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Commvault Systems Inc.: Q1 FY2027 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2027, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 4 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Subscription revenue grew 16%: Subscription revenue was $267.0 million, up 16% year over year. Total revenues were $314.1 million, up 11%, with perpetual support and other services declining. Source
  • SaaS revenue passed $100 million: SaaS revenue was $100.6 million, up 39% year over year, from $72.4 million a year earlier. It is the largest component of the growth in subscription revenue. Source
  • Free cash flow rose 71%: Free cash flow was $51.1 million, up 71% year over year, from operating cash flow of $51.7 million less $0.6 million of property and equipment purchases. Source
  • Non-GAAP EBIT margin reached 22.8%: Income from operations was $25.7 million, an 8.2% margin. Non-GAAP EBIT was $71.5 million, a 22.8% margin, compared with $58.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Subscription ARR reached $1.05 billion: Subscription ARR was $1,054.3 million, up 22% year over year. SaaS ARR was $424.3 million. The company no longer discloses total ARR. Source
  • Subscription net retention at 114%: Subscription net dollar retention was 114%, measured across term licenses, support, SaaS and consumption contracts. Source
  • Subscription definitions recast: From fiscal 2027, term-based support is included in subscription revenue and enterprise support in subscription ARR. Prior periods were recast to conform. Source

“Our results reflect what we’re hearing from customers every day - they are embracing our AI-enabled platform to protect data, govern access, and make clean, trusted recoveries,”

Sanjay Mirchandani, President and CEO, Commvault

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Subscription revenue Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$264 million to $268 millionNew
Non-GAAP EBIT margin Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027approximately 20%New
Subscription revenue Sourcefull fiscal year 2027$1,119 million to $1,129 millionRaised from $1,115 million to $1,125 million
Subscription ARR Sourcefull fiscal year 2027$1,200 million to $1,210 millionKept
Non-GAAP EBIT margin Sourcefull fiscal year 2027approximately 21%Raised from approximately 20.5%
Free cash flow Sourcefull fiscal year 2027$250 million to $260 millionKept
Share repurchases Sourcefull fiscal year 2027approximately 60% of free cash flowNew
Diluted shares outstanding Sourcefull fiscal year 2027approximately 42 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year subscription revenue guidance was raised to $1,119 million to $1,129 million from $1,115 million to $1,125 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year non-GAAP EBIT margin guidance was raised to approximately 21% from approximately 20.5%. Source
  • Guidance withdrawn: The full-year total revenue range of $1,300 million to $1,310 million from the prior release does not appear in the current guidance list. Source
  • New guidance: Guidance for the second quarter was given for subscription revenue and non-GAAP EBIT margin. Source
  • New guidance: Full-year guidance was added for share repurchases as a percentage of free cash flow and for diluted shares outstanding. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year subscription ARR and free cash flow guidance were kept at the prior levels. Source
  • New: Commvault and Microsoft announced a multi-year strategic partnership for a native ISV service on Microsoft Azure. Source
  • New: Subscription revenue now includes term-based support, and subscription ARR now includes enterprise support. Prior periods were recast. Source
  • New: Subscription net dollar retention replaces the SaaS net dollar retention rate reported in the prior release. Source
  • Ended: Total ARR, which included the annualized maintenance contract on perpetual licenses, is no longer disclosed. Source
  • New: A non-routine expense tied to contingent performance-based fees for strategic pricing and packaging initiatives was recorded this quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Subscription revenue grew 16%: Subscription revenue was $267.0 million, up 16% year over year. Total revenues were $314.1 million, up 11%, with perpetual support and other services declining. Source
  • SaaS revenue passed $100 million: SaaS revenue was $100.6 million, up 39% year over year, from $72.4 million a year earlier. It is the largest component of the growth in subscription revenue. Source
  • Free cash flow rose 71%: Free cash flow was $51.1 million, up 71% year over year, from operating cash flow of $51.7 million less $0.6 million of property and equipment purchases. Source
  • GAAP earnings declined, non-GAAP rose: GAAP net income was $21.1 million, or $0.50 diluted EPS, against $23.5 million and $0.52 a year earlier. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.42 against $1.01. Source

Segments and regions

  • International grew faster than Americas: Americas revenue was $186.8 million, up 9%. International revenue was $127.4 million, up 15%, slower than the 20% growth reported for the prior quarter. Source
  • Constant currency growth matched reported: On a constant currency basis, total revenue grew 11%, the same as reported growth. Currency effects reduced revenue by $2.4 million in the quarter. Source

“With strong growth and record profitability, Commvault is well positioned to continue taking share in an AI-first world.”

Sanjay Mirchandani, President and CEO, Commvault

Products and customers

  • Term-based support grew 18%: Term-based support revenue was $56.1 million, up 18%. Term-based license revenue was $110.4 million, up 1%. Both now sit within subscription revenue. Source
  • Perpetual support declined 19%: Perpetual support fell to $25.5 million, down 19%. Other services fell 7% to $12.9 million. Perpetual license rose 19% to $8.7 million. Source
  • Microsoft Azure partnership announced: The multi-year partnership offers Commvault's AI and cyber resilience solutions as a native ISV service on Microsoft Azure. Source
  • Gartner Leader for 15th year: The company was named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Backup and Data Protection Platforms for the 15th consecutive year. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Non-GAAP EBIT margin reached 22.8%: Income from operations was $25.7 million, an 8.2% margin. Non-GAAP EBIT was $71.5 million, a 22.8% margin, compared with $58.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Sales and marketing costs rose: Sales and marketing expense was $139.8 million, up from $122.5 million. General and administrative expense rose to $46.8 million from $41.3 million. Research and development fell slightly. Source
  • Pricing initiative costs excluded: A $6.5 million non-recurring strategic pricing initiative cost was excluded from non-GAAP results. Up to $3.0 million of additional contingent fees is possible and not yet recognized. Source
  • Restructuring charges rose to $2.4 million: Restructuring expense was $2.4 million, against $0.2 million a year earlier. The plans include workforce reductions, office lease closures and exits from certain jurisdictions. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Subscription ARR reached $1.05 billion: Subscription ARR was $1,054.3 million, up 22% year over year. SaaS ARR was $424.3 million. The company no longer discloses total ARR. Source
  • Subscription net retention at 114%: Subscription net dollar retention was 114%, measured across term licenses, support, SaaS and consumption contracts. Source
  • Subscription ARR rose each quarter: The five-quarter series rose from $867.3 million in Q1'26 to $1,014.7 million in Q4'26 and $1,054.3 million in Q1'27, with SaaS ARR rising in each period. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Cash balance reached $930 million: Cash and cash equivalents were $930 million at June 30, 2026, up from $900 million at March 31, 2026. Convertible notes, net, were $881.9 million. Source
  • Buybacks were $10 million in quarter: The company repurchased about 98,000 shares for $10 million, compared with about 3 million shares for $259 million in the prior quarter. Diluted shares averaged about 42 million. Source
  • Board made $250 million available: In the prior release, the board on April 15, 2026 made $250 million available under the share repurchase program.
  • Repurchases set at 60% of cash flow: For fiscal 2027, share repurchases are expected to be about 60% of free cash flow, with free cash flow guided to $250 million to $260 million. Source

Strategy, reporting changes and messaging

  • Subscription definitions recast: From fiscal 2027, term-based support is included in subscription revenue and enterprise support in subscription ARR. Prior periods were recast to conform. Source
  • Retention metric changed to subscription: The prior release reported SaaS net dollar retention of 122% at March 31, 2026. The current release reports subscription net dollar retention of 114%.
  • CEO cites AