Cloudflare (NYSE:NET) Q3 2025 Earnings Call October 30, 2025 05:00 PM ET Speaker5Thank you for standing by. My name is Greg, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to today's Cloudflare Q3 2025 earnings call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. If you'd like to ask a question during this time, simply press star followed by the number one on your tele ...

Core Viewpoint - Cloudflare reported strong revenue growth in Q2 2025, with a focus on improving profitability and expanding its AI product offerings [1][2][5]. Group 1: Q2 Performance - The company achieved total revenue of $512 million in Q2 2025, representing a 28% year-over-year increase and a 7% quarter-over-quarter increase [2]. - GAAP net loss was $50.4 million, with a widening loss compared to the previous quarter. Non-GAAP net profit was $75.1 million, showing an 8% year-over-year increase and a 29% quarter-over-quarter increase [2]. - The GAAP gross margin for the quarter was 74.9%, indicating strong profitability metrics [2]. Group 2: Future Performance Outlook - For Q3 2025, the company projects revenue between $544 million and $545 million, with Non-GAAP operating profit expected to be between $75 million and $76 million [3]. - For the full year 2025, revenue guidance is set between $2.114 billion and $2.116 billion, with Non-GAAP operating profit projected between $284 million and $286 million [4]. Group 3: Customer Retention and AI Product Expansion - The number of paying customers reached 265,929 in Q2 2025, a 27% year-over-year increase, with large customers contributing over $100,000 in annual revenue totaling 3,712, a 22% increase [5]. - The company reported a strong net retention rate of 114% in Q2 2025, reflecting good customer retention [5]. - Cloudflare has signed significant contracts with rapidly growing AI companies, including a $15 million one-year contract for its Workers AI product and a $4.6 million five-year contract for its AIGateway and other products, indicating a strategic focus on AI applications [5]. Group 4: Investment Recommendations - The company is expected to benefit from the growth of AI applications, with a focus on promoting its network security products and providing foundational tools and services for AI applications [6].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cloudflare achieved an annual run rate revenue exceeding $2 billion, with quarterly revenue of $512.3 million, reflecting a 28% year-over-year growth, up from 26.5% in the first quarter [5][24] - The company reported a gross margin of 76.3%, consistent with its long-term target range of 75% to 77% [6][28] - Operating income was $72.3 million, representing a 27% increase year-over-year, with an operating margin of 14.1% [31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The number of customers paying over $100,000 annually increased by 22% year-over-year, totaling 3,712 customers [6][26] - Revenue contribution from large customers grew to 71% of total revenue, up from 67% in the same quarter last year [6][26] - Dollar-based net retention rate improved to 114%, up 3% quarter-over-quarter [6][27] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. market accounted for 49% of total revenue, increasing by 22% year-over-year, while EMEA represented 28% of revenue with a 29% increase, and APAC represented 15% with a 44% increase [25][26] - The total number of paying customers reached approximately 266,000, marking a 27% year-over-year increase [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Cloudflare is focusing on reaccelerating growth through innovation and operational efficiency, with a strong emphasis on large enterprise customers and expanding its sales capacity [5][24] - The company is positioning itself to capitalize on the shift from traditional web models to AI-driven business models, particularly in the publishing sector [20][21] - Cloudflare is developing its product offerings into distinct acts, with Act Four focusing on enabling transactions in an AI-driven web [22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to maintain growth momentum, driven by strong performance in large customer segments and ongoing innovation [24][34] - The management highlighted the strategic importance of partnerships with media and AI companies to adapt to changing market dynamics [20][21] Other Important Information - Cloudflare issued $2 billion in convertible senior notes due in 2030, enhancing its financial flexibility [32] - The company ended the quarter with $4 billion in cash and equivalents, indicating a strong liquidity position [32] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on the business model for the Agentic web - Management indicated that various business models will likely emerge, emphasizing the need for a level playing field in content access and monetization [37][40] Question: Discussion on Act One products and their performance - Management highlighted the architectural advantages of Cloudflare's network, which allows for efficient handling of DDoS attacks without increasing costs [46][50] Question: Update on large deal momentum and partner growth - Management noted that the go-to-market strategy has shifted to a partner-first approach, which is driving growth in larger deals [60][62] Question: Media sector's attractiveness and Cloudflare's strategy - Management discussed the strategic importance of media partnerships and the potential for free services to create long-term value [75][76] Question: Relationship with foundation model vendors - Management confirmed that a significant portion of major AI companies are Cloudflare customers, utilizing its security and inference capabilities [80][82]

