Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q4 behind us, let’s have a look at Napco (NASDAQ: NSSC) and its peers.

Companies in this sector, especially if they invest wisely, could see demand tailwinds as the world moves towards more IoT (Internet of Things), automation, and analytics. Enterprises across most industries will balk at taking these journeys solo and will enlist companies with expertise and scale in these areas. However, headwinds could include rising competition from larger technology firms, as digitization lowers barriers to entry in the space. Additionally, companies in the space will likely face evolving regulatory scrutiny over data privacy, particularly for surveillance and security technologies. This could make companies have to continually pivot and invest.

The 8 specialized technology stocks we track reported a strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 6.9% since the latest earnings results.

Napco (NASDAQ: NSSC)

Protecting everything from schools to government facilities since 1969, Napco Security Technologies (NASDAQ: NSSC) manufactures electronic security devices, access control systems, and communication services for intrusion and fire alarm systems.

Napco reported revenues of $48.17 million, up 12.2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Richard Soloway, Chairman and CEO, commented, "NAPCO delivered another strong quarter fueled by our recurring service revenue and its consistent year over year double digit growth, and the continued demand for our door-locking products that drove double digit growth in our equipment revenue and improved equipment gross margins."

Interestingly, the stock is up 15.5% since reporting and currently trades at $42.59.

We think Napco is a good business, but is it a buy today? Read our full report here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Arlo Technologies (NYSE: ARLO)

Originally spun off from networking equipment maker Netgear in 2018, Arlo Technologies (NYSE: ARLO) provides cloud-based smart security devices and subscription services that help consumers and businesses monitor and protect their homes, properties, and loved ones.

Arlo Technologies reported revenues of $141.3 million, up 16.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.2%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 10.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $13.61.

Is now the time to buy Arlo Technologies? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Mirion (NYSE: MIR)

With its technology protecting workers in over 130 countries and equipment used in 80% of cancer centers worldwide, Mirion Technologies (NYSE: MIR) provides radiation detection, measurement, and monitoring solutions for medical, nuclear energy, defense, and scientific research applications.

Mirion reported revenues of $277.4 million, up 9.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Mirion delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 20.8% since the results and currently trades at $18.56.

Read our full analysis of Mirion’s results here.

Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA)

Taking its name from the black and white stripes of barcodes, Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA) provides barcode scanners, mobile computers, RFID systems, and other data capture technologies that help businesses track assets and optimize operations.

Zebra reported revenues of $1.48 billion, up 10.6% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also recorded revenue guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

The stock is down 18.9% since reporting and currently trades at $204.88.

Read our full, actionable report on Zebra here, it’s free.

OSI Systems (NASDAQ: OSIS)

With security scanners deployed at airports and borders worldwide and patient monitors used in hospitals across the globe, OSI Systems (NASDAQ: OSIS) designs and manufactures specialized electronic systems for security screening, patient monitoring, and optoelectronic applications.

OSI Systems reported revenues of $464.1 million, up 10.5% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 2.4%. It was a strong quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $270.93.

Read our full, actionable report on OSI Systems here, it’s free.

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