Core Insights - Okta's market capitalization has decreased by 20% over the past six months despite reporting satisfactory quarterly results, indicating ongoing investor concerns [2][3] - The company reported $742 million in total revenue for Q3 of fiscal 2026, reflecting a 12% year-over-year increase, with subscription revenue at $724 million, up 11% year-over-year [2] - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) reached $0.82, exceeding expectations, while the current remaining performance obligations (cRPO) grew to $2.328 billion, a 13% increase from the previous year [2] Financial Performance - Okta's revenue growth and adjusted EPS indicate profitability, with management projecting full-year revenue between $2.906 billion and $2.908 billion [7] - The growth in cRPO suggests future revenue visibility, which is crucial for investor confidence [7] Market Dynamics - Valuation compression is evident as the market shifts from high growth expectations to a demand for sustainable margins and predictable cash flows [4] - Macroeconomic factors and market sentiment have led to a perception of Okta's services as discretionary expenditures during economic uncertainty [5] - A recalibration of risk-return dynamics is occurring as Okta transitions from rapid growth to a more mature growth model, prompting some investors to seek faster-growing alternatives [6] Future Outlook - If Okta can maintain mid-teens revenue growth while improving margins and cash flow, and if macroeconomic conditions stabilize, there may be potential for market re-evaluation of the stock [9] - The most likely near-term scenario is a modest recovery in business performance, gradually restoring investor confidence without significant rebounds unless stronger-than-expected growth occurs [10]

Core Insights - CFOs are increasingly using terms like "uncertainty" and "unprecedented" to describe the current economic landscape, reflecting a sense of fatigue with ongoing unpredictability [1] - The focus for CFOs is on taking actionable steps to build resilience in the face of uncertainty, rather than succumbing to inaction [1][2] - There is a significant shift in resource allocation towards technology functions within companies, although uncertainty remains regarding AI's full impact on financial performance [3][4] Financial Strategies - Key questions for CFOs include improving liquidity, operational efficiency, and determining essential versus non-essential investments [2] - Despite uncertainty, it is crucial for companies to review long-standing strategies and seize competitive opportunities, particularly in AI investments [2] - The recommended focus for AI efforts is 80% on productivity for growth and 20% on productivity for efficiency, emphasizing better time utilization rather than headcount reduction [5] Future Outlook - McKinsey's research suggests that by 2030, profound changes in work processes will necessitate a reorganization of value creation and activities [4] - Managing uncertainty effectively involves planning for both positive and negative scenarios, highlighting the importance of a cross-functional approach within the C-suite [6] - The global economic outlook indicates that AI-driven investments are supporting better-than-expected growth, despite underlying demand remaining soft [9]

The Fed's updated economic projections and dot plot released alongside the decision will be crucial for understanding policymakers' longer-term rate trajectory and terminal rate expectations for 2026. Chair Powell's 2:30pm press conference will be scrutinized for insights into the Fed's reaction function to different economic scenarios and the conditions that would warrant further cuts versus an extended pause.Wednesday's Federal Reserve meeting at 2:00pm represents a critical juncture where policymakers mu ...

Core Insights - The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 12.78% in 2025, indicating solid performance despite not matching the gains of the S&P 500 or Nasdaq [1] - Salesforce has faced significant challenges, with its stock experiencing double-digit losses due to slow AI adoption and increased competition, making it one of the worst performers in the Dow [2] Company Overview - Salesforce is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform, known for pioneering cloud-based CRM since 1999 and now focusing on AI integration [3][5] - The company’s AI innovation, Agentforce, aims to enhance operational efficiency by introducing autonomous AI agents to assist employees and customers [4] Market Performance - Salesforce's revenue growth has slowed, and the anticipated excitement around its AI initiatives has not materialized, leading to investor skepticism [6] - Concerns about an AI bubble and the potential for powerful AI tools to undermine Salesforce's software offerings have contributed to cautious investor sentiment [6]

Group 1: Netflix and Warner Brothers Deal - Netflix is pursuing a $72 billion acquisition of Warner Brothers, which could significantly impact competitors like Paramount, Comcast, Amazon, Disney, and Roku [2][4][39] - The deal is expected to yield $2 billion to $3 billion in annual cost savings by year three, indicating a major cost-cutting strategy [4][40] - The acquisition could allow Netflix to raise subscription prices, leveraging its expanded content library, which includes major franchises like The Sopranos, Friends, and Game of Thrones [43][45] Group 2: DocuSign's Performance and AI Integration - DocuSign reported over $818 million in sales for the third quarter, surpassing analyst expectations, with a customer base of 25,000 for its AI-powered intelligent agreement management [6][8] - The company is experiencing early renewals driven by increased consumption of its services, indicating strong customer demand [10][11] - DocuSign is integrating its technology with OpenAI's models, enhancing its agreement management solutions and positioning itself as a leader in the enterprise software space [15][20][24] Group 3: Industry Trends and Competitive Landscape - The streaming industry is becoming increasingly competitive, with Netflix's acquisition potentially widening the gap between it and other players [39][44] - Analysts predict further consolidation in the streaming market as companies like Disney and Paramount seek to compete against Netflix's growing dominance [53][54] - Dollar stores are seeing increased patronage from high-income shoppers, indicating a shift in consumer behavior towards value shopping, with both Dollar General and Dollar Tree reporting significant sales gains [57][58]

