GoPro has laid off 7 percent of its workforce, and warned investors of poor sales of the company's action cameras. The news comes just a few weeks before GoPro is set to officially announce its fourth quarter earnings for 2015.
The company is also downgrading its guidance for the fourth quarter from about $500-$550 million in revenue to $435 million. GoPro blames that drop on what it's calling "lower than anticipated sales of its capture devices" in the final quarter of 2015. That would represent about a 70 percent drop in sales from the company's big fourth quarter in 2014, when it brought in $633.9 million in revenue. Industry analysts were originally projecting that GoPro's Q4 revenue in 2015 would be somewhere closer to $690 million.
It's amazing to witness the abbreviated product life cycles of high tech (especially camera) gadgets. In some ways, it's akin to watching a circus act: "Okay, balancing all those spinning plates at one time was fun, but I've already seen that. NOW what are you going to do to get me to fork over my money???" If no better second act, no business. The competition is fierce.
Anyone can buy an ambarella chip and make an action camera these days, they need to innovate more to remain viable. They should consider more pro features to differentiate themselves from the cheaper Chinese competition to improve their value proposition -
Features I'd like to see -
If they're expecting big sales from their upcoming drone they better upgrade the camera quality (dump that stupid fisheye) and have some extremely good collision avoidance & follow-me features or it will probably end up being a big sales flop. DJI can make a full-featured drone for only $250 and have said they're willing to sell it at extremely low margins, if necessary, to maintain market dominance.
GoPro, Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) today reported certain preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2015.
GoPro expects revenue to be approximately $435 million for the fourth quarter of 2015 and $1.6 billion for the calendar year. Fourth quarter revenue reflects lower than anticipated sales of its capture devices due to slower than expected sell through at retailers, particularly in the first half of the quarter. Fourth quarter revenue includes a $21 million reduction for price protection related charges resulting from the HERO4 Session repricing in December. Non-GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2015, excluding the impact of price protection and a charge of between $30 million and $35 million to cost of revenue for excess purchase order commitments, excess inventory, and obsolete tooling is anticipated to be between 44.5% and 45.5%. Non-GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2015 is anticipated to be between 34.5% and 35.5%. Non-GAAP operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2015 are estimated to be between $150.0 million and $152.5 million. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at December 31, 2015 totaled approximately $475 million.
These preliminary, unaudited results are based on management's initial review of operations for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2015 and remain subject to the completion of the Company's customary annual closing and review procedures. Final adjustments and other material developments may arise between the date of this press release and the dates GoPro announces fourth quarter 2015 results and the filing of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC.
Zander Lurie Appointed to GoPro Board
Zander has resigned from his role as Senior Vice President of GoPro Entertainment and has been appointed to serve on GoPro's board of directors. Mr. Lurie has deep experience working with Internet-based business models across digital and traditional media. At GoPro Entertainment, he built a team dedicated to pursuing new formats and revenue streams from user-generated content and the Company's large cache of digital entertainment. Prior to GoPro, he served as an executive at CBS Corp. which he joined with the acquisition of CNET Networks where he served as CFO and head of Corporate Development. Mr. Lurie began his career in the technology investment banking group at J. P. Morgan where he led equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions in the Internet sector.
Reallocation of Resources
Over the past two years, GoPro's headcount has grown by more than 50% annually, to more than 1,500 employees at the end of 2015. To better align resources to key growth initiatives, GoPro has implemented a reduction in its workforce of approximately 7 percent. The Company estimates it will incur approximately $5 million to $10 million of restructuring expenses in the first quarter of 2016, substantially all of which will be severance costs.
Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Earnings Conference Call
GoPro will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2015 after the market closes on February 3, 2016.
GoPro management will host a conference call and live webcast for analysts and investors on February 3, 2016 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the Company's financial results.
Marc Andreessen predicted GoPro's current problems back when the company filed to go public ( in 2014 )
Andreessen warned that GoPro faced many of the same commoditization threats that hurt Flip, another once high-flying video camera hardware company that was shut down after being acquired by Cisco.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/marc-andreessen-predicted-gopros-current-223930735.html
Marc Andreessen predicted GoPro's current problems
Sounds like bullshit.
I just don't like this company. I had a hero3 black and the battery hardly lasted, it just seemed very buggy. Then the 3+ came out right after I bought my shitty 3.
