Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the fourth quarter was $194.7 million, up 9.1% year-over-year, and in line with guidance [21] - Full-year revenue reached $748.4 million, an increase of 12.2% from 2024 [21] - Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $42.5 million, an increase of 11.6% year-over-year [28] - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) was $671 million at quarter end, up 11.3% year-over-year [24] - Gross profit for the fourth quarter was $147.4 million, with a gross margin of 75.7% [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription revenue in the fourth quarter increased 8.9% year-over-year to $166.2 million [21] - Services revenue grew 10.2% year-over-year to $28.5 million in the fourth quarter [23] - Cloud revenue for the fourth quarter was $94.6 million, up 23% year-over-year [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - New logos increased by 20% in 2025, indicating healthy revenue from new customers [9] - E-invoicing mandates are expected to drive growth, particularly in the second half of 2026 [39] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to accelerate revenue growth through AI transformation and innovation [7][10] - Focus on expanding customer success coverage and leveraging AI tools to enhance customer service [9][60] - Plans to broaden the functionality of Smart Categorization and expand into additional industries [11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged challenges in 2025, including higher customer attrition primarily due to M&A and bankruptcies [8] - Confidence in achieving 2026 revenue guidance of $823.5 million to $831.5 million, with expected cloud revenue growth of 25% [30] - Emphasis on restoring growth and capitalizing on AI and e-invoicing opportunities [20] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately $10 million of its shares in the open market [29] - Ended the fourth quarter with over $314 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents [29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the losses to competitors at the lower end of the market? - Management noted that attrition was higher in 2025, primarily due to M&A and bankruptcies, with the highest churn in smaller customers [35] Question: How confident are you in achieving the guidance for next year? - Management expressed confidence in the guidance, considering various factors and aiming to return to a beat-and-raise cadence [39] Question: What parallels can you draw from your previous experiences that will help at Vertex? - Management highlighted the importance of AI transformation and the need for accuracy in tax compliance, drawing parallels from experiences at Microsoft [44][48] Question: What are your expectations around net retention rates? - Management is focused on improving net retention rates through new product offerings and proactive customer engagement [50] Question: How is the pipeline for 2026 shaping up, particularly with SAP customers? - Management reported steady growth in the SAP pipeline, with ongoing partnerships and win rates remaining strong [55] Question: Have you seen any AI tech budget crowding out affecting entitlement slowdown? - Management has not observed explicit budget crowding out in their business, indicating continued strength in their solutions [88]

Vertex (NasdaqGM:VERX) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 11, 2026 08:30 AM ET Company ParticipantsChris Young - President and CEOJoe Crivelli - VP of Investor RelationsJohn Schwab - CFOConference Call ParticipantsAdam Hotchkiss - Equity Research AnalystAlex Sklar - AnalystAndrew DeGasperi - Equity Research AnalystBrett Huff - Equity Research AnalystChris Quintero - Equity Research AnalystDaniel Jester - Equity Research AnalystJohn Masin - Equity Research AnalystJoshua Reilly - AnalystPatrick Walravens - Equity ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q4 2025 was $194.7 million, up 9.1% year-over-year, and in line with guidance [20] - Full-year revenue reached $748.4 million, an increase of 12.2% from 2024 [20] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $42.5 million, reflecting an 11.6% year-over-year increase [27] - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) at year-end was $671 million, up 11.3% year-over-year [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription revenue in Q4 increased 8.9% year-over-year to $166.2 million [20] - Services revenue grew 10.2% year-over-year to $28.5 million in Q4 [22] - Cloud revenue for Q4 was $94.6 million, up 23% year-over-year, with full-year cloud revenue at $352.9 million, up 27.9% [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - New logo revenue was up 20% in 2025, indicating healthy demand from competitive takeaways and customers switching from homegrown solutions [8] - Customer attrition was concentrated in smaller accounts, with the average annual revenue per lost account under $50,000 compared to an overall average of $138,000 [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to accelerate revenue growth through AI transformation and innovation in compliance and e-invoicing [5][19] - Vertex is focusing on expanding customer success coverage and leveraging AI tools to enhance customer engagement and retention [7][9] - The company plans to broaden its Smart Categorization offering and expand into additional industries [10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged challenges in 2025, including lower entitlement growth and higher customer attrition, primarily driven by M&A and bankruptcies [6] - The company is optimistic about restoring growth, particularly through AI and e-invoicing opportunities [19] - Management emphasized the importance of customer trust and the need for continuous innovation to maintain market leadership [47][48] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately $10 million of its shares in Q4 under its stock buyback authorization [28] - Vertex ended Q4 with over $314 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents [28] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the losses to competitors at the lower end of the market? - Management noted that attrition was higher in 2025, primarily due to M&A and bankruptcies, with the highest churn in smaller customers [35] Question: How confident are you in achieving the guidance for next year? - Management expressed confidence in the guidance, citing e-invoicing and AI products as potential growth drivers [37][39] Question: What parallels can you draw from your previous experiences that will help at Vertex? - Management highlighted the importance of AI transformation and the need for accurate tax compliance as key areas of focus [44][47] Question: What is the outlook for net retention rates? - Management is focused on improving net retention rates through new product offerings and proactive customer engagement [49][51] Question: How is the pipeline for 2026 shaping up, particularly with SAP customers? - Management indicated steady growth in the SAP pipeline, with ongoing partnerships and win rates remaining strong [55][57] Question: Have you seen any AI tech budget crowding out affecting entitlement slowdown? - Management has not observed explicit budget crowding out in their business, indicating continued demand for their solutions [90]

