Summary of NetApp FY Conference Call (December 09, 2025) Company Overview - **Company**: NetApp (NasdaqGS: NTAP) - **Industry**: IT Hardware and Cloud Storage Key Highlights - **Q2 Performance**: NetApp reported a 4% year-on-year growth, excluding spot business divestiture. Key growth areas included: - **First-party and Cloud Storage**: Grew 32% year-on-year - **All-flash Storage**: Grew 9% year-on-year - **AI Wins**: Doubled in the quarter, indicating strong momentum in AI-related projects [2][3][4] - **Financial Metrics**: Achieved record operating margins, gross profit margins, and earnings per share (EPS) for Q2. Product gross margins exceeded expectations due to favorable product mix and cost management [2][3] Market Differentiation - **Data Management Philosophy**: NetApp has focused on unifying data across departmental boundaries since the early 2000s, which is now a standard in the industry. The company has developed a hybrid multi-cloud architecture integrated with major cloud providers (Amazon, Microsoft, Google) [4][5] - **Cybersecurity and Data Management Tools**: Offers advanced cybersecurity functions and tools for efficient data management across hybrid cloud environments, enhancing the value of data for customers [6] Market Opportunities - **IT Infrastructure Spending**: The company noted a lag in storage spending compared to server and compute spending, primarily due to a lack of infrastructure refresh since 2018-2019. The shift towards AI-specific applications is expected to drive future spending [9][10] - **U.S. Public Sector**: Represents low double-digit percentage of total business, with 75% from U.S. federal contracts. The company is tracking multi-year appropriations and spending priorities to capture more program dollars [12][13] AI Integration - **AI Use Cases**: NetApp identified three main use cases for AI within enterprises: - Data preparation for AI - Model training and fine-tuning - Business operations using AI (inferencing) [16] - **AI Project Growth**: The number of AI projects doubled year-on-year, with significant focus on organizing data lakes for AI readiness [16][20] All-Flash Transition - **Current Mix**: Two-thirds of hybrid cloud revenue is from all-flash storage, with 46% of the install base being all-flash. The company anticipates gradual growth in all-flash adoption but does not expect it to reach 100% due to the need for hard drive-based storage for certain workloads [23][24] Future Growth and Margins - **Long-term Growth Model**: NetApp aims for mid to upper single-digit growth on the top line, with expectations for acceleration in the second half of the fiscal year. The cloud storage business is growing over 30% year-on-year [28][29] - **Public Cloud Business**: Grew 18% in the last quarter, with margins expected to remain between 80% and 85%. The company is expanding its offerings into new areas such as sovereign and distributed cloud [30][31] Conclusion - **Data as an Asset**: Emphasized the growing importance of data, particularly unstructured data, as a valuable asset for enterprises. NetApp is positioned as a data platform provider capable of unifying data across multiple cloud environments [36][37] - **Financial Discipline**: The company has maintained a disciplined approach to capital allocation, returning a significant portion of free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and buybacks [29][37]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported Q2 revenue of $1.71 billion, an increase of 3% year-over-year, and 4% excluding the divested Spot business [5][18] - Non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) was $2.05, reflecting a 10% year-over-year growth [20][23] - Gross margin reached a record 72.6%, exceeding guidance, with operating margin at 31.1%, up 2.4 percentage points year-over-year [20][23] - Cash flow from operations was $127 million, and free cash flow was $78 million [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Hybrid cloud revenue was $1.53 billion, up 3% year-over-year, with Keystone showing significant growth of 76% year-over-year [18][20] - Public cloud revenue increased by 2% year-over-year to $171 million, and 18% excluding the Spot business [18] - All-flash array revenue grew 9% year-over-year to $1 billion, with an annualized run rate of $4.1 billion [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced strong demand for AI solutions and cloud storage services, with approximately 200 AI infrastructure and data lake modernization deals closed in Q2 [9][19] - Revenue from first-party and marketplace cloud storage services increased by approximately 32% year-over-year [11][68] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on expanding its presence in AI, hybrid cloud, and all-flash markets, aiming to leverage its unified data platform for operational efficiencies [7][16] - Innovations such as AFX and AIDE are designed to enhance AI workload capabilities and simplify data management [8][9] - The company is committed to maintaining operational discipline while driving growth in key areas [20][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate the uncertain macro environment and capture market share despite near-term headwinds in the U.S. public sector [16][58] - The company anticipates a strong second half of the fiscal year, driven by growth in non-U.S. public sector segments and AI-related spending [57][58] Other Important Information - The company raised its fiscal year 2026 revenue guidance to between $6.625 billion and $6.875 billion, reflecting a 3% year-over-year growth [22][23] - Deferred revenue balance was $4.45 billion, up 8% year-over-year, indicating strong future revenue visibility [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Component environment and pricing dynamics - Management indicated they have locked in prices for components and have visibility for a couple more quarters, expecting product margins to remain stable [26][28] Question: Drivers of product gross margin expansion - Product gross margin is driven by a combination of mix and pricing, with expectations to maintain current levels [36][40] Question: Trends in AI-related transactions - The company reported a stable mix of AI transactions, with significant interest in the AFX platform, although it is too early to quantify its impact [44][47] Question: Seasonal revenue guidance - Management noted that U.S. public sector headwinds are expected to impact seasonal growth, but they view this as temporary [50] Question: Demand drivers and inventory management - The company is optimistic about demand in the second half of the year and is prepared to secure supply as needed [56][59] Question: Opportunities with Sovereign clouds - The company is actively participating in Sovereign cloud initiatives and sees potential for growth in AI workloads [89][92] Question: AI's impact on storage revenue - Management believes that as AI adoption increases, particularly in inferencing, storage consumption will also rise [114]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported Q2 revenue of $1.71 billion, representing a 3% year-over-year increase. Excluding the divested Spot business, total revenue increased by 4% [4][15] - Non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) was $2.05, reflecting a 10% year-over-year growth [17] - Gross margin for Q2 was 72.6%, exceeding guidance and up 1.5 percentage points sequentially [16][17] - Operating income was $530 million, up 12% compared to Q2 2025, with an operating margin of 31.1%, an increase of 2.4 percentage points year-over-year [17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Hybrid cloud revenue reached $1.53 billion, up 3% year-over-year, driven by product, support, and Keystone services, which grew 76% year-over-year [15] - Public cloud revenue was $171 million, a 2% increase year-over-year, and up 18% excluding the Spot business [15][16] - All-flash array revenue grew 9% year-over-year to $1 billion, with an annualized run rate of $4.1 billion [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company closed approximately 200 AI infrastructure and data lake modernization deals across various geographies and industries in Q2 [8] - The first-party and marketplace cloud storage services revenue increased approximately 32% year-over-year [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on growing markets, particularly in all-flash, public cloud, and AI, which are expected to drive top-line growth [14] - Innovations such as AFX and AIDE are aimed at enhancing AI workload capabilities and improving data management [6][8] - The company is committed to leveraging its competitive advantages and aligning with customer data initiatives to capture additional market share [14][20] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate the uncertain macro environment and expected growth in non-U.S. public sector segments [14][33] - The company anticipates a slight decline in U.S. public sector revenue due to recent shutdowns but expects recovery in the long term [31][34] - Management raised guidance for gross margin, operating margin, and EPS for the fiscal year based on strong Q2 performance [19][20] Other Important Information - Cash flow from operations was $127 million, and free cash flow was $78 million [18] - The company returned $353 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Component environment and pricing dynamics - Management indicated they have locked in prices for components and have visibility for a couple more quarters [21] - They expect product gross margin to remain stable through the rest of the year despite potential volatility in component pricing [22][24] Question: Drivers of product gross margin expansion - Product gross margin expansion is driven by a combination of mix and pricing, with a focus on maintaining operational discipline [27][28] Question: Trends in AI-related transactions - The company reported a stable mix of AI transactions, with a significant increase in the number of deals closed [29][30] Question: Seasonal growth expectations - Management noted that the U.S. public sector business is expected to be slightly below seasonal trends due to recent shutdowns, but they view this as temporary [31] Question: Demand drivers for the second half of the year - Despite U.S. public sector headwinds, management sees acceleration in non-U.S. public sector segments and strong demand for AI projects [33] Question: AI deal sizes and customer feedback - Deal sizes vary widely, and while there is strong interest in the AFX platform, it is still early to assess its impact on results [36] Question: Cash flow and seasonality - Q2 cash flow is typically lower due to seasonality and tax payments, but management expects improvement in the second half [55]

Summary of NetApp Insight 2025 Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: NetApp (NasdaqGS: NTAP) - **Event**: Insight 2025 Conference - **Date**: October 14, 2025 Key Industry Insights AI and Technology Trends - The emergence of AI has transformed all businesses into technology-driven entities, with a significant focus on leveraging data for operational improvements [8][9][10] - Companies are increasingly interested in utilizing AI for enhancing sales pipelines and adapting to regulatory changes in the financial sector [11][12] - The advancements in hardware, particularly by companies like NVIDIA, have facilitated a rapid increase in AI capabilities [14][15] Virtualization and Cloud Strategies - There is a notable shift towards prioritizing on-premises workloads, influenced by data sovereignty concerns and the desire for control over data [20][21] - The acquisition of VMware by Broadcom has led to a strategic focus on on-prem solutions, contrasting the previous trend of cloud migration [16][17] - The virtualization landscape is evolving with the rise of containerization and new alternatives like Proxmox gaining traction [22][23][24] Storage Solutions - The resurgence of block storage is