Core Insights - Cloudflare (NET) has signed its longest secure access service edge (SASE) contract in Q1 2025, indicating strong momentum as enterprises modernize their network security and connectivity [1][10] - The company combines Zero Trust security products with network services to provide a comprehensive cloud-based SASE solution, facilitating larger deals [2] - Cloudflare's partnerships with industry leaders like TD SYNNEX and Microsoft enhance its geographical reach and support growth in managed security services [3][4] Customer Growth and Financial Performance - Cloudflare reported 250,819 paying customers at the end of Q1 2025, reflecting a 27% year-over-year increase [5] - The company added 30 new customers contributing over $100,000 in annual revenues, bringing the total to 3,527 [5][10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NET's fiscal 2025 and 2026 earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 5.33% and 31.64%, respectively [12] Competitive Landscape - Cloudflare faces competition from Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler in the SASE and Zero Trust markets, with Palo Alto Networks reporting over 6,000 active customers and significant growth [6][8] - Zscaler leads in the Zero Trust space and is transitioning to a Zero Trust Everywhere model, which secures various access points [7] Market Trends - The SASE market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 23.6%, while the Zero Trust market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.7%, providing Cloudflare with ample growth opportunities [8] Valuation Metrics - Cloudflare's shares have increased by 68.6% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Internet - Software industry's growth of 13% [9] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 26.77X, significantly higher than the industry's average of 5.68X [11]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cloudflare achieved revenue of $479.1 million, representing a 27% year-over-year increase [9][27] - The gross margin was 77.1%, above the long-term target of 75% to 77% [11][29] - Operating profit was $56 million, with an operating margin of 11.7%, an increase of 50 basis points year-over-year [32] - Free cash flow was $52.9 million, or 11% of revenue, compared to $35.6 million, or 9% of revenue, in the same period last year [35] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The number of customers paying more than $100,000 increased by 23% year-over-year, totaling 3,527 [9][28] - Revenue contribution from large customers grew to 69% of total revenue, up from 67% in the first quarter of the previous year [9][28] - Dollar-based net retention was 111%, consistent quarter-over-quarter [10][29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue represented 49% of total revenue, increasing by 20% year-over-year [27] - EMEA accounted for 28% of revenue, with a 27% year-over-year increase [27] - APAC represented 15% of revenue, showing a significant 54% year-over-year growth [27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on disciplined execution and investing in go-to-market strategies, which have shown positive returns [14][48] - Cloudflare is positioning itself as a mission-critical partner for customers, emphasizing the importance of its innovative products and engineering capabilities [14][24] - The company is actively pursuing large contracts and has secured its largest contract in history, exceeding $100 million [13][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the current global environment is more volatile than in previous quarters, but the company remains committed to its strategy [12][14] - The company is optimistic about long-term opportunities despite short-term volatility, focusing on customer needs and operational efficiency [14][38] - Management expects revenue for Q2 2025 to be in the range of $500 million to $505 million, representing a 25% year-over-year increase [37][38] Other Important Information - The company has seen a significant increase in DDoS attacks, with a 300% year-over-year rise, but its architecture allows it to absorb these attacks without additional costs [58][60] - Cloudflare's investments in AI and developer platforms have resulted in substantial growth, with AI inference requests up nearly 4000% year-over-year [22][23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Trends observed through early May regarding traffic and tariffs - Management indicated that there has been no significant change in internet traffic patterns despite tariff discussions, with traffic remaining steady [41][46] Question: Insights on margin performance and CapEx spending - Management reiterated a focus