Artificial intelligence (AI) may grab the headlines, but the quieter money in this cycle has been flowing into the infrastructure that keeps AI running. Models can only scale if data can be stored, accessed, protected, and moved efficiently. In 2025, that reality showed up clearly in market performance, as data storage emerged as one of the strongest themes tied to the global data center buildout. Well-known names set the pace. Sandisk (SNDK) delivered a historic run, turning into the S&P 500 Index’s ($S ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q3 FY26 was $964 million, representing a 16% year-over-year growth, while operating profit grew 17% year-over-year to $196 million, achieving an operating margin of 20.3% [19][24] - Total gross margin increased to 74.1%, with subscription services gross margin at 75.5% and product gross margin at 72.9% [23][24] - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew 17% to $1.8 billion, and total remaining performance obligations (RPO) increased 24% to $2.9 billion [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Product revenue reached $534 million, growing 18% year-over-year, while total contract value (TCV) sales for storage as a service offerings grew 25% year-over-year to $120 million [21][22] - Subscription services revenue in Q3 was $430 million, accounting for 45% of total revenue [22] - The number of customers deploying the Fusion platform has more than tripled since the beginning of the year, indicating strong demand [7] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue was $683 million, growing 22%, while international revenue was $281 million, growing 4% year-over-year [23] - The company added 258 new customers, with a penetration rate of 63% in the Fortune 500 [23] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to capitalize on the financial benefits from hyperscaler revenues to make significant investments in R&D and sales and marketing to sustain momentum and capture additional profitable growth opportunities [26][28] - The focus is on expanding the Enterprise Data Cloud and enhancing the capabilities of the Pure Fusion platform to meet evolving customer needs [10][11] - The company plans to grow its hyperscaler business and evaluate additional business model options that may change gross margin economics in FY27 [28] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management anticipates increased commodity pricing and excess demand will pressure global supply chains, but the company is well-prepared with a resilient supply chain and strong business continuity plans [16] - The outlook for Q4 anticipates revenue in the range of $1.02-$1.04 billion, representing a 17.1% year-over-year increase at the midpoint [25] - The company expects operating profit for FY26 to be in the range of $629-$639 million, reflecting a 13.3% year-over-year increase at the midpoint [26] Other Important Information - The company has a strong balance sheet with $1.5 billion in cash and investments, and Q3 operating cash flow was $116 million [24] - The company returned $53 million to shareholders through share repurchases and has $56 million remaining in its buyback authorization [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of memory price inflation on margins and revenue - Management explained that commodity pricing affects overall market pricing, and higher prices generally lead to increased revenue across the storage market, benefiting the company [32][34] Question: Increase in inventory and its implications - Management noted that the increase in inventory was due to tariff mitigation purchases and strategic positions in key components to avoid supply chain disruptions [38][40] Question: Product gross margin and mix shift - Management confirmed that higher-end product configurations contributed positively to product gross margins, alongside revenue from Portworx licenses and hyperscaler shipments [44][46] Question: Feedback on Enterprise Data Cloud - Early feedback on the Enterprise Data Cloud has been positive, with significant demand for cloud-native solutions and improved customer engagement across various roles [50][52] Question: Engagements with hyperscalers - Management indicated ongoing engagements with top hyperscalers, with multiple proofs of concept underway, and emphasized investments in product SKUs and technology to drive growth [58][61] Question: Changes in demand dynamics due to memory costs - Management acknowledged that while rising prices could constrain demand, the overall demand for data remains strong, particularly due to AI [84][86] Question: Expectations for gross margin dynamics as hyperscale business scales - Management highlighted that while current gross margins are strong, exploring new revenue models with hyperscalers could impact future gross margin economics [70][72] Question: Operating margin trajectory into FY27 - Management reassured that they expect operating profit to grow beyond FY26, with continued investments in growth areas [80][81]

Pure Storage (NYSE:PSTG) Q3 2026 Earnings Call December 02, 2025 05:00 PM ET Speaker2Good day and welcome to the Pure Storage third quarter fiscal 2026 financial results conference call. Today's conference is being recorded. All lines will be muted during the presentation portion of the call, with an opportunity for questions and answers at the end. If you would like to ask a question, please press star one on your telephone keypad. At this time, I'd like to turn the call over to Paul Ziots, Vice President ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a 13% year-over-year growth and remains strongly profitable in the last quarter [6] - The percentage of revenue from subscriptions is expected to remain around 40% throughout the year [6] - The company is now spending as much on R&D as its competitors, indicating a significant investment in innovation [5] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is focusing on a unified data plane that supports various types of data, including block, file, and object storage [17] - The introduction of the Fusion capability allows for a more integrated approach to data management across different applications [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is positioning itself to capitalize on the growing demand for AI and cloud-based solutions, indicating a shift in market focus [20] - The enterprise data cloud architecture is designed to address the challenges of data silos and improve data accessibility for analytics and AI [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to bring a cloud operating model to enterprise storage, emphasizing automation and standardization [16] - The focus is on creating a unified data plane that enhances customer experience and operational efficiency [17][25] - The company is committed to continuous improvement and innovation through its Evergreen architecture, which allows for non-disruptive upgrades [57] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in continuing to outperform the market and highlighted the importance of R&D spending for future growth [4][5] - The shift towards AI and data-driven solutions is seen as a significant opportunity for the company [20] - Management acknowledged the challenges of changing long-standing architectures in organizations but believes progress is being made [25] Other Important Information - The company has launched several new products aimed at enhancing its data management capabilities and addressing various customer needs [21] - The FlashBlade Exa product is highlighted as a flexible architecture that can handle high-performance metadata and data storage needs [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the key advantages of Pure Storage's technology? - The company highlighted its unique approach to software designed specifically for flash, avoiding the inefficiencies