Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q2 2025 was $1.67 billion, representing a 6% reported growth and a 5.3% core growth compared to Q2 2024 [9][27] - Operating margin was 25.1%, absorbing some incremental tariff costs, and EPS was $1.31, growing 7% year over year [9][33] - Gross margin was 54.1%, down from the previous year due to tariffs, currency, and product mix [31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Agilent CrossLab Group reported revenue of $713 million, growing 9%, driven by double-digit growth in consumables and automation [28] - Life Sciences and Diagnostics Market Group revenue was $654 million, growing 3%, with high single-digit growth in pathology and NASD [29] - Applied Markets Group revenue was flat at $300 million, with growth in spectroscopy offset by declines in gas chromatography [29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - All regions experienced growth, with China leading at 10%, while the Americas grew low single digits and EMEA grew mid single digits [12] - India delivered high teens growth, prompting the opening of a new solution center [13] - PFAS testing grew over 70% year over year globally, with Europe and China more than doubling their business [15][16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is executing its three-year Ignite transformation strategy, focusing on operational efficiency and tariff mitigation [11][20] - Agilent acquired BioVectra for approximately $1 billion to expand its CDMO capabilities [20] - The company is committed to innovation, launching new products in cell analysis and chromatography [22][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in long-term growth prospects despite macroeconomic uncertainties, maintaining a core growth rate of 2.5% to 3.5% for the year [26][37] - The company is proactively managing tariff exposure and expects to fully mitigate costs by fiscal 2026 [25][39] - Management highlighted the importance of strategic pricing initiatives to maintain competitiveness [21][84] Other Important Information - Digital orders grew by 12% year over year, reaching $295 million [18] - The company is tracking over 350 regulations globally related to PFAS testing, anticipating significant market growth [16][22] - The board welcomed new members with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors [42] Q&A Session Summary Question: Order trends in the quarter - Management noted that orders grew low single digits in Q2, with a book-to-bill ratio greater than one, indicating stable business across regions [49][50] Question: Performance of NASD and BioVectra - Management expressed optimism about the CDMO business, with expectations for double-digit growth in the second half of the year [55] Question: Impact of tariffs on consumables - The $15 million of consumables pulled forward was due to customer anticipation of tariffs, with no overall revenue impact expected [63][64] Question: Differences in ordering patterns in pharma - The majority of business is in QAQC and development, with small molecule growth of 10% in the quarter [71] Question: PFAS regulation impacts - PFAS testing grew 75% year over year, with expectations for continued strong results despite regulatory uncertainties [73][75] Question: Reshoring and capacity build-outs - Discussions with pharma customers are early, with expectations for potential tailwinds in the next few years [82] Question: Pricing strategies - The company is on track for approximately 100 basis points of price realization for the year, aided by tariff mitigation activities [86][88]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q2 2025 was $1.67 billion, representing a 6% increase reported and 5.3% core growth year-over-year [9][27] - Operating margin was 25.1%, absorbing some incremental tariff costs, and EPS was $1.31, growing 7% compared to Q2 2024 [9][33] - Gross margin was 54.1%, down from the previous year due to tariffs, currency, and product mix [31] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Agilent CrossLab Group reported revenue of $713 million, growing 9%, driven by double-digit growth in consumables and automation [28] - Life Sciences and Diagnostics Market Group revenue was $654 million, growing 3%, with high single-digit growth in pathology and NASD [29] - Applied Markets Group revenue was flat at $300 million, with growth in spectroscopy offset by declines in gas chromatography [29] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - All regions experienced growth: Americas grew low single digits, EMEA grew mid single digits, and China led with 10% growth [12] - India delivered high teens growth, prompting the opening of a new solution center [13] - Environmental and forensics grew 6% globally, driven by strong demand for PFAS testing [15] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is executing its three-year Ignite transformation strategy, focusing on operational efficiency and tariff mitigation [11][20] - Agilent acquired BioVectra for approximately $1 billion to expand CDMO capabilities [20] - The company is committed to innovation, launching new products in cell analysis and chromatography [22][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in long-term growth prospects despite macroeconomic uncertainties [26] - The company is maintaining its core growth rate guidance of 2.5% to 3.5% for the year [26][35] - Management highlighted the importance of strategic pricing initiatives to mitigate tariff impacts [21][88] Other Important Information - The company is tracking over 350 regulations globally related to PFAS testing, anticipating significant market growth by 2030 [16] - Operating cash flow was $221 million, with capital expenditures of $114 