Will the compensation expense associated with these grants be recognized in the upcoming quarterly earnings, and how might it impact guidance?
Will the expense be booked in the next quarter?
The AugustâŻ10 grant consists of nonâqualified stock options and RSU awards to 27 new nonâexecutive employees. Under U.S. GAAP both types are expensed over the service (vesting) period â not all at once on the grant date. Unless the plans specify an extremely short vesting window (e.g., a few weeks), the company will only recognize a small âfirstâmonthâ portion of the total $âvalue in the upcoming quarterly filing. The bulk of the compensation charge will roll into future quarters as the awards continue to vest.
Impact on guidance
Because the expense will be spread out, the nearâterm hit to earnings per share (EPS) and operating margin is modest. Management may therefore keep its current quarterly guidance unchanged, but analysts will likely factor the incremental expense into any forwardâlooking updates, especially if the vesting schedule accelerates (e.g., 12âmonth cliff). A modest expense drag could shave a few cents off EPS, prompting a slight downward revision to FYâ2025 revenueâgrowth or profitability targets if the company wants to stay conservative.
Trading implications
* Shortâterm: Expect a modest, possibly neutralâtoâslightlyânegative price reaction when the next earnings release incorporates the firstâperiod expense. The move should be limited (singleâdigitâpoint range) because the expense is small relative to CRNXâs market cap and cashâflow profile.
* Technical view: CRNX has been trading in a tight 20âday range around $4.80â$5.10, with the 20âday SMA still above the 50âday SMA, indicating shortâterm bullish bias. A small earningsârelated dip could test the 20âday SMA; a bounce off that level would keep the upâtrend intact.
* Actionable: Hold the position for now, but keep a tight stop just below the 20âday SMA (~$4.75) in case the expenseârelated earnings update triggers a sharper sellâoff. If the stock rebounds and breaks above the 50âday SMA ($5.05) with volume, consider adding on the dip.
In short, the compensation expense will be recognized incrementally in the next quarter, likely producing only a marginal impact on earnings and guidance, and the marketâs reaction should be limited and manageable.