Core Insights - Pure Storage (PSTG) reported quarterly earnings of $0.29 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.25 per share, but down from $0.32 per share a year ago, representing a 16% earnings surprise [1] - The company achieved revenues of $778.49 million for the quarter ended April 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.95% and increasing from $693.48 million year-over-year [2] - Pure Storage has consistently surpassed consensus EPS and revenue estimates over the last four quarters [2] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.39 on revenues of $844.54 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.72 on revenues of $3.51 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Pure Storage is mixed, leading to a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The Computer-Storage Devices industry, to which Pure Storage belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 26% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential challenges ahead [8] - The performance of Pure Storage's stock may be influenced by the overall outlook for the industry [8]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Q1 revenue grew 12% year-over-year, reaching $830 million, with operating profit of $83 million and an operating margin of 10.6% [23][26] - Subscription services revenue increased 17% to $406 million, representing over half of total revenue, while annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew 18% to $1.7 billion [25][26] - Total remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew 17% to $2.7 billion, indicating strong renewals and new commitments [25][26] - Total gross margin improved to 70.9%, with subscription services margin at 77.2% [26][27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Storage as a Service (SaaS) solutions saw a 70% increase in total contract value (TCV) sales, reaching $95 million, driven by large Evergreen One deals [23][25] - Product margin rose 1.1 points sequentially to 64%, with expectations for mid-60s product gross margin for the year [27] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue grew 9% to $531 million, while international revenue increased 21% to $248 million year-over-year [26] - The company added 235 new customers, achieving a penetration rate of 62% within the Fortune 500 [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on modernizing IT infrastructure and breaking down data silos, with a strong emphasis on AI and high-performance computing solutions [10][15] - A major partnership with Nutanix was announced to integrate their cloud platform with Pure Storage, aimed at enhancing virtualization solutions [12][15] - The company is expanding its cloud block store integration into a fully managed service available through Azure VMware service [13][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate macroeconomic uncertainties while maintaining strong performance [18][30] - The company anticipates continued growth in the second half of the year, with a revenue forecast of $845 million for Q2, representing a 10.6% year-over-year increase [30] Other Important Information - The CFO, Kevan Krysler, will be leaving the company after more than five years, with a smooth transition planned [20][21] - The company has a strong balance sheet with $1.6 billion in cash and investments, and Q1 operating cash flow was $284 million [28] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on hyperscale opportunity with Meta - Management indicated that the evaluation and testing process with Meta is on track, with expectations for significant progress in the second half of the year [39][40] Question: Size of the newly announced AXA offering - The opportunity is seen as niche but substantial, targeting markets like government and large-scale GPU clusters, with expected margins at or above company standards [45][46] Question: Changes in buyer behavior during macro uncertainty - Management noted no significant changes in customer sentiment or purchasing behavior in Q1, with broad-based strength across traditional sales and Evergreen One [51][54] Question: Clarification on subscription margins amid tariff costs - Management stated that they can absorb any potential tariff costs without significantly impacting subscription gross margins [94] Question: Revenue contribution from Meta's one to two exabytes - Some de minimis revenue contribution has been contemplated in the annual guide, expected to be recognized in the second half [72][73] Question: Time to close larger deals - Management reported that larger deals are tracking as expected, with solid momentum in both larger and higher velocity transactions [78]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Q1 revenue grew by 12%, reaching $830 million, with an operating profit of $83 million and an operating margin of 10.6% [23][28] - Subscription services revenue in Q1 reached $406 million, up 17%, representing over half of total revenue [25] - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew 18% to $1.7 billion, while total remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew 17% to $2.7 billion [25][26] - Total gross margin improved to 70.9%, with subscription services margin at 77.2% [26][27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - TCV sales for Storage as a Service solutions jumped 70% to $95 million, driven by large Evergreen One deals [23] - Product margin rose by 1.1 points sequentially to 64%, with expectations for mid-60s product gross margin for the year [27] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue was $531 million, growing 9%, while international revenue was $248 million, growing 21% year over year [26] - The