Sunnova CEO tries to reassure rattled investors after stock’s worst day since March 2020

The residential solar company Sunnova Energy took a beating this week as investors dumped their shares after the announcement of a stock offering plan rattled confidence in the company.

Sunnova shares plummeted 26.7% Thursday after the residential solar company announced a $100 million at-the-market stock offering program. Sunnova’s market cap declined by $382 million in the worst day for the company since March 2020 and the second worst day since its initial public offering in 2019.

CEO John Berger tried to reassure investors that Sunnova’s finances are sound and the company does not intend to sell its stock to raise capital anytime soon.

“This is just an arrow in the quiver just in case and the ratings agencies like to see it,” Berger told CNBC in an interview Thursday. “We don’t need to deal with the ratings agencies anytime soon, but it’s a smart thing to have — but we don’t need it.”

“I’m going to focus on generating our own cash rather than tapping into an equity, particularly something that’s now 25% discounted,” Berger said. Sunnova had a total of $494 million in cash as of Dec. 31, 2023, according to its quarterly report.

The announcement came after Sunnova posted a net loss that deepened to $234 million in the fourth quarter, compared to $62 million in the year ago period. Residential solar companies have struggled in the face of high interest rates that have made installations more costly to households.

Berger and Sunnova CFO Robert Lane described the stock offering as “good housekeeping.” Sunnova does not see a need to raise capital through 2026, Lane told analysts during the company’s earnings call Thursday.

Berger said in retrospect he would have waited on the stock offering plan: “Good housekeeping sure was expensive,” the CEO told CNBC after Thursday’s selloff.

Sunnova is also exploring asset sales and slashing costs using automation and artificial intelligence to keep the company’s headcount from growing, Berger said on the company’s conference call.

Sunnova is just the latest residential solar company to take a beating after its quarterly report. Its competitor Sunrun is down 22% this week after company posted another quarterly loss. SolarEdge has tumbled nearly 18% this week after issuing weak…