Credo Technology Group (CRDO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call June 02, 2025 05:00 PM ET Company Participants Dan O'Neil - Vice President-Corporate Development & Investor RelationsBill Brennan - President, CEO & ChairDan Fleming - Chief Financial OfficerVivek Arya - Managing DirectorTore Svanberg - Managing DirectorThomas O'Malley - Director - Equity ResearchVijay Rakesh - Managing DirectorKarl Ackerman - Managing Director - Equity ResearchJoshua Buchalter - Director - Equity Research Conference Call Participants Quin ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q4, the company reported revenue of $170 million, a 26% sequential increase and up 180% year over year [5][23] - For fiscal year 2025, total revenue reached $437 million, representing a growth of 126% year over year [6][22] - Non-GAAP gross margin for Q4 was 67.4%, and for fiscal year 2025, it was 65% [6][22] - Non-GAAP operating income in Q4 was $62.5 million, compared to $42.4 million in Q3, reflecting significant leverage from revenue growth [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Active Electrical Cable (AEC) product line maintained a steep growth trajectory, with significant contributions from three hyperscalers, each contributing over 10% of revenue in Q4 [10][24] - The optical business achieved strong momentum, with revenue growth targets met, including a significant win for an 800 gig transceiver expected to deploy in fiscal 2026 [13][14] - The retimer business also showed robust results, driven by 50 gig and 100 gig per lane Ethernet solutions, with expectations for strong growth in fiscal 2026 [17][18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company anticipates increasing customer diversification across copper and optical connectivity for various applications, particularly in AI networks [10][21] - The demand for high-speed connectivity solutions is expected to continue growing among hyperscaler customers [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on customer-driven innovation and has successfully capitalized on a predicted inflection point in demand for high-performance connectivity solutions [8][19] - The strategy includes a holistic innovation approach that integrates advanced technology, system-level solutions, and a robust software platform [9][10] - The company aims to capture significant opportunities in the global AI infrastructure investment wave, positioning itself for sustained growth [20] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustained revenue growth driven by strong customer forecasts and new design wins [12][19] - The company expects revenue for Q1 of fiscal 2026 to be between $185 million and $195 million, with a year-over-year growth expectation exceeding 85% for the full year [27][28] - Management highlighted the importance of flexibility in navigating tariff risks and the evolving macroeconomic environment [56] Other Important Information - The company ended Q4 with cash and equivalents of $431.3 million, an increase of $52.1 million from Q3, indicating strong financial health [26] - CapEx for Q4 was $3.7 million, with expectations for CapEx to double in fiscal 2026 to support growth initiatives [22][82] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you quantify the revenue contribution from the largest customers? - The largest customer accounted for 61% of revenue, with two others contributing 12% and 11% respectively, and diversification is expected to continue in fiscal 2026 [34][35] Question: What are the expectations for gross margin and EBIT margin? - Gross margin is expected to be around 65% for Q1, with EBIT margin expected to follow improvements in net margin [36][39] Question: Can you discuss the use cases for large customers, especially regarding AEC? - The main use cases include connecting servers with switches, with a significant focus on scale-out networks [44][45] Question: What is the competitive landscape for AEC products? - The competitive environment remains stable, with the company focused on delivering innovative solutions quickly to maintain leadership [88] Question: How is the company positioned for optical growth? - The company expects to double or exceed its optical revenue in fiscal 2026, with strong traction in 100 gig per lane designs [69][70] Question: Are there any supply chain bottlenecks? - The company has shown the ability to ramp production quickly, with silicon lead times being the longest, but overall supply chain management is strong [101][103]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q4, the company reported revenue of $170 million, a 26% sequential increase and up 180% year over year [4][22] - For fiscal year 2025, total revenue reached $437 million, representing a growth of 126% year over year [5][21] - Non-GAAP gross margin for Q4 was 67.4%, and for fiscal year 2025, it was 65% [5][21] - Non-GAAP operating income in Q4 was $62.5 million, compared to $42.4 million in Q3, reflecting significant leverage from revenue growth [24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Active Electrical Cable (AEC) product line maintained a steep growth