Archer Aviation sinks after reporting better-than-expected Q3 loss, announces it will acquire LA’s Hawthorne Airport
Air taxi maker Archer Aviation reported its Q3 results on Thursday, and its shares climbed more than 6% before turning negative.
The company posted a loss per share of $0.20, better than the $0.30 loss analysts polled by FactSet expected.
Archer announced it would acquire Los Angeles’ Hawthorne Airport for $126 million as a strategic hub for its planned LA air taxi network.
Cash is vital for Archer, which is without revenue as it seeks FAA certification. The company ended its third quarter with $1.64 billion in cash (and equivalents), down from last quarter’s $1.72 billion but more than 3x the amount from the same period a year ago.
Archer’s rival Joby Aviation, which reported its third-quarter results on Wednesday, has a cash pile of $978.1 million.
Archer reported adjusted operating expenses of $121.2 million. Looking ahead, Archer said it expects adjusted earnings before interest and taxes to be a loss of between $110 million and $140 million for the fourth quarter. Wall Street expected a $120 million loss.
Earlier this week, Archer shares fell amid the IPO of its electric aircraft rival Beta Technologies. Archer shares are down about 9% this year as of Thursday’s close, far underperforming Joby’s growth of 76%.