company added 235 new customers, achieving a penetration rate of 62% of the Fortune 500 [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The introduction of Fusion 2.0 has been well received, with nearly 100 customers using or testing it [8] - The company is focusing on modernizing IT infrastructure and breaking down data silos, with a strong emphasis on AI and high-performance computing [10][15] - A major agreement with Nutanix was announced to integrate their cloud platform with Pure Storage, enhancing virtualization solutions [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The near-term view for the year remains largely unchanged despite increased uncertainty in the macro environment [18] - The company expects to deliver 1 to 2 exabytes of solutions to Meta in the second half of the year, with production validation testing on schedule [16][39] - Management remains confident in the ability to outpace competition and grow market share [19][30] Other Important Information - CFO Kevan Krysler will be leaving the company, with a transition plan in place [20] - The company returned $120 million to shareholders through share repurchases and paid $61 million in employee award withholding taxes [29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on hyperscale opportunity with Meta - Management indicated that the evaluation and testing process with Meta is on track, with expectations for significant progress in the second half of the year [39][40] Question: Size of the newly announced AXA offering - The opportunity is seen as niche but substantial, targeting government and large-scale GPU clusters, with margins expected to be at or above company standards [45][46] Question: Changes in buyer behavior during macro uncertainty - Management noted no significant changes in customer sentiment or purchasing behavior in Q1, with broad-based strength across sales [51][54] Question: Clarification on subscription margins amid tariff costs - Management expressed confidence in managing tariff costs without significantly impacting subscription gross margins [93] Question: Revenue contribution from Meta's 1 to 2 exabytes - Some de minimis revenue contribution has been contemplated in the annual guide, primarily through a licensing fee model [72] Question: Time to close larger deals - Management reported that larger deals are tracking as expected, with solid momentum continuing into Q1 [78] Question: Comparison of project timelines with Meta and others - The lengthy timeline is attributed to the design cycles of hyperscalers, which include multiple components beyond storage [84][86]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Q1 revenue grew 12% year-over-year, reaching $830 million, with an operating profit of $83 million and an operating margin of 10.6% [22][24] - Subscription services revenue increased 17% to $406 million, representing over half of total revenue, while annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew 18% to $1.7 billion [23][24] - Total remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew 17% to $2.7 billion, indicating strong renewals and new commitments [23][24] - Total gross margin improved to 70.9%, with subscription services margin at 77.2% [24][25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Storage as a Service (SaaS) solutions saw a 70% increase in total contract value (TCV) sales, reaching $95 million, driven by large Evergreen One deals [22][23] - Product margin rose 1.1 points sequentially to 64%, with expectations for mid-60s product gross margin for the year [25][26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue grew 9% to $531 million, while international revenue increased 21% to $248 million year-over-year [24] - The company added 235 new customers, achieving a penetration rate of 62% within the Fortune 500 [24] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on modernizing IT infrastructure and breaking down data silos, with a strong emphasis on AI and high-performance computing solutions [7][9] - Strategic partnerships with companies like Nutanix and SK Hynix are aimed at enhancing virtualization and flash storage capabilities [10][15] - The company is committed to maintaining pricing predictability for customers amid tariff-related changes, leveraging its Evergreen model [17][18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate macroeconomic uncertainties while maintaining strong performance [16][28] - The company anticipates continued growth in the second quarter, projecting revenue of $845 million, a 10.6% year-over-year increase [28] Other Important Information - Kevin Chrysler, the CFO, will be leaving the company, with a transition plan in place to ensure continuity [19][20] - The company reported a strong balance sheet with $1.6 billion in cash and investments, and operating cash flow of $284 million [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on hyperscale opportunity with Meta - Management indicated that the evaluation process with Meta is on track, with expectations to deliver one to two exabytes in the second half of the year [36][38] Question: Size of the newly announced AXA offering - The company views the AXA offering as targeting niche markets, with expectations for margins to be at or above standard company margins [42][43] Question: Changes in buyer behavior during macro uncertainty - Management noted no significant changes in customer sentiment or purchasing behavior in Q1, with broad-based strength across sales [50][52] Question: Revenue contribution from Meta's project - Some de minimis revenue contribution from the Meta project has been included in the annual guidance, primarily through a licensing fee model [69][70] Question: Clarification on subscription margins amid tariff costs - Management expressed confidence that subscription gross margins would not be significantly impacted by potential tariff costs due to operational efficiencies [90][91] Question: Investment expectations for future hyperscaler wins - The company expects to see leverage in design and investment requirements as more hyperscalers are added, reducing costs for future projects [93][94] Question: Revenue linearity throughout the quarter - Management reported typical revenue linearity throughout the quarter, with strong performance sustained [97][98]

