Welcome to Market Catalysts. I'm Julie Hyman. Here is what we're watching today.First up, IBM will buy Confluent for $9.3% billion. We'll be speaking with the CEO of Confluent to discuss. Plus, the bidding war for Warner Brothers heats up as Paramount makes a hostile bid for the company.and we'll count down to the December FOMC meeting as the Federal Reserve prepares to issue a rate decision. Let's take a look at the major averages. It is already a busy week.It's going to be a busier week as we get that dec ...

We came across a bullish thesis on Confluent, Inc. on Compounding Your Wealth’s Substack by Sergey. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on CFLT. Confluent, Inc.'s share was trading at $21.87 as of December 1st. CFLT’s forward P/E was 45.45 according to Yahoo Finance. Photo by Luke Chesser on Unsplash Confluent (CFLT) delivered a strong Q3 2025 performance with $298.5 million in revenue, up 19.3% year over year and ahead of estimates, driven by robust subscription growth and operational ...

Streaming Industry Overview - Streaming stocks are shares of publicly traded companies primarily delivering audio, video, or live content over the internet, with notable examples including Netflix and Spotify [2] - Investors focus on metrics such as subscriber growth, engagement, churn, content, and marketing spend, as these factors drive recurring revenue and influence valuations and volatility [2] Company Summaries Spotify Technology (SPOT) - Spotify Technology S.A. provides audio streaming subscription services globally, operating through two segments: Premium and Ad-Supported [3] - The Premium segment offers unlimited online and offline streaming access to its music and podcast catalog without commercial breaks [3] Confluent (CFLT) - Confluent, Inc. operates a data streaming platform both in the U.S. and internationally, providing platforms for customers to connect applications, systems, and data layers [3] - Key offerings include Confluent Cloud, a managed cloud-native software-as-a-service, and Confluent Platform, an enterprise-grade self-managed software [3] Roku (ROKU) - Roku, Inc. operates a TV streaming platform in the U.S. and internationally, divided into two segments: Platform and Devices [4] - The Platform segment includes digital advertising services, media and entertainment promotional spending, and revenue shares from streaming services [4] Franco-Nevada (FNV) - Franco-Nevada Corporation is a gold-focused royalty and streaming company operating in various regions including South America, Central America, and the U.S. [5] - The company manages a portfolio focused on precious metals and engages in the sale of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids [5] Logitech International (LOGI) - Logitech International S.A. designs, manufactures, and markets software-enabled hardware solutions for gaming, streaming, and other applications [6] - Product offerings include gaming peripherals, streaming services, and various types of speakers and webcams [6][7]

Core Insights - Confluent, Inc. is a significant player in the data streaming industry, offering solutions for real-time data processing [1][4] - The consensus price target for Confluent's stock has fluctuated, with a recent increase to $24 from $22, indicating a shift in analyst sentiment [1][5] - Confluent has a substantial addressable market of $100 billion and serves blue-chip customers, enhancing its business model [4] Price Target and Analyst Sentiment - The average price target for Confluent's stock was $24 last month, up from $22 in the previous quarter, but down from $27.63 a year ago [1][5] - Analyst Rudy Kessinger from D.A. Davidson has set a price target of $44 for Confluent, reflecting a positive outlook despite recent fluctuations [2] Stock Performance and Market Conditions - Confluent's stock saw a 7.6% increase in its price during the last trading session, driven by higher-than-average trading volume [3][5] - Current trends in earnings estimate revisions may not support a continued upward trajectory in the near term, suggesting caution for investors [3] Financial Position and Valuation - Confluent holds nearly $2 billion in cash reserves, indicating a strong financial position [4][5] - The company trades at low enterprise value to revenue multiples of 5.2x for fiscal year 2025 and 4.4x for fiscal year 2026, making it an attractive investment opportunity [4]

Core Insights - Confluent Inc. is a key player in the data streaming industry, competing with Apache Kafka and Amazon Kinesis [1] - The company is set to report quarterly earnings on October 27, 2025, with an expected EPS of $0.10 and revenue of approximately $292.9 million [1][2] Financial Performance - The anticipated EPS of $0.10 is consistent with the same period last year, which is important for maintaining investor sentiment [2] - Projected revenue of $292.9 million represents a 16.7% increase year-over-year, indicating positive growth momentum for Confluent [2][6] Valuation Metrics - Confluent's price-to-sales ratio is 7.40, suggesting that investors are willing to pay a premium for each dollar of sales, reflecting confidence in future growth prospects [3][6] - The enterprise value to sales ratio stands at 8.17, further emphasizing the company's valuation relative to its revenue [3] - The enterprise value to operating cash flow ratio is notably high at 206.16, indicating a premium valuation compared to cash flow [4] Debt and Financial Stability - The debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04 indicates a manageable level of debt relative to equity [5] - Confluent's current ratio of 3.98 demonstrates a strong ability to meet short-term liabilities with short-term assets, ensuring financial stability [5]

Core Viewpoint - Confluent, Inc. is under investigation for potential violations of federal securities laws following a significant drop in stock price after the release of its Q2 2025 financial results, which indicated a reduction in revenue growth due to a major client's shift towards self-management of data platforms [1][2]. Financial Performance - On July 30, 2025, Confluent reported its Q2 2025 financial results, highlighting that an AI-native customer is reducing its usage of Confluent Cloud, which is expected to dampen Q4 cloud revenue growth by low single digits [2]. - Following this announcement, Confluent's stock price fell by $8.67, or 32.8%, closing at $17.73 per share on July 31, 2025, resulting in financial losses for investors [2].

Core Insights - Confluent reported revenue of $282.29 million for Q2 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 20.1% and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.63% [1] - The company's EPS for the same quarter was $0.09, up from $0.06 a year ago, representing a surprise of 12.5% over the consensus estimate of $0.08 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Remaining performance obligations (RPO) stood at $1.16 billion, surpassing the average estimate of $1.04 billion [4] - Subscription revenue reached $270.83 million, exceeding the average estimate of $267.57 million, with a year-over-year growth of 20.5% [4] - Service revenue was reported at $11.45 million, above the average estimate of $10.18 million, reflecting an 11.4% year-over-year increase [4] - Confluent Cloud revenue was $150.52 million, slightly above the average estimate of $149.48 million, with a significant year-over-year growth of 28.7% [4] - Revenue from Confluent Platform- License was $30.63 million, exceeding the average estimate of $28.44 million [4] - Confluent Platform- PCS revenue was reported at $89.68 million, close to the average estimate of $89.89 million [4] Stock Performance - Confluent's shares have returned +8.1% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.4% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription revenue grew 21% to $270.8 million, representing 96% of total revenue [26] - Confluent Cloud revenue increased 28% to $150.5 million, accounting for 56% of subscription revenue compared to 52% in the previous year [26] - Non-GAAP operating margin improved to 6%, up approximately six percentage points [5][28] - Adjusted free cash flow margin increased to 3.9% [28] - Net income per share was $0.09 with a diluted share count of approximately 380 million [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Confluent Platform revenue grew 12% to $120.3 million, driven by strong performance in financial services and OEM partners [26] - Flink ARR grew approximately 3x over the past two quarters, approaching $10 million [5][16] - RPO growth accelerated to 31%, indicating deepening customer relationships [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the US grew 15% to $164.3 million, while revenue from outside the US grew 29% to $117.9 million [27] - Total customer growth was in line with the average growth rate of the previous four quarters [29] - 20k+ ARR customer count grew approximately 8% to 2,497, representing over 95% of ARR [29] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on three key areas: replacing CSP streaming offerings, enhancing the partner ecosystem, and expanding Flink [10][12][34] - The partner ecosystem has sourced over 20% of the business in the past year, with significant partnerships established [14][35] - The company aims to capture a meaningful share of the $100 billion data streaming market [24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that larger customers are optimizing their usage, which is expected to impact consumption growth in the near term [6][30] - Despite consumption headwinds, management remains confident in the strength of the business and the potential for growth in AI workloads [23][34] - The outlook for Confluent Cloud assumes month-over-month growth rates will remain notably below historical averages for the remainder of the year [31] Other Important Information - The company is seeing early success in operational enhancements aimed at improving customer engagement and driving use case expansions [9][33] - The Flink offering is central to the company's strategy for real-time data processing, with significant growth observed [17][34] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the consumption optimization trends? - Management indicated that the optimization is a broader trend seen across various companies, with some customers reducing their Confluent Cloud usage due to internal changes [37][40] Question: How do you see production AI workloads impacting subscription growth? - Management believes that the relevance of streaming and processing in AI applications will positively impact subscription growth moving forward [43][45] Question: What is the outlook for NRR and GRR metrics? - Management expects near-term pressure on NRR and GRR due to current consumption patterns but sees potential tailwinds from operational improvements and customer commitments [98][99] Question: How is the company addressing the challenges in the 20k+ customer segment? - Management acknowledged the need to focus on this segment and is implementing strategies to drive growth, particularly through CSP takeouts [78][80]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Confluent reported a 21% growth in subscription revenue, reaching $270.8 million, which represented 96% of total revenue [25] - Non-GAAP operating margin increased to 6%, up approximately six percentage points year-over-year [4][28] - Adjusted free cash flow margin rose to 3.9%, reflecting operational efficiencies [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Confluent Cloud revenue grew 28% to $150.5 million, accounting for 56% of subscription revenue, up from 52% in the previous year [25] - Confluent Platform revenue increased by 12% to $120.3 million, driven by strong performance in financial services and OEM partnerships [25] - Flink ARR grew approximately 3x over the past two quarters, approaching $10 million [15][31] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the US grew 15% to $164.3 million, while revenue from outside the US increased by 29% to $117.9 million [26] - Total customer growth remained consistent with previous quarters, with 20k+ ARR customer count growing 8% to 2,497 [29] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on enhancing operational efficiencies and improving coverage ratios between account executives and post-sales roles to drive customer engagement [6][7] - Confluent is doubling down on three strategic areas: replacing CSP streaming offerings, expanding the partner ecosystem, and growing the Flink business [8][12][15] - The partner ecosystem has sourced over 20% of business in the past year, indicating a strong collaborative approach to market penetration [13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged near-term consumption headwinds but expressed confidence in the long-term growth trajectory, particularly in AI workloads and DSP monetization [22][35] - The company expects production AI use cases to grow 10x across a few hundred customers, indicating a significant market opportunity [19][33] - Management raised full-year growth expectations for Confluent Platform, reflecting strong pipeline visibility [31] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with $1.94 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, providing a strong financial position [29] - Non-GAAP net income per diluted share was reported at $0.09, with expectations for continued growth in the upcoming quarters [28][31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the consumption optimization trends? - Management noted that optimization efforts are similar to trends seen across the industry, with some customers focusing on maximizing value from existing purchases [40][41] Question: How do you see production AI workloads impacting subscription growth? - Management believes that the relevance of streaming in AI applications will positively influence subscription growth moving forward [43][45] Question: What is the outlook for net revenue retention (NRR)? - NRR is expected to face near-term pressure due to current consumption patterns, but management is optimistic about future tailwinds from operational improvements and customer commitments [93][94] Question: How is the go-to-market strategy evolving? - Management indicated that changes in sales compensation to focus on incremental consumption have been beneficial, and they are optimistic about driving new use cases [62][63] Question: What are the expectations for structural changes from field realignment efforts? - Management is already seeing positive momentum from recent changes and expects these adjustments to yield meaningful results in the near future [107][108]