million [33] - The company ended the quarter with a net leverage ratio of 1, indicating a strong balance sheet [33] Q&A Session Summary Question: Order trends in the quarter - Management noted that orders grew low single digits in Q2, with stable business across regions and no significant pull forward from pharma tariffs [50][51] Question: Expectations for NASD and BioVectra - Management expressed confidence in double-digit growth for NASD in the second half of the year, supported by strong order visibility [56] Question: Impact of tariffs on consumables - The $15 million pull forward in consumables was driven by customer actions in response to high tariff rates, with no overall revenue impact expected [64][65] Question: Differences in ordering patterns in pharma - The majority of business is on the QAQC and development side, with small molecule growth of 10% in the quarter [72] Question: PFAS regulation impacts - PFAS testing grew 75% year-over-year, with expectations for continued strong results despite regulatory uncertainties [74] Question: Reshoring and capacity build-outs - Discussions with pharma customers regarding reshoring are still in early stages, with potential tailwinds expected in the next 2-3 years [84] Question: Pricing strategies - The company has established enterprise pricing capabilities and is on track for approximately 100 basis points of price realization for the year [88][90]

e.l.f. Beauty (ELF) Q4 2025 Earnings Call May 28, 2025 04:30 PM ET Company Participants None - ExecutiveTarang Amin - Chairman and CEOMandy Fields - SVP & CFOOliver Chen - Managing Director - Retail, Luxury, New Platforms Sector HeadDara Mohsenian - Managing Director - US Beverage/Household Products SectorsJonna Kim - DirectorSydney Wagner - Equity Research Senior Associate - Beauty & Personal CareBonnie Herzog - Managing Director Conference Call Participants Susan Anderson - Managing Director & Senior Ana ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported quarterly revenue of $639 million, exceeding the guided range of $620 million to $630 million, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 22% [14][15] - Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) at the end of Q3 was $2.14 billion, reflecting an 18% year-over-year growth [15] - Non-GAAP gross margin in Q3 was 88.2%, and non-GAAP operating margin was 21.5%, higher than the guided range of 17% to 18% [16] - Non-GAAP net income in Q3 was $125 million, translating to a fully diluted EPS of $0.42 per share [17] - Free cash flow in Q3 was $203 million, representing a free cash flow margin of 32% [18] - The company ended Q3 with cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $1.882 billion, up from $1.743 billion at the end of Q2 [19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced strong new logo growth across all customer segments, with significant wins in the EMEA region and North America [9][10] - The net dollar-based retention rate (NRR) at the end of Q3 was 110%, remaining flat quarter-over-quarter [16] - Average contract duration was 3.1 years, slightly higher than expectations and up slightly quarter-over-quarter [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted a dynamic macro environment affecting deal cycles, particularly in the federal business, leading to longer deal cycles and variability [26][30] - The company is optimistic about the federal business benefiting from its platform's focus on modernization and total cost of ownership [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to become the leading platform for running applications and managing data anywhere, focusing on hybrid multi-cloud capabilities and partnerships [13] - Recent partnerships with Dell and Pure Storage are expected to enhance the company's offerings, with new solutions being introduced [12][63] - The company is expanding its cloud platform to support Google Cloud and announced a new solution, Cloud Native AOS, to enable modern applications [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the demand environment remaining similar to Q3, with expectations to continue adding new customers [21] - The company plans to increase investments in sales, marketing, and research and development to address market opportunities [21] - Management acknowledged the challenges of year-over-year comparisons for new logo additions in Q4 due to strong performance in the previous year [21] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $38 million worth of common stock under its existing share repurchase authorization [19] - The updated guidance for fiscal year 2025 includes revenue of $2.52 billion to $2.53 billion, representing a year-over-year growth of approximately 17.5% [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you walk us through the linearity seen throughout the quarter? - Management noted that while linearity can vary, they have not seen significant changes in deal cycles, although some variability exists in the federal business [30][31] Question: What is the delta between NCIC and the core standard NCI license? - The NCIC offering includes the platform minus the storage, and early customer feedback has been positive [36][39] Question: What is driving the increase in operating margin guidance? - The increase is attributed to timing of hiring and expected ramp-up in investments in Q4 [41][42] Question: Can you explain the difference between ARR and revenue growth rates? - Revenue is a flow metric while ARR is a stock metric, and factors like contract duration can affect their relative growth rates [50][51] Question: How is the pricing environment and share gains versus VMware? - The pricing environment has been stable, and the company has seen strong traction in