x forward price-to-earnings. If you're considering TXN for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Appian (APPN): Buy, Sell, or Hold Post Q4 Earnings?
Over the past six months, Appian's shares (currently trading at $28.55) have posted a disappointing 16.2% loss while the S&P 500 was down 1.7%. This may have investors wondering how to approach the situation. Is now the time to buy Appian, or should you be careful about including it in your portfolio? See what our analysts have to say in our full research report, it's free. Even with the cheaper entry price, we don't have much confidence in Appian. Here are three reasons why we avoid APPN and a stock we'd rather own. Founded by Matt Calkins and his three friends out of an apartment in Northern Virginia, Appian (NASDAQ:APPN) sells a software platform that lets its users build applications without using much code, allowing them to create new software more quickly. A company's long-term sales performance can indicate its overall quality. Any business can put up a good quarter or two, but many enduring ones grow for years. Over the last three years, Appian grew its sales at a 18.7% compounded annual growth rate. Although this growth is acceptable on an absolute basis, it fell slightly short of our standards for the software sector, which enjoys a number of secular tailwinds. While many software businesses point investors to their adjusted profits, which exclude stock-based compensation (SBC), we prefer GAAP operating margin because SBC is a legitimate expense used to attract and retain talent. This is one of the best measures of profitability because it shows how much money a company takes home after developing, marketing, and selling its products. Although Appian was profitable this quarter from an operational perspective, it's generally struggled over a longer time period. Its expensive cost structure has contributed to an average operating margin of negative 9.9% over the last year. Unprofitable software companies require extra attention because they spend heaps of money to capture market share. As seen in its historically underwhelming revenue performance, this strategy hasn't worked so far, and it's unclear what would happen if Appian reeled back its investments. Wall Street seems to be optimistic about its growth, but we have some doubts. Free cash flow isn't a prominently featured metric in company financials and earnings releases, but we think it's telling because it accounts for all operating and capital expenses, making it tough to manipulate. Cash is king. Appian broke even from a free cash flow perspective over the last year, giving the company limited opportunities to return capital to shareholders. Appian isn't a terrible business, but it doesn't pass our bar. After the recent drawdown, the stock trades at 3.1× forward price-to-sales (or $28.55 per share). This valuation multiple is fair, but we don't have much faith in the company. We're fairly confident there are better investments elsewhere. Let us point you toward one of our top digital advertising picks. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
