Group 1 - The second China Storage Conference, organized by the China Computer Federation (CCF), focuses on the forefront development and industrial application of storage technology in the intelligent era [1][2] - The conference features six major segments, including an opening ceremony, thirteen keynote speeches, the launch of the "CCF&U" initiative, the release of storage testing reports, 26 sub-forums, and an awards dinner [2] - The "CCF&U" initiative aims to collect retired USB drives from members nationwide to transform them into an artistic installation that honors the history of storage technology [2] Group 2 - Wuhan is highlighted as a key city in the national data strategy, with expectations to achieve significant results in data storage, processing, and application, thereby promoting high-quality development of the regional digital economy [3] - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) aims to leverage this conference to gather global innovation resources in the storage field, driving breakthroughs in key technologies and contributing to the digital economy [3]

Core Insights - Pure Storage (PSTG.US) surged nearly 30%, reaching an all-time high of $78.41 following the release of its Q2 FY2026 earnings report [1] Financial Performance - The company reported revenue of $861 million for Q2 FY2026, a 13% year-over-year increase, exceeding analyst expectations of $846.8 million [1] - Earnings per share were $0.43, surpassing the anticipated $0.39 [1] - Subscription service revenue reached $414.7 million, reflecting a 15% year-over-year growth [1] - Annual recurring revenue from subscriptions hit $1.8 billion, up 18% year-over-year, contributing to an overall gross margin of 72.1% [1] Guidance and Projections - The company raised its sales guidance for FY2026 to between $3.6 billion and $3.63 billion, up from the previous guidance of $3.515 billion [1] - For Q3, sales are projected to be between $950 million and $960 million, exceeding the expected $913.1 million [1]

Core Viewpoint - Pure Storage (PSTG.US) experienced a nearly 30% surge, reaching an all-time high of $78.41 following the release of its Q2 FY2026 earnings report, which exceeded analyst expectations [1] Financial Performance - The company reported revenue of $861 million for Q2 FY2026, a 13% year-over-year increase, surpassing analyst expectations of $846.8 million [1] - Earnings per share were $0.43, exceeding the anticipated $0.39 [1] - Subscription service revenue reached $414.7 million, reflecting a 15% year-over-year growth [1] - Annual recurring revenue from subscriptions hit $1.8 billion, up 18% year-over-year, contributing to an overall gross margin of 72.1% [1] Guidance and Projections - Pure Storage raised its sales guidance for FY2026 to between $3.6 billion and $3.63 billion, up from the previous guidance of $3.515 billion [1] - The company anticipates Q3 sales to be between $950 million and $960 million, exceeding the expected $913.1 million [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved revenue of $1,560 million in Q1, which is above the midpoint of guidance and represents a 1% year-over-year increase [5][22] - Excluding the divested spot business, total revenue increased by 3% year-over-year [22] - Q1 hybrid cloud revenue was $1,400 million, up 1% year-over-year, driven by support revenue growth of 3% and professional services revenue growth of 18% [22] - Consolidated gross margin improved by 1.6 percentage points sequentially to 71.1% [24] - Operating profit was $400 million with an operating margin of 25.7% [26] - The company ended Q1 with $4,530 million in deferred revenue, up 9% year-over-year [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - All flash array revenue grew 6% year-over-year to $893 million, with a run rate of $3,600 million [10] - Public cloud revenue increased by 1% year-over-year to $161 million, and excluding spot, it was up 18% year-over-year [23] - Professional services revenue grew 18% year-over-year, driven by the Keystone offering, which increased approximately 80% compared to the same period last year [22][24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas enterprise performance offset declines in the U.S. Public sector and EMEA [6][21] - The company secured approximately 125 AI infrastructure and data lake modernization deals across various geographies and industries in Q1 [17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on helping customers modernize their data infrastructure and advance cloud transformations, particularly in the emerging enterprise AI market [7][19] - The strategy includes enhancing profitability and free cash flow while consistently delivering value to customers and shareholders [28] - The company aims to maintain its leadership position in the all flash market and expand its cloud services [19][20] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted some macro-related spending caution but highlighted strong demand for AI solutions and cloud transformations [7][19] - The company expects revenue for Q2 to be $1,690 million, implying 2% growth year-over-year at the midpoint [27] - Full-year guidance for fiscal year 2026 remains between $6,625 million and $6,875 million, reflecting 3% growth year-over-year [28] Other Important Information - The company redeemed senior notes due in June 2025 for $757 million and returned $404 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends [26] - The balance sheet remains strong with $3,300 million in cash and short-term investments and $2,500 million in total debt, resulting in a net cash position of approximately $840 million [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: All flash revenue growth has decelerated from double digits to just 5%. What is driving this? - Management indicated that softness in the U.S. Public sector and EMEA contributed to the lower growth, but they anticipate improvement for the rest of the year [34][36] Question: How should we think about the seasonality into January? - Management expressed confidence in the outlook for the year, noting that Q2 is typically a strong budget spending quarter for the U.S. public sector [48] Question: What is the competitive landscape for all flash? - Management acknowledged a competitive environment but expressed confidence in their competitive position and did not see any specific adverse patterns in the quarter [102] Question: Can you elaborate on the AI wins and their magnitude? - Management reported over 125 AI wins in the quarter, with a mix of smaller and larger scale deployments, indicating strong momentum in AI adoption [41][66] Question: What is the strategy regarding hypervisor offerings? - The company supports a broad range of hypervisors and aims to continue providing support based on customer demand [125]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q1 2026 was $1,560 million, up 1% year over year, exceeding the midpoint of guidance [21] - Excluding the divested spot business, total revenue increased by 3% year on year [21] - Q1 hybrid cloud revenue was $1,400 million, also up 1% year over year [21] - Product revenue decreased by 2% year over year to $654 million [21] - Public cloud revenue increased by 1% year over year to $161 million, and excluding spot, it was up 18% year over year [21] - Q1 consolidated gross margin improved by 1.6 percentage points sequentially to 71.1% [23] - Operating profit was $400 million with an operating margin of 25.7% [25] - Diluted EPS was $1.55, aligned with expectations [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - All flash array revenue grew 6% year over year to $893 million, with an annualized run rate of $3,600 million [8] - Professional services revenue grew 18% year over year to $97 million, driven by Keystone, which was up approximately 80% compared to the same period last year [21] - Recurring support business maintained a gross margin of 92.3% [23] - Public cloud gross margin was 80.1%, up 80 basis points sequentially and nine percentage points year over year [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Strong performance in The Americas enterprise offset declines in the U.S. Public sector and EMEA [5] - The company secured approximately 125 AI infrastructure and data lake modernization deals across various geographies and industries in Q1 [15] - The emerging enterprise AI market is driving urgency among customers to modernize data infrastructure [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on helping customers modernize their data infrastructure and advance cloud transformations [5] - The strategy includes enhancing profitability and free cash flow while delivering value to customers and shareholders [27] - The company aims to capitalize on growing opportunities in the enterprise AI sector [18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted some macro-related spending caution but emphasized strong demand for AI solutions [6] - The company expects revenue for Q2 to be $1,690 million, implying 2% growth year over year at the midpoint [26] - Full year guidance for fiscal year 2026 remains between $6,625 million and $6,875 million, reflecting 3% growth year over year [27] Other Important Information - The company ended Q1 with $4,530 million in deferred revenue, up 9% year over year [22] - Cash flow from operations reached a record $673 million in Q1 [25] - The company redeemed senior notes due in June 2025 for $757 million [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: All flash revenue growth has decelerated from double digits to just 5%. What is driving this? - Management indicated that softness in the U.S. Public sector and EMEA contributed to lower growth, but they anticipate improvement for the rest of the year [34][36] Question: What is the outlook for enterprise AI adoption? - Management reported strong momentum with over 125 AI wins in Q1, indicating a shift from proof of concept to production [40] Question: How does the availability of 128 terabyte QLC based NAND impact search solutions for AI applications? - Management stated that they have a broad range of NAND technologies available and do not feel gated by any specific technology [44] Question: What is the competitive landscape for all flash storage? - Management expressed confidence in their competitive position despite challenges in certain markets, noting that high-performance flash outgrew capacity flash year on year [110] Question: Can you elaborate on the gross margin guidance for public cloud business? - Management explained that improvements in gross margin are driven by depreciation roll-off and increased software content in revenue [57]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q2 FY 2026 was $861 million, representing a 13% year-over-year growth, while operating profit was $130 million with an operating margin of 15.1% [22][28] - Subscription services revenue reached $415 million, up 15% year-over-year, accounting for 48% of total revenue [26] - Total remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew 22% to $2.8 billion, reflecting robust renewals and new commitments [26] - Total gross margin remained strong at 72.1%, with subscription services gross margin at 76.5% [27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Strong performance was noted across the entire portfolio, particularly in FlashBlade and core software and services offerings like Evergreen One, Cloud Block Store, and Portworx [22][24] - Total contract value (TCV) sales for Storage as a Service offerings grew 24% year-over-year to $125 million [24] - The FlashBlade E family showed strength, contributing to overall product gross margin improvement [88] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue was $577 million, growing 7%, while international revenue was $284 million, growing 26% year-over-year [27] - More than 300 new customers were added, maintaining a 62% penetration rate in the Fortune 500 [27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on the enterprise data cloud architecture, which is transforming how organizations manage data, emphasizing the shift from traditional siloed storage to a software-defined model [9][11] - Continued investment in partnerships with hyperscalers, including Meta, to enhance direct flash technology and expand market presence [25][17] - The introduction of a guidance range for financial metrics aims to align with industry practices and provide flexibility for growth opportunities [30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to extend industry leadership despite a variable macro environment, citing strong execution and planning [20] - Positive momentum is expected in the second half of the fiscal year, driven by strong demand signals and an increasing pipeline of large deals [110] - The company anticipates revenue for FY 2026 to be in the range of $3.6 billion to $3.63 billion, representing a 14% year-over-year growth at the midpoint [31] Other Important Information - The company reported a strong free cash flow performance of $150 million, with a free cash flow margin of 17.4% [29] - A new partnership with Nutanix is expected to enhance customer interest and scalability in virtualization environments [58] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is driving the acceleration of growth in the back half of the fiscal year? - Management noted broad-based strength in product lines and improved visibility into the pipeline, contributing to confidence in growth forecasts [36] Question: How has the relationship with Meta evolved? - The relationship is progressing as expected, with deployments on track and revenue recognition beginning [42] Question: What factors contributed to the sequential gross margin improvement? - Management attributed the improvement to revenue mix, product mix, and pricing discipline, with Meta's contribution being less material than anticipated [48] Question: How is the engagement with other hyperscalers progressing? - Early-stage engagements are ongoing, with technology assessments and proofs of concept underway, but still in the initial phases [64] Question: What are the long-term expectations for Meta's contribution? - Management expects to achieve one to two exabytes of deployment this fiscal year, with potential for double-digit contributions in the next fiscal year [70] Question: How should the split between product versus subscriptions be viewed? - Management indicated that both product and subscription revenues are expected to grow, with subscription gross margins being higher than product gross margins [98]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q2 FY 2026 was $861 million, representing a 13% year-over-year growth [20] - Operating profit was $130 million, resulting in an operating margin of 15.1% [20] - Subscription services revenue reached $415 million, up 15% year-over-year, accounting for 48% of total revenue [25] - Total remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew 22% to $2.8 billion [25] - Free cash flow was $150 million, with a free cash flow margin of 17.4% [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Strong performance in FlashBlade and core software and services offerings, including Evergreen One, Cloud Block Store, and Portworx [20][6] - TCV sales for Storage as a Service offerings grew 24% year-over-year to $125 million [23] - Product gross margin rose to 68%, aligning with long-term expectations [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue was $577 million, growing 7%, while international revenue was $284 million, growing 26% year-over-year [26] - The company added over 300 new customers, maintaining a 62% penetration of the Fortune 500 [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on the enterprise data cloud architecture, which transforms data management for organizations [9][13] - Continued emphasis on modernizing IT environments, including partnerships with hyperscalers and financial institutions [11][15] - The introduction of a guidance range for financial metrics to align with industry practices and allow flexibility for growth opportunities [29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's momentum and the macroeconomic environment, indicating a positive outlook for the second half of the fiscal year [36][110] - The company anticipates revenue growth of 14% year-over-year for FY 2026, with Q3 revenue expected to be between $950 million and $960 million [29][30] Other