F5(US:FFIV)2026-01-27 22:30Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a 7% revenue growth in Q1 FY 2026, totaling $822 million, with product revenue growing by 11% and services revenue growing by 4% year-over-year [19][20] - Systems revenue reached $218 million, up 37% year-over-year, driven by strong demand related to hybrid multi-cloud adoption and AI [20] - GAAP net income for the quarter was $180 million, or $3.10 per share, while non-GAAP net income was $259 million, or $4.45 per share, reflecting a 16% EPS growth from the previous year [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Product revenue accounted for 50% of total revenue, with systems revenue showing significant growth at 37% [19][20] - Software revenue was $192 million, down 8% year-over-year, attributed to a strong comparison from the previous year [20] - Subscription-based software revenue totaled $164 million, up 1% year-over-year, while perpetual licensed software revenue was $27 million, down year-over-year [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from the Americas grew 2% year-over-year, representing 53% of total revenue, while EMEA delivered exceptional growth of 24%, accounting for 31% of revenue [21] - APAC region saw a decline of 1%, representing 16% of total revenue [21] - Enterprise customers represented 64% of Q1's product bookings, with government customers at 23% and service providers at 13% [21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three key areas: investing in security operations, enhancing product security, and supporting the broader security community [5] - The strategy emphasizes hybrid multi-cloud adoption, enterprise AI, and the need for converged platforms, which are seen as significant growth drivers [6][18] - The company aims to lead in hybrid multi-cloud solutions, leveraging its capabilities to provide complete delivery and security for applications [8][16] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the durability of demand driven by hybrid multi-cloud adoption and AI investments, despite uncertainties from a recent security incident [4][18] - The outlook for FY 2026 has been raised, expecting revenue growth of 5%-6%, up from a prior outlook of 0%-4% [23] - Management highlighted the importance of regulatory drivers and the acceleration of AI as catalysts for future growth [46][47] Other Important Information - The company generated $159 million in cash flow from operations in Q1, with cash and investments totaling approximately $1.22 billion at quarter end [22][23] - Deferred revenue increased to $2.1 billion, up 6% from the previous year [23] - The company repurchased $300 million worth of shares in Q1, with plans to continue share repurchases at least 50% of free cash flow for the year [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: AI adoption trends among enterprise customers - Management noted that the company is early in the AI adoption cycle, with a significant shift from training to production of AI applications, leading to increased demand for infrastructure [30][31] Question: Software and hardware performance outlook - Management acknowledged tough year-over-year comparisons for software but expressed confidence in mid-single-digit growth for the software business moving forward [41][42] Question: Impact of security incident on customer relationships - Management confirmed no evidence of customer breaches due to the security incident and reported minimal disruption in demand, with a successful response to customer needs [63][64]