on the 40% rule for margins and indicated that there are still more margin opportunities than revenue opportunities [47][48] Question: Sales productivity and capacity tracking in the enterprise segment - Management expressed satisfaction with improvements in sales productivity and anticipated continued increases in sales capacity as new hires ramp up [52][54] Question: Impact of DDoS attacks on business - Management noted that the company’s architecture allows it to handle large-scale DDoS attacks effectively, without incurring additional costs [58][60] Question: Trends in the SaaS market and winning larger deals - Management highlighted that Cloudflare has caught up on critical features and offers superior performance compared to competitors, leading to increased success in securing larger deals [67][70] Question: Government sector traction - Management noted that governments are increasingly adopting zero trust approaches and choosing Cloudflare for its comprehensive solutions [73][74]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved revenue of $479.1 million, representing a 27% year-over-year increase [8][26] - Gross margin was 77.1%, above the long-term target of 75% to 77% [10][29] - Operating profit was $56 million, with an operating margin of 11.7%, an increase of 50 basis points year-over-year [32] - Free cash flow was $52.9 million, or 11% of revenue, compared to $35.6 million, or 9% of revenue, in the same period last year [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The number of large customers (paying over $100,000) increased by 23% year-over-year to 3,527 [8][28] - Revenue contribution from large customers grew to 69% of total revenue, up from 67% in the same quarter last year [8][28] - Dollar-based net retention was 111%, consistent quarter-over-quarter [9][29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue represented 49% of total revenue, increasing by 20% year-over-year [26] - EMEA accounted for 28% of revenue, with a 27% year-over-year increase [26] - APAC represented 15% of revenue, showing a significant 54% year-over-year growth [26][28] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on disciplined execution and investing in go-to-market strategies, which have shown positive returns [12][13] - Cloudflare is positioning itself as a mission-critical partner for customers, emphasizing the importance of its innovative products and engineering capabilities [12][23] - The company aims to capture opportunities in a volatile environment while maintaining operational efficiency [23][36] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the global environment is more volatile than before, but the company has navigated this effectively [10][11] - There is confidence in the long-term growth opportunities despite short-term volatility [12][23] - The company expects revenue for Q2 2025 to be in the range of $500 million to $505 million, representing a 25% year-over-year increase [36][37] Other Important Information - The company signed its largest contract in history, exceeding $100 million, driven by its workers developer platform [12][14] - The longest duration contract in the company's history was also secured during the quarter [12][25] - Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) increased by 39% year-over-year to $1.864 billion [35] Q&A Session Summary Question: Trends observed through early May regarding traffic and tariff rhetoric - Management indicated that there has been no significant change in internet traffic patterns despite tariff discussions, with traffic remaining steady [40][45] Question: Insights on margin performance and CapEx spending - Management reiterated a focus on the 40% rule for margins and indicated that there are still margin opportunities despite revenue growth [46][47] Question: Sales productivity and capacity tracking in the enterprise segment - Management expressed satisfaction with improvements in sales productivity and anticipated continued capacity ramp-up in the coming quarters [51][52] Question: Impact of increased DDoS attacks on business - Management noted that the company’s architecture allows it to absorb large-scale DDoS attacks without incurring additional costs, differentiating it from competitors [57][62] Question: Trends in the SaaS market and winning larger deals - Management highlighted that the company has caught up on critical features and offers superior performance, leading to increased success in securing larger contracts [67][70] Question: Government sector traction and Zero Trust solutions - Management reported strong interest from government agencies in adopting Cloudflare's Zero Trust solutions, reflecting a shift away from on-premise hardware [74][75] Question: Details on the $100 million workers deal - Management explained that the deal reflects the comprehensive capabilities of Cloudflare Workers, which provide better performance and lower costs compared to traditional hyperscalers [78][80] Question: Customer additions and go-to-market strategy - Management attributed strong overall customer additions to effective go-to-market strategies, while noting that timing affected the number of large customer additions [83][88]