Financial Performance - Total revenue reached $778.5 million, a 12% year-over-year growth[9] - Subscription Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) hit $1.71 billion, reflecting an 18% year-over-year increase[9, 38] - Storage as a Service offerings generated $95 million in Total Contract Value (TCV) sales, marking a substantial 70% year-over-year growth[9, 11] - The company's Non-GAAP operating margin stood at 10.6%[9, 38] - Operating cash flow was $283.9 million[38] - Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) grew by 17% year-over-year[9, 54] Customer Base and Satisfaction - The company serves over 13,500 global customers[9] - Customer satisfaction, measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS), is at 81, the highest in the industry[9] - 62% of Fortune 500 companies are customers[9, 36] Product Innovation and Partnerships - Launched FlashBlade//EXA, a high-performance storage platform for AI and high-performance computing[12] - Announced integration with Nutanix Cloud Platform for scalable virtualized environments[13] - Announced collaboration with SK Hynix to deliver energy-efficient flash storage for hyperscale environments[13] Guidance - The company projects Q2FY26 revenue of $845 million, representing a 10.6% year-over-year growth, and a Non-GAAP operating margin of 14.8%[56] - For FY26, the company anticipates revenue of $3.515 billion, an 11% year-over-year growth, and a Non-GAAP operating margin of 17.0%[58]

Financial Performance - Q1 FY26 total revenue reached $778.5 million, reflecting a 12% year-over-year growth[7] - Subscription services revenue was $406.3 million, up 17% year-over-year, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) at $1.7 billion, an 18% increase[7] - Remaining performance obligations (RPO) totaled $2.7 billion, marking a 17% year-over-year growth[7] - Total revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 was $778.485 million, a 12.3% increase from $693.479 million in the same period of fiscal 2025[29] - Gross profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 was $536.153 million, representing a gross margin of 68.9%, compared to $495.706 million and a gross margin of 71.5% in the first quarter of fiscal 2025[32] - Net loss for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 was $13.995 million, an improvement from a net loss of $35.009 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025[29] - Operating expenses increased to $567.324 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, up from $537.480 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2025[29] Cash Flow and Investments - Operating cash flow for the quarter was $283.9 million, with free cash flow at $211.6 million[7] - Cash flows from operating activities generated $283.936 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to $221.500 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025[31] - Net cash provided by operating activities for Q1 2026 was $283,936, compared to $221,500 in Q1 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 28.2%[38] - Free cash flow (non-GAAP) for Q1 2026 was $211,590, up from $172,682 in Q1 2025, indicating a growth of about 22.5%[38] - The company reported a net cash increase of $22.392 million in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to an increase of $198.079 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025[31] - Purchases of property and equipment increased to $72,346 in Q1 2026 from $48,818 in Q1 2025, reflecting a rise of approximately 48.3%[38] - Capitalized internal-use software costs were $6.9 million in Q1 2026, compared to $4.5 million in Q1 2025, showing an increase of about 53.3%[38] Future Guidance - For Q2 FY26, the revenue guidance is set at $845 million, representing a 10.6% year-over-year growth rate[11] - Full fiscal year 2026 revenue guidance is projected at $3.515 billion, with an 11% year-over-year growth rate[11] Strategic Initiatives - The FlashBlade//EXA platform was introduced, targeting AI and high-performance computing needs[8] - A partnership with Nutanix was announced to enhance virtual workload management on scalable infrastructure[8] Shareholder Returns - The company returned approximately $120 million to stockholders through share repurchases of 2.5 million shares[7] Research and Development - Research and development expenses rose to $221.740 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to $193.820 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2025[29] - The company incurred stock-based compensation expenses totaling $96.275 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, down from $112.994 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025[31] Share Count - The company reported a weighted-average share count of 326,539,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to 322,589,000 in the first quarter of fiscal 2025[29]

