Canopy Growth, Aurora Earnings Likely To Set The Pace For Cannabis Sector Results

Two of the biggest players in the cannabis sector will be offering a glimpse of how well the industry is performing later this week when they reveal their latest earnings figures.

Canopy Growth and Aurora Cannabis are two of the largest marijuana growers in North America.

One thing that is widely expected is that both cannabis giants will be reporting drops in revenue.

First up is Canopy Growth (NASDAQ:CGC) (TSX:WEED), which reports its third-quarter results on Feb. 9 before the opening bell.

According to a BNN Bloomberg report, RBC Capital Markets analyst Douglas Miehm said in an earnings preview note:

“We expect a focus on Canopy’s strategy to stabilize its market share in the recreational segment and the company’s progress on meeting the demand for higher THC products.”

It reportedly has one of the largest cash reserves in the cannabis industry, and has posted a string of quarters with significant writedowns. In addition, the company has seen its market share in the recreational segment slip in favour of rivals.

Given the loss of market share, Miehm questioned how the company could reach profitability, as it would have to post quarterly sales of about $250 million. Last quarter, sales came in at $131 million.

Shares of Canopy Growth closed yesterday at US$7.85 on the NASDAQ in New York, steady on the day. So far this year, Canopy Growth has seen its share price drop almost 10%. In Toronto, the stock closed yesterday at C$9.93, down less than 1% on the day.

Canopy Growth Weekly NASDAQ Chart.

Canopy Growth TSX Weekly Chart.

RBC Capital Markets lowered its price target on Canopy stock to C$17 from C$26.

Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ:ACB) (TSX:ACB) will follow with its Q2 earnings report on Feb. 10 after the market close.

The company had previously announced that it expects to reach profitability by the end of the year, but some analysts have openly speculated on the likelihood of that happening. The company has telegraphed that its cost-cutting moves will be visible in the upcoming earnings reports. We will see just how far these measures will take it.

Last week, the company announced that one of its US subsidiaries, Reliva, launched a new line of CBD products aimed at adult consumers “with active lifestyles.” The line of products, which range from gummies to creams, are now available at convenience stores across the US.

Aurora stock yesterday closed at US$4.18 in New York, down just under three-quarters of a percentage point on the day, and about 29% so far this year. It closed at C$5.29 in Toronto, down about 1.5% on the day, dropping about 25% so far in 2022.

Aurora Cannabis NASDAQ Weekly Chart.

Aurora Cannabis TSX Weekly Chart.

Legalized Pot Contributes Billions To Economy Tax Coffers

Size does matter. According to a new report, after three years of legalization the Canadian cannabis industry added C$43.5 billion to the country’s economy.

That is the headline from a report by Deloitte, which offered a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of the burgeoning industry.

Since cannabis was legalized in October 2018 until the end of 2021, the report claims the economy benefited from C$4.4 billion in direct investment by industry stakeholders, C$29.3 billion in what the report’s authors described as “indirect” economic contributions and C$9.8 billion in “induced” contributions.

According to media reports, the Deloitte report also calculated the cannabis sector generated in excess of C$15 billion in direct and indirect tax revenue for both the federal and provincial governments.