Core Insights - Vertex Inc. has appointed Ralf Gärtner as Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for Europe to enhance its global operations and commitment to innovation in indirect tax solutions [1][2][3] Company Overview - Vertex is a leading global provider of indirect tax solutions, focusing on delivering trusted tax technology that enables businesses to transact, comply, and grow confidently [5] - The company offers tailored solutions for various lines of indirect tax, including sales and consumer use, value-added tax, and payroll [5] Leadership Appointment - Ralf Gärtner brings over 30 years of experience in tax, corporate performance management, ERP, and accounting automation, with a proven track record in driving growth and innovation [2][3] - His expertise aligns with Vertex's mission to support enterprises globally by providing technology-driven compliance solutions [2][3] Strategic Goals - The appointment of Gärtner is part of Vertex's strategy to strengthen its regional capabilities in Europe and respond to the evolving business landscape [1][3] - Vertex aims to expand its strategic presence in Europe to deliver value to customers, partners, and shareholders amid significant market changes [3] Product and Service Offerings - Vertex provides automated indirect tax compliance, real-time VAT determination, and AI-powered tools like Vertex Copilot, covering over 20,000 global tax jurisdictions and e-invoicing in 45 countries [4]

Core Insights - Vertex Inc. announced enhancements to its tax technology portfolio, focusing on simplifying and automating global indirect tax solutions to improve business agility and accuracy [1][4] - The company introduced new certified integrations with major platforms like SAP, Oracle, Coupa, and Shopify, aimed at enhancing efficiency and accuracy in tax determination for global transactions [2][11] - Vertex is preparing for Brazil's tax reform and supporting evolving tax models to help organizations remain agile and compliant in a rapidly changing environment [3] Tax Technology Enhancements - Vertex introduced several enhancements including the Vertex O Series, which improves tax determination capabilities [5] - New features include the Vertex VAT ID Validator, bulk VAT ID validation, and expanded jurisdictional support for VAT ID validation across 67+ countries [6][7] - The company launched Vertex Copilot, an AI-powered assistant, and Vertex Express Returns for simplified compliance in the U.S. and Canada [2][8] Integration and Compliance Solutions - Vertex's solutions now support large-scale batch invoicing and real-time tax calculation for platforms like Workday and Shopify, enhancing scalability and accuracy [11] - The company has expanded its ERP integrations to include pre-built support for Oracle Cloud ERP and SAP S/4HANA, facilitating smoother tax management processes [11] - Enhanced capabilities for automated exchange rates and general ledger reconciliation have been introduced to improve financial workflows [11]