Executive Summary
FuelCell Energy reported a strong top-line uptick in QQ4 2024, with revenue of $49.326 million, up 119.6% year over year and 108.2% quarter over quarter, reflecting activity around newer SureSource deployments and project progress. Despite the revenue ramp, profitability remained negative, with gross profit of -$10.917 million and an operating loss of -$41.032 million, driven primarily by high operating expenses and depreciation/amortization. EBITDA stood at -$28.251 million and net income at -$41.416 million, underscoring the ongoing business-model transition from a capex-heavy growth phase toward sustainable scale. On the balance sheet, FuelCell Energy exhibits a strong liquidity position, reporting cash and cash equivalents of $160.294 million and short-term investments of $109.123 million, with total cash and investments of $257.256 million and a net cash position of approximately -$134.669 million, supported by a total stockholders’ equity of $716.779 million against total liabilities of $216.658 million.
Operationally, the quarter demonstrates a positive operating cash flow of $5.845 million, but free cash flow remains negative at -$4.763 million due to capex and investing activities. The company’s liquidity provides a runway to invest in strategic initiatives such as hydrogen production capabilities (SureSource Hydrogen) and carbon capture (SureSource Capture) without immediate balance-sheet strain, even as near-term profitability is still a challenge. Investors should monitor revenue trajectory, gross margin stabilization, and progress toward commercialization milestones in hydrogen and carbon capture platforms as indicators of longer-term value creation.
Key Performance Indicators
QoQ: 108.17% | YoY:119.60%
QoQ: -76.02% | YoY:-645.70%
QoQ: -22.06% | YoY:-12.80%
QoQ: -26.81% | YoY:-36.40%
QoQ: -142.86% | YoY:-144.25%
Key Insights
Revenue for QQ4 2024: $49.326M, up 119.6% YoY and 108.17% QoQ. Gross Profit: -$10.917M; Gross Margin: -21.13% to -22.13% (reported -0.2213). Operating Income: -$41.032M; Operating Margin: -83.19%. EBITDA: -$28.251M; EBITDA Margin: -57.27%. Net Income: -$41.416M; Net Margin: -83.96%. EPS (diluted): -$0.16 to -$0.17. Weighted Average Shares Outstanding: 243.537M (basic), 261.843M (diluted).
Cash Flow and Liquidity: Net cash provided by operating activities: $5.845M. Capital expenditures: -$10.608...
Financial Highlights
Revenue for QQ4 2024: $49.326M, up 119.6% YoY and 108.17% QoQ. Gross Profit: -$10.917M; Gross Margin: -21.13% to -22.13% (reported -0.2213). Operating Income: -$41.032M; Operating Margin: -83.19%. EBITDA: -$28.251M; EBITDA Margin: -57.27%. Net Income: -$41.416M; Net Margin: -83.96%. EPS (diluted): -$0.16 to -$0.17. Weighted Average Shares Outstanding: 243.537M (basic), 261.843M (diluted).
Cash Flow and Liquidity: Net cash provided by operating activities: $5.845M. Capital expenditures: -$10.608M. Free Cash Flow: -$4.763M. Net change in cash: -$9.298M. Cash at end of period: $208.883M. Cash and cash equivalents: $160.294M. Short-term investments: $109.123M. Total cash and short-term investments: $257.256M. Net debt: -$134.669M (net cash position).
Balance Sheet Strength: Total assets: $944.124M. Total liabilities: $216.658M. Total stockholders’ equity: $716.779M. Current ratio: 6.01; Quick ratio: 4.48; Cash ratio: 2.17. DSO 88.68 days; DIO 169.87 days; CCC 258.55 days. Per-share valuation metrics (as of QQ4 2024): Price to Book 0.395; Price to Sales 5.26; Price to Cash Flow 44.37; Price to FCF -54.45. Dividend yield: 0.31%.
Income Statement
| Metric |
Value |
YoY Change |
QoQ Change |
| Revenue |
49.33M |
119.60% |
108.17% |
| Gross Profit |
-10.92M |
-645.70% |
-76.02% |
| Operating Income |
-41.03M |
-12.80% |
-22.06% |
| Net Income |
-41.42M |
-36.40% |
-26.81% |
| EPS |
-0.17 |
-144.25% |
-142.86% |
Key Financial Ratios
operatingProfitMargin
-83.2%
operatingCashFlowPerShare
$0.24
freeCashFlowPerShare
$-0.2
dividendPayoutRatio
-1.93%
Management Commentary
No earnings transcript data were provided in the supplied dataset. Consequently, there are no management quotes or thematic highlights to summarize from an earnings call. If you obtain the transcript, I can extract themes by such categories as strategy, operations, market conditions, and commentary on hydrogen/capture initiatives.
Forward Guidance
There is no explicit forward guidance disclosed in the dataset for QQ4 2024. Given the revenue uplift and ongoing investments in hydrogen and carbon capture platforms, investors should watch for: (1) sustained revenue growth from SureSource deployments and hydrogen platforms (SureSource Hydrogen), (2) gross margin improvement as scale effects and product mix shift, (3) progress on project pipeline and order book to convert into recurring services revenue, and (4) capex cadence that could influence free cash flow dynamics. Key risk factors include continued negative profitability in the near term, execution risk in scaling manufacturing and deployment, and sensitivity to subsidy/financing environments. Indicators to monitor include quarterly revenue progression, gross margin stabilization, operating expense control, and the timing of large project recognitions or milestone payments.