NetApp(US:NTAP)2025-11-25 23:32Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported Q2 revenue of $1.71 billion, an increase of 3% year-over-year, and 4% excluding the divested Spot business [5][18] - Non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) was $2.05, reflecting a 10% year-over-year growth [20][23] - Gross margin reached a record 72.6%, exceeding guidance, with operating margin at 31.1%, up 2.4 percentage points year-over-year [20][23] - Cash flow from operations was $127 million, and free cash flow was $78 million [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Hybrid cloud revenue was $1.53 billion, up 3% year-over-year, with Keystone showing significant growth of 76% year-over-year [18][20] - Public cloud revenue increased by 2% year-over-year to $171 million, and 18% excluding the Spot business [18] - All-flash array revenue grew 9% year-over-year to $1 billion, with an annualized run rate of $4.1 billion [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced strong demand for AI solutions and cloud storage services, with approximately 200 AI infrastructure and data lake modernization deals closed in Q2 [9][19] - Revenue from first-party and marketplace cloud storage services increased by approximately 32% year-over-year [11][68] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on expanding its presence in AI, hybrid cloud, and all-flash markets, aiming to leverage its unified data platform for operational efficiencies [7][16] - Innovations such as AFX and AIDE are designed to enhance AI workload capabilities and simplify data management [8][9] - The company is committed to maintaining operational discipline while driving growth in key areas [20][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate the uncertain macro environment and capture market share despite near-term headwinds in the U.S. public sector [16][58] - The company anticipates a strong second half of the fiscal year, driven by growth in non-U.S. public sector segments and AI-related spending [57][58] Other Important Information - The company raised its fiscal year 2026 revenue guidance to between $6.625 billion and $6.875 billion, reflecting a 3% year-over-year growth [22][23] - Deferred revenue balance was $4.45 billion, up 8% year-over-year, indicating strong future revenue visibility [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Component environment and pricing dynamics - Management indicated they have locked in prices for components and have visibility for a couple more quarters, expecting product margins to remain stable [26][28] Question: Drivers of product gross margin expansion - Product gross margin is driven by a combination of mix and pricing, with expectations to maintain current levels [36][40] Question: Trends in AI-related transactions - The company reported a stable mix of AI transactions, with significant interest in the AFX platform, although it is too early to quantify its impact [44][47] Question: Seasonal revenue guidance - Management noted that U.S. public sector headwinds are expected to impact seasonal growth, but they view this as temporary [50] Question: Demand drivers and inventory management - The company is optimistic about demand in the second half of the year and is prepared to secure supply as needed [56][59] Question: Opportunities with Sovereign clouds - The company is actively participating in Sovereign cloud initiatives and sees potential for growth in AI workloads [89][92] Question: AI's impact on storage revenue - Management believes that as AI adoption increases, particularly in inferencing, storage consumption will also rise [114]