CDW (US:CDW)2025-11-04 14:30Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Third quarter consolidated net sales were $5.7 billion, up 4% year-over-year [5][19] - Gross profit was $1.3 billion, up 5% [5][19] - Non-GAAP operating income was $531 million, down 1% [5][24] - Non-GAAP net income per share was $2.71, up 3% [5][25] - Adjusted free cash flow was $209 million [5][26] - Gross margin was 21.9%, up 10 basis points year-over-year [20][24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Small business delivered double-digit growth in top line and gross profit, driven by cloud and client device solutions [8][9] - Corporate delivered mid-single-digit top line growth with low single-digit gross profit [9] - Government net sales increased 8%, with state and local showing double-digit growth [9][10] - Education net sales declined 9%, with higher education growth offset by K-12 decline [10] - Services grew 9% in top line, contributing 9% of total CDW top line [12][19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.K. and Canadian operations reported a 9% increase in net sales [10][11] - Healthcare gross profit grew faster than its 7% top line growth, driven by cloud solutions [10] - Demand for client devices increased mid-single digits in top line and double digits in gross profit [9][11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is embedding AI into operations to drive productivity and efficiency [14][15] - Focus on delivering enterprise-grade AI solutions to help customers unlock value [15][17] - Maintaining a prudent full-year outlook with expectations of low single-digit growth in the U.S. IT market [17][30] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management highlighted the complexity and volatility of the current operating environment, impacting customer investment decisions [44] - The company is navigating uncertainties such as government shutdowns and economic conditions while focusing on execution [18][30] - Expectations for 2026 are still being planned, with a focus on maintaining competitive strength [18][31] Other Important Information - Non-GAAP SG&A totaled $725 million, up 8.7% year-over-year [23][24] - The company returned approximately $150 million in share repurchases and $82 million in dividends [26][28] - The dividend was increased by approximately 1% to $2.52 annually [28] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of government shutdown on federal contributions - Management acknowledged a conservative view for Q4, anticipating some pipeline and backlog but recognizing constraints from agencies not open [35][36] Question: Drivers of small business growth - Small businesses are leaning more into technology for competitive advantage, showing resilience and strong execution [37][38] Question: Outlook for PC and endpoint market - Demand remains solid, driven by Windows 10 end-of-life transitions and AI productivity initiatives [39][40] Question: Federal funding for education and healthcare - Federal funding for K-12 is primarily state-funded, while higher education is focused on technology to attract students [41][42] Question: Complexity of the current spending environment - The primary issue is volatility and uncertainty, affecting investment commitments [44] Question: Gross profit dollar growth needed for EPS growth - Sustaining gross profit growth and focusing on operating leverage are essential for returning to high single-digit EPS growth [46][47] Question: Opportunities in services and M&A - Strong growth in services is expected, with a focus on data, AI, and cloud [49][50]