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ClearSign Technologies Corp (CLIR)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 2025 revenue was $0.401MM, down 63.6% YoY and down sequentially vs Q4 2024 ($0.590MM); EPS was -$0.04 vs -$0.03 YoY, driven by lower process burner shipments and $0.581MM in legal expenses tied to an SEC inquiry (2020 trading) and board special committee work .
- Versus S&P Global consensus, revenue missed ($0.401MM vs $0.574MM; -30%) and EPS missed (-$0.04 vs -$0.03); there was only one covering estimate, limiting conviction in the consensus. Bolded below as significant misses.*
- Balance sheet remained solid: cash was $12.866MM and shares outstanding were 52.422MM at quarter end, supporting operations and customer confidence .
- Strategic catalysts: launch of co-branded Zeeco CS5/Hydrogen CS5 burners, debut of M Series (M1) with SCR-level NOx and efficiency gains, and first ClearSign Eye sensor installation commitments at a supermajor refinery—each expanding channels and TAM .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Zeeco co-branding launched in March (CS5 and Hydrogen CS5), enabling 100% natural gas or hydrogen firing with sub-5 ppm NOx and global sales collaboration, expanding reach and credibility .
- M Series (M1) debut achieved sub-2 ppm NOx at ~15% excess air (≈3% efficiency improvement vs market sub-10 ppm burners); installed at a Gulf Coast chemical customer through Tulsa Heaters Midstream—strong early validation and midstream traction .
- ClearSign Eye sensors gained first commercial installation commitments at a supermajor U.S. Gulf Coast refinery (four sensors on a multi-burner heater), with additional quotation activity signaling pipeline development .
What Went Wrong
- Revenue declined sharply YoY (to $0.401MM from $1.102MM) as process burner shipments slipped; quarterly sales skewed to spare parts, compressing scale benefits .
- Legal costs of $0.581MM (SEC inquiry legal fees: $0.131MM; stockholder nomination/special committee: $0.450MM) increased the net loss to -$2.076MM (vs -$1.108MM YoY) and pressured G&A .
- Consensus misses: revenue -30% and EPS -$0.01 vs S&P Global mean; with only one estimate, models may lag order timing lumpiness and backlog conversion cadence.*
Financial Results
Trend vs prior quarter and prior year
Margins
Notes: Gross margin = Gross Profit / Revenue; Net margin = Net Loss / Revenue (calculated from reported figures) .
Balance sheet / KPIs
Q1 2025 vs Wall Street consensus (S&P Global)
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Consensus target price: $2.00 with 1 estimate (context only).*
Segment breakdown / KPIs
- The company does not report revenue by segment. Operational KPIs emphasized include: order pipeline (quotations doubled YoY; proposals ~5x YoY value), midstream M-series adoption, Zeeco co-brand rollout, and ClearSign Eye initial deployments .
Guidance Changes
Management did not issue quantitative guidance; commentary emphasized installation milestones (LA refinery 20 burners and Gulf Coast 26 burners), midstream growth, sensor rollouts, and Zeeco channel activation .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We had a productive first quarter… launched co-branded Zeeco CS5 and Zeeco Hydrogen CS5 Burners… introduced our new M Series burners… commitments for the first commercial installation of our ‘ClearSign Eye’ Sensor… renewed interest in flaring solutions” — CEO Jim Deller .
- On major installs: “Twenty burners waiting on the job site for a Los Angeles refinery… scheduled to be installed in the third quarter… also working on the 26-burner order… due to be fabricated, shipped, and hopefully installed later on this year” .
- On pipeline strength: “Number of quotations… has doubled… value of proposals year-to-date just under five times last year… strong indicator” .
- On Zeeco: “Cooperation is going well… testing the burners at Zeeco… hosted our client… very supportive and productive relationship” .
- On sensors ramp: “First sensors installed in the next two to three months… expect commercial orders picking up in the 3- to 6-month timeframe” .
Q&A Highlights
- Zeeco incentives: Sales incentive structure for co-branded line is being worked out; partnership ramp focuses on materials, engagement, and lead generation .
- ClearSign Eye scale: Supermajor site offers thousands of potential sensors; broader multi-refinery/global applicability beyond NOx-regulated regions .
- Tariffs/macro: Input prices have largely normalized; minimal observed impact on customers’ projects; regulatory focus more on hydrogen promotion, while NOx mandates remain stable .
- Proposal pipeline composition: Mix of process burner and systems projects; ClearSign increasingly viewed as a credible alternative to SCR on cost and disruption; some bids where CLIR is sole vendor for lowest PPM needs .
Estimates Context
- Q1 2025 results versus S&P Global consensus: revenue $0.401MM vs $0.574MM (miss), EPS -$0.04 vs -$0.03 (miss); only one estimate for each metric, indicating limited Street coverage.*
- Implication: Expect estimate revisions to reflect the timing of major installs (LA 20; Gulf Coast 26), midstream M Series ramp, and sensor commercialization cadence highlighted by management .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Near-term trading: Expect stock sensitivity to tangible installation milestones (LA 20 and Gulf Coast 26 burners), Zeeco-driven inquiries, and initial ClearSign Eye deployments; these are likely catalysts for narrative and order momentum .
- Estimate recalibration: Street models should incorporate lumpiness from order timing and legal cost normalization; one-off legal expenses inflated Q1 losses, while pipeline signals are constructive .
- Channel leverage: Zeeco co-branding and midstream heater OEMs extend sales reach without heavy CLIR SG&A, supporting scalable growth as materials and process standardization mature .
- Efficiency as a wedge: GET-validated fuel savings and M1 efficiency provide ROI-driven sales narratives that can offset premium pricing and accelerate adoption across boilers and midstream .
- Systems upsell: Flare/oxidizer projects open $600k–$1.2MM revenue opportunities per system vs $100k–$300k burner-only, expanding AOV and reference base .
- Sensors TAM: ClearSign Eye is a standardized, volume product applicable globally beyond NOx policy cycles; watch for 3–6 month commercialization signals and multi-unit orders .
- Balance sheet runway: $12.866MM in cash and a modest liability base provide execution runway toward H2 2025 milestones and customer confidence in delivery .
Bolded surprises in tables denote significant beats/misses versus consensus.*