Teradata (NYSE:TDC) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 10, 2026 04:30 PM ET Company ParticipantsChad Bennett - SVP of Investor Relations and Corporate DevelopmentDerrick Wood - Managing DirectorErik Woodring - Managing DirectorJohn Ederer - CFONick Jones - Managing DirectorRadu Saltan - Director of Equity ResearchSteve McMillan - President and CEOWamsi Mohan - Managing DirectorYitchuin Wong - Senior Equity Research AssociateConference Call ParticipantsChirag Ved - VP and Equity Research AnalystSheldon McMeans - ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q4 2025, total revenue was $421 million, up 3% year-over-year, exceeding expectations due to higher recurring revenue [17] - Total ARR grew 3% on a reported basis, marking a stabilization milestone for the business [15][16] - Free cash flow for the year reached $285 million, exceeding the high end of the outlook [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Recurring revenue for Q4 was $367 million, up 5% year-over-year, driven by higher upfront revenue from term license subscriptions [17] - Consulting services revenue for Q4 was $53 million, down 4% year-over-year, indicating challenges in this segment [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cloud ARR grew 15% as reported, now representing 46% of total ARR, reflecting a strong shift towards cloud solutions [16] - The trailing 12-month cloud net expansion rate was 108%, indicating robust customer engagement in cloud services [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on harnessing AI systems to enhance enterprise decision-making and operational efficiency [6][10] - A hybrid model combining on-prem and cloud solutions is being emphasized to meet diverse customer needs [6][10] - The launch of new products, including the Enterprise Vector Store and Teradata AI Factory, aims to drive AI adoption and operationalize autonomous AI [8][9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in continuing profitable growth into 2026, supported by strong customer engagement and product innovations [5][14] - The company anticipates a typical seasonal decline in ARR in Q1, followed by stabilization and growth in subsequent quarters [22] Other Important Information - The board announced the addition of Melissa Fisher, enhancing governance and oversight [27] - The company plans to invest more in product development to capitalize on market opportunities while maintaining profitability [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: On-premise AI materiality and customer production status - Management sees on-premise AI as a key growth driver, with increased production activity from proof of concepts [30] Question: Free cash flow growth versus EPS guidance - The difference in guidance is attributed to a one-time tax benefit in Q4, affecting EPS but not free cash flow [32] Question: Growth inflection drivers - The growth is attributed to improved demand and proactive product enhancements, particularly in AI solutions [36] Question: 2026 outlook visibility and uncertainties - Migration deals are complex and timing can be uncertain, while expansions provide more consistent growth visibility [40] Question: Impact of large deals on performance - Strong deal momentum across various industries has contributed positively to performance, with improved retention rates expected to continue [46] Question: Contribution from new AI-related solutions - New product initiatives are expected to provide upside potential, but not heavily factored into current financial outlooks [62] Question: Hardware refresh status and customer visibility - The new hardware platform is expected to be available in late Q2 or Q3, with sales teams preparing customers for its deployment [66] Question: Investments in headcount and sales hiring - The company plans to focus on forward-deployed engineering and product development to enhance AI solution delivery [72]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total ARR grew by 3% on a reported basis and 1% in constant currency, marking a stabilization milestone for the business [15][16] - Fourth quarter total revenue was $421 million, up 3% year-over-year as reported and 1% in constant currency, exceeding expectations [16][17] - Free cash flow for the full year reached $285 million, surpassing the high end of the outlook [15][19] - Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share were $0.74, exceeding the top end of the outlook range by $0.17 [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cloud ARR grew by 15% as reported and 13% in constant currency, now representing 46% of total ARR [16] - Consulting services revenue for the fourth quarter was $53 million, down 4% year-over-year as reported and down 6% in constant currency [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Customer engagement across all regions and industries shifted towards AI and Elastic Compute, indicating a growing interest in AI solutions [6][12] - The company saw a resurgence of interest in its hybrid model, with customers leveraging both on-prem and cloud deployment options [5][21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on harnessing Agentic AI systems to enable autonomous decision-making at enterprise scale [5] - A strong emphasis is placed on product development and innovation, with plans to invest more resources in this area to fuel future growth [15][26] - The company aims to maintain a hybrid deployment strategy to meet diverse customer needs driven by data sovereignty and regulatory environments [5][21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in entering 2026 on solid footing, with expectations for continued growth in total ARR, operating margin, and free cash flow [15][23] - The company anticipates typical seasonality in ARR, with Q1 expected to be the largest renewal and highest