Cannabis stocks were mostly lower Monday, led down by Aphria Inc. after it swung to a wide loss in the third quarter that outweighed a surge in revenue.
Aphria shares APHA, -13.32% APHA, -13.72% fell 15% in early trade, after the Leamington, Ontario-based company posted a C$108.2 million ($81.1 million) for its fiscal third quarter, or 43 cents a share, after a profit of C$12.9 million, or 8 cents a share, in the same period a year ago.
Excluding nonrecurring items, such as noncash impairments and additional nonoperating losses, adjusted gross profit was C$13.4 million. FactSet does not provide consensus estimates for Aphria.
Revenue climbed to C$73.6 million from C$10.3 million in the first full quarter of Canadian legal cannabis. But the company sold less cannabis than a year ago—kilograms sold fell to 2,636.5 from 3,408.9, while the average retail selling price for medical cannabis increased to C$8.03 per gram from C$7.51, primarily because of higher oil sales. The average price for adult-use cannabis fell to C$5.14 from C$6.32, due to a shift to smaller package sizes.
Separately, the company said it has entered into a series of deal to accelerate the expiry date of the unsolicited offer launched by Green Growth Brands Inc. GGBXF, -1.16%
Organigram Holdings Inc. shares OGRMF, -6.82% fell 7.1%. Like Aphria and other rivals, Organigram posted a loss for its fiscal second quarter, while revenue topped estimates. The company reported a net loss of C$6.4 million ($4.8 million), or 5 cents a share, after earnings of C$1.076 million, or 1 cent a share, in the year-earlier period.
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Net revenue (excluding excise taxes) came to C$26.9 million. The consensus of four analysts polled by FactSet was for EPS of 2 cents and revenue of C$24.2 million.
The company said its “all-in” cost of cultivation came to 85 cents per gram of dried flower harvested, down from C$1.48 a year ago, mostly due to higher yields per plant. It is now focusing on vaporizable pen technologies and a range of edibles ahead of the launch of derivatives in Canada in the fall of 2019.
U.S. cannabis retailer MedMen Enterprises Inc. MMNFF, +0.72% offered unaudited revenue numbers for its fiscal third quarter to end March of $36.6 million, up 22% over the second quarter. The growth was driven by the company’s retail expansion in Nevada and Arizona, where sales rose 34% and 513% respectively, from the second quarter.
In Nevada, the company’s Paradise location, which is closest to McCarran Airport, is the company’s second highest performer, with a 39% increase on the second quarter.
The company said pro forma revenue, including for acquisitions that have not yet closed, came to $54.9 million, up 11% from the second quarter. The company announced plans to acquire PharmaCann LLC in October, in an all-stock deal valued at $682 million.
In regulatory news, the U.S. Hemp Authority is revising guidelines for CBD producers seeking a seal that ensures the safety of their products and has set an April 15 deadline for manufacturers to comment on how the industry should self-regulate, Marijuana Business Daily reported.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has separately pledged to hold a public hearing on May 31 for stakeholders to share their experiences, and offer information and views on how the CBD market should be regulated. While hemp was fully legalized in the December Farm Bill, CBD was moved under the purview of the FDA from the DEA, and the former has said companies cannot add it to food or beverages without its approval.
Meanwhile, investors are bracing for the initial public offering later this week of what will be the closest thing to a U.S. cannabis company available for trade on a major U.S. exchange. Greenlane Holdings Inc. GNLN, +0.00% a Florida-based maker of cannabis vape hardware and accessories to retail businesses and consumers across the U.S., Canada and elsewhere around the world, is expected to price its IPO on Wednesday and to start trading Thursday on Nasdaq, under the ticker symbol “GNLN.”
Don’t miss: Greenlane IPO: 5 things to know about the closest thing to a U.S. cannabis company to go public on Nasdaq
Elsewhere in the sector, Canopy Growth Corp. CGC, -3.95% WEED, -3.61% was down 3.8%, Aurora Cannabis Inc. ACB, -3.81% ACB, -3.63% was down 3.1% and Cronos Group Inc. CRON, -6.76% CRON, -6.35% was down 5.2%.
Tilray Inc. TLRY, -5.31% was down 4.4%, Cresco Labs CRLBF, -3.93% was down 2.6%. Hexo Corp. was down 3.8% and Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. TGODF, -6.70% TGOD, -6.19% was down 5.8%. Aleafia Health Inc. f ALEF, -8.93% ALEF, -8.93% ell 7.9%, CannTrust Holdings Inc. CTST, -5.30% TRST, -4.61% was down 5.2% and GW Pharmaceuticals PLC GWPH, -1.92% was down 1.1%.
Read: Tilray stock rises after the company shows it can sell recreational pot
Also: Cannabis stocks climb after Tilray’s earnings, as New Jersey moves closer to legal weed
The Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF HMMJ, -4.42% was down 4%, and the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF MJ, -3.25% was down 2.9%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.28% and the S&P 500 index SPX, -0.29% were down 0.2%.
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Cannabis Watch: All of MarketWatch’s coverage of cannabis companies
Additional reporting by Tomi Kilgore and Max Cherney
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