acquiring new customers, particularly with its hypervisor [75][72] Question: What is the status of partnerships with Dell and Cisco? - Cisco has been a consistent contributor to new logo growth, while the Dell partnership is still in early stages but expected to ramp up [61][63]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported quarterly revenue of $639 million, exceeding the guided range of $620 million to $630 million, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 22% [14][15] - Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) at the end of Q3 was $2.14 billion, reflecting an 18% year-over-year growth [15][18] - Non-GAAP gross margin in Q3 was 88.2%, and non-GAAP operating margin was 21.5%, higher than the guided range of 17% to 18% [16][18] - Non-GAAP net income in Q3 was $125 million, translating to a fully diluted EPS of $0.42 per share [17][18] - Free cash flow in Q3 was $203 million, representing a free cash flow margin of 32% [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced strong new logo growth across all customer segments, with significant wins in large organizations modernizing their IT infrastructure [9][10] - The average contract duration increased to 3.1 years, slightly higher than expectations [16] - The net dollar-based retention rate (NRR) at the end of Q3 was 110%, remaining flat quarter-over-quarter [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted strong demand for its solutions, particularly in the federal business, despite longer deal cycles due to changes in the federal government [26][27] - The company is optimistic about opportunities in the federal sector, focusing on modernization and total cost of ownership (TCO) improvements [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to become the leading platform for running applications and managing data anywhere, focusing on hybrid multi-cloud capabilities and partnerships [12][13] - Recent partnerships with Dell and Pure Storage are expected to enhance the company's offerings and market reach [12][63] - The company is expanding its cloud platform to support Google Cloud and announced new solutions to enable modern applications [12][13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a dynamic macro environment affecting deal cycles and customer engagement but remains optimistic about continued demand for their solutions [25][26] - The company expects to continue adding new customers while noting that Q4 presents a tough year-over-year comparison for new logo additions [21] - Management raised full-year guidance across all metrics, reflecting confidence in sustained growth and profitability [22][20] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $38 million worth of common stock during Q3 and used approximately $65 million to retire shares related to employee tax liabilities [19] - The updated guidance for fiscal year 2025 includes revenue of $2.52 billion to $2.53 billion, representing a year-over-year growth of approximately 17.5% [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you walk us through the linearity seen throughout the quarter? - Management noted that while linearity can vary, they have not seen significant changes in deal cycles, although some variability exists in the federal business [30][31] Question: What is the delta between NCIC and the core standard NCI license? - The NCIC offering includes the platform minus the storage, and early customer feedback has been positive [39] Question: What is driving the increase in operating margin guidance? - The increase is attributed to timing of hiring and expected productivity improvements, along with prudent investments in areas with anticipated returns [41][45] Question: How did the renewals business perform versus land and expand? - The company saw strong new logo growth and solid renewals in Q3, with a greater mix of larger deals in the pipeline [78][79] Question: What is the pricing environment like? - The pricing environment has been stable, with no significant changes noted, and the company continues to see traction in new customer acquisitions [74][75] Question: How is the company addressing the competitive landscape, particularly with VMware? - The company is gaining traction with new customers, many of whom are adopting their hypervisor, and is optimistic about opportunities arising from VMware's changes [72][74]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported revenue of $229 million for Q1, representing a 23% year-over-year growth [26] - Total Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) grew 24% to $948 million [27] - The gross margin maintained at 79%, with an operating margin improvement to negative 2% [29] - Free cash flow margin reached a record 20%, with a trailing twelve-month basis expansion of five percentage points [29][35] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from international markets grew 27%, accounting for 38% of total quarterly revenue [27] - Customers with ARR of $100,000 or more increased by 22% to 1,459 [28] - The data solutions segment surpassed $100 million in ARR during Q1 [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company observed elongated sales cycles due to macroeconomic uncertainty, impacting Q1 net new ARR [19] - Despite the challenges, win rates remained strong, and there were no project cancellations [19][52] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on a platform sales strategy rather than a product-centric approach, aiming to enhance flexibility and customer adoption [23][75] - Recent innovations include the unified cloud security suite and advancements in AI capabilities, which are expected to drive future growth [9][34] - The company achieved FedRAMP high authorization