Group 1 - NetApp is expected to announce its fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings on August 27, 2025, with anticipated earnings of $1.54 per share and revenue of $1.54 billion, reflecting a slight year-over-year decline in earnings and flat sales compared to the previous year [2] - For fiscal 2026, NetApp projects revenue between $6.63 billion and $6.88 billion, indicating a growth of 3% to 4%, with gross margins of 71% to 72% and non-GAAP EPS of $7.60 to $7.90 [3] - The company aims to return up to 100% of free cash flow through dividends and buybacks, highlighting its focus on profitability and shareholder returns [3] Group 2 - Over the past twelve months, NetApp generated $6.6 billion in revenue, with an operating profit of $1.4 billion and a net income of $1.2 billion, showcasing its operational strength despite subdued top-line growth [3] - Historical data indicates that NetApp shares have increased following earnings reports 60% of the time, with a median one-day gain of 4.4% and a maximum observed increase of 18% [2][4] - The correlation between one-day post-earnings returns and subsequent five-day returns can provide insights for traders, with a strategy to position long if the one-day return is positive [5]

Core Insights - NetApp, Inc. is set to release its first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on August 27, with expected non-GAAP earnings per share between $1.48 and $1.58, slightly down from the previous year [1][10] - Anticipated net sales are projected to range from $1.455 billion to $1.605 billion, reflecting a minor decline of 0.1% from the prior year [2][10] Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is currently at $1.54 per share, indicating a 1.3% decrease year-over-year [1][2] - The company has a history of beating estimates, achieving an average earnings surprise of 3.2% over the last four quarters [2] Growth Drivers - Increasing momentum in the all-flash portfolio and growth in cloud storage services are expected to support NetApp's performance [3] - The company has gained nearly 3 percentage points in all-flash market share and 1 percentage point in block storage in 2024 [4] - All-flash systems and public cloud services now account for over two-thirds of revenue, up from less than half five years ago [4] Segment Performance - The all-flash array annualized revenue run rate increased by 14% year-over-year to a record $4.1 billion [5] - The Public Cloud segment revenue is projected to reach $173 million, an 8.9% increase year-over-year, with first-party and marketplace storage services growing by 44% [7][10] Market Trends - The enterprise AI market is driving customers to modernize their data infrastructure, which is expected to enhance long-term growth prospects for NetApp [6] - Strong partnerships with hyperscalers like Amazon and Microsoft position NetApp favorably in the cloud infrastructure market [7] Outlook - Despite positive growth trends, the global macroeconomic environment remains uncertain, with anticipated customer spending caution and challenges in the U.S. Public Sector and EMEA [8]

Core Viewpoint - Analysts forecast that NetApp (NTAP) will report quarterly earnings of $1.54 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 1.3%, with anticipated revenues of $1.54 billion, a decrease of 0.1% compared to the previous year [1]. Earnings Projections - The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has not changed over the past 30 days, indicating stability in analysts' projections [2]. - Revisions to earnings projections are crucial for predicting investor behavior, as empirical studies show a strong correlation between earnings estimate trends and short-term stock performance [3]. Revenue Estimates - Analysts predict 'Net revenues- Services' at $884.44 million, a year-over-year increase of 1.4% [5]. - 'Net revenues- Product' is expected to be $654.94 million, indicating a decline of 2.1% year over year [5]. - 'Net revenues- Public Cloud' is projected to reach $170.45 million, reflecting a growth of 7.2% year over year [5]. - 'Net revenues- Hybrid Cloud' is forecasted at $1.37 billion, a decrease of 0.5% from the previous year [6]. Geographic Revenue Insights - The consensus for 'Geographic Revenue- United States, Canada and Latin America' is $782.49 million, suggesting a year-over-year increase of 2.6% [6]. - 'Geographic Revenue- Asia Pacific' is expected to be $235.61 million, indicating a significant decline of 11.1% year over year [6]. - 'Geographic Revenue- Europe, Middle East and Africa' is projected at $517.03 million, reflecting a modest increase of 0.8% year over year [7]. Margin and Change Estimates - Analysts estimate 'Gross margin - Product - Non-GAAP' to be 56.0%, down from 59.9% year over year [7]. - 'Gross margin - Services - Non-GAAP' is expected to reach 82.8%, slightly up from 81.7% year over year [7]. - The estimated 'Product - % Change' is -1.8%, contrasting with the previous year's figure of 13.0% [8]. - 'Total Revenue - % Change' is projected at 0.3%, compared to 8.0% year over year [8]. Stock Performance - NetApp shares have increased by 3% in the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite, which moved up by 1.1% [8].

