Clearfield (NASDAQ:CLFD) Updates Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Clearfield (NASDAQ:CLFD) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.000-0.070 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.410. The company issued revenue guidance of $38.0 million-$42.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $52.1 million. Clearfield also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 0.140-0.210 EPS.

Clearfield Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of CLFD stock opened at $33.77 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $36.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.67. The company has a market capitalization of $458.93 million, a PE ratio of -54.47 and a beta of 2.12. Clearfield has a 12-month low of $23.76 and a 12-month high of $52.73.

Clearfield (NASDAQ:CLFD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $43.86 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $43.92 million. Clearfield had a positive return on equity of 1.03% and a negative net margin of 5.41%.Clearfield has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.000-0.070 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 0.140-0.210 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Clearfield will post 0.52 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price target on Clearfield from $52.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $44.00 price objective on shares of Clearfield in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Clearfield from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Anis Khemakhem sold 1,684 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.90, for a total transaction of $67,191.60. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 25,126 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,002,527.40. This represents a 6.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Walter Louis Jones, Jr. sold 2,391 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.05, for a total value of $110,105.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,682 shares in the company, valued at $399,806.10. The trade was a 21.59% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 17.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Clearfield

Here are the key news stories impacting Clearfield this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations: Clearfield reported adjusted earnings of $0.22 per share, up from $0.11 a year ago and above analysts’ estimates of approximately $0.19–$0.20. Clearfield Beats Q3 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue was broadly in line: Fiscal Q3 revenue totaled $43.86 million, only slightly below the roughly $43.9 million consensus estimate, indicating that quarterly demand remained close to expectations. Clearfield Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Profitability remains weak: Clearfield posted a negative net margin of 5.41%, despite a slightly positive 1.03% return on equity, highlighting continued pressure on bottom-line performance.
• Negative Sentiment: Fourth-quarter outlook was cut well below expectations: Management guided to EPS of $0.00–$0.07 and revenue of $38 million–$42 million, versus analyst estimates of $0.41 EPS and $52.1 million in revenue. Clearfield Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year guidance also fell short: Clearfield forecast fiscal 2026 EPS of $0.14–$0.21 and revenue of $151 million–$155 million, compared with consensus estimates of $0.66 EPS and $164.8 million in revenue. The sizable guidance gap raises concerns about near-term demand and earnings visibility.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Clearfield

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in shares of Clearfield by 6.2% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 269,865 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $8,020,000 after acquiring an additional 15,659 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Clearfield by 4.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 7,222 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $215,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in Clearfield by 45.5% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 20,136 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock worth $598,000 after purchasing an additional 6,294 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Clearfield during the first quarter worth $131,000. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of Clearfield by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 20,103 shares of the communications equipment provider’s stock valued at $873,000 after purchasing an additional 1,216 shares in the last quarter. 88.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Clearfield

Clearfield, Inc (NASDAQ: CLFD) is a Minneapolis-based company specializing in fiber management products for broadband network deployments. The company’s core offerings include fiber distribution hubs, enclosures, splice trays, patching panels and connectivity accessories designed to simplify installation and maintenance of fiber-optic networks. Clearfield’s modular FieldSmart™ platform provides a scalable approach for service providers, utilities and enterprise organizations looking to expand or upgrade their fiber infrastructure.

Clearfield serves a diverse customer base that includes cable and internet service providers, telecommunications operators, wireless carriers, utilities and municipalities.