Group 1: Fund Performance - Baron Asset Fund achieved a return of 7.89% in Q4 2025, outperforming the Russell Midcap Growth Index by 11.59 percentage points, which ended the quarter down 3.70% [1] - The Fund held a total of 53 positions as of December 31, 2025, with the 10 largest holdings representing 52.8% of net assets and the 20 largest holdings representing 73.3% of net assets [1] Group 2: Veeva Systems Inc. Analysis - Veeva Systems Inc. (NYSE:VEEV) was highlighted as a notable detractor for the Baron Asset Fund, with a one-month return of -19.20% and a 12-month decline of 21.22% [2] - The company's market capitalization is reported at $30.347 billion [2] - Following a quarterly update in November, Veeva's management tempered expectations for customer retention, expecting only 14 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies to adopt its next-generation Vault CRM product, down from 18 for the legacy Veeva CRM [3] - The termination of Veeva's long-standing partnership with Salesforce has allowed for greater control over its product roadmap but has also introduced direct competition with Salesforce, which has announced its own product development efforts [3] - Despite recent challenges, the company retains long-term conviction in Veeva due to favorable secular tailwinds and confidence in its 2030 financial targets [3]

Veeva Systems FY Conference Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Veeva Systems (NYSE: VEEV) - **Industry**: Life Sciences Software and Consulting - **Market Opportunity**: Approximately $20 billion market with 16% penetration, indicating significant growth potential [6][7] Core Business Model and Vision - **Vision**: To build the industry cloud for life sciences, integrating software, data, and consulting to enhance efficiency across R&D, manufacturing, and commercial sectors [3][6] - **Values**: Emphasis on integrity, customer success, employee success, and speed [4][5] - **Public Benefit Corporation**: Veeva is the first public company to convert to a Public Benefit Corporation, balancing the interests of shareholders, customers, employees, and society [6] Product Portfolio - **Product Suites**: Veeva offers over 10 product suites and more than 50 products, categorized into: - Development Cloud: Clinical, regulatory, and safety management - Quality Cloud: Manufacturing quality assurance - Commercial Cloud: Sales, medical, and marketing solutions - Data Cloud: Data management and analytics [7][9] - **Unique Selling Proposition**: The "suite effect" allows customers to benefit from interconnected products, reducing integration complexities [10][11] Market Dynamics and Trends - **AI Integration**: AI is becoming integral in life sciences, enhancing productivity in drug discovery and clinical trials [17][18] - **Industry Connectivity**: Increased collaboration among stakeholders, leading to faster and more inclusive clinical trials [18] - **Changing Commercial Models**: Shift towards ongoing care and precision medicine as standard practice [18] Financial Performance and Growth Strategy - **Revenue Growth**: Expected revenue of $3.17 billion for the current fiscal year, representing a 15% growth rate [30] - **Long-term Goals**: Targeting $6 billion in revenue by 2030, implying a 13% annual growth rate [27] - **Investment Focus**: Significant investment in product development, with a commitment to maintaining high operating margins (expected 45% non-GAAP) [30][31] Competitive Landscape - **Main Competitors**: Salesforce in CRM and Medidata in clinical areas, with many competitors being niche providers [36][37] - **Market Share**: Veeva holds over 80% market share in biopharma CRM, expecting to maintain over 70% post-migration to Vault CRM [23][24] Capital Allocation and M&A Strategy - **Cash Position**: Over $6.5 billion in cash with no debt, allowing for both M&A and shareholder returns [32][33] - **Share Repurchase Program**: Announced a $2 billion share repurchase over two years to return value to shareholders [33] - **M&A Focus**: Targeting strategic acquisitions to enhance product excellence and expand into cross-industry software [39][40] Customer Engagement and Consulting - **Customer Success**: Veeva's products are designed to be mission-critical, leading to high customer retention and advocacy [14][45] - **Business Consulting**: Growing segment focused on helping customers optimize business processes and implement technology effectively [50][51] Crossix Business Insights - **Digital Marketing Growth**: Crossix continues to show strong growth in digital marketing and measurement, with potential to match CRM size in the future [52][54] - **Market Leadership Potential**: Positioned to gain further market share in a growing digital marketing landscape [53][54] Profitability and Margin Management - **Profitability Strategy**: Focus on sustainable growth without artificial margin targets, allowing for necessary investments in innovation [55][56] - **Operating Leverage**: Anticipated improvements in margins as Salesforce royalties decline and investments in AI and data products yield returns [56] This summary encapsulates the key points from the Veeva Systems FY Conference, highlighting the company's strategic vision, product offerings, market dynamics, financial performance, and future growth opportunities.