Even though I'm waiting for a hero5 and ill probably buy it, there is something about gopro I don't like. They're somewhat expensive, rarely discounted, very secretive, and that pricing "mistake" just showed arrogance to me.
I hate how they have silver with lcd, black without, but w/ different max bitrates.
Just seems like they work against filmmakers, and not with them.
They're cocksuckers.
That said, when is the 5 coming out?
Just seems like they work against filmmakers, and not with them. They're cocksuckers.
They're somewhat expensive, rarely discounted, very secretive, and that pricing "mistake" just showed arrogance to me.
You mean that they are capitalists looking for profits? Surprise!
there are different ways to do business. Not just one way.
anyway moving on.
there are different ways to do business. Not just one way.
You mean that they must run non profit organization?
As I know only one way of doing real business - you need to have profits and the more - the better. In this way GoPro is very successful.
GoPro CEO Nick Woodman just announced that the company will cease sales of several action cameras — including its cheapest model — in April. Moving forward, GoPro's lineup will consist of the Hero 4 Black ($499.99), Hero 4 Silver ($399.99), and Hero 4 Session ($199.99). Everything else, including the Hero+ LCD ($299.99), Hero+ ($199.99), and regular Hero ($129.99), will be discontinued.
GoPro results of its final quarter of 2015 - earned $436.6 million in revenue during Q4 of 2015, a 31 percent drop from the company's fourth quarter of 2014. GoPro's stock dropped as much as 15 percent in after hours trading.
Another upcoming drone video
They have so many models that I am loosing the track of what is what. With 4K smartphones around, 3rd party no name protective housings, last thing consumers want is to "wrap their heads" about possible choices.
High End model ~less then 300$ Low End model ~ less then 140$
and they would profitt like crazy!!!
Electronic and consumer product makers have to understand that average public is getting poorer and poorer and tired of trying to figure out what product is for what. They are not making it easier for us to buy stuff but quite opposite:
Hero this hero that hero plus hero minus...5Ds 5Dr 5d mark II 5d Mark II....by the time I do all the research what product does what not just that I get lost in nomenculaturical chaos but I also loose the wish to deal with the whole BS. Action cameras are usualy bought for vacation videos. Just to figure out which one to buy is so much stress that geting one kills the point of getting it with you to vacation to relax and shoot video with it.
Time is money and it take quite some time to figure it out...
They have so many models that I am loosing the track of what is what. With 4K smartphones around, 3rd party no name protective housings, last thing consumers want is to "wrap their heads" about possible choices.
Well, they just use usual marketing approach, to have model for each task and each range. It works.
Apple could avoid it for some time (just now replaced lower end models with older and refurbished ones).
Hero this hero that hero plus hero minus...5Ds 5Dr 5d mark II 5d Mark II....by the time I do all the research what product does what not just that I get lost in nomenculaturical chaos but I also loose the wish to deal with the whole BS.
Have you ever tried to select some clothing? Many manufacturers have six collections a year, each having around 40-50 items of that you can get and mix from old collections, it is hundreds of different manufacturers :-) And they do not have specs on most parameters you can compare.. :-)
GoPro also announced a company-wide restructuring that will reduce full-year 2017 non-GAAP operating expenses to approximately $650 million (GAAP: $735 million) and achieve its goal of returning to non-GAAP profitability in 2017. The restructuring includes the closure of its entertainment division, facilities reductions, and the elimination of more than 200 full-time positions plus the cancelation of open positions for a reduction in force of approximately 15 percent.
GoPro operated at a loss of $373 million for the year.
They're not gonna be able to close that deficit by firing 200 people and consolidating facilities. That will probably only save them around $20 million/yr. They're bleeding $100 million a quarter!
about time! I had the Gopro 3 and Gopro 4...bad products, too fiddly, too many software errors, the batteries drained, they shut down because of overheating issues and the battery life...stupid me! why did I even buy them??
GoPro had 37% year-on-year revenue increase, raking in $47 million in cash with a 40% gross margin.
GoPro achieved both GAAP and non-GAAP profitability during its third fiscal quarter, with company CEO Nicholas Woodman saying, "GoPro has turned a corner, restoring growth and profitability to our business." In addition to growing revenue, GoPro saw "dramatically reduced operating costs," though the lower costs won't affect its product roadmap, according to Woodman.
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