for several products, enhancing its competitive position in the public sector [13][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted improved trends in May, with expectations for year-over-year net new ARR growth in Q2 to exceed Q1 [41][52] - The company remains cautious about macroeconomic conditions but is optimistic about the strength of its pipeline and demand [19][53] - The outlook for Q2 revenue is approximately $242 million, reflecting a 22% growth [31] Other Important Information - The company announced a $200 million open-ended share repurchase authorization, reflecting confidence in its long-term trajectory [36] - The company is committed to investing in AI-driven innovations while maintaining operational efficiency [33][84] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you talk about incremental ARR in the quarter? - Management indicated that improved trends were observed in May and expects year-over-year net ARR growth in Q2 to improve relative to Q1, attributing Q1 challenges to macro volatility rather than elevated churn [41][43] Question: Can you clarify guidance assumptions? - Management acknowledged improved trends in May but is being cautious about potential external disruptions, which influenced the slight decrease in revenue guidance [48] Question: What are customers saying about slip deals? - Management noted that longer sales cycles were observed, particularly in April, but there have been no deal cancellations, and demand remains strong [51][52] Question: How is the productivity and bundle sale progressing? - Management highlighted that the breadth of the platform is significant, and efforts are being made to make it more flexible for customers [57] Question: What is the outlook for the SIEM market? - Management noted increasing interest in cloud-native SIEM solutions and the need for real-time threat addressing, which legacy systems struggle to provide [63] Question: What are the hiring plans for fiscal 2026? - Management indicated a focus on R&D hiring, with adjustments made based on business needs [105] Question: What is the impact of the share repurchase program on M&A? - Management stated that the strong liquidity position allows for opportunistic share repurchases while still having ample cash for potential M&A [93]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenues for Q1 2026 were $144.1 million, representing a 13% year-over-year increase [17] - Subscription revenues were $125.6 million, up 14% year-over-year on a reported basis and 9% organically [17] - Non-GAAP operating income was $24.8 million, or 17% of total revenues, with non-GAAP net income attributable to nCino at $18.4 million, or $0.16 per diluted share [20][21] - The company expects total revenues for Q2 2026 to be between $142 million and $144 million, with subscription revenues between $124.5 million and $126.5 million [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Professional services revenues were $18.5 million, an increase of 5% year-over-year, driven by revenue recognition adjustments [18] - Non-U.S. total revenues were $31.6 million, up 22% year-over-year or 23% in constant currency [19] - Non-U.S. subscription revenues were $25.9 million, up 31% year-over-year or 32% in constant currency [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported strong demand in the market, particularly for AI capabilities and omnichannel experiences showcased at the annual Insight customer conference [6][8] - A $25 billion regional bank doubled its annual commitment to nCino through the adoption of mortgage and consumer lending solutions [9] - An $800 million credit union expanded its relationship with nCino by adopting additional solutions, indicating strong market penetration [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - nCino aims to eliminate inefficiencies in financial institutions caused by legacy infrastructure, focusing on a unified scalable platform powered by AI [4][5] - The company is committed to international expansion, with significant progress noted in Europe and Japan [11] - AI is central to nCino's long-term differentiation strategy, leveraging a large process-centric dataset in FinTech [8] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the financial institution customers' positions, noting healthy balance sheets and growth projections in loan portfolios and earnings [12][13] - The company is sensitive to macroeconomic conditions but sees encouraging signs of stability in the mortgage market [12] - Management highlighted a restructuring event affecting approximately 7% of the workforce aimed at streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency [14] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 1.8 million shares during Q1 at an average price of $22.17, totaling $40.6 million [21] - The restructuring is expected to yield approximately $24 million in gross annualized expense savings [24][25] Q&A Session Summary Question: How is the underlying demand and willingness to invest with bank clients? - Management expressed confidence in demand, validated by steady interest across various solutions and a strong pipeline activity [31][33] Question: What is driving the Professional Services gross margins? - Management noted price and cost pressures in the community bank space but highlighted efforts to redesign products for efficiency and leverage AI for margin improvement [34][36] Question: What is most misunderstood about the company’s story? - Management believes there is good alignment and understanding of the company's focus on execution discipline and growth initiatives [40][42] Question: How does the company view the workforce reduction and office space optimization? - Management