J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference January 13, 2026 Brian Van Wagener Chief Financial Officer Safe Harbor and Other Information This presentation and associated commentary contain forward-looking statements regarding Veeva's future plans and expected performance, market size and opportunity, and financial outlook, including guidance provided as of November 20, 2025, about Veeva's expected future financial results and long-term financial goals for 2030. These statements are based on our current expectation an ...

Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies, including daily updates on Zacks Rank and Industry Rank, research reports, and stock screens [1] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators that help investors select stocks likely to outperform the market in the next 30 days, rated from A to F based on value, growth, and momentum characteristics [2] - The Value Score identifies undervalued stocks using ratios like P/E, PEG, and Price/Sales to find attractive investment opportunities [3] - The Growth Score focuses on a company's financial health and future outlook, analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow for sustainable growth [4] - The Momentum Score helps investors capitalize on price trends, using factors like one-week price changes and monthly earnings estimate changes [5] - The VGM Score combines the three Style Scores to identify stocks with the best value, growth forecasts, and momentum, serving as a strong indicator alongside the Zacks Rank [6] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to simplify portfolio building, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.81% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [7][8] - Investors are encouraged to select stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B to maximize returns, while stocks with a 3 (Hold) rank should also have favorable Style Scores for potential upside [9] Company Spotlight: Veeva Systems - Veeva Systems Inc. specializes in cloud-based software applications and data solutions for the life sciences sector, offering products like Veeva CRM and Veeva Vault [11] - VEEV holds a 3 (Hold) Zacks Rank with a VGM Score of A and a Growth Style Score of B, indicating a projected year-over-year earnings growth of 19.9% for the current fiscal year [12] - The company has seen upward revisions in earnings estimates, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing by $0.13 to $7.91 per share, and an average earnings surprise of +8.2% [12][13]

Core Thesis - Veeva Systems Inc. is positioned as a strong player in the life sciences industry, with a focus on cloud-based software solutions that integrate data, software, and services, leading to a bullish investment outlook [1][2]. Company Overview - Founded in 2007 by Peter Gassner, Veeva Systems initially launched with Veeva CRM on Salesforce's platform, quickly becoming essential for pharmaceutical sales teams [2]. - The company has expanded its offerings to include clinical, regulatory, and quality solutions through the Veeva Vault platform, supporting major global biopharma companies [3]. Business Model - Veeva operates on a subscription-based model, providing high visibility and recurring revenue, along with professional services that enhance customer adoption and retention [4]. - The company has two main segments: Commercial Solutions (CRM and data offerings) and R&D Solutions (clinical, regulatory, and quality applications) [4]. Market Position and Strategy - Veeva's expansion into R&D has broadened its total addressable market, with significant integration among large biopharma clients [5]. - The company emphasizes a culture of accountability, customer-centricity, and sustainable innovation, maintaining operating margins above 35% [5]. Technological Transition - Veeva is transitioning from Salesforce infrastructure to its proprietary Vault platform, which enhances control and scalability, reduces dependency, and aligns with its innovation strategy [6]. - The company benefits from long-term contracts and strong customer relationships, positioning it as a resilient player in the digitization of life sciences [6]. Historical Performance - A previous bullish thesis highlighted Veeva's high-margin recurring revenue model and strong balance sheet, with the stock price appreciating approximately 0.20% since the last coverage [7].

