Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company generated a record revenue of $244.4 million for the full year, representing an 11% year-over-year growth [12][41] - Non-GAAP gross margin for the year was a record 60%, up from 54% a year ago [12][51] - Adjusted EBITDA loss for the full year was approximately $10.6 million, significantly improved from a $55.3 million loss in the previous year [52] - Q4 revenue reached a record $61.6 million, with a 5% year-over-year growth [41] - The company achieved its first adjusted EBITDA profitable quarter in Q4 [11][52] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the defense and intelligence sector grew more than 20% year-over-year [20][43] - Civil government revenue grew approximately 15% year-over-year [26][43] - The commercial sector faced a decline of more than 10% year-over-year but showed signs of stabilization [43] - Backlog increased to approximately $498.5 million, up 115% quarter-over-quarter [58] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - EMEA revenue grew more than 15% year-over-year, while Latin America revenue grew approximately 30% [44] - Asia Pacific revenue grew nearly 15%, and North America revenue grew approximately 5% year-over-year [44] - The company anticipates significant growth potential across all regions, particularly in national security solutions [45][46] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company shifted to a vertically-focused go-to-market structure, emphasizing selling solutions rather than just data [10][42] - A landmark $230 million commercial agreement with JSAT was signed, marking a significant step in the satellite services market [14][56] - The company aims to be a leading provider of geospatial data and solutions while expanding into satellite services [19] - The strategic focus for the upcoming year includes leveraging AI to enhance data accessibility and solution development [38][66] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to achieve cash flow profitability within the next 24 months [66] - The geopolitical landscape is seen as a driver for increased demand for satellite services and solutions [18][109] - Management highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships and the potential for significant revenue growth from new contracts and AI-enabled solutions [66][80] Other Important Information - The company ended the fiscal year with approximately $222 million in cash and cash equivalents, significantly reducing cash burn [55] - The average contract length remains approximately two years, with 97% of the end-of-period ACV book consisting of recurring contracts [49] Q&A Session Summary Question: Focus on pre-cash flow dynamics and CapEx - Management discussed the peak CapEx investment cycle and the structure of the JSAT contract, which is front-end loaded to support working capital [71][72] Question: AI deal with Anthropic and monetization - The partnership with Anthropic is seen as an accelerant for delivering value through AI-enabled solutions, with a focus on immediate revenue opportunities [78][80] Question: Doubling growth rate and revenue opportunities - The doubling of the growth rate is based on secured contracts and potential upside from new satellite services and AI solutions [84][85] Question: Revenue guidance and impact of Washington's situation - Management indicated a conservative approach to guidance, factoring in macro pressures and potential delays in new business [102][103] Question: Space services and existing capabilities - The focus remains on existing satellite configurations, with potential for customization in future partnerships [111][112] Question: Strategy for larger customers and net dollar retention - The strategy involves building solutions that enhance customer value and retention, with a focus on larger accounts [132][125]

Company Performance - Planet Labs PBC reported a quarterly loss of $0.08 per share, which was worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.02, representing an earnings surprise of -300% [1] - The company posted revenues of $61.55 million for the quarter ended January 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.75%, compared to year-ago revenues of $58.85 million [2] - Over the last four quarters, Planet Labs has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times and topped consensus revenue estimates just once [2] Stock Movement and Outlook - Planet Labs PBC shares have increased by approximately 6.9% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has declined by 3.5% [3] - The company's future stock performance will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the earnings outlook [3][4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is -$0.02 on revenues of $65.27 million, and -$0.07 on revenues of $274.75 million for the current fiscal year [7] Industry Context - The Satellite and Communication industry, to which Planet Labs belongs, is currently ranked in the top 35% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8] - Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can impact stock performance [5][6]

Planet Labs (PL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call March 20, 2025 05:00 PM ET Company Participants Cleo Palmer-Poroner - Senior Manager - Investor RelationsWill Marshall - Co-Founder, CEO and ChairpersonAshley Fieglein Johnson - President & CFOColin Canfield - DirectorTrevor Walsh - Director - Equity ResearchAnthony Valentini - Vice PresidentGreg Pendy - DirectorCaleb Henry - Director of Research Conference Call Participants Edison Yu - AnalystMike Latimore - MD & Equity Analyst - AI and Communications SaaSJason Gursky ...

Planet Labs (PL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call March 20, 2025 05:00 PM ET Company Participants Cleo Palmer-Poroner - Senior Manager - Investor RelationsWill Marshall - Co-Founder, CEO and ChairpersonAshley Fieglein Johnson - President & CFOColin Canfield - DirectorTrevor Walsh - Director - Equity ResearchAnthony Valentini - Vice PresidentGreg Pendy - DirectorCaleb Henry - Director of Research Conference Call Participants Edison Yu - AnalystMike Latimore - MD & Equity Analyst - AI and Communications SaaSJason Gursky ...