indicated that the office space reduction was part of a broader strategy to optimize capacity and improve efficiency [48][51] Question: What are the growth signals for reinvesting cost savings back into the business? - Management looks for pipeline activity and overall sales process health as indicators for potential reinvestment opportunities [72][74] Question: How is loan growth impacting demand? - Management confirmed that loan growth is positively influencing demand for their solutions, particularly in loan origination and monitoring [102][103] Question: What is the outlook for international performance? - Management noted strong international growth driven by acquisitions and optimism about opportunities in Japan and Europe [110][111]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported quarterly revenue of $639 million, exceeding the guided range of $620 million to $630 million, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 22% [13] - Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) at the end of Q3 was $2.14 billion, reflecting an 18% year-over-year growth [6][13] - Non-GAAP gross margin in Q3 was 88.2%, and non-GAAP operating margin was 21.5%, higher than the guided range of 17% to 18% [14] - Non-GAAP net income in Q3 was $125 million, translating to a fully diluted EPS of $0.42 per share [15] - Free cash flow in Q3 was $203 million, representing a free cash flow margin of 32% [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced strong new logo growth across all customer segments, with significant wins in the EMEA region and North America [7][9] - The net dollar-based retention rate (NRR) at the end of Q3 was 110%, remaining flat quarter-over-quarter [14] - Average contract duration increased to 3.1 years, slightly higher than expectations [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted a dynamic macroeconomic environment affecting deal cycles, particularly in the federal business sector [25][30] - The company is optimistic about opportunities in the federal business, focusing on modernization and total cost of ownership (TCO) improvements [25] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to become the leading platform for running applications and managing data anywhere, focusing on hybrid multi-cloud capabilities and partnerships [12] - Recent product announcements include support for Google Cloud and enhancements to the Nutanix Cloud Platform, indicating a commitment to innovation [11] - The company is expanding its partner ecosystem, particularly with Dell and Cisco, to drive new logo growth and market penetration [62] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged ongoing macroeconomic uncertainties but expressed confidence in continued demand for their solutions [30][88] - The company expects to maintain strong performance in Q4, with guidance for revenue between $635 million and $645 million [17][18] - Management highlighted the importance of investing in sales, marketing, and R&D to capture market opportunities [19] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $38 million worth of common stock during Q3 [17] - The updated guidance for fiscal year 2025 includes revenue of $2.52 billion to $2.53 billion, representing a year-over-year growth of approximately 17.5% [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you walk us through the linearity seen throughout the quarter? - Management noted that while linearity can vary, they have not seen significant changes in deal cycles, although some variability exists in the federal business [29][30] Question: What is the delta between NCIC and the core standard NCI license? - The NCIC offering includes the platform minus the storage, and early customer feedback has been positive [36][39] Question: What is driving the increase in operating margin guidance? - The increase is attributed to timing of hiring and expected investments in sales and marketing, with a focus on sustainable growth [41][44] Question: Can you explain the difference between ARR and revenue growth rates? - Revenue is a flow metric while ARR is a stock metric, and various factors such as contract duration can affect their relative growth rates [50][52] Question: How is the company performing against VMware in terms of share gains? - The company is seeing strong traction with new customers, particularly those adopting their hypervisor, indicating competitive wins against VMware [74][76] Question: What is the outlook for partnerships with Dell and Cisco? - The company continues to expand its partner ecosystem, with Cisco contributing steadily to new logo growth and Dell's PowerFlex solution just entering the market [62][108]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported revenue of $229 million for Q1 2026, representing a 23% year-over-year growth [25] - Total Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) grew 24% to $948 million [26] - The gross margin maintained at 79%, with an operating margin improvement to negative 2% [28] - Free cash flow margin reached a record 20% for the quarter, with cash and investments increasing to $1.2 billion [35][36] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The data solutions segment surpassed $100 million in ARR during Q1 [9] - The attach rate for AI solutions exceeded 25% across subscriptions sold in the quarter, indicating strong customer adoption [8][85] - Customers with ARR of $100,000 or more grew 22% to 1,459 [27] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from international markets grew 27%, accounting for 38% of total quarterly revenue [26] - Remaining performance obligations increased by 33% to $1.2 billion, indicating strong future revenue visibility [27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on