Group 1 - Harding Loevner's Global Equity Strategy reported a gross return of 2.62% and a net return of 2.52% for Q3 2025, underperforming the MSCI All Country World Index and MSCI World Index, which returned 7.74% and 7.36% respectively [1] - Year-to-date, the strategy rose 10.61% net, compared to 18.86% for the MSCI All Country World Index and 17.83% for the MSCI World Index [1] - The last six months have been characterized as one of the strongest momentum phases in over 70 years, with high-momentum stocks outperforming low-momentum stocks by 45 percentage points, largely driven by advancements in AI [1] Group 2 - Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) was highlighted in the investor letter, with a one-month return of -10.42% and a 52-week gain of 11.81% [2] - As of December 4, 2025, Oracle's stock closed at $214.33 per share, with a market capitalization of $611.01 billion [2] - The investor letter noted that AI represents a significant secular change that could reshape industries, creating uncertainty in the markets, and that historical company fundamentals may be less reliable for long-term value [3]

Core Insights - CrowdStrike's Q3 FY'26 results have significantly countered the negative market sentiment following the July 2024 outage, showcasing strong performance and customer retention [2][10] - The company reported a 73% increase in Net New Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), reaching $265 million, indicating robust demand for its services [3][10] - The narrative around CrowdStrike has shifted from being perceived as a liability to being recognized as an essential utility in the cybersecurity landscape [5] Financial Performance - CrowdStrike's revenue growth stands at 29% year-on-year, with a free cash flow margin of 25%, demonstrating a balance of rapid growth and profitability [8] - The company's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio is approximately 22x for FY'27, significantly higher than competitors like SentinelOne at 5x and Palo Alto Networks at ~11x [8] Competitive Landscape - Despite concerns about competition from Microsoft and SentinelOne, CrowdStrike's customer base appears to be growing, with 49% of subscription clients now using six or more modules [8] - The outage has inadvertently highlighted Microsoft's vulnerabilities, reinforcing CrowdStrike's position as a critical component of enterprise security [8][9] Product Innovation - The introduction of "Falcon Flex" has allowed customers to utilize multiple modules under a single contract, reducing friction and increasing module adoption [7][8] - Flex customers typically use an average of nine modules, which locks them into the CrowdStrike ecosystem and diminishes the threat from point solution competitors [8] Market Position - CrowdStrike is now viewed as a "Systemically Important Institution" trading at a discount relative to its capabilities, suggesting potential for future growth [4] - The company's management has emphasized record achievements in Next-Gen SIEM, positioning it as a leader in evolving security solutions [9]

We came across a bullish thesis on Vertex, Inc. on Business Invest’s Substack by Francesco Ferrari. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on VERX. Vertex, Inc.'s share was trading at $19.22 as of December 1st. VERX’s trailing P/E was 285.23 according to Yahoo Finance. Rawpixel/Shutterstock.com Vertex, Inc. (VERX) is a leading software provider specializing in tax technology solutions that integrate seamlessly with enterprise systems such as SAP and Oracle. Its core platform ensures accura ...

Core Viewpoint - Concerns on Wall Street regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on enterprise software companies are countered by Salesforce's CEO, who views large language models as a commodity that enhances the company's existing products rather than a threat [1][3]. Group 1: Company Performance - Salesforce's stock has declined over 25% year-to-date, contrasting with a 21% increase in the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite [2]. - Despite the stock decline, Salesforce reported a significant earnings beat, leading to a 3.66% increase in share price following the announcement [4]. - The company has raised its revenue guidance for the current quarter, indicating positive future expectations [4]. Group 2: Product Development - Salesforce's Agentforce product, which automates sales and customer service workflows, has shown remarkable growth, achieving over $500 million in annualized revenue and a 330% increase from the previous year [5]. - The company has successfully closed over 18,500 Agentforce deals since its introduction, with 9,500 being paid transactions [5]. - Agentforce is described as the fastest-growing product in Salesforce's history [6].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription ARR reached $1.35 billion, growing 34% year over year [5][24] - Net new subscription ARR reached a record $94 million [5][24] - Subscription revenue was $336 million, growing 52% year over year [5][26] - Total revenue was $350 million, up 48% [26] - Free cash flow was $77 million, compared to $16 million in the same quarter last year [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription NRR remained above 120% [5][25] - Customers with $100K or more in subscription ARR reached 2,638, growing 27% year over year [6][25] - The identity resilience platform achieved about $20 million in subscription ARR, with significant growth in the number of identity customers [15][81] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the Americas grew 51% to $256 million [26] - Revenue from outside the Americas grew 41% to $94 million [26] - Cloud ARR reached $1.17 billion, up 53% [24] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to lead in the security and AI operations space, focusing on cyber resilience and AI transformation [7][9] - Rubrik's strategy includes expanding its product offerings in data protection, identity resilience, and AI operations [10][18] - The company is investing in R&D and go-to-market strategies to enhance its offerings and market penetration [30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong demand for cyber resilience solutions and the growth potential in the AI sector [23][30] - The company anticipates continued strong performance and is raising its outlook for the fourth quarter and full year [23][31] Other Important Information - The company has launched Rubrik Agent Cloud, a new product suite for managing AI agents [18][21] - The integration with Microsoft Copilot Studio and Amazon Bedrock is expected to enhance the capabilities of Rubrik Agent Cloud [21][68] Q&A Session Summary Question: How additive can identity be to an average data protection deal? - Identity is completely additive to the deal, serving as a net new buyer for Rubrik, particularly in the CISO organization [37][38] Question: What is driving the acceleration in legacy replacement bookings? - The acceleration is driven by the need for modernization ahead of AI and the recognition of the risks posed by cyber attacks [46] Question: How is the platform expansion influencing sales strategy? - The strategy remains focused on being a true platform company, making it easier for customers to adopt and consume Rubrik products [53][54] Question: How is Rubrik positioned to capture the AI agent opportunity? - Rubrik is well-positioned due to its focus on data, identity, and business applications, providing a complete agentic operations platform [59][60] Question: What is the monetization strategy for Rubrik Agent Cloud? - Rubrik Agent Cloud is a separate product suite, and customer feedback has been strong during its beta phase [70]