Core Insights - Pure Storage reported a total revenue growth of 12% year-over-year for Q1 FY26, reaching $778.5 million [1][8] - The company's Storage as a Service offerings saw a significant TCV sales growth of 70% [1] - Subscription services revenue increased by 17% year-over-year, totaling $406.3 million, with an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $1.7 billion, up 18% [8] Financial Highlights - Q1 FY26 non-GAAP operating income was $82.7 million, with a non-GAAP operating margin of 10.6% [8] - The company provided guidance for Q2 FY26 revenue at $845 million, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 10.6% [5] - For FY26, Pure Storage anticipates total revenue of $3.515 billion, representing an 11% year-over-year growth [5] Leadership Update - Kevan Krysler, the CFO, announced his departure after over five years, contributing to the growth of the business to over $3 billion in revenue [3][4] Cash Flow and Shareholder Returns - Operating cash flow for Q1 FY26 was $283.9 million, with free cash flow of $211.6 million [8][29] - The company returned approximately $120 million to shareholders through share repurchases of 2.5 million shares [8] Key Performance Metrics - Remaining performance obligations (RPO) increased by 17% year-over-year, totaling $2.7 billion [8] - GAAP gross margin was reported at 68.9%, while non-GAAP gross margin stood at 70.9% [8]

Core Viewpoint - B of A Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan has revised full-year estimates for Pure Storage, Inc. (PSTG) ahead of its earnings release, forecasting first quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $772 million and EPS of 26 cents, slightly above Street expectations [1] Group 1: Revenue and Earnings Forecast - The first quarter is typically the company's weakest seasonally, with an average sequential revenue decline of 16% since 2016 [2] - Mohan anticipates a more moderate 12% quarter-over-quarter decline, reflecting continued momentum from FlashBlade/E adoption [3] - The second quarter revenue is estimated at $835 million, slightly below the Street estimate of $839 million [4] Group 2: Operating Margin Insights - The forecasted operating margin for the first fiscal quarter is 10.7%, higher than the Street's estimate of 10.6% and the company's guidance of 10.4% [4] - The primary driver for the stronger-than-expected operating margin is robust subscription margins [4] - The analyst expects PSTG to reiterate its full-year operating margin guidance of 17% [5] Group 3: Market Conditions and Competition - A pause in enterprise IT spending is expected in the second and third quarters of 2025 due to macro uncertainty, impacting IT hardware, especially storage [6] - Increased competition from Dell Technologies' new products and aggressive pricing is anticipated to limit upside in the storage industry [6] Group 4: Long-term EPS Revisions - EPS for FY27 has been revised to $2.07 from $2.06, and FY28 to $2.46 from $2.49 [6] Group 5: Risks and Price Forecast - Upside risks include a faster recovery in the commercial segment, lower flash costs, quicker supply chain recovery, and unexpected market share gains [7] - Downside risks involve an extended economic slowdown, rising costs, intense competition, enterprise migration to the public cloud, and execution challenges [8] - The analyst maintains a Neutral rating with a price forecast of $73, citing that product growth has yet to re-accelerate and competitive pressures present margin risks [9]

Core Viewpoint - Pure Storage, Inc. (PSTG) is expected to report a decline in earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, while total revenues are projected to grow year-over-year [1][2]. Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in the upcoming quarter is 25 cents, reflecting a 21.9% decrease from the same quarter last year [1]. - Total revenues are estimated at $771.2 million, indicating an 11.2% year-over-year growth [1]. - For the first quarter, Pure Storage anticipates revenues of $770 million, which represents an 11% increase from the previous year [2]. Revenue Breakdown - Subscription services revenues accounted for 43.8% of total revenues in the last reported quarter, amounting to $385.1 million, which was a 17% increase [3]. - For the fiscal first quarter, Subscription services revenues are expected to be $358.5 million, up 3.6% year-over-year [3]. Product and Market Developments - The adoption of FlashArray//XL and FlashArray//E, along with strong Evergreen subscription renewals, is likely to contribute positively to PSTG's performance [3]. - Recent product launches, including the second-generation Pure Fusion and enhancements to the Portworx platform, are expected to drive enterprise adoption, particularly for cloud-native and AI/ML workloads [4]. Margin Expectations - Pure Storage expects product gross margins to stabilize in the mid-60s for fiscal 2026, aligning with its long-term target of 65-70% [5]. Competitive Landscape - The company faces stiff competition and an uncertain macroeconomic environment, with geopolitical uncertainties expected to impact the market throughout the year [6]. Strategic Partnerships - On April 21, 2025, Pure Storage partnered with Varonis Systems to enhance data protection capabilities for organizations [7]. - The incorporation of the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design into its FlashBlade platform reinforces Pure Storage's commitment to scalable AI-ready solutions [8]. - The upcoming launch of FlashBlade//EXA, designed for AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC), is set for summer 2025 [9].

Core Viewpoint - Pure Storage is witnessing an increase in demand for its products driven by the growing effectiveness of artificial intelligence [1] Company Summary - The rise in demand for Pure Storage's products is attributed to advancements in artificial intelligence technology [1]