Pure Storage(PSTG) - 2026 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q3 FY26 was $964 million, representing a 16% year-over-year growth, while operating profit grew 17% year-over-year to $196 million, achieving an operating margin of 20.3% [19][24] - Total gross margin increased to 74.1%, with subscription services gross margin at 75.5% and product gross margin at 72.9% [23][24] - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) grew 17% to $1.8 billion, and total remaining performance obligations (RPO) increased 24% to $2.9 billion [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Product revenue reached $534 million, growing 18% year-over-year, while subscription services revenue was $430 million, up 14% year-over-year, accounting for 45% of total revenue [22] - Total contract value (TCV) sales for storage as a service offerings grew 25% year-over-year to $120 million [22] - The number of customers deploying the Pure Fusion capability has more than tripled since the beginning of the year, indicating strong market demand [7] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. revenue was $683 million, growing 22%, while international revenue was $281 million, growing 4% year-over-year [23] - The company added 258 new customers, increasing its penetration of the Fortune 500 to 63% [23] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to capitalize on the financial benefits from hyperscaler revenues to make significant investments in R&D and sales and marketing to sustain momentum and capture additional profitable growth opportunities [26][28] - The introduction of the Enterprise Data Cloud is expected to enhance customer engagement and drive demand for storage architectures [9][10] - The company is exploring new business model options for hyperscaler engagements that may alter gross margin economics in FY27 [28][72] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management anticipates increased commodity pricing and excess demand will pressure global supply chains, but the company is well-prepared with a resilient supply chain and strong business continuity plans [16] - The company expects revenue for Q4 FY26 to be in the range of $1.02-$1.04 billion, representing approximately a 17.1% year-over-year increase at the midpoint [25] - Management remains optimistic about the growth trajectory, emphasizing that operating profit is expected to grow significantly in FY26 and beyond [80] Other Important Information - The company welcomed Pat Finn as the new Chief Revenue Officer, bringing extensive experience in scaling sales and go-to-market organizations [17] - The company has a strong balance sheet with $1.5 billion in cash and investments, and generated $53 million of free cash flow in Q3 [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of memory price inflation on margins and revenue - Management explained that commodity pricing affects overall market pricing, and higher prices could lead to increased revenue, although gross margins may remain stable [33] Question: Increase in inventory and its implications - Management noted that the inventory increase was due to strategic purchases and tariff mitigation, and overall inventory levels remain low compared to business size [40] Question: Product gross margin sustainability - Management indicated that higher-end product sales and Portworx license purchases contributed positively to gross margins, and they expect to maintain strong margins moving forward [46] Question: Feedback on Enterprise Data Cloud - Early feedback has been positive, with significant demand for the new cloud-native offerings, indicating a shift in customer engagement [51] Question: Engagements with hyperscalers - Management confirmed ongoing engagements with top hyperscalers and multiple proofs of concept, indicating strong interest in their offerings [60] Question: Changes in demand dynamics due to memory costs - Management acknowledged that while higher prices could constrain demand, the overall demand for data remains strong, particularly with the rise of AI [88] Question: Scaling the hyperscale business - Management emphasized the importance of providing superior solutions and maintaining engagement with hyperscalers to capture a larger market share [110]