Adam Jackson
Akerna Corp. (Nasdaq: KERN) posted less than positive results as it missed expectations — showing that mixed demand and weaker sales are rippling through the sector. The cannabis tech firm released its second-quarter financial report card ending June 30, 2022.
Akerna missed expectations with total revenues of approximately $6.1 million during the period, a 24% gain from $4.9 million for the same quarter last year — missing Yahoo Finance Average analyst estimate for revenues of $7.1 million.
“We have continued to take important steps to grow revenue, reduce costs, and position ourselves for growth in the future,” said CEO Jessica Billingsley. “While client demand has been mixed thus far in 2022, and with softer sales and bookings in particular during the second quarter throughout the sector, we believe we are on pace for a year of solid growth in 2022, compared with last year.”
Software revenue was $5.9 million, up 33% from $4.5 million in the same time last year — with $600,000 worth of software bookings this quarter.
The company saw a gross profit of $4.2 million, or 69.8% of total revenues — up 42% versus $3.0 million in the prior year.
The company also reported a second-quarter 2022 GAAP net loss of $29.6 million — including a $24.1 million impairment of certain long-lived assets — versus a net loss of $22 million sequentially and a loss of $6.1 million last year. However, the company noted that reductions announced in June are expected to generate material cost savings in the second half of 2022.
Diluted loss per share in the fourth quarter was $0.83 cents versus diluted earnings per share of $0.12 cents in the same period last year.
“On the cost side, we’re pleased with our gross margin improvement over last year at 69%, and the expense reduction program across the board that we announced in Q2 should enable more material improvements going forward, beginning with our Q3 results,” Billingsley said.
Despite taking cost-reduction steps, the company said average new business deals decreased by 9% year-over-year.
Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $2.1 million in the second quarter — down 22% from a loss of $2.3 in the previous quarter — versus a loss of $1.6 in the same period last year.
The company said it had $14.1 million in cash and restricted cash as of July 5, 2022 — following the closing of a $10 million financing via S-1 filed/effective on June 29, 2022. It said it would continue to “pursue strategic alternatives to optimize the capital structure and strengthen the balance sheet.”
