Stratasys Reports Preliminary 2014 Fiscal Results

Stratasys has released its preliminary 2014 fiscal results plus full-year 2015 guidance. It has also announced a new investment plan which, according to a company press release, it expects to increase operating expenditures in 2015 in sales and marketing, product development and infrastructure.

Stratasys expects a fiscal year 2014 revenue between $748 to $750 million, and a non-GAAP net income between $102 to $105 million. The projected revenue for 2015 is in the range of $940 to $960 million.

For 2015, the company's new investment plan includes accelerated efforts on vertical applications, expansion of its newly-branded direct manufacturing services and professional services as well as increased investment on long-term innovation and product introductions.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Stratasys made large investments last year to introduce next-generation 3D printers and systems. However, MakerBot's marketing and distribution strategy faced challenges, accruing costs in the 4th quarter. The WSJ also reported that Stratasys and other 3D printer manufacturers have faced difficulty in the market for the first wave of consumer and business bought machines. As of today, stock fell to $55.72 per share from a previous price of $80.08 on Feb. 2 at 4 p.m.

For industrial systems, the company's product line features printers predominately used for rapid prototyping objects in plastic, the WSJ states.

"As a leader in 3D printing, Stratasys' prospects for 2015 and beyond are strong," said David Reis, chief executive officer of Stratasys. "Looking forward, we intend to build on our strong track record of execution and integration following the Stratasys-Objet merger. We continue to see additive manufacturing being used to transform manufacturing processes across a wide range of sectors, augmenting our leading position in prototyping applications. We are also excited about our opportunity to build upon MakerBot's leading position in desktop 3D printing."

For more information, visit Stratasys.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.