CrowdStrike (CRWD) Q2 2026 Earnings Call August 27, 2025 05:00 PM ET Company ParticipantsMaria Riley - VP - IRGeorge Kurtz - Founder & CEOBurt Podbere - CFOSaket Kalia - Managing DirectorBrian Essex - Executive DirectorGabriela Borges - MD - Software ResearchJoseph Gallo - SVPJeffrey Hopson - Equity Research AssociateJonathan Ruykhaver - Managing DirectorShaul Eyal - Managing Director - Equity ResearchIttai Kidron - Managing DirectorRoger Boyd - Executive DirectorAdam Borg - MD - Enterprise SoftwareAdam Tin ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Record Q2 net new ARR of $221 million, exceeding expectations and showcasing accelerating growth [5][34] - Ending ARR reached $4.66 billion, growing more than 20% year over year [5][34] - Total revenue grew 21% year over year, reaching $1.17 billion, exceeding guidance [6][36] - Record Q2 free cash flow of $284 million, representing 24% of revenue [5][34] - Non-GAAP operating income was a record $255 million, or 22% of revenue [5][38] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cloud, next-gen identity, and next-gen SIEM platform solutions exceeded $1.56 billion in ending ARR, growing more than 40% year over year [6][34] - Next-gen SIEM had year-over-year growth of over 95%, with ending ARR exceeding $430 million [13][34] - Next-gen identity protection business exceeded $435 million in ending ARR, growing more than 21% year over year [21][34] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total cloud ending ARR exceeded $700 million, growing more than 35% year over year [23][34] - Geographic revenue mix consisted of approximately 67% from the U.S. and 33% from international markets, with both U.S. and EMEA year-over-year growth accelerating compared to Q1 [36] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Focus on AI-driven market demand and customer-driven consolidation, leveraging the Falcon Flex licensing model for sustained growth [32][34] - Intent to acquire ONEM, a leading data pipeline platform, to enhance next-gen SIEM capabilities [14][19] - Emphasis on securing AI at every layer, from model creation to endpoint access, positioning CrowdStrike as a leader in AI security [10][12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in continued net new ARR acceleration for the back half of FY 2026, expecting at least 40% year-over-year growth [32][34] - The company highlighted the importance of addressing customer concerns regarding AI security and the evolving threat landscape [9][10] - Management noted that the competitive landscape is shifting, with increased demand for integrated security solutions [80] Other Important Information - The company achieved a milestone of 800 customers with ending ARR exceeding $1 million [34] - The Falcon Flex model has seen over 1,000 customers, with more than 75% utilization across the customer base [25][34] - The company expects to exceed $5 billion in ending ARR by fiscal year-end, on the path to $10 billion by FY 2031 [36][34] Q&A Session Summary Question: About revenue guidance and partner rebate program - Management confirmed that ARR is the best leading indicator and highlighted the impact of partner rebate programs on sustaining high retention rates and accelerating net new ARR [45][47] Question: Insights on identity market targeting - Management emphasized early recognition of identity as a key security element and the success of their next-gen identity solutions [51][53] Question: Sustainability of net new ARR growth - Management expressed confidence in the sustainability of growth due to strong platform performance and customer consolidation [90][91] Question: ONEM acquisition and its competitive positioning - Management highlighted ONEM's capabilities in real-time analysis and its potential to disrupt legacy solutions [66][68] Question: Dynamics of EDR market and customer interest - Management reiterated the importance of EDR in the modern SOC and the company's leadership in that space [70][72] Question: Update on cloud security competitive environment - Management noted that the market is still in early stages, with significant interest in cloud workload protection [78][80] Question: Future of core business growth - Management acknowledged deceleration in core business growth but expressed optimism about potential accelerators [114]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved net new ARR of $194 million, exceeding expectations and bringing total ending ARR to over $4.4 billion, a 22% increase year-over-year [5][32] - Subscription gross margin was reported at 80%, indicating strong efficiency of the AI platform [5][34] - Free cash flow reached $279 million, representing 25% of revenue, with a quarter-on-quarter growth of double digits [5][35] - Total revenue for the quarter was $1.1 billion, reflecting a 20% growth compared to the same quarter last year [33] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Falcon Flex model has shown significant success, with a total account value of $3.2 billion across 820 accounts, growing 31% sequentially and more than six times year-over-year [5][6] - The company reported a sustained gross retention rate of 97%, indicating strong customer commitment to the Falcon platform [5][34] - The next-gen SIEM business delivered triple-digit ending ARR growth, showcasing its disruptive impact on legacy products [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The geographic revenue mix consisted of approximately 67% from the U.S. and 33% from international markets, indicating a balanced global presence [33] - The MSSP business has grown rapidly, now representing over 15% of total deal value, highlighting the increasing importance of managed service providers [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on consolidating point products and enhancing the Falcon platform to meet evolving market demands, particularly in AI and cybersecurity [4][29] - The strategic realignment plan aims to optimize investments in key growth areas such as cloud, identity, exposure management, and next-gen SIEM [38] - The company has authorized up to $1 billion in share repurchases, reflecting confidence in long-term growth prospects and cash flow generation capabilities [31][30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in improving sequential net new ARR growth in Q2 and accelerating growth in the back half of FY 2026, driven by strong demand for the Falcon platform [31][36] - The company anticipates a divergence between ARR and subscription revenue due to the impact of the CCP program, which is expected to normalize in the future [37] - The management highlighted the necessity of cybersecurity in the AI age, positioning the company as a leader in protecting autonomous AI agents [15][29] Other Important Information - The company launched new technologies such as AI model scanning and AI security dashboard to address the growing demand for AI tools while managing associated risks [20] - The Falcon platform's capabilities are being enhanced to provide better protection for identities, workloads, and data, aligning with market needs [100] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on Falcon Flex and its impact on sales - Management noted that Falcon Flex has significantly changed the sales approach, focusing on outcomes rather than module-by-module sales, leading to increased customer adoption and spending [47][50] Question: Divergence between revenue growth and ARR growth - The divergence is attributed to the amortization impacts of the CCP program, which affects revenue recognition differently than ARR [54][55] Question: Budgeting for reflex deals - Customers typically reassess their budgets based on the value received from Falcon Flex, leading to discussions on replacing point products and planning phased rollouts [58][60] Question: Changes in sales compensation and market response - The salesforce has responded positively to the new compensation structures and the focus on innovation, leading to increased customer engagement and adoption rates [64][67] Question: Free cash flow margin expectations - The company expects to achieve a free cash flow margin of over 30% next year, driven by the success of Falcon Flex and larger deals [83][85] Question: Trends in the macro environment - The company has executed well despite market noise, with strong demand for next-gen SIEM and overall positive customer engagement [88][89] Question: Competitive positioning in the MSSP channel - The company has strengthened its relationships with managed service providers, leading to significant growth in this channel and improved competitive positioning [96][98] Question: Vision for identity management space - The company aims to deepen its capabilities in identity management, responding to customer demand for more comprehensive solutions [100][101]