Group 1 - Seagate Technology has experienced a remarkable stock market rally in 2025, with a 73% year-to-date increase, significantly outperforming the Nasdaq Composite index's 7% return [1] - The company's revenue for the first nine months of fiscal 2025 rose nearly 43% year over year to $6.65 billion, with non-GAAP income from operations increasing more than fourfold due to higher margins [3][4] - The growth is driven by strong demand for mass capacity storage in the cloud, which is expected to push annual revenue for the data center storage market to $23 billion by 2028, up from $13 billion last year [4] Group 2 - Seagate holds a 40% share of the global storage market and has guided for $2.4 billion in revenue for the recently concluded fiscal fourth quarter, representing a 27% year-over-year increase [5][6] - For the full fiscal year, revenue is projected to grow by 38%, with adjusted earnings expected to jump more than sixfold to $7.91 per share [7] - The stock is currently trading at 21 times trailing earnings and 16 times forward earnings estimates, which is significantly lower than the Nasdaq 100 index's average forward earnings multiple of 29, indicating an attractive valuation [9]

Core Insights - Verinext has been recognized as the HPE Storage Solution Provider of the Year for 2025, highlighting its innovation, growth, and customer impact with HPE storage solutions [1][2][3] Group 1: Award Recognition - The award was presented during the HPE Partner Growth Summit 2025, acknowledging partners who have shown exceptional dedication and success in digital transformation [2] - Verinext's recognition reflects its team's expertise and commitment to delivering impactful outcomes for customers [3] Group 2: Partnership and Solutions - Verinext is a longstanding HPE Platinum Partner, providing HPE storage solutions as part of its comprehensive suite of data protection and hybrid infrastructure solutions [3] - The partnership with HPE is emphasized as a key driver of innovation and performance for Verinext's clients [3] Group 3: Company Overview - Verinext focuses on delivering transformative business outcomes through technology and services, enabling customers to prepare for future challenges [4] - The company operates five offices across the southern and northeastern regions and is backed by Mill Point Capital LLC [4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Full year 2024 net revenue was $188.9 million, consistent with preliminary results reported in early February [8] - Gross profit margin for Q4 2024 was 16.4%, down from 23.5% in Q4 2023, primarily due to one-time inventory disposal costs [14][26] - Net loss for Q4 2024 was $23.3 million, an improvement from a net loss of $27.3 million in Q4 2023 [29] - Full year 2024 net loss was $49.5 million, compared to a net loss of $46.5 million in 2023 [32] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Proprietary brand sales for 2024 were $39.5 million, representing 24.2% of total net sales, up from 18.8% in 2023 [9][31] - Cultivation and Gardening net sales for Q4 2024 were $32.9 million, down from $41.7 million in Q4 2023 [25] - Storage Solutions segment revenue decreased 41% to $4.5 million in Q4 2024 compared to $7.7 million in the same period last year [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Same-store sales rose 1% year-over-year in Q4 2024, marking the second consecutive quarter of positive growth [24] - The company ended 2024 with 31 operational stores and 2 regional distribution centers [13] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company executed a strategic transformation to become a product-driven business with a focus on B2B customers [9] - The goal for proprietary brands is to reach 35% of Cultivation and Gardening net sales by the end of 2025 [10] - A new B2B e-commerce platform was launched in Q4 2024, receiving positive customer feedback [11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects net revenue for 2025 to be in the range of $170 million to $180 million, with adjusted EBITDA ranging from a $2 million loss to a positive $2 million profit [18][35] - The company anticipates gross margins for 2025 to be between 29% and 31% [35] - Management remains optimistic about potential regulatory changes in the cannabis industry that could positively impact the business [74] Other Important Information - The company completed a $6 million share repurchase program in 2024 [15][34] - The company has no debt and a strong cash position of $56.5 million as of December 31, 2024 [14][34] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you discuss the expected cadence of gross margin improvement? - Management expects an immediate lift in gross margin in Q1, with continued improvements throughout the year, targeting 30% for the full year [45] Question: What initiatives are being taken to transition sales to e-commerce? - The company is transferring commercial customers to the new B2B portals and focusing on operational efficiencies [48] Question: Can you elaborate on sales within different channels for proprietary brands? - Proprietary brands are seeing growth across retail, commercial, and e-commerce channels, with a focus on Amazon [55] Question: Is there any remaining inventory that needs to be cleaned up? - The heavy lifting on inventory has been completed, with continuous improvements expected moving forward [59] Question: What are the growth and demand assumptions for 2025? - Management anticipates a rebound in the MMI business and growth driven by proprietary brands and B2B customer service [66][70] Question: Any updates on the regulatory environment regarding cannabis? - Management remains optimistic about potential rescheduling and banking policy changes that could benefit the industry [74]