Why Alteryx Inc. Stock Jumped Today

What happened

Shares of Alteryx Inc. (NYSE: AYX) surged on Thursday after the self-service data analytics software provider reported its fourth-quarter results. The company beat analyst estimates for both revenue and earnings, and it provided guidance calling for continued growth in 2018. As of 11:15 a.m. EST, the stock was up about 17%.

So what

Alteryx reported fourth-quarter revenue of $38.6 million, up 55% year over year and about $2.7 million higher than the average analyst estimate. The company added 338 net new customers during the fourth quarter, bringing the total customer count to 3,392.

A rising stock chart.

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Non-GAAP earnings per share came in at $0.02, up from a loss of $0.11 during the prior-year period and $0.05 better than analysts were expecting. Alteryx posted a $0.03-per-share loss on a GAAP basis, an improvement over the $0.25-per-share loss it reported in the prior-year period. Total operating expenses grew by 30.5% year over year, substantially slower than revenue growth.

"As we look to 2018, we are focused on delivering innovation to strengthen our platform, investing in sales and marketing initiatives globally to capture our large market opportunity, and building out our world class teams," said CEO Dean Stoecker.

Now what

Alteryx expects to produce first-quarter revenue between $39 million and $40 million, with full-year revenue between $176 million and $179 million. The midpoint of the full-year guidance represents 35% growth from 2017.

While the company expects revenue to continue growing at a brisk pace, it sees the bottom line moving in the opposite direction. Alteryx expects full-year non-GAAP EPS to come in between a loss of $0.24 and $0.29, compared to a per-share loss of $0.11 in 2017.

While Alteryx's guidance was a bit mixed, strong fourth-quarter numbers were enough to send the stock higher.

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Timothy Green has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Alteryx, Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.