Hexo miss further damages cannabis industry credibility, says Stifel

Hexo (HEXO) this morning provided a preliminary update for its fiscal Q4 with revenue coming in below the consensus estimate and well below the "double" offered by management mid-quarter during the Q3 earnings call, Stifel analyst Andrew Carter tells investors in a research note. The preannouncement is "another headline damaging" the cannabis industry's credibility, Carter tells investors in a research note. For companies facing "significant financing risk," the analyst believes a "real segregation of assets will occur." Some companies will face significant dilution due to onerous financing terms while others will simply be unable to access capital, predicts the analyst. Carter thinks the macro environment will continue to be difficult and that the capital positions of Canopy Growth (CGC) and Cronos Group (CRON) are "clear competitive advantages." Those two have the ability to continue executing their business plans while capitalizing on the sector weakness, which "will only intensify from here," says Carter. Other names in the cannabis space include Aphria (APHA), Aurora Cannabis (ACB), CV Sciences (CVSI), CannTrust Holdings (CNTTF), General Cannabis (CANN), India Globalization Capital (IGC), Tilray (TLRY) and Zynerba (ZYNE). Shares of Hexo are down 24%, or 90c, to $2.78 in early trading.