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Ceva Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 9 November 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 2% year on year: Total revenues were $29.1 million, against $28.4 million a year earlier. Source
  • Royalties rose 18% sequentially: Royalties were $12.7 million, up 3% year on year and 18% from the second quarter. Source
  • AI licensing revenue set a record: AI licensing revenue was a record and accounted for more than 35% of licensing and related revenues. Source
  • Modem ramp drove royalty growth: Management attributed royalty growth mainly to the ramp of internally developed modems at a major U.S. customer. Source
  • GAAP operating loss widened: GAAP operating loss was $3.5 million, against $2.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • 623 million devices shipped: Customers shipped 623 million Ceva-powered devices, matching the all-time quarterly record, including record cellular IoT and Wi-Fi 6 shipments. Source

“We continued to grow our business in the third quarter, with 18% sequential royalty revenue growth and Ceva-powered device shipments matching our all-time quarterly record.”

Amir Panush, Chief Executive Officer of Ceva

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The Q3 release reports a new customer targeting AI infrastructure among six AI agreements signed in the quarter. Source
  • New: The Q3 release names the ramp of internally developed modems at a major U.S. customer. The Q2 release referred to improving smartphone royalties. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 2% year on year: Total revenues were $29.1 million, against $28.4 million a year earlier. Source
  • Royalties rose 18% sequentially: Royalties were $12.7 million, up 3% year on year and 18% from the second quarter. Source
  • Licensing revenue rose 2%: Licensing and related revenues were $16.3 million, against $16.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • GAAP net loss narrowed slightly: GAAP net loss was $2.3 million, against $2.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Balance sheet presented at quarter end: The unaudited balance sheet at September 30, 2026 is shown beside December 31, 2025. The release narrative does not mention buybacks or dividends. Source

Licensing and royalty drivers

  • AI licensing revenue set a record: AI licensing revenue was a record and accounted for more than 35% of licensing and related revenues. Source
  • Modem ramp drove royalty growth: Management attributed royalty growth mainly to the ramp of internally developed modems at a major U.S. customer. Source
  • Smartphone royalties expected to step up: The CFO cited the licensing pipeline and a step-up in smartphone royalties as grounds for fourth-quarter expectations. Source

“In licensing, we achieved our highest-ever AI licensing revenues and expanded our relationships with three of our highest-volume connectivity customers, building a broader base of potential future royalty-generating products.”

Amir Panush, Chief Executive Officer of Ceva

Products and customers

  • Ten licensing agreements signed: Ceva signed 10 IP licensing agreements in the quarter, three of them with first-time customers. Source
  • Six AI deals, including Edge AI: Six agreements were for AI technologies. Edge AI agreements target consumer, automotive and industrial markets. Source
  • Three top connectivity customers extended: Three of the highest-volume connectivity customers extended agreements for multiple years and added IP. One added Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7. Source
  • Smart TV sensing customer added: Ceva expanded its smart TV presence with a customer targeting motion-based interaction. Source

Costs, margins and profit

  • GAAP gross margin fell to 85%: GAAP gross margin was 85%, against 88% a year earlier. Source
  • Non-GAAP gross margin fell to 86%: Non-GAAP gross margin was 86%, against 89% a year earlier. Source
  • GAAP operating loss widened: GAAP operating loss was $3.5 million, against $2.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating income declined: Non-GAAP operating income was $2.5 million, against $3.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • GAAP diluted loss per share narrowed: GAAP diluted loss per share was $0.08, against $0.10 a year earlier. Source
  • Non-GAAP diluted EPS rose to $0.13: Non-GAAP net income was $3.8 million and non-GAAP diluted EPS $0.13, against $2.7 million and $0.11 a year earlier. Source

Demand and device base

  • 623 million devices shipped: Customers shipped 623 million Ceva-powered devices, matching the all-time quarterly record, including record cellular IoT and Wi-Fi 6 shipments. Source
  • Broad IoT and connectivity demand: Management cited continued strength in broad-based IoT and connectivity as a royalty driver alongside the modem ramp. Source
  • Cumulative shipments above 23 billion: The company says it has shipped more than 23 billion devices, up from more than 21 billion in the second quarter release. Source

Strategy and AI expansion

  • AI extends into infrastructure: Management said it is extending AI into infrastructure applications and moving closer to initial NPU royalties. Source
  • Connect, Sense and Infer portfolio: Management said the developments reinforce the long-term growth potential of its Connect, Sense and Infer portfolio. Source
  • Smartphone modem growth seen to 2027: Management described the modem ramp as creating smartphone royalty growth through 2027 and beyond. Source

Coming up, as management said on 9 November 2026

  • Fourth quarter expected to be stronger: Management expects the fourth quarter to be stronger on both revenue and profit. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Customers Source400+

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Royalty growth was partly offset by memory-related softness in compute-intensive consumer devices, according to the CFO. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management had expected this agreement in the third quarter. It was signed early in the fourth quarter. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.