Industry Overview - The computer storage devices industry is expected to benefit from the growth in cloud computing, IoT, connected devices, virtual reality, and AI, leading to increased demand for robust data storage solutions [1][2] - Companies are leveraging AI for IT operations and machine learning to optimize storage solutions, while virtualization technologies are being used to streamline data storage [2] Company Highlights Western Digital Corp. (WDC) - WDC is experiencing strong demand in the cloud market, which constitutes 90% of its total revenue, with a 36% increase in the last reported quarter driven by high-capacity nearline HDDs [4] - The company has doubled shipments of 26TB CMR and 32TB UltraSMR drives and plans to ramp up HAMR drives by the first half of 2027 [4] - WDC anticipates that the rise of generative AI will lead to a refresh cycle in client and consumer devices, boosting storage needs across various sectors [5] - The fiscal first-quarter 2026 revenue forecast is $2.7 billion (+/- $100 million), reflecting a 22% increase [6] NetApp Inc. (NTAP) - NTAP is benefiting from a strong all-flash portfolio and has seen a five-fold growth in its AI business year over year [10][11] - The company has secured over 150 AI and data lake modernization deals in the last quarter and is expanding its AI ecosystem with major tech partners [11] - The fiscal 2026 revenue estimate is $6.75 billion, indicating a 2.7% year-over-year improvement [12] Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL) - DELL has secured $12.1 billion in AI server orders, driven by strong demand for AI-optimized servers amid digital transformation [14] - The company is expanding its cloud services and infrastructure solutions, with a focus on multi-cloud solutions through its APEX platform [16] - The fiscal 2026 revenue estimate is $111.29 billion, suggesting a 6.7% year-over-year improvement [19]

The NTAP program is designed to provide temporary supplemental reimbursement to institutions that use designated new higher-cost medical technologies in the first few years after introduction to the market. To receive NTAP approval, designated technologies must demonstrate substantial clinical improvement in the diagnosis or treatment of Medicare beneficiaries compared to existing alternatives.^ Starting October 1, 2025, eligible procedures involving the use of GRAFAPEX™ will be eligible for additional reim ...

Core Insights - The article compares Western Digital (WDC) and NetApp (NTAP) to determine which stock offers better value for investors [1] Valuation Metrics - WDC has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook, while NTAP has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [3] - WDC's forward P/E ratio is 12.37, compared to NTAP's 13.08, suggesting WDC may be undervalued [5] - WDC's PEG ratio is 0.90, indicating a favorable growth outlook relative to its price, while NTAP's PEG ratio is 1.87 [5] - WDC's P/B ratio is 5.03, significantly lower than NTAP's P/B of 19.48, further supporting WDC's valuation advantage [6] - Based on these metrics, WDC earns a Value grade of B, while NTAP receives a Value grade of C [6] Conclusion - WDC is positioned as the superior value option due to its solid earnings outlook and favorable valuation metrics compared to NTAP [7]

Core Insights - Carlsmed, Inc. has received NTAP reimbursement approval from CMS for its aprevo® personalized interbody implants used in cervical fusion procedures, effective October 1, 2025, which will provide up to an additional $21,125 in reimbursement for qualifying inpatient procedures [1][2][3] Company Overview - Carlsmed is a medical technology company focused on AI-enabled personalized spine surgery solutions, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs [4] Technology and Innovation - The aprevo® devices are designed to cater to the unique anatomical and alignment needs of each patient through an AI-powered surgical planning platform and digital production system [3] - The company has received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA for cervical use and plans to launch the product commercially in the U.S. in 2026 [3]