Core Insights - The article highlights the significance of Big Data in enhancing business decision-making, risk management, and operational efficiency through advanced analytics and AI technologies [3][4]. Company Summaries Confluent Inc. (CFLT) - Confluent operates a data streaming platform, providing managed cloud-native SaaS and self-managed software solutions [7]. - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates are 19% and 32.4%, respectively, for the current year, with a 20.5% improvement in earnings estimates over the past 30 days [8]. - The short-term average price target indicates a potential increase of 28.9% from the last closing price of $21.05, with a maximum upside of 71% [9]. Blackbaud Inc. (BLKB) - Blackbaud offers cloud software and services, achieving solid execution of strategic goals with organic revenue growth and stock buybacks [10][11]. - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates are -3.1% and 17.9%, respectively, with an 8.4% improvement in earnings estimates over the past 30 days [12]. - The short-term average price target suggests a 10.7% increase from the last closing price of $62.12, indicating a maximum upside of 36.8% [12]. Sprout Social Inc. (SPT) - Sprout Social provides a web-based social media management platform, offering AI-powered solutions for various social media functions [13][14]. - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates are 11.3% and 20.6%, respectively, with a 10.3% improvement in earnings estimates over the past 30 days [14]. - The short-term average price target indicates a potential increase of 30.7% from the last closing price of $21.55, with a maximum upside of 94.9% [15]. HubSpot Inc. (HUBS) - HubSpot delivers a cloud-based customer relationship management platform, experiencing steady adoption and integration of AI features [16][17]. - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates are 15.4% and over 100%, respectively, with a 49% improvement in earnings estimates over the past 30 days [18]. - The short-term average price target suggests a 19% increase from the last closing price of $621.25, indicating a maximum upside of 49.7% [18]. Teradata Corp. (TDC) - Teradata provides a hybrid cloud analytics platform, benefiting from strong cloud ARR growth and strategic partnerships with major tech companies [19][20]. - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates are -6.5% and -2.1%, respectively, with unchanged earnings estimates over the past 30 days [20]. - The short-term average price target indicates an 18.7% increase from the last closing price of $21.82, with a maximum upside of 60.4% [21].