Revenue Performance - Fourth quarter revenue reached a record $61.6 million, representing a 5% year-over-year increase[3] - Full year revenue totaled $244.4 million, marking an 11% year-over-year growth[3] - The Company reported revenue of $61,554,000 for the three months ended January 31, 2025, representing an increase of 2.9% compared to $58,852,000 for the same period in 2024[41] Gross Margin and Profitability - The company achieved a fourth quarter gross margin of 62%, up from 55% in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year[3] - Gross profit for the three months ended January 31, 2025, was $38,215,000, up from $32,481,000 in the prior year, indicating a gross margin improvement[41] - The GAAP gross profit for the year ended January 31, 2025, was $139,725 thousand, up from $112,950 thousand in 2024, reflecting a growth of 23.7%[48] - Non-GAAP gross profit for the year ended January 31, 2025, was $147,517 thousand, compared to $119,877 thousand in 2024, representing a 23.2% increase[48] Operating Expenses and Losses - The Company incurred a net loss of $35,154,000 for the three months ended January 31, 2025, compared to a net loss of $30,086,000 for the same period in 2024, reflecting increased operating expenses[41] - Total operating expenses decreased to $57,581,000 for the three months ended January 31, 2025, from $66,399,000 in the same period of 2024, primarily due to reduced research and development costs[41] - The net loss for the three months ended January 31, 2025, was $35,154 thousand, compared to a net loss of $30,086 thousand for the same period in 2024, representing an increase of 10.5%[43] - For the year ended January 31, 2025, the net loss was $123,196 thousand, a decrease of 12.3% from the net loss of $140,509 thousand in 2024[45] - The company reported a comprehensive loss of $37,598 thousand for the three months ended January 31, 2025, compared to a comprehensive loss of $28,250 thousand in 2024, indicating a 33.1% increase[43] Cash and Investments - Planet's cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments stood at approximately $222.1 million at the end of the quarter[2][7] - The Company’s cash and cash equivalents increased to $118,048,000 as of January 31, 2025, compared to $83,866,000 as of January 31, 2024[39] - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period increased to $129,994 thousand from $102,198 thousand at the beginning of the period, marking a net increase of $27,796 thousand[45] Backlog and Future Expectations - The backlog increased to $498.5 million, reflecting a 115% quarter-over-quarter growth[1] - The company reported a backlog of $498,458,000 as of January 31, 2025, up from $232,140,000 in the previous quarter, reflecting a 114.5% increase[52] - For fiscal year 2026, the company expects revenue between $260 million and $280 million[12] - The company anticipates a Non-GAAP gross margin of approximately 55% to 57% for fiscal year 2026[12] - Remaining performance obligations as of January 31, 2025, totaled $407,538,000, with an expectation to recognize approximately 38% over the next 12 months[52] - The company expects to recognize approximately 70% of remaining performance obligations over the next 24 months[52] Research and Development - The company incurred $22,951 thousand in GAAP research and development expenses for the three months ended January 31, 2025, down from $28,410 thousand in 2024, a decrease of 19.2%[49] Employee-Related Costs - The company recognized $10.6 million in severance and other employee-related costs as part of the 2024 headcount reduction[47] - Stock-based compensation for the three months ended January 31, 2025, was $12,018,000, slightly down from $12,521,000 in the same period of 2024[50] - The company incurred restructuring costs of $50,000 for the three months ended January 31, 2025, compared to $35,000 in the same period of 2024[50] - The amortization of acquired intangible assets was $867,000 for the three months ended January 31, 2025, down from $1,149,000 in the same period of 2024[50] Shareholder Metrics - The weighted-average shares used in computing GAAP net loss per share, basic and diluted, was 296,441,988 for the three months ended January 31, 2025[50] - GAAP net loss per share, diluted, was $0.12 for the three months ended January 31, 2025, compared to $0.11 for the same period in 2024[50]

Core Insights - Ocean Ledger, a geospatial analytics startup, has raised $900K in a pre-seed funding round led by Ananda Impact Ventures and Silverstrand Capital to enhance its coastal risk forecasting solutions [1] - The company addresses the urgent need for proactive coastal risk management, as climate-induced infrastructure losses could reach $4 trillion over the next 15 years, with 78% of insured catastrophe losses in 2024 attributed to flooding [2] - Ocean Ledger utilizes satellite imagery, machine learning, and site-level data to provide high-resolution analytics that outperform traditional datasets, enabling better decision-making for project managers, underwriters, and coastal engineers [3] Company Overview - Ocean Ledger is led by CEO and Co-Founder Paige Roepers, who combines expertise in marine biology and investment banking, alongside a team of specialists in coastal remote sensing and spatial modeling [4] - The company aims to link physical and environmental risks with climate perils to facilitate proactive risk management and continuous monitoring [5] - Ocean Ledger is collaborating with Planet Labs PBC and exploring partnerships with marine drone and sensor companies, as well as working with insurers to develop new products like long-term catastrophe bonds [6][7]