Core Insights - Filo Systems has been selected for NetApp's Excellerator program, which focuses on mentoring B2B deep tech startups, particularly in AI innovation [2][5] - The program will provide Filo with mentorship, technological guidance, and access to NetApp's customer and partner ecosystems, allowing for extensive testing of Filo Spaces™ in real-world environments [2][3] - Filo's mission is to enhance data efficiency by significantly reducing storage and transfer costs while maintaining data integrity, addressing a growing need as data usage and storage increase [3][9] Company Overview - Filo Systems specializes in lossless data compression solutions, aiming to maximize data efficiencies and reduce costs in storage, networking, and data transfer [9] - The company utilizes patented technology that adapts to specific content types using various AI algorithms, enhancing user experience and transmission speeds [9] Industry Context - The NetApp Excellerator program has supported startups that have collectively raised over $600 million in funding, indicating a strong investment interest in AI and data management technologies [5] - The cohort includes companies focused on AI infrastructure, cloud security, data compression, and large language models, highlighting the diverse applications of AI in the tech industry [3][6]

Group 1: Company Performance - NetApp's stock closed at $105.27, reflecting a -1.08% change from the previous day, underperforming the S&P 500's loss of 0.33% [1] - Over the past month, NetApp shares gained 3.38%, which is lower than the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 5.24% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.07% [1] Group 2: Earnings Projections - NetApp's upcoming earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $1.54, indicating a 1.28% decrease from the same quarter last year, with quarterly revenue expected to be $1.54 billion, down 0.15% from the previous year [2] - For the full year, analysts expect earnings of $7.72 per share and revenue of $6.74 billion, representing increases of +6.48% and +2.58% respectively from last year [3] Group 3: Analyst Estimates and Rankings - Recent changes to analyst estimates for NetApp suggest a favorable outlook on the company's business health and profitability [4] - The Zacks Rank system, which assesses stocks from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), currently ranks NetApp at 3 (Hold), with the consensus EPS estimate moving 0.48% lower over the last 30 days [6] Group 4: Valuation Metrics - NetApp has a Forward P/E ratio of 13.78, which is in line with the industry average [7] - The company has a PEG ratio of 1.97, compared to the Computer-Storage Devices industry's average PEG ratio of 1.95 [8] Group 5: Industry Context - The Computer-Storage Devices industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector and holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 27, placing it in the top 11% of over 250 industries [9]

NetApp (NTAP) Update Summary Company Overview - **Company**: NetApp (NTAP) - **Date of Briefing**: July 10, 2025 - **Focus**: Intelligent data infrastructure for AI Key Industry Insights - **AI Adoption**: The industry is at a critical juncture in AI adoption, with many organizations struggling to deliver ROI on AI investments. Approximately 85% of AI projects fail to reach production [8][9][12]. - **Enterprise AI Maturity**: There is a shift from experimentation to production, with organizations seeking more certainty in AI outcomes. This is leading to a focus on enterprise-class IT services, including manageability, high availability, security, and data governance [9][10][12][14]. - **Data Utilization**: Successful AI implementation relies on leveraging existing enterprise data. Organizations are beginning to focus on extracting value from latent data for AI use cases [11][14]. Company Strategy and Positioning - **AI Solutions**: NetApp has been involved in AI solutions for over seven years and is evolving its portfolio to better manage AI workloads. The company emphasizes the importance of unifying data management across various AI workloads [39][40]. - **Regulatory Environment**: The emergence of regulations, such as the AI Act in the European Union, is creating a demand for better data governance and management, positioning NetApp favorably in the market [36][38]. - **Competitive Landscape**: NetApp differentiates itself by offering a flexible data infrastructure that supports both cloud and on-premises solutions, allowing customers to balance their investments effectively [58][60][91]. Product and Technology Insights - **Data Management**: NetApp is focused on creating a global metadata space to enhance data classification, quality, and lineage, which is crucial for AI applications [54][55]. - **Storage Solutions**: The company is adapting its storage solutions to meet the performance requirements of AI workloads, including fast file and object storage [66][70]. - **Partnerships**: Key partnerships with companies like NVIDIA and Intel are enhancing NetApp's capabilities in AI, particularly in inferencing and model building [93][94]. Market Trends and Challenges - **Emerging Players**: The AI market is seeing an influx of new entrants, but many lack the ability to manage data effectively across multiple workloads, which is a strength for NetApp [82][86]. - **Bottlenecks in AI**: Storage can be a bottleneck in AI workflows, but NetApp is actively working to ensure its solutions meet the evolving performance standards required by AI applications [75][76]. Conclusion NetApp is strategically positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for AI solutions by leveraging its extensive experience in data management and its partnerships with key technology players. The company is focused on addressing the challenges of AI adoption and ensuring that its solutions are adaptable to the changing needs of businesses.