Core Insights - Zscaler (ZS) reported a 23% year-over-year revenue increase to $678 million for Q3 of fiscal 2025, but experienced a slight decline in non-GAAP gross margins to 80.3%, down from 81.4% a year ago, reflecting a 110-basis point contraction [1][11] Revenue and Growth - The company achieved a revenue growth of 24% and a free cash flow margin of 28% year-to-date, resulting in a combined score of 52%, known as the Rule of 52, marking the 21st consecutive quarter of exceeding the Rule of 40 benchmark [5][11] Margin Dynamics - The decline in gross margins is attributed to the rollout of new products aimed at quickly gaining market share rather than focusing on high margins initially. Management plans to improve margins once these products reach scale [2][6] - Zscaler's gross margin is projected to be 80% for Q4 of fiscal 2025, indicating a sequential decline of 30 basis points [6] Product Development - Recent introductions of fast-growing modules under categories like Zero Trust Everywhere and Data Security Everywhere are attracting large deals and expanding annual recurring revenue (ARR), although they are not yet margin-optimized [3][4] - The Z-Flex program, which offers flexible purchasing options, has contributed over $65 million in total contract value in Q3, but often bundles lower-margin modules, complicating near-term margin stability [4] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like CrowdStrike and Okta are also evolving their platforms to meet enterprise security demands, with CrowdStrike enhancing its identity security platform using AI solutions, and Okta focusing on identity and access management with AI for real-time detection of identity attacks [7][8] Valuation and Estimates - Zscaler's shares have increased by 74.4% year-to-date, outperforming the Security industry's growth of 22.1% [9] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 15.32X, higher than the industry average of 14.67X [12] - Earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 imply a year-over-year decline of 0.31%, while fiscal 2026 estimates suggest a growth of 12.01%, with upward revisions in the past 60 and 30 days respectively [15]