Core Insights - Veeva Systems has launched the Veeva China Campaign Manager, a solution aimed at enhancing omnichannel engagement for pharmaceutical companies in China, focusing on compliance and customer experience [1][4][6] - This launch reflects Veeva's strategy to localize and innovate its offerings in high-growth international markets, particularly as digital engagement becomes essential in life sciences [2][4] - The Veeva China Campaign Manager is designed to meet the unique regulatory and commercial needs of the Chinese market, providing tools for effective and personalized campaigns [4][7] Company Performance - Following the announcement of the new campaign manager, Veeva's shares closed flat at $284.58, but have seen a year-to-date increase of 34.4%, outperforming the industry growth of 24.6% [3] - Veeva Systems currently has a market capitalization of $46.2 billion and anticipates a 14.6% growth in earnings for fiscal 2026 [5][6] Product Features - The Veeva China Campaign Manager integrates with the Veeva CRM suite, enhancing campaign execution through personalization, analytics, and coordination between sales and marketing [6][8] - Key features include advanced tagging and segmentation for precision targeting, customizable surveys for feedback, and a goal-oriented tracking system for campaign effectiveness [8][9] - The platform supports synchronized planning and execution across various engagement channels, allowing field representatives to dynamically adjust their strategies [8][9][10] Market Position - The launch positions Veeva Systems for long-term growth in one of the largest pharmaceutical markets globally, enhancing its competitive edge in Asia-Pacific [4][10] - Veeva's continued investment in region-specific tools like the Campaign Manager strengthens its role as a key technology enabler for pharmaceutical commercialization in the region [10]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q1 2026 was $759 million, with a non-GAAP operating margin of 46%, exceeding guidance [7] - The company achieved a revenue run rate goal of $3 billion for calendar year 2025 [7] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Vault CRM is performing well, with over 80 customers live, and the expectation to reach about 200 customers live in the next year [12][13] - Crossix is highlighted as a significant growth driver, with strong performance in marketing and optimization, growing over 30% year-over-year [32][43] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The macro environment is described as more uncertain compared to the previous quarter, but no material changes in financial results or pipeline have been observed [7][17] - The company is seeing strong growth in its R&D business, with guidance for the year set at 19% [32] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on horizontal CRM applications, with plans to have first customers by the end of the year [22][25] - The AI initiative, Veeva.ai, is expected to significantly enhance efficiency in the life sciences industry, with a target of increasing efficiency by 15% over the next few years [58][60] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges the uncertainty in the macro environment but emphasizes that the business remains insulated due to long-term subscription contracts [68][85] - There is optimism regarding the integration of AI into core applications, which is expected to provide substantial value to customers [60][88] Other Important Information - The company is committed to maintaining a disciplined approach to acquisitions, focusing on synergistic opportunities in horizontal applications [121] - The recent Commercial Summit indicated strong customer sentiment and excitement around new product offerings, particularly in CRM and AI [91][96] Q&A Session Summary Question: Customer migration to Vault CRM - Management noted that the migration to Vault CRM is driven by its superior capabilities compared to Veeva CRM, with a mix of new customers and migrations contributing to growth [12][14] Question: Impact of macroeconomic factors on revenue - Management stated that while there is uncertainty in the macro environment, it has not yet impacted financial results or pipeline, with ongoing projects proceeding as expected [17][70] Question: Horizontal CRM strategy - The company is excited about the potential of horizontal CRM applications, with plans to identify customer segments and product areas [22][25] Question: Drivers of Crossix's growth - Crossix's growth is attributed to its expanded product offerings and the increasing demand for digital marketing effectiveness among clients [32][43] Question: AI integration and customer feedback - Initial customer feedback on Veeva.ai has been positive, with expectations that it will enhance operational efficiency and provide significant value [88][96] Question: CRM conversion pace among top pharma companies - Management indicated that progress with top 20 pharma companies is on track, with no urgency to migrate as customers are satisfied with existing solutions [107][109] Question: Customer focus on ROI and budget priorities - There is a noted increase in focus on digital marketing and analytics among pharma executives, reflecting a systematic approach to commercial strategies [111]