Core Viewpoint - Okta's stock price fell over 15% following its FQ1 earnings release, despite solid performance and guidance for Q2, primarily due to cautious full-year guidance [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Performance - Okta reported a Q1 revenue growth of 11.5%, down from nearly 20% year-over-year, but exceeded consensus estimates by over 100 basis points [6]. - The core subscription business grew by 12% year-over-year, contributing to the overall performance [6]. - Gross and operating margins improved compared to the previous year, leading to a record profit, with free cash flow of $238.1 million, representing approximately 34.6% of revenue [7]. Group 2: Guidance and Outlook - The full-year guidance was reaffirmed, projecting a revenue increase of about 10%, which is expected to sustain cash flow and business growth [8]. - Q2 guidance anticipates another 10% year-over-year revenue gain, supported by a 14% increase in current remaining performance obligation (CRPO) and a 21% increase in remaining performance obligation (RPO) [8]. Group 3: Analyst Sentiment - The consensus sentiment for Okta is a Moderate Buy, an improvement from last year's Hold, with expectations of at least a 20% rise from the May close [4]. - The consensus price target has increased by 5% in May and 16% year-over-year, indicating a bullish trend [3]. - Despite a downgrade from Moderate Buy to Hold by one analyst due to valuation concerns, the majority of analysts foresee a high-end price range of $130 to $140, suggesting a potential gain of nearly 40% [4]. Group 4: Market Dynamics - Okta's stock price forecast indicates a 17.31% upside, with a current price of $103.65 and a high forecast of $140.00 [9]. - Short interest in Okta's stock is elevated at nearly 5%, which could lead to volatility in the stock price [9][10]. - The stock is currently above critical support levels, suggesting potential for a rebound if the market remains stable [10].

Core Viewpoint - Okta's stock experienced a decline following cautious guidance despite a solid fiscal Q1 performance, reflecting broader economic uncertainties and a conservative outlook from management [2][3]. Financial Performance - For fiscal Q1, Okta reported a revenue increase of 12% year over year to $688 million, surpassing the previous forecast of $678 million to $680 million [6]. - Subscription revenue also rose by 12% to $673 million, while adjusted EPS increased by 24% year over year to $0.86, exceeding the outlook of $0.76 to $0.77 [6]. - The company maintained its full-year revenue forecast for fiscal 2026 at $2.85 billion to $2.86 billion, indicating a growth of 9% to 10% [3]. Customer Metrics - Okta's net dollar retention rate was 106%, indicating growth, although it has decreased from 111% a year ago [7]. - The number of customers with annual contract values (ACVs) above $100,000 increased by 7% to 4,870, and those with ACVs over $1 million rose by 20% year over year [7]. Backlog and Future Guidance - The remaining performance obligation (RPO) backlog grew by 21% to $4.08 billion, while the current RPO backlog increased by 14% to nearly $2.23 billion, indicating future revenue potential [8]. - For fiscal Q2, management guided for approximately 10% revenue growth, projecting revenue between $710 million and $712 million, with adjusted EPS expected to be between $0.83 and $0.84 [8]. Strategic Initiatives - Okta highlighted strong demand for newer products such as Identity Governance and Privileged Access, and is addressing rising security risks associated with AI [4]. - The company is implementing a specialized sales strategy, which has shown early positive results in its U.S. small and mid-sized business team [5]. Market Position - Despite a cautious approach to guidance, Okta is positioned to capitalize on growing market opportunities in the evolving cybersecurity landscape, particularly with the integration of AI [10]. - With a price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of approximately 6.4 based on fiscal 2026 revenue estimates, Okta remains reasonably valued compared to other leading cybersecurity stocks, presenting a potential buying opportunity [11].

Core Viewpoint - Okta (OKTA) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook on its earnings estimates, which significantly influence stock prices [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system emphasizes the importance of earnings estimate revisions, which are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements [4][6]. - Rising earnings estimates for Okta suggest an improvement in the company's underlying business, likely leading to increased stock prices [5]. Recent Performance and Projections - For the fiscal year ending January 2026, Okta is expected to earn $3.27 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 16.4% [8]. - Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Okta has surged by 92.4%, indicating strong upward revisions by analysts [8]. Zacks Rank System Overview - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with only the top 20% receiving a 'Strong Buy' or 'Buy' rating [9][10]. - Okta's upgrade to Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, suggesting potential for market-beating returns in the near term [10].

