Dell Technologies(DELL) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue reached $23.4 billion, up 5$1.55, growing three times faster than revenue [6][20] - Net income rose 13% to $1.1 billion, primarily driven by stronger operating income [21][22] - Gross margin was$5.1 billion, or 21.6% of revenue, down 80 basis points due to a competitive pricing environment [20][21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - ISG revenue was $10.3 billion, up 12$6.3 billion, up 16% [22][23] - CSG revenue rose 5% to $12.5 billion, with commercial revenue up 9$11 billion, while consumer revenue declined 19% to $1.5 billion [25][26] - PowerStore demand rose double digits, growing for five consecutive quarters [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Strong demand for AI optimized servers, with$12.1 billion in orders booked in Q1, surpassing all shipments in FY 2025 [7][22] - Enterprise AI customers grew sequentially across key industry verticals, including WebTech, financial services, and education [7][8] - Commercial demand was strongest in North America, with EMEA and APJ regions also showing double-digit growth [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on expanding its leadership in AI, investing in innovation, and deepening customer partnerships [9][16] - Continued emphasis on modernizing data centers with the introduction of sixteenth and seventeenth generation servers [17][18] - The company aims to capture more value from its platforms by increasing the mix of Dell IP storage [24][25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong demand for AI servers and the ability to execute on large, complex customer deployments [37][50] - The company anticipates a continued PC refresh cycle as the installed base upgrades to new devices [27][30] - Management remains cautious about traditional server and storage performance due to the dynamic macro environment [30][31] Other Important Information - Record Q1 cash flow from operations of $2.8 billion, driven by profitability and working capital improvement [26] - The company returned$2.4 billion to shareholders through stock repurchases and dividends [27] - Full year revenue guidance is reiterated at $101 billion to$105 billion, with expectations for ISG to grow in the high teens [30][31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you discuss the AI server revenue outlook? - Management indicated that the backlog for AI servers is healthy, with expectations to exceed $15 billion for the fiscal year [36][41] Question: What are the expectations for the second half guidance? - Management expects to ship approximately$7 billion of AI servers in the first half, with optimism for converting more pipeline in the second half [44][46] Question: How is the storage attach opportunity evolving alongside AI servers? - Management noted modest improvements in storage and networking attach rates, emphasizing the importance of deployment and installation services [54][56] Question: Are tariffs impacting the financial outlook? - Management confirmed that current guidance includes all known tariff impacts and that input costs are expected to be deflationary [66][68] Question: What is the demand landscape for AI servers? - Management highlighted a diverse customer base, including CSP and enterprise customers, with significant growth in repeat enterprise customers [72][76] Question: How is the competitive environment affecting pricing? - Management stated that ASPs remained stable, with no price increases, and noted aggressive competition in large deals [90][92]