Check Point Software (NasdaqGS:CHKP) Q3 2025 Earnings Call October 28, 2025 08:30 AM ET Speaker0Thank you, Keith, and good to see you all. So we delivered a strong third quarter marked by double digit growth in calculated billings, driven by disciplined execution and the rising demand across all of our portfolio. And nearly a month into Q4, we remain confident in our trajectory and we're raising our midpoint for 2025 revenue guidance and Rui will share more on this shortly. As we discussed during our second ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported revenues of $665 million, exceeding the midpoint of projections by $3 million, representing a 6% year-over-year growth [21][22] - Non-GAAP EPS was $2.37, reflecting a 9% growth year-over-year [21] - Calculated billings grew by 4% to $642 million, with RPO increasing by 6% to $2.4 billion [23] - Gross profit increased from $557 million to $585 million, resulting in a gross margin of 88% [24] - Operating cash flow reached $262 million, a 31% growth year-over-year [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Product revenues showed strong growth driven by customer demand for new appliances and higher volumes of product refreshes [22] - Subscription revenues experienced slight deceleration, while support revenues saw a slight decline due to bundling deals [22] - The QuantumForce AI-powered firewalls grew by 12% year-over-year, indicating strong demand for AI-powered inspection [8][22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas and EMEA regions grew by 5%, while APAC experienced a robust 15% growth year-over-year [24] - The company noted a significant back-end loaded quarter, with several large deals pushed into July, positively impacting future billing [23][72] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on four guiding principles: securing connectivity, prevention-first ethos, open platform philosophy, and AI-first security [6][18] - The company is investing in SASE and has opened a new R&D center in India, doubling the size of its SASE R&D team [9][10] - The acquisition of Verity enhances the company's capabilities in automated threat intelligence and real-time remediation [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in a healthy pipeline for the remainder of the year and reiterated guidance for 2025 [5][31] - The management acknowledged challenges in accelerating growth but emphasized the importance of a strong go-to-market strategy and investments in AI [44][48] - The company expects to see a headwind from foreign exchange impacts but remains optimistic about future performance [27][30] Other Important Information - The company completed the acquisition of Verity for approximately $90 million and purchased land for a new campus in Tel Aviv for $160 million [29][30] - Management indicated that the current foreign exchange rates could increase operating expenses by $50 million to $60 million in 2026 if rates remain stable [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of Palo Alto's acquisition of CyberArk - Management stated that the impact on the company is minimal as it does not operate in the identity space, focusing instead on connectivity and AI [34][37] Question: Challenges in accelerating growth - Management acknowledged that growth acceleration takes time and emphasized the need for a strong go-to-market approach and cultural changes [42][44] Question: Confidence in long-term growth despite discounting - Management expressed confidence in long-term growth due to strong demand for appliances and increasing ARR from existing customers [53][56] Question: Update on SASE acquisition and differentiation - Management reported solid growth in SASE and emphasized the unique hybrid approach that enhances user experience and controls costs [62][66] Question: Insights on slipped deals - Management noted that slipped deals were more than usual but have already been closed, leading to optimism for Q3 [71][72] Question: Quantum product cycle and customer architecture - Management indicated that there is significant potential for product refreshes and competitive replacements, with a strong funnel for the second half of the year [86][87]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported revenues of $665 million, exceeding the midpoint of projections by $3 million, representing a 6% year-over-year growth [20][21] - Non-GAAP EPS was $2.37, reflecting a 9% growth year-over-year [20] - Calculated billings grew by 4% to $642 million, while remaining performance obligations (RPO) increased by 6% to $2.4 billion [22] - Gross profit rose from $557 million to $585 million, resulting in a gross margin of 88% [23] - Operating cash flow reached $262 million, marking a 31% year-over-year growth [26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Product revenues experienced strong growth driven by customer demand for new appliances and higher volumes of product refreshes [21] - Subscription revenues saw a slight deceleration, while support revenues experienced a slight decline due to bundling deals [21] - The QuantumForce AI-powered firewalls grew by 12% year-over-year, indicating strong demand for AI-powered inspection [7] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas and EMEA regions grew by 5%, while APAC experienced a robust 15% growth year-over-year [23] - The company noted a healthy pipeline for the remainder of the year, with strong indicators for Q3 [4][30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on four guiding principles: securing the connectivity fabric, a prevention-first ethos, an open platform philosophy, and AI-first security [5][6] - The company is investing in SASE and has opened a new R&D center in India, doubling the size of its SASE R&D team [8] - The acquisition of Verity enhances the company's capabilities in automated threat intelligence and real-time remediation [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong start to Q3, with several deals closed in July that were pushed from Q2 [22][72] - The company is optimistic about the third quarter and the remainder of the year, citing a healthy demand for its products [30][72] - Management acknowledged the impact of foreign exchange rates on operating expenses, projecting a potential headwind of $50 million to $60 million in 2026 if current rates persist [25] Other Important Information - The company completed the acquisition of Verity for approximately $90 million and purchased land for a new campus in Tel Aviv for $160 million [27][28] - The company is willing to sacrifice some margin points to achieve faster growth and is actively assessing acquisition opportunities [121][122] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of Palo Alto's acquisition of CyberArk - Management indicated that the impact on Check Point is minimal as it does not operate in the identity space and will focus on its strengths in connectivity fabric and AI [33][36] Question: Challenges in accelerating growth - Management acknowledged that growth acceleration takes time and emphasized the need for a strong go-to-market approach and investment in AI [41][44] Question: Confidence in long-term growth despite discounting - Management expressed confidence in long-term growth driven by strong demand for appliances and the increasing annual recurring revenue (ARR) from existing customers [51][55] Question: Update on SASE acquisition and differentiation - Management reported solid growth in SASE and emphasized the unique hybrid architecture that enhances user experience and controls costs [62][66] Question: Insights on slipped deals - Management noted that slipped deals were more prevalent this quarter but were all closed in the first few weeks of Q3, indicating confidence in future performance [69][72] Question: Quantum product cycle and customer spending - Management highlighted ongoing investments in the Quantum product line and the potential for significant growth in the refresh cycle [76][84] Question: Growth in Harmony email and slipped deals - Management confirmed that Harmony email continues to grow at a healthy rate and that slipped deals were not geographically concentrated [88][90] Question: Subscription line growth and discounting impact - Management acknowledged the headwind from discounting but expects growth in subscription revenues driven by email and SASE products [95][100] Question: Importance of identity security in SASE - Management stated that identity security is part of the overall strategy but does not significantly impact the SASE solution [103][106] Question: Monetization of AI-powered prevention - Management outlined plans for monetizing AI capabilities through standalone products and integration into existing offerings [110][116] Question: Margin sacrifice for growth - Management reiterated that sacrificing some margin points is part of the strategy to achieve sustainable growth through investments and acquisitions [119][122] Question: Go-to-market changes and their impact - Management discussed leadership changes and cultural shifts aimed at enhancing the go-to-market strategy [126][129]