Plug Power [Nasdaq: PLUG] has undergone one financing round after another, with a third bought deal sandwiched in between, this time to the tune of more than USD 1.7 billion. What’s more, the South Korean SK Group has promised to put up USD 1.6 billion in return for a 9.9 percent ownership stake in the company, an investment that will also form a basis for a joint venture between the two corporations. And if that’s not enough, Plug, which is headquartered in the U.S., intends to fit out delivery vehicles for France’s Renault Group. Plus, the company has been busy buying in top talent for its management team. That’s the good news.
Amazon
Plug Power – Seize the day
That was fast. First, Plug Power [Nasdaq: PLUG] raises around USD 840 million issuing new shares at USD 22.25 apiece. A felt five minutes later, the company is offered a USD 1 billion bought deal, perfectly exploiting the stock surge to collect massive capital. Plug must now have over USD 1.7 billion in the bank, thanks to the company’s growth prospects targeting hydrogen.
Plug Power now also active for drones
Plug Power has now acquired the Canadian company EnergyOr, which claims to have a leading technology in hydrogen powered drones and robotic systems.
Plug Power – Expectations vs. reality
Plug Power’s third-quarter results proved disappointing. The company said that the figures didn’t have any influence on its great prospects, considering a customer base which includes corporations as large as Walmart and Amazon. Their bookings are expected to top USD 600 million in the coming years. During the reporting period, Plug delivered 2,753 GenDrive systems for forklift retrofits, which generated USD 61.4 million in revenue. Current production capacity is at 15,000 systems per year, with 95 percent of them manufactured in-house. Ballard’s contribution has been reduced to a minimum.
Plug Power: Third Quarter to Deliver Record Figures
The deal with Amazon – which basically acquired a stake in Plug Power (Nasdaq: PLUG) through warrants and, at the same time, placed orders to have its forklift trucks retrofitted – may be the reason why Walmart has agreed to a change in the terms for its large Plug booking, which will improve the situation for the latter. Walmart was the first big Plug customer to request forklift conversions and an H2 refueling infrastructure at its logistics centers.
Plug Power: Big Amazon Order and Investment
First-quarter figures this year differed from expectations. You could say: They were abysmal. A net loss of USD 24.1 million attributable to common shareholders, meaning a loss of USD 0.13 instead of USD 0.07 per diluted share. Plug’s possibly very disadvantageous Walmart business (forklift retrofits financed through leasing) is still making an impact that shows on the balance sheet.
Ballard Steps on the Gas
After the second-quarter figures from Ballard Power Systems came in at the end of June, there were several good news that underline which huge potential the Canadian fuel cell manufacturer can tap in China and Japan. The share price jumped more than 60 percent. The most recent business Ballard won over as a partner was Chinese Broad-Ocean. The corporation boasts an annual production of more than 50 million motors worldwide and supplies several top-notch carmakers