Shares of GoPro Inc. fell 96 cents, or 12.8 percent, to $6.56 on Monday after the company announced plans to cut 254 jobs as well as exit the drone category in part due to a “hostile regulatory environment.” The company also significantly reduced its Q4 guidance.

GoPro reported certain preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017. GoPro expects revenue to be approximately $340 million for the fourth quarter of 2017. Fourth quarter revenue includes a negative impact of approximately $80 million for price protection on HERO6 Black, HERO5 Black and HERO5 Session cameras, as well as the Karma drone.

GoPro expects GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2017 to be between 24 percent and 26 percent. Non-GAAP gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2017 is expected to be between 25 percent and 27 percent. Non-GAAP gross margin for the same period, excluding the price protection impact of $80 million and other charges of between $19 million and $21 million, is expected to be between 44 percent and 46 percent. GoPro expects GAAP operating expenses to be between $136 million and $140 million for the fourth quarter of 2017 and non-GAAP operating expenses to be between $118 million and $122 million for the same period.

GoPro ended the fourth quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $247 million, up $50 million over the third quarter of 2017.

Previously, GoPros guidance for the quarter included revenue of $470 million, +/- $10 million;  GAAP and non-GAAP gross margin of 41.5 percent, +/- 50 basis points; GAAP operating expenses of $149 million, +/- $1 million; non-GAAP operating expenses of $130 million, +/- $1 million; GAAP EPS to be between 25 cents and 35 cents; and non-GAAP EPS to be between 37 and 47 cents.

“As we noted in our November earnings call, at the start of the holiday quarter we saw soft demand for our HERO5 Black camera,” said GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. “Despite significant marketing support, we found consumers were reluctant to purchase HERO5 Black at the same price it launched at one year earlier. Our December 10 holiday price reduction provided a sharp increase in sell-through.”

Globally, HERO5 Black sell-through more than doubled in the two weeks following the December 10 price reduction, while HERO5 Session sell-through roughly tripled.

Sales of the newly introduced flagship HERO6 Black camera performed as expected during the fourth quarter. On January 7, GoPro lowered the price of its premium model, HERO6 Black from $499 to $399 to align with its good, better, best product strategy.

Initial uptake of GoPro’s newly launched spherical camera, Fusion, was better than expected during the quarter.

“GoPro is committed to turning our business around in 2018,” said Woodman. “We entered the new year with strong sell-through and are excited with our hardware and software roadmap. We expect that going forward, our roadmap coupled with a lower operating expense model will enable GoPro to return to profitability and growth in the second half of 2018.”

2018 Products and Operating Expenses

In 2018, GoPro will continue to innovate with several new products aimed at new and existing customers. GoPro’s sharper focus will enable an $80 million reduction in operating expenses compared to 2017 levels, resulting in a target operating expense level of below $400 million for 2018 on a non-GAAP basis.

The lower non-GAAP operating expense target will be achieved through a variety of strategies, including:

  • GoPro is reducing its global workforce from 1,254 employees as of September 30, 2017 to fewer than 1,000 employees worldwide.
  • GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman will reduce his 2018 cash compensation to $1.
  • Although Karma reached the #2 market position in its price band in 2017, the product faces margin challenges in an extremely competitive aerial market. Furthermore, a hostile regulatory environment in Europe and the United States will likely reduce the total addressable market in the years ahead. These factors make the aerial market untenable and GoPro will exit the market after selling its remaining Karma inventory. GoPro will continue to provide service and support to Karma customers.
  • A restructuring of GoPro’s business will result in an estimated aggregate charge of $23 million to $33 million, including approximately $13 million to $18 million of cash expenditures as a result of a reduction in force, substantially all of which are severance and related costs, as well as approximately $10 million to $15 million of other charges, consisting primarily of non-cash items. GoPro expects to recognize most of the restructuring charges in the first quarter of 2018. GoPro will provide more detail on its 2017 results and 2018 outlook in its fourth quarter earnings report which will take place in early February.

Photo courtesy GoPro