Important Information - The company recognized its first revenue from a strategic co-engineering effort with Meta during Q2 [24] - The balance sheet remains strong with $1.5 billion in cash and investments [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is driving the acceleration of growth in the back half of the fiscal year? - Management noted broad-based strength in product lines and improved visibility into the pipeline, contributing to confidence in forecasts [35] Question: How has the relationship with Meta evolved? - The relationship is progressing as expected, with revenue recognition beginning and confidence in achieving the forecasted deployment of one to two exabytes [40][42] Question: How much of the gross margin improvement was due to Meta shipments? - Management indicated that while Meta contributed to gross margin improvement, the majority came from product and revenue mix, as well as pricing discipline [48] Question: What are the expectations for the partnership with Nutanix? - The partnership is generating strong customer interest, with plans for general availability by the end of the year [57] Question: How are early engagements with other hyperscalers progressing? - Engagements are progressing well, with technology assessments and proofs of concept underway, but still in early stages [62] Question: What are the demand drivers observed in the quarter? - Demand was steady with above-average linearity, indicating strong macro and competitive environments, along with an increasing willingness from customers to expand their needs [110]

Financial Performance - NetApp achieved Q1 FY26 revenue of $1.56 billion, a 1.2% year-over-year increase[44] - Billings for Q1 FY26 reached $1.51 billion, representing a 4.3% year-over-year growth[44] - The company's Q1 FY26 Non-GAAP gross margin was 71.1%, a decrease of 110 bps year-over-year[44] - Non-GAAP earnings per share for Q1 FY26 were $1.55, a 0.6% decrease year-over-year[44] - NetApp's Q1 FY26 free cash flow was $620 million, resulting in a free cash flow margin of 39.8%[43, 44] Segment Performance - Public Cloud Services gross margin long-term target range raised to 80%-85%[43] - Public Cloud Segment Net Revenues is $161 million[84] - Hybrid Cloud Segment Net Revenues is $1.398 billion[84] Future Outlook - NetApp reaffirmed its FY26 revenue guidance of $6.625 billion to $6.875 billion[82] - The company projects a Non-GAAP gross margin of 71% to 72% and a Non-GAAP operating margin of 28.8% to 29.8% for FY26[82]

Financial Performance - Pure Storage achieved strong numbers across the board, including margins and guidance that topped analyst expectations [1] - Product revenue is up, along with as-a-service offerings, indicating balanced growth across products and software [2] - The company recognized its first revenue from a hyperscale environment last quarter and anticipates continued scaling in the future [6] AI and Technology Trends - AI has shifted enterprises' perspective on their data, highlighting fragmentation and prompting a need for a unified data cloud [4] - Pure Storage plays into the AI environment by selling products into both AI training and inference environments [3] - The company introduced the concept of an enterprise data cloud, enabling data storage to operate like a cloud within the enterprise for security, performance, and AI analytics [4][5] - Performance is critical in AI environments, requiring low latency and rapid delivery of vast amounts of data [9] - FlashBlade Exa, a product introduced earlier this year, has achieved top industry benchmarks [9] Market Dynamics and Strategy - North America is currently the largest market for AI, with significant buying activity also observed in the Middle East and Far East [10][11] - Pure Storage provides only flash storage, offering benefits in hyperscale environments by reducing space, power, and cooling requirements [7][8] - Strong buying signals are observed, reflecting both macro conditions and the company's industry strength [12]

Q2 Fiscal Year 2026 Performance - Total revenue reached $861 million, representing a 13% year-over-year growth[9] - Subscription Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) hit $1.8 billion, an 18% year-over-year increase[9] - Storage as a Service offerings generated $125 million in revenue, a 24% year-over-year growth[9] - Non-GAAP operating margin was 15.1%[9] - Free cash flow was $150.1 million, resulting in a free cash flow margin of 17.4%[12, 33] Customer Satisfaction and Adoption - The company has over 13,500 global customers[9] - Net Promoter Score (NPS) reached 81, the highest in the industry[9] - 62% of Fortune 500 companies are customers[9, 31] Financial Position - Total cash and marketable securities amounted to $1.54 billion[9] - Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) reached $2.84 billion, a 22% year-over-year growth[9] Future Outlook (Guidance) - Q3 Fiscal Year 2026 revenue is projected to be between $950 million and $960 million, indicating a year-over-year growth of 14.3% to 15.5%[57] - Q3 Fiscal Year 2026 non-GAAP operating income is expected to range from $185 million to $195 million, a year-over-year growth of 10.6% to 16.6%[57] - Fiscal Year 2026 revenue guidance was raised to $3.60 billion - $3.63 billion, reflecting a 13.5% to 14.5% year-over-year growth[59] - Fiscal Year 2026 non-GAAP operating income guidance was increased to $605 million - $625 million, an 8.2% to 11.7% year-over-year growth[59]