erosion quarter [20][23] Other Important Information - The company announced a board refreshment initiative, with plans to add new independent directors to enhance governance [27] - A new partnership with Unstructured.io was established to automate the ingestion of unstructured content into analysis-ready data [10] Q&A Session Summary Question: On-premise AI materiality and customer investment - Management sees on-premise AI as a key growth driver, with increased POC activity leading to production deployments [30] Question: Free cash flow growth versus EPS guidance - The difference in guidance is attributed to a one-time tax benefit in Q4, affecting EPS but not free cash flow [32][33] Question: Drivers behind growth inflection - The AI marketplace is opening new opportunities, with improved retention rates and product announcements contributing to growth [36][38] Question: Visibility on migration versus expansion - Migration deals are complex and timing is hard to gauge, while expansions provide more consistent revenue growth [40][41] Question: Impact of new AI-related solutions on revenue - New product capabilities are expected to contribute to growth, but not heavily factored into current financial outlook [62] Question: Investments in headcount and sales hiring - The company plans to invest in forward-deployed engineering and product development to enhance AI solutions [68][70] Question: Seasonality and revenue growth expectations - Typical seasonality is expected, with Q1 showing erosion followed by growth in subsequent quarters [73][75] Question: Board refreshment and governance changes - The board refreshment process is ongoing, with a focus on enhancing skill mix and governance [77] Question: Characteristics of successful software companies in AI transition - The company emphasizes its role as a data layer for AI, positioning itself for growth in the autonomous AI space [81][82] Question: Operating margin expansion drivers - Expansion will be driven by gross margin improvements and efficiencies in operating expenses [84]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Non-GAAP earnings per share for Q3 was $0.72, exceeding expectations by $0.17 [26] - Total revenue was $416 million, down 5% year-over-year, but above the high end of the outlook due to higher recurring revenue [24] - Total ARR grew 1% as reported and flat in constant currency, marking the second consecutive quarter of positive growth [23][22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cloud ARR grew 11% on both an as-reported and constant currency basis, with a cloud net expansion rate of 109% [23][24] - Recurring revenue was $366 million, down 2% year-over-year, but represented 88% of total revenue, up from 85% in Q3 last year [24] - Services revenue was $47 million, consistent with recent performance, transitioning from migration projects to AI services [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company was named a leader in the Forrester Wave data management for analytics platforms, highlighting its suitability for hybrid cloud deployments [9] - Interest in AI, particularly agentic AI, is growing across industries, with most companies still in early stages of deployment [5][6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is shifting from classic EDW to autonomous AI and knowledge platforms, focusing on hybrid environments [5][6] - Investments are being prioritized to capitalize on opportunities as a leading AI and knowledge platform for autonomous enterprises [29] - The company aims to provide a trusted data foundation that enhances AI performance and governance [17][19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the return to total ARR growth and expects this trend to continue into 2026 [20][22] - The company is focusing on cost efficiencies and operational improvements to drive free cash flow growth [29][58] - Management noted that the hybrid deployment model is becoming increasingly important for customers [32][48] Other Important Information - The company launched several new AI services and capabilities, including the Teradata Agent Builder and enhancements to Clearscape Analytics [10][11] - The company is on track to complete over 150 AI engagements with customers this year [12] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on cloud ARR performance - Management indicated that cloud ARR performance met expectations, with a nuanced decision-making process for customers regarding deployment options [31][32] Question: Confidence in future free cash flow growth - Management attributed confidence in free cash flow growth to ARR growth and operational efficiency initiatives [34][35] Question: AI influence on pipeline and competitive win rates - Management noted an increase in AI-influenced pipeline and highlighted the effectiveness of their technology platform for AI workloads [36][37] Question: Guidance consistency and leading indicators - Management confirmed a consistent approach to guidance, utilizing various KPIs to assess outlook [38] Question: Competitive advantages in the AI space - Management emphasized patented technology and hybrid capabilities as key differentiators in the competitive landscape [40][41][42] Question: Services gross margin improvement - Management explained that improvements in services gross margin were due to right-sizing the organization and aligning costs with revenue [44][45] Question: Trajectory of cloud ARR and on-prem growth - Management indicated stabilization in on-prem growth and an expectation for continued expansion in cloud ARR [47][48] Question: Impact of federal shutdown on revenues - Management confirmed no impact from the federal shutdown on revenues [58] Question: Future free cash flow margin potential - Management highlighted operational efficiency measures that will benefit future margin and cash flow [59]