Investment Rating - The report maintains a Buy rating for Okta, indicating confidence in the company's potential for growth stabilization and execution on its go-to-market strategy [3][17]. Core Insights - Okta's 1QFY revenue was 1% above expectations, with a cRPO (current Remaining Performance Obligations) 2% above and EBIT margin approximately 200 basis points above [1]. - The company is experiencing a sequential decline in subscription revenue growth and cRPO, which has raised concerns about future performance [1][15]. - Despite these challenges, Okta is well-positioned to benefit from the increasing adoption of AI technologies among its customers, with initiatives like Auth for GenAI expected to enhance its offerings [3][15]. Financial Performance - For FY26, revenue guidance remains unchanged at $2,859 million, with EBIT margin guidance also maintained [1][17]. - The company reported a net revenue retention (NRR) rate of 106%, slightly down from 107% in the previous quarter, and is expected to remain within the 106-108% range for the remainder of FY26 [1][15]. - cRPO bookings grew 9% year-over-year, but this represents a 23% quarter-over-quarter decline, indicating volatility in forward subscription revenue [15]. Valuation Metrics - The adjusted 12-month price target for Okta is set at $137, based on a valuation of 25 times EV/uFCF [17]. - Key financial metrics include projected revenue growth rates of 15.3% for FY25, 9.5% for FY26, and 10.5% for FY27 [9]. - The report highlights a free cash flow yield of 4.9% for FY25, decreasing to 3.4% by FY26 [9]. Market Context - Okta's market capitalization is approximately $22.9 billion, with an enterprise value of $20.5 billion [4]. - The company is positioned within the Americas Emerging Software sector, ranking 3rd in M&A activity [4].

Core Viewpoint - Okta's shares fell 16.16% to $105.22 after reporting strong earnings and revenue growth, primarily due to slowing growth expectations for the upcoming fiscal second quarter and fiscal 2026 [1] Financial Performance - For Q2 fiscal 2026, Okta expects revenues between $710 million and $712 million, reflecting a 10% year-over-year growth, down from 11.5% in Q1 fiscal 2026 [2] - For fiscal 2026, Okta anticipates revenues between $2.85 billion and $2.86 billion, indicating a 9-10% growth from fiscal 2025 [3] - Non-GAAP earnings for fiscal 2026 are projected between $3.23 and $3.28 per share, an increase from previous guidance of $3.15 to $3.20 per share [3] Market Performance - Year-to-date, Okta shares have returned 33.5%, outperforming peers like Microsoft (8.5%), IBM (14.5%), and CyberArk (18.4%) [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Q2 fiscal 2026 earnings remains steady at 79 cents per share, suggesting a 9.72% year-over-year growth [7] - For fiscal 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is $3.19 per share, indicating a 13.52% growth over fiscal 2025 [8] Product Demand and Client Growth - Okta is experiencing strong demand for its identity solutions, including Identity Governance and Privileged Access, which are crucial for managing non-human identities [9] - The company exited Q1 fiscal 2026 with approximately 20,000 customers and $4.084 billion in remaining performance obligations (RPOs), indicating robust subscription revenue growth [10] - The number of customers with over $100,000 in Annual Contract Value increased by 70 sequentially to 4,870 [10] Strategic Partnerships and Innovations - Okta's governance portfolio has surged 400% over the past three years, reaching nearly $40 billion, supported by a strong partner ecosystem including AWS, Microsoft, and Salesforce [12] - The company offers AI-powered capabilities through Okta AI, enhancing user experiences and cybersecurity [11] Valuation and Market Sentiment - Okta shares are considered overvalued, with a Price/Cash Flow ratio of 24.59X compared to the sector's 19.8X, indicating a premium valuation [13] - The stock is trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, suggesting a bearish trend [16] - Despite its innovative portfolio, Okta faces challenges from macroeconomic conditions and a stretched valuation, leading to a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [19]

Core Insights - Okta reported a 12% year-over-year total revenue growth for fiscal Q1 2026, achieving record profitability and strong cash flow [1] - The company introduced suite-based pricing and emphasized accelerating product innovation in both human and nonhuman identity [1][8] - Full-year fiscal 2026 guidance includes 9%-10% revenue growth, a 25% adjusted operating margin, and a 27% free cash flow margin [1][10] Revenue and Profitability - The company achieved record profitability alongside a 12% year-over-year revenue growth [1] - Guidance for Q2 fiscal 2026 anticipates 10% revenue growth and a 26% adjusted operating margin [10] Strategic Initiatives - Okta restructured its salesforce to specialize teams into dedicated Okta and Auth0 sellers, leading to strong new business performance and public sector wins [3] - The company launched suite-based pricing to meet customer demand for consolidation, enhancing cross-sell opportunities [8][9] Product Innovation - Workflow executions increased nearly 400% over the past three years, reaching nearly 40 billion in March [5] - Okta's identity governance suite and tools for managing nonhuman identities gained traction, with partners reporting readiness for mainstream adoption [5][6] Market Position and Outlook - The company emphasized its unique status as an independent identity provider with over 8,000 integrations, allowing flexibility without vendor lock-in [8][9] - Management has incorporated economic prudence into its forward outlook, anticipating seat headwinds in the first half of FY2026 [10]

Group 1 - Proactive provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The news team covers medium and small-cap markets, as well as blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - Proactive's content includes insights across various sectors such as biotech, pharma, mining, natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging technologies [3] Group 2 - Proactive is committed to adopting technology to enhance workflows and content production [4] - The company utilizes automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring all content is edited and authored by humans [5]

Group 1 - Okta's stock dropped 12% after the company provided cautious earnings guidance, which was perceived as a result of "overly high expectations" from investors [1] - Morgan Stanley maintained an "overweight" rating on Okta with a target price of $123, noting that while Q1 metrics exceeded expectations, the guidance for Q2 and fiscal year 2026 was less optimistic due to macro uncertainties [2] - Wells Fargo reiterated a "hold" rating with a target price of $110, citing a solid Q1 performance but a conservative Q2 guidance that fell short of market expectations [3] Group 2 - Jefferies maintained a "hold" rating but lowered the target price from $135 to $130, indicating that while Okta's remaining performance obligations (cRPO) grew 14% year-over-year, it did not meet the high expectations of investors [4] - Analysts noted that Okta's Q2 cRPO guidance was 1% below market expectations and unexpectedly suggested a potential sequential decline for the first time since the company's IPO [4] - On a positive note, Okta's profit margins exceeded expectations, and the company raised its fiscal year 2026 free cash flow guidance to approximately 27% [4]

Core Viewpoint - Okta, Inc. reported strong financial results for Q1 of fiscal 2026, exceeding Wall Street expectations in earnings and revenue, but the guidance provided led to a significant stock decline of 13% in after-hours trading [1][2]. Financial Performance - For Q1, Okta achieved earnings of $0.86 per share on revenue of $688 million, surpassing analyst estimates of $0.77 per share and $680 million in sales [2][3]. - The company's revenue grew by 12% year-over-year, primarily driven by increasing subscription services [3][4]. - Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) increased by 21% year-over-year to $4.1 billion, indicating strong future revenue potential [3]. Operational Efficiency - Okta improved its adjusted operating margin by 500 basis points to 27% in Q1, reflecting enhanced operational efficiency [4]. - The combination of revenue growth and margin expansion resulted in a 32% increase in earnings per share [4]. Future Outlook - For fiscal 2026, Okta projects earnings between $3.23 and $3.28 per share on approximately $2.85 billion in sales, considering potential risks from the uncertain economic environment [5]. - The stock is currently valued at about 8 times its trailing revenues, slightly above its three-year average price-to-sales ratio of around 7x, suggesting room for growth despite the recent pullback [6]. Valuation and Market Position - The recent 13% decline in stock price post-Q1 announcement is viewed as overdone, with strong performance indicators justifying a potential upward revision of its valuation multiple [6]. - Okta's underlying business fundamentals show resilience and strategic momentum in the competitive cloud-based identity management market [7].

Investing Made EASY As an experienced professional, I highlight the best stocks to grow your savings: stocks that deliver strong gains. Deep Value Returns' Marketplace continues to rapidly grow. Check out members' reviews. High-quality, actionable insightful stock picks. The place where value is everything. To summarize the thesis into a sentence, I would say that OKTA has hit a speed bump, but for all intents and purposes, the stock is still reasonably attractive. Strong Investment Potential My Marketplace ...