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ESS Tech (GWH)
NYSE:GWH
US Market

ESS Tech (GWH) AI Stock Analysis

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ESS Tech

(NYSE:GWH)

36Underperform
ESS Tech's overall stock score is low due to significant financial instability, negative technical indicators, and valuation concerns. While there are positives in product development and cost management, the challenges in revenue generation, compliance issues, and earnings performance are critical factors impacting the score.
Positive Factors
Cost Reduction
Management has made meaningful progress in reducing the costs of its Energy Warehouse and Energy Center offerings.
Operational Achievements
The first Energy Center with Portland General Electric is operational and achieving high reliability and availability.
Strategic Partnerships
Management appears to have strong partners in Honeywell, Softbank, and others who could provide resources, even after a going concern notice was revealed.
Negative Factors
CEO Departure
The CEO's departure raises concerns about potential challenges in the company's product ramp-up and overall financial outlook.
Funding Delays
Funding delays continue to impact performance, and the company is undergoing a CEO search and capital raising efforts.
Market Competitiveness
The company is facing a competitive threat from lithium-ion batteries, which are becoming increasingly cost-effective for long-duration energy storage.

ESS Tech (GWH) vs. S&P 500 (SPY)

ESS Tech Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionESS Tech, Inc. (GWH) is a leading provider in the energy storage sector, specializing in long-duration iron flow battery technology. The company designs, builds, and operates innovative energy storage systems that support renewable energy integration and grid reliability. ESS Tech's core product is the Energy Warehouse, which is designed to deliver safe, sustainable, and cost-effective energy storage solutions for utilities, commercial, and industrial customers.
How the Company Makes MoneyESS Tech generates revenue primarily through the sale of its Energy Warehouse systems. These systems are sold to a variety of customers, including utilities, commercial entities, and industrial clients who require reliable and sustainable energy storage solutions. Additionally, ESS Tech may engage in service agreements for the maintenance and operation of their systems, providing an additional revenue stream. Partnership with entities focused on renewable energy projects and government incentives for sustainable energy solutions also contribute to the company's financial performance, allowing them to expand their market reach and product offerings.

ESS Tech Financial Statement Overview

Summary
ESS Tech faces significant challenges across its financial statements. The company is experiencing negative margins and declining revenues, impacting profitability and indicating operational difficulties. While leverage is low, persistent losses are eroding shareholder equity, and the negative cash flow highlights liquidity concerns. The company needs to address revenue generation and cost management to improve its financial health.
Income Statement
35
Negative
ESS Tech's income statement reveals a challenging financial position in the TTM period. Gross profit margin is negative due to high costs relative to revenue. Revenue has decreased compared to the previous annual report, indicating revenue growth issues. Net profit margin is also negative, reflecting ongoing losses. The EBIT and EBITDA margins underline operational inefficiencies and significant expenses that are not being offset by revenue.
Balance Sheet
45
Neutral
The balance sheet shows a moderate level of financial stability. The debt-to-equity ratio is low, indicating manageable leverage. However, the return on equity is negative due to ongoing losses, which raises concerns about the company's ability to generate returns for shareholders. The equity ratio is positive, suggesting that the company has a reasonable amount of equity relative to its assets, providing some financial cushion.
Cash Flow
40
Negative
Cash flow analysis highlights some concerns, with negative free cash flow indicating that the company is spending more cash than it generates. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is negative, suggesting inefficiencies in converting net income into cash. The free cash flow to net income ratio further emphasizes liquidity challenges, indicating potential issues in sustaining operations without external financing.
Breakdown
TTMDec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020Dec 2019
Income StatementTotal Revenue
6.24M7.54M894.00K0.000.000.00
Gross Profit
-44.23M-12.96M-1.76M-572.00K-436.00K0.00
EBIT
-85.37M-85.91M-105.49M-60.90M-17.39M-9.89M
EBITDA
-78.74M-79.39M-103.97M-60.03M-16.96M-9.63M
Net Income Common Stockholders
-78.87M-77.58M-77.97M-324.85M-30.48M-11.55M
Balance SheetCash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
119.01M108.06M139.81M238.94M4.90M18.29M
Total Assets
147.45M143.23M173.55M250.20M9.02M21.14M
Total Debt
5.14M2.54M5.87M3.77M5.70M828.00K
Net Debt
-82.67M-17.63M-28.90M-235.17M796.00K-17.46M
Total Liabilities
30.21M39.88M36.58M45.33M36.91M5.56M
Stockholders Equity
117.24M103.36M136.97M204.87M-27.89M15.58M
Cash FlowFree Cash Flow
-73.29M-60.69M-95.80M-54.62M-17.15M-7.53M
Operating Cash Flow
-67.89M-54.90M-81.62M-51.85M-16.64M-6.67M
Investing Cash Flow
42.96M15.07M-117.88M-2.77M-502.00K-851.00K
Financing Cash Flow
114.00K25.65M-4.07M288.45M4.72M22.25M

ESS Tech Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price2.15
Price Trends
50DMA
3.27
Negative
100DMA
4.40
Negative
200DMA
6.31
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.34
Negative
RSI
38.51
Neutral
STOCH
30.90
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GWH, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 2.15 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 2.51, below the 50-day MA of 3.27, and below the 200-day MA of 6.31, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.34 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 38.51 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 30.90 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for GWH.