of SSD architectures [32][36] - The integration of hardware and software is central to the company's Evergreen promise, allowing for seamless upgrades and scalability [34][38] Question: How does the company plan to address the needs of hyperscalers? - The company is focusing on providing storage solutions that integrate well with hyperscalers' existing management systems and hardware [44] - DirectFlash software is emphasized as a key enabler for improving the transition from hard disk drives to flash storage [44]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q2 FY 2026 was $861 million, representing a 13% year-over-year growth, while operating profit was $130 million with an operating margin of 15.1% [22][28] - Subscription services revenue reached $415 million, up 15% year-over-year, accounting for 48% of total revenue [26] - Total remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew 22% to $2.8 billion, reflecting robust renewals and new commitments [26] - Total gross margin remained strong at 72.1%, with subscription services gross margin at 76.5% [27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Strong performance was noted across the entire portfolio, particularly in FlashBlade and core software and services offerings like Evergreen One, Cloud Block Store, and Portworx [22][24] - Total contract value (TCV) sales for Storage as a Service offerings grew 24% year-over-year to $125 million [24] - The FlashBlade E family showed strength, contributing to overall product gross margin improvement [88] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue was $577 million, growing 7%, while international revenue was $284 million, growing 26% year-over-year [27] - More than 300 new customers were added, maintaining a 62% penetration rate in the Fortune 500 [27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on the enterprise data cloud architecture, which is transforming how organizations manage data, emphasizing the shift from traditional siloed storage to a software-defined model [9][11] - Continued investment in partnerships with hyperscalers, including Meta, to enhance direct flash technology and expand market presence [25][17] - The introduction of a guidance range for financial metrics aims to align with industry practices and provide flexibility for growth opportunities [30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to extend industry leadership despite a variable macro environment, citing strong execution and planning [20] - Positive momentum is expected in the second half of the fiscal year, driven by strong demand signals and an increasing pipeline of large deals [110] - The company anticipates revenue for FY 2026 to be in the range of $3.6 billion to $3.63 billion, representing a 14% year-over-year growth at the midpoint [31] Other Important Information - The company reported a strong free cash flow performance of $150 million, with a free cash flow margin of 17.4% [29] - A new partnership with Nutanix is expected to enhance customer interest and scalability in virtualization environments [58] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is driving the acceleration of growth in the back half of the fiscal year? - Management noted broad-based strength in product lines and improved visibility into the pipeline, contributing to confidence in growth forecasts [36] Question: How has the relationship with Meta evolved? - The relationship is progressing as expected, with deployments on track and revenue recognition beginning [42] Question: What factors contributed to the sequential gross margin improvement? - Management attributed the improvement to revenue mix, product mix, and pricing discipline, with Meta's contribution being less material than anticipated [48] Question: How is the engagement with other hyperscalers progressing? - Early-stage engagements are ongoing, with technology assessments and proofs of concept underway, but still in the initial phases [64] Question: What are the long-term expectations for Meta's contribution? - Management expects to achieve one to two exabytes of deployment this fiscal year, with potential for double-digit contributions in the next fiscal year [70] Question: How should the split between product versus subscriptions be viewed? - Management indicated that both product and subscription revenues are expected to grow, with subscription gross margins being higher than product gross margins [98]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q2 FY 2026 was $861 million, representing a 13% year-over-year growth [20] - Operating profit was $130 million, resulting in an operating margin of 15.1% [20] - Subscription services revenue reached $415 million, up 15% year-over-year, accounting for 48% of total revenue [25] - Total remaining performance obligations (RPO) grew 22% to $2.8 billion [25] - Free cash flow was $150 million, with a free cash flow margin of 17.4% [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Strong performance in FlashBlade and core software and services offerings, including Evergreen One, Cloud Block Store, and Portworx [20][6] - TCV sales for Storage as a Service offerings grew 24% year-over-year to $125 million [23] - Product gross margin rose to 68%, aligning with long-term expectations [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue was $577 million, growing 7%, while international revenue was $284 million, growing 26% year-over-year [26] - The company added over 300 new customers, maintaining a 62% penetration of the Fortune 500 [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on the enterprise data cloud architecture, which transforms data management for organizations [9][13] - Continued emphasis on modernizing IT environments, including partnerships with hyperscalers and financial institutions [11][15] - The introduction of a guidance range for financial metrics to align with industry practices and allow flexibility for growth opportunities [29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's momentum and the macroeconomic environment, indicating a positive outlook for the second half of the fiscal year [36][110] - The company anticipates revenue growth of 14% year-over-year for FY 2026, with Q3 revenue expected to be between $950 million and $960 million [29][30] Other Important Information - The company recognized its first revenue from a strategic co-engineering effort with Meta during Q2 [24] - The balance sheet remains strong with $1.5 billion in cash and investments [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is driving the acceleration of growth in the back half of the fiscal year? - Management noted broad-based strength in product lines and improved visibility into the pipeline, contributing to confidence in forecasts [35] Question: How has the relationship with Meta evolved? - The relationship is progressing as expected, with revenue recognition beginning and confidence in achieving the forecasted deployment of one to two exabytes [40][42] Question: How much of the gross margin improvement was due to Meta shipments? - Management indicated that while Meta contributed to gross margin improvement, the majority came from product and revenue mix, as well as pricing discipline [48] Question: What are the expectations for the partnership with Nutanix? - The partnership is generating strong customer interest, with plans for general availability by the end of the year [57] Question: How are early engagements with other hyperscalers progressing? - Engagements are progressing well, with technology assessments and proofs of concept underway, but still in early stages [62] Question: What are the demand drivers observed in the quarter? - Demand was steady with above-average linearity, indicating strong macro and competitive environments, along with an increasing willingness from customers to expand their needs [110]