trajectory, with significant contributions from three hyperscalers, each contributing over 10% of revenue [9][22] - The optical business achieved strong momentum, with revenue growth targets met and significant wins in 50 gig and 100 gig per lane optical DSPs [12][15] - The retimer business also delivered robust results, driven by 50 gig and 100 gig per lane Ethernet solutions [15] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted increasing customer diversification across copper and optical connectivity for various applications, particularly in AI networks [8][20] - The demand for high-speed connectivity solutions is growing among hyperscaler customers, driven by the need for advanced AI services [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on customer-driven innovation and has positioned itself as a leader in high-speed connectivity solutions, particularly in the AI landscape [6][18] - The strategy includes expanding the AEC market and enhancing optical connectivity solutions, with a commitment to energy efficiency and reliability [14][19] - The company anticipates significant growth opportunities in the optical market, particularly with the introduction of new products [14][19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in sustained revenue growth, driven by increasing customer diversification and the anticipated ramp-up of new hyperscale customers [9][33] - The company expects revenue for Q1 of fiscal 2026 to be between $185 million and $195 million, indicating a 12% sequential growth at the midpoint [26] - For fiscal year 2026, the company projects revenue to exceed $800 million, with year-over-year growth exceeding 85% [27] Other Important Information - The company ended Q4 with cash and equivalents of $431.3 million, an increase of $52.1 million from Q3 [25] - Capital expenditures (CapEx) are expected to double in fiscal year 2026 to support growth initiatives [78] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you quantify the contribution of the largest customers? - The largest customer accounted for 61% of revenue, with two others contributing 12% and 11% respectively [32] Question: What are the expectations for gross margin in the upcoming quarters? - Gross margin is expected to trend around 65% for Q1, with potential for further expansion as scale increases [34][36] Question: Can you elaborate on the use cases for large customers? - The primary use cases include connecting servers with switches, focusing on both front-end and back-end networks [42] Question: What is the competitive landscape for AEC products? - The competitive environment has not changed significantly, and the company aims to maintain its leadership by delivering innovative solutions quickly [84][86]

Core Insights - The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving unprecedented demand for high-performance, secure, and innovative solutions in data centers [1] - Microchip Technology is developing advanced technologies to address evolving market needs in data center connectivity, storage, and data retrieval [1] Product Portfolio - Microchip's portfolio includes high-speed interconnect and storage technologies such as Gen 3, Gen 4, and Gen 5 PCIe switches, with Gen 6 and Gen 7 technologies in development [2] - The company offers Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe), storage and RAID controllers with hardware-based security for enhanced data protection [2] - Connectivity solutions include retimers and Ethernet PHYs to optimize interconnect functionality, along with power management and system monitoring solutions designed for energy-efficient operations [2] New Solutions - Introduction of the 800G Active Electrical Cable (AEC) Reference Design, featuring the META-DX2C 800G retimer with 112G SerDes, aimed at reducing development time and cost for generative AI networks [3][7] - The Lambda Splitting technique in the design significantly reduces costs and boosts bandwidth efficiency by up to 50% [7] - The LAN9646 6-Port Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) Switch supports multiple interface options and is designed for various networking applications, providing full VLAN and Quality of Service (QoS) support [7] Power Management - The MCPF1412 high-density power module delivers up to 12A of current within a voltage range of 0.6V to 1.8V, optimized for space-constrained applications [7] - dsPIC33A Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) enhance energy efficiency and reliability in data centers and AI servers, with features for power factor correction and synchronous rectification [13] Security Features - Microchip's data center solutions include Secure Root of Trust Controllers that protect system integrity by verifying firmware at power-up and monitoring system activity [9] - These controllers support secure system ownership transfer and robust lifecycle management [9] Industry Commitment - The company emphasizes its commitment to delivering essential building blocks to address technology challenges in modern data centers, focusing on high-speed connectivity, storage rates, and power management systems [9]