ESS Tech Risk Analysis

ESS Tech disclosed 80 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. ESS Tech reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

ESS Tech Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
63
Neutral
$4.26B11.285.43%215.24%4.12%-8.73%
54
Neutral
$209.29M-21.13%15.67%-45.59%
49
Neutral
$112.83M-283.03%46.76%19.94%
44
Neutral
$1.18B-88.04%1429.35%-36.13%
NVNVX
38
Underperform
$159.60M-47.77%-27.50%-58.61%
GWGWH
36
Underperform
$24.93M-130.40%-16.51%0.19%
33
Underperform
$1.05B125.43%-4.71%-117.58%
* Industrials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
GWH
ESS Tech
2.28
-8.32
-78.49%
SKYX
SQL Technologies
1.04
0.21
25.30%
EOSE
Eos Energy Enterprises
4.88
4.13
550.67%
ENVX
Enovix
6.79
0.95
16.27%
SLDP
Solid Power
1.14
-0.50
-30.49%
NVX
NOVONIX Ltd Sponsored ADR
1.18
-1.03
-46.61%

ESS Tech Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date: Mar 31, 2025 | % Change Since: -34.05% | Next Earnings Date: May 13, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
While the company achieved significant cost reductions and successfully launched the Energy Base product with promising extended duration capabilities, they faced notable challenges with revenue shortfall, financial losses, and capital raising difficulties. The positive strides in product development and domestic manufacturing positioning are counterbalanced by financial and operational hurdles.
Highlights
Energy Center Deployment Success
Successfully delivered eight Energy Center systems to a Florida utility, significantly contributing to 2024 revenue and providing valuable project-level implementation insights.
Cost Reduction Achievements
Achieved a nearly 50% reduction in battery pack costs and realized break-even on the latest Energy Center design, one year earlier than expected.
Energy Base Product Launch
Launched the Energy Base product, offering extended durations beyond 8-10 hours, aiming for 12-plus hours by 2027, enhancing capacity to meet grid-level demands.
Domestic Manufacturing and Sourcing
98% of components sourced domestically, supporting the U.S. manufacturing initiative and reducing tariff risks.
Production Tax Credit Benefits
Expanded production tax credits by over 30%, improving cost of goods sold and contributing positively to cash flow and liquidity.
Lowlights
Revenue Shortfall
2024 revenue fell short of expectations at $6.3 million, below the guidance range of $9 million to $11 million, primarily due to partner funding issues.
NYSE Listing Compliance Issue
Received notice for falling below NYSE market cap requirements, working on a plan to address this within an 18-month cure period.
Ongoing Financial Losses
Reported a negative adjusted EBITDA of $71.3 million for 2024, reflecting significant operational and financial challenges.
Challenges with Capital Raising
Faced difficulties in securing adequate funding, impacting revenue forecasts and planning for future operations and expansions.
Company Guidance
During the fiscal year 2024 conference call, ESS reported a revenue of $6.3 million, falling short of the guidance range of $9 million to $11 million due to a partner's funding issues. The company delivered six Energy Center (EC) systems to a Florida utility, contributing to the year's revenue, and completed commissioning for Portland General Electric. ESS achieved a nearly 50% reduction in battery pack costs and reached non-GAAP gross margin breakeven for its products. ESS's batteries have transacted almost 2.5 gigawatt-hours of energy globally. The company aggressively pursued cost reduction initiatives and plans to focus on its Energy Base product, which promises extended durations beyond 8 to 10 hours. ESS is targeting a capital raise to bolster its balance sheet and aims for transaction closing in the second quarter to support its strategic shift. The company received notice from the NYSE for falling below market cap requirements but is taking action to address this. ESS is actively bidding on projects with its new Energy Base product and plans to execute during 2025 and 2026.

ESS Tech Corporate Events

Delistings and Listing ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
ESS Tech Faces NYSE Non-Compliance Notice
Negative
Mar 28, 2025

On March 24, 2025, ESS Tech, Inc. received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange indicating non-compliance with the minimum market capitalization standard, as its average market capitalization and stockholders’ equity were both below $50 million. The notice does not immediately impact the listing of ESS’s common stock or its business operations. ESS plans to submit a compliance plan within 45 days, and if accepted, will have 18 months to meet the standards, during which time its stock will continue to be traded on the NYSE.

Executive/Board ChangesBusiness Operations and Strategy
ESS Tech Appoints Interim CEO Amid Strategic Shift
Neutral
Feb 14, 2025

ESS Tech, Inc. announced the resignation of Eric Dresselhuys as CEO and his departure from the board on February 13, 2025. Kelly Goodman, Vice President of Legal, has been appointed interim CEO, tasked with leading the company’s strategic direction as it bids for projects in the long-duration storage market, targeting AI and data center-driven needs. The board has engaged advisors to explore financial opportunities to support this strategic shift, aiming to maximize shareholder value and strengthen the company’s market position.

Glossary
OutperformA stock rated as "Outperform" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider this stock a good buying opportunity.
NeutralA stock rated as "Neutral" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly attractive nor unattractive for investment. Investors may consider holding onto the stock, as it is not expected to either significantly outperform or underperform the market.
UnderperformA stock rated as "Underperform" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock may deliver lower returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider selling the stock or avoiding it as an investment.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.