Core Viewpoint - Planet Labs has experienced a significant increase in stock value, driven primarily by recent contract announcements, including a major $230 million deal, which is expected to enhance its annual revenue and potentially open new revenue streams [1][4][6]. Financial Performance - Planet Labs' stock has tripled in value over the past three months, rising from just over $2 to more than $6 per share [1]. - The company reported a loss of $0.07 per share in its fiscal Q3 2025 earnings, with revenue falling short of analyst expectations [3]. Major Contracts - The $230 million contract is Planet's largest to date, involving the construction and launch of 32 new Pelican high-definition Earth imaging satellites [4]. - The contract will provide approximately $33 million in additional annual revenue, representing a 14% increase over the previous year's revenue of $221 million [6][7]. Market Implications - The new contract is expected to help Planet Labs exceed analyst revenue forecasts of $245 million for fiscal 2026 and $275 million for fiscal 2027 [8]. - The partnership may signal the beginning of a new revenue stream for Planet, as it could lead to custom satellite construction for clients, thereby diversifying its income sources [9][10]. Strategic Positioning - Planet Labs has the capability to build satellites on contract, leveraging its existing state-of-the-art satellite factory in San Francisco [10]. - CEO Will Marshall has indicated that this could represent a significant market opportunity for the company, suggesting potential for further growth in the future [11].

Group 1: Momentum Investing Overview - Momentum investing involves following a stock's recent trend, with the aim of buying high and selling higher, capitalizing on established price movements [1] - The Zacks Momentum Style Score helps investors identify effective metrics for momentum, addressing the challenges in defining momentum [2] Group 2: Company Analysis - Planet Labs PBC (PL) - Planet Labs PBC currently holds a Momentum Style Score of B and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating strong potential for outperformance [3][4] - Over the past week, PL shares have increased by 42.41%, significantly outperforming the Zacks Internet - Software industry, which rose by 1.86% [6] - In a longer timeframe, PL shares have risen by 130.04% over the past quarter and 151.95% over the past year, compared to the S&P 500's gains of 4.7% and 24.79%, respectively [7] Group 3: Trading Volume and Earnings Outlook - The average 20-day trading volume for PL is 5,944,217 shares, indicating a bullish sign with rising stock prices [8] - In terms of earnings outlook, there have been three upward revisions in earnings estimates for the current fiscal year, raising the consensus estimate from -$0.21 to -$0.15 [10] - For the next fiscal year, three estimates have also moved upwards, with no downward revisions, suggesting positive momentum in earnings expectations [10] Group 4: Conclusion - Given the strong performance metrics and positive earnings outlook, Planet Labs PBC is positioned as a promising momentum pick for investors [12]

Stock Performance - Planet Labs' stock gained 5 9% as of 2 p m ET and was up as much as 12 6% earlier in the day [1] - The stock's rise occurred as the S&P 500 gained 0 4% and the Nasdaq composite was flat [1] New Deal Announcement - Planet Labs announced a $230 million deal with an unnamed Asia-Pacific commercial partner to develop and manage a new fleet of high-resolution Pelican satellites [1] - The company will reserve a portion of the network's capacity for the partner while having additional capacity to serve other clients [1] - This deal is the largest the company has entered to date [2] CEO's Perspective - CEO Will Marshall described the deal as a significant milestone and a major step forward in a large market opportunity for satellite services [2] - He emphasized the symbiotic nature of such partnerships, highlighting benefits for both partners and Planet Labs [2] Industry Context - The news coincides with the new administration prioritizing space exploration, including President Donald Trump's intention to put Americans on Mars [3] - This focus on space exploration has given a lift to space-related stocks, including Planet Labs [3]

Core Insights - Planet Labs announced a significant $230 million multi-year contract to expand its partnership with a commercial partner in the Asia-Pacific region, marking the company's largest contract to date [2][5] - The contract involves financing the construction and launch of 32 new Pelican high-resolution satellites, with payments structured over seven years, adding approximately $33 million in annual revenue [4][6] - Despite the positive news, Planet Labs' stock initially surged over 14% but later fell, indicating investor concerns about the immediate impact on earnings [1][6] Company Developments - The contract will not affect Planet Labs' fiscal 2025 guidance but is expected to significantly enhance cash flow in fiscal 2026 and strengthen the balance sheet in fiscal 2027 [5] - The unidentified customer is essentially pre-purchasing services, which will help finance the satellite project and ensure ongoing payments once the satellites are operational [3][4] Market Reaction - Investors reacted negatively to the news, with the stock price declining despite the announcement of the contract, suggesting a misunderstanding of the long-term benefits of the deal [1][6] - The additional $33 million in annual revenue represents a notable increase for Planet Labs, which reported $236 million in total business over the past year [6]