Short squeeze on GMCR's earnings

As I am writing, the shares price of Green Mountain Coffee (GMCR) soared by over 22%  to $65.81 following its earnings release yesterday.

The once enamored star had been brutally attacked, not the least, by a high profile bashing of the renowned hedge fund manager, David Einhorn in October, sending the shares plummet from over $100 to as low as $37.

Yesterday, the company's announcement of a 102% rise in sales and a stunning 526% increase in operating income seemed to have garnered some confidence. The call did sooth the nerves of investors who were worried about the growth potential of the Keurig system and K-cup pack sales.

The Keurig system and K-cup did not seem the least bit losing momentum. "Our brewer sales in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 were above our expectations, with approximately 4.2 million brewers sold by the combination of GMCR and our licensed partners. That total is more than half of the 6.5 million brewers sold in all of our fiscal year 2011," said Blanford, the CEO of GMCR. Taking away the effect of the acquisition of Van Houtte that contributed 13% increase in K-Cup pack sales, the company managed to raise the price point of K-cup by as much as 21% (talk about pricing power) and brought in a whopping 81% rise in sales volume.

The inventory was cited by critics as an issue. According to the management, it was a deliberate effort to meet the increase in demand. In the quarter ended December 31, 2011, inventories were $606.7 million compared to $269.1 million at December 25, 2010. However, more than half of the increase was due to a 266% increase in raw materials, most notably from an increase in green coffee volume and a 44% average green coffee cost increase. Combined with the growth in sales, a $162.4 million increase in finished goods inventory was hardly a sign of slowing sales.

With a current market in the mode to chase "growth", GMCR, with "growth" written all over its head, is back to the game. This is not all without caveats though. The management guided a 60-65% growth in net sales for the fiscal year of 2012. Given a 102% growth in the first quarter, investors who was looking for super growth above the company's past 3 years (75% compound annual growth rate) could very well be disappointed.

Disclosure: I do not have any position of GMCR in our personal account.