attributed to improvements in protocols and networking, particularly with NVMe technologies [41][42][43] - The demand for low-latency and high-reliability storage solutions is increasing, especially for tier one workloads [42][43] - NetApp's ONTAP system is being positioned as a comprehensive solution for various workloads, emphasizing the importance of performance and capacity [71][73] Product Developments - NetApp has consolidated its licensing into ONTAP One, streamlining access to various features like backup, data protection, and cyber resilience [32][34] - The introduction of proactive ransomware detection capabilities within ONTAP is highlighted as a unique offering in the industry [35][36] Market Dynamics - The consumer technology growth is driving enterprise data demands, with an explosion of data from various devices and services [47][48][49] - The integration of AI into consumer products is expected to influence enterprise solutions, leading to more customized experiences and data utilization [48][49] Future Outlook - The conference anticipates significant advancements in AI and machine learning, with expectations for more integrated and user-friendly systems in the coming years [58][59] - The potential for operating systems to incorporate AI functionalities is discussed, suggesting a future where AI becomes a standard feature across platforms [52][54] Additional Notes - The conference emphasizes the importance of understanding data and its implications for businesses, highlighting NetApp's long-standing commitment to innovation in data management [120][121] - The event serves as a platform for showcasing new technologies and strategies that align with current market needs and future trends [118][119]

Summary of NetApp (NTAP) 2025 Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: NetApp, a 30-year-old company specializing in data and storage management through its software solution ONTAP [3][4] - **Business Segments**: Divided into hybrid cloud segment (traditional sales and growing storage as a service) and public cloud segment (partnerships with hyperscalers) [4][5] Core Business Transformation - **Revenue Shift**: Transitioned from a legacy hard disk drive business to a model driven by public cloud services and all-flash solutions, which now account for over two-thirds of total revenue [5][6] - **Record Performance**: Achieved records in total revenue, all-flash revenue, support revenue, and public cloud revenue in FY '25 [6] Market Position and Growth Drivers - **Market Share Gains**: Strong market share gains noted, particularly in the all-flash market, with a reported gain of almost three points in calendar 2024 [25][26] - **Revenue Growth Vectors**: Identified four primary growth drivers: 1. **All Flash**: Benefiting from a shift away from hard disk drives [17][18] 2. **Block Only Market**: Introduction of ONTAP optimized for block services to capture market share [21][22] 3. **Cloud Services**: First-party and marketplace services growing over 40% [22] 4. **Enterprise AI**: Anticipated growth in AI-related storage demand, with a fivefold increase in AI business noted in Q4 [23][24] Partnerships and Customer Engagement - **Hyperscaler Partnerships**: Collaborations with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud to provide ONTAP software, enhancing customer access to high-performance file services [10][12][14] - **Customer Base Expansion**: Cloud offerings attract new customers who may not have traditional data centers, allowing for easier entry into NetApp's services [15] Financial Performance and Projections - **Gross Margins**: Product gross margin targeted in the mid to upper 50s, with expectations for gradual improvement throughout FY '26 [29][30] - **Earnings Growth**: Anticipated earnings growth driven by revenue growth, gross margin expansion, and operational efficiency [34] Macro Environment and Risks - **Market Uncertainty**: Acknowledgment of increased macroeconomic uncertainty, particularly in the US public sector and European markets [45][46] - **Caution in Guidance**: Embedded caution in guidance due to potential customer hesitance and economic conditions [46] Strategic Focus on AI - **AI Integration**: Plans to leverage AI internally for efficiency and embed AI into products to enhance customer performance [37][38] - **Market Opportunity**: Expectation that storage demand for enterprise AI will outpace model training, with significant opportunities in AI centers of excellence [39][40] Key Takeaways for Investors - **Transformation Recognition**: Emphasis on the significant transformation of the business over the past five years, positioning for future growth in an AI-driven market [52][53] - **Customer-Centric Solutions**: NetApp's ability to help customers build intelligent data infrastructures is increasingly relevant as enterprises focus on AI [53]

Financial Performance - NetApp's Q3 FY25 revenue reached $1.64 billion, a 2.2% year-over-year increase[61] - Billings for Q3 FY25 amounted to $1.71 billion, representing a 1.5% year-over-year growth[61] - The company's all-flash array annualized revenue run rate grew by 10% year-over-year, reaching $3.8 billion[59] - First party and marketplace cloud storage services revenue grew approximately 46% year-over-year[59] - Capital returns totaled $306 million in Q3 FY25[61] Guidance - NetApp projects Q4 FY25 revenue between $1.65 billion and $1.80 billion[97] - The company anticipates a Non-GAAP gross margin of 69% to 70% and a Non-GAAP operating margin of approximately 28% for Q4 FY25[97] - NetApp expects Non-GAAP earnings per share to be in the range of $1.84 to $1.94 for Q4 FY25[97] Strategic Focus - NetApp secured over 100 AI and data lake modernization deals, including AI-as-a-Service wins[59] - The company divested Spot by NetApp to refine its Public Cloud business focus[59] - NetApp launched new all-flash AFF A-series and C-series, enhanced StorageGRID object storage capabilities, and expanded cloud storage offerings[59]