Why Is Axon (AXON) Down 14.3% Since Last Earnings Report?

Core Viewpoint - Axon Enterprise reported strong Q2 2025 earnings and revenue, surpassing estimates, but the stock has underperformed the S&P 500 in the past month, raising questions about future performance leading up to the next earnings release [1][2][3]. Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings for Q2 2025 were $2.12 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.54, marking a 73.8% year-over-year increase [2]. - Total revenues reached $668.5 million, surpassing the consensus estimate of $643 million, and increased by 33% year over year, driven by strong demand for TASER 10, Axon Body 4, and counter-drone equipment [3]. Business Segment Performance - Connected Devices segment revenues increased by 28.6% year over year to $376.4 million, driven by demand for TASER 10 devices and Axon Body 4 [4]. - Software & Services segment revenues rose by 38.8% year over year to $292.2 million, supported by an increase in users and adoption of premium software offerings [5]. Margin Profile - Cost of sales increased by 34.4% year over year to $264.8 million, while total operating expenses climbed 48.6% year over year to $404.8 million [6]. - Adjusted gross margin improved slightly to 63.3% from 63.1% in the previous year [6]. Balance Sheet & Cash Flow - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of Q2 2025 were $615.5 million, up from $454.8 million at the end of 2024 [7]. - Adjusted free cash flow was negative $113.7 million in the first half of 2025, compared to negative $39.3 million in the prior-year period [8]. Outlook for 2025 - Axon expects revenues for 2025 to be between $2.65 billion and $2.73 billion, indicating approximately 29% year-over-year growth at the midpoint [9]. - Adjusted EBITDA is projected to be in the range of $665 million to $685 million, with capital expenditures expected between $170 million and $185 million [9][10]. Market Position - Estimates for Axon have trended downward over the past month, with a consensus estimate shift of 25% [11]. - Axon holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating an expectation of an in-line return in the coming months [13]. Industry Comparison - Axon is part of the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry, where Hexcel (HXL) has seen a 6.3% gain over the past month, despite reporting a year-over-year revenue decline of 2.1% [14].