-30% Latch Hardware Gross Profit Margins
Would you buy a widget for $100 and sell it for just $77? That's what Latch is doing. With Latch's stock down 60% in the last 6 months plus higher expenses and lower-than-expected growth, what risk does this negative hardware growth margin strategy hold?
Inside this note, we examine how and why Latch is losing money selling hardware and their plan to build a strong long-term business. Plus, we contrast this to Verkada and ADT's business models.
Latch's ********
***** *** * ******** **** - sell ******** ** * **** **, hopefully *** ****, ** ******* **** and **** ****** **** **** ** selling ******** **** **** ***** **** that ********. ** ************** ** ***** ******** **** ******** call:
** **** *** ******** ** * vehicle *** *** ******** ** *** high ****** ******** *** ********. ** order ** ******** ******** ********, ** expect ** **** *** ****-**** ******** margins ** *** **** ** *** single ***** ********** *****, *** ** not ****** ** ** ********** ************ to *** ****** ****.
**** ** * ******* ** *** long-practiced"**** '** *** *****; **** '** the ******" ******** *****. **** ****, ** ***** *** scale ** *** ****** ** "******" or **** ******** ****, *********, **** can ****** ******* ** ****-**** ************ software *****, **********.
Hardware *******
*** *** **** * *****, **** total ***** ******* *** ******** ***** margins **** **** ******** **** ******** gross ******* -**% *** ****, ** this ****** *********'* **** **-* ****:
** **** *** **** *****, **** hardware ***** ******* ** -**%, ** Latch ********* ** *** ******** ****:
** *** ********** * ********** *******-****-******* decline ** ******** ****** **** ******** 21% ** ******** **%, ******* *** to **** ****** *** ******** ******** costs
***** ****** ****** ***** *********** ****** but **** ******** ***********:
** ******** **** ****** ***** *********** had * ******* $*.* ******* ******** impact ** ******** ***** ******* ** the ****** *******, ****** ****** ** higher ******** ***** **************[******** *****]
*** ******* **** *** **** ***** how **** ** *** ******* ** due ** *** ***********.
Discounting ********
***** ****** ***** ** ******** ** one *******, *********** **** ******* ********* "*********** *********** *** ****** **** ******** ********* paid *******". **** ** **** ***** describes ** "***-****":
Balancing ******** ****** **** ******** *********
*** *********** ** ***** *** ****** a ********** ****. *** **** ***** loses ***** ** ********, *** **** it ***** ** **** ** *** it ** ******** ***** *** *** more ***** ********* ******** *****, *** less ** ********* ** ********** *** those ******** ******.
Verkada ********
******* ** * **** ********** ********** to ***** *** ** *** ***** confident **** *******'* ******** ***** ******* are ********, ****** *****. ** **** reviewed ******* ******** ****** *** *******'* pass-through ******* (***, ***), *** **** factoring ** * *** *** *** sellers, *******'* ********* ** ***** **** well ***** **** (*.*., **** ***-**** Verkada ******* *** ***** **** *** $500 ** ****). ***** *******'* ******* include **-***** *******, ********** ***** ******** to ************ ****, **** ********* **** in, ******* ** ******* ****** * profit ** ******** *****.
******* **** ***** ****** *******, ****** less ** ** **** ***** ************, and ** **** ******** **** ******* is ********** ******* ****** ******* ********.
*** ***** ********** ** ****** ****** segments - ******* ** ********* ******* to *******, ********** ********, *** ********** customers ***** ***** ** ********* ******* on "********* ******** ******", ***** ** believe ******* ******** ** **** *********** (note, ***** ********* ****** ** "******* Technology ******* *** ****** **** *********" and "*** ***** ** ******* ** combining ******** *** ******* **** * unified ****** **** ***** *** ********* building ******" ***** **** ****** **-*).
ADT / ***** ******
** ********, *****'* ******** **** ******* mirrors *** ***** ********* ** *** residential ***** ****** ***** "**** *************" are ***********.
***** "**** *************" *** ** ******* as * *** *** *********, **** have *** ****** ** ** * great ******** ***** *** *** ****-********* like *** ***** ** ****, **** long-term ******* *******.
Competition *** *****
*** **** **** **** ****** *** Latch ** *** **** *********** **** face *** *** ****, ** **** likely ***, ***** ** ***** ******* versus *** ***********. ******** **** *** sell *** **** **** *** **** on *** ***. ************* **** ********* decisions ** ** ** ********* **** they *** *** ********* **** **** can *** ********** ***** ******* ********* to ****** ***** *******.
***** ***** *********** **** * **** of ******, ********* ********** *********.
** **** ** ******** **** **** Latch's *********** *** *** ***** ** the ****** ** **** *******.
Latch -**% / * ******
** *** **** * ******, *****'* stock *** ******** **** ****** $** to ***** $*:
* ***** **'* *************** ******** **** Latch **** *** ** ******** ***** this ******* *** ****** **** ** the ***** ***** **** **** ********** customers *** ********** **** ******* ***** buy ****. *** ***** ** ****** that ******* ******** **** *** ******* on *** **** *** **** **** in * ****-***** / ****** *****. That ***** ***** ****** ** ******** for ********* *** *** ** *** if ** *** ********* **** ****.
**** ****, *** **** ******** **** Latch ****** ** ***********. ****'* *** broader ******* ** *********, **** ** Latch *** ***** ****, *** ** a ******** ****** ** ** ** a ********* ********, **** ***** **** the ***** ** ******** *** *** proprietary ***** ********.
**** ** **** ** *** ***** for ** ********** **** ** ** understand. * ** **** ***** ****** to *** ****** ******* * ******* comes ** ** **% ****** ** less. *** **** ***** ********** ***** true… *** * ***** ****** ******** this ***** ***********. *** ** *** manufacturing ********* *** ***** **** ******* are *********** ****** ** **** **** cost. *** ******* * ***** ** promotion **** *** **** *** * department ***** ***** ** ********* ********.
*** * ***** ****** ******** **** being ***********
** **** *** ******* ** *** long ****** **** ***** ******* **********, they *** **** ***** *** *** of **. **'* ***** *** ******** burning ******* * *** ** ****, but **'* ********.
** *** ***** **** ********, ***** raised ****** * **** ******* ** cash **** ****:
** ******** ************* $***.* ******* ** cash ********, *** ** **** *** expenses ****** ** ********** **** *** Closing
***** ****** ******* $*** ******* ** cash **** **** *** ******* $*** million ** *** * ***** ****** that:
*********, ***** *** ~$*** ******* ** cash, ***** ** **** **** ********* a *** ****** *** *** ********* in **** **** **** **** ******* more **** *** **** *** ******:
** ** ******** **, ****, ** had ** *********** ******* ** $***.* million, ******* ******* ** $***.* *******, $3.4 ******* *********** ***** *** $*.* million ********* ******** **** * ******* forwarding *** ******* ********* ******* *** $124.8 ******* ** **** *** **** equivalents
***** **** **** **** ****** **** for ** ***** *** **** ** months:
** ******* *** ******** **** *** cash ***********, ********** ********** *** ********* facility **** ** ********** ** **** our ******* ******* *** ******* *********** needs *** ** ***** *** **** 12 ******.
****, ****** ********,***** *** ** ***, *** ******* As ********* ********* **'* ****** **** **** **** actions ** ******* ***** *********** ****** how *** ** *** **** ******* to ** ****.
**** ** ******* *** *** ******* the **** **** **** *** *****, instead ** ******** ****'*.
***** *** ** *******, ** ***** the ********* **** ** **** **** 2 ******* ************:
*) *** ******* ******* ******** ********
*) *** ******* ****** ***
**'* *** *** ******* *** ******* returns, ** *** * ****** ******** model.
*** (* ******), *** *** ********** in ****** **** ***** **** **** a ******* **** **% ****** ** bankruptcy (*** **** * ***-**** ****** of ****** *************), ** *** **** at *** **** ******* * ********* lens.
*** ** *** ************* ********* *** other **** ******* *** *********** ****** at **** **** ****. *** ******* a ***** ** ********* **** *** work *** * ********** ***** ***** is ********* ********.
**** ** ********* *** ****. *** are **** ********** **** ****, ** not ***, ** ***** ****** **** have ***** *******, ** ** *** company ******* ******** ********, **** *** a *** ** **** ***** **** created ***** *** ***. ********* ** the ******** ****** *** ****, ** is *** ******** *** ***** ******** to ** ** ** ***** ******* market *****, ************ ** **** **** do ** **** ** ******* ** that **** **** ****** ** **** value *******.
******:** ** ****, *****'* ******** ***** ******* ******** to -**%, ****** ***** ******** **** in ** **** ($* *******) *** less **** *** ******** ******* ($**.* million):
** ** *** **** *** ******** their ******** ** (****'** **** **** public *** *** **** ****) *** given ***** ***** ******* ****** ** the ***% *****, ** *** ** as * *** **** *** ******** sales ** **** ******* **** *******. More ******** ** **** ** *** new ** **** **********.
**** ******* ** *** **** ******** installed ******** ** ***** ** ****** to ***** ** ****?