a platform sales strategy rather than a product-centric approach, aiming to enhance customer engagement and adoption [21][72] - Recent innovations include the unified cloud security suite and advancements in AI capabilities, which are expected to drive future growth [8][20] - The company aims to simplify security through AI, positioning itself as a leader in the evolving cybersecurity landscape [19][20] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that macroeconomic uncertainty impacted Q1 net new ARR, but trends improved in May, leading to expectations of better performance in Q2 [18][42] - The company remains confident in its growth trajectory, expecting revenue of approximately $242 million for Q2, reflecting a 22% growth [30] - Management emphasized the importance of operational discipline and efficiency to navigate market challenges while continuing to invest in innovation [32][81] Other Important Information - The company achieved FedRAMP high authorization for several products, enhancing its competitive position in the public sector [12][13] - A $200 million open-ended share repurchase authorization was announced, reflecting confidence in the company's long-term prospects [36] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you discuss the incremental ARR in the quarter? - Management indicated that improved trends were observed in May and expects year-over-year net ARR growth in Q2 to improve relative to Q1, attributing Q1 challenges to slip deals rather than elevated churn [40][41] Question: What are the guidance assumptions for the year? - Management acknowledged that the guidance reflects underlying new business growth and noted improved trends in May, while also being cautious about potential external disruptions [45][46] Question: What impact did the macro environment have on existing versus new customers? - Management clarified that the macro dynamics were more pronounced with new logos, while existing customer upsell and cross-sell remained strong [97] Question: How is the company approaching hiring plans for fiscal 2026? - Management stated that hiring is primarily focused on R&D, with adjustments made based on market needs and growth areas [102] Question: What is the outlook for the federal side of the business? - Management expressed optimism about growth opportunities in the federal sector, despite longer sales cycles and evolving procurement processes [107]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is focusing on cost and quality as top priorities, which are essential for strategic positioning and success in the upcoming years [7][12] - The margins in the Pro business are targeted to be in the mid-teens, with software and services growing at a rate of 20% [14][16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Ford Pro has a 40% market share in North America, and the software services associated with it have margins exceeding 50% [12][14] - The company has over 675,000 paid subscriptions for software services, indicating a growing revenue stream [14][54] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is adjusting its investment priorities based on market changes and consumer feedback, focusing on areas with the highest return potential [23][24] - The competitive landscape is evolving, with the company recognizing the need to compete against fast-developing Chinese manufacturers [43][44] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is committed to electrification but is adjusting its approach to focus on smaller, more affordable EVs to attract a broader customer base [19][33] - Partnerships and alliances are seen as a way to enhance capital efficiency and speed to market, rather than pure consolidation [81][82] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledges the flattening of the EV adoption curve and is adjusting investment levels accordingly, while still maintaining a commitment to EV development [31][32] - The company aims to achieve best-in-class cost and quality, with a focus on higher growth and margins in the next three to five years [105] Other Important Information - The company is leveraging its competitive advantage as a domestic manufacturer, employing more workers and building more vehicles in the U.S. [26][27] - The company is exploring opportunities to minimize tariff impacts by onshoring parts and ensuring compliance with USMCA [28][29] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the key elements of the original Ford Plus plan that remain in place? - The focus on cost and quality remains unchanged, while the approach to segmentation has been adjusted based on market conditions [11] Question: How does the company view the current tariff environment? - The company sees opportunities to leverage its U.S. footprint to mitigate tariff impacts and is actively working on strategies to reduce exposure [26][27] Question: How has the company adjusted its investment priorities? - The company is now taking a top-down approach to capital allocation, focusing on areas with the best return potential [23][24] Question: What is the outlook for electrification? - The company believes electrification is inevitable but acknowledges that the pace of adoption may take longer than initially expected [31][34] Question: How does the company plan to compete with Chinese manufacturers? - The company recognizes the competitive threat from Chinese manufacturers and is focusing on speed of development and cost structure to maintain competitiveness [43][44] Question: What does success look like for Ford in three to five years? - Success is defined as achieving best-in-class cost and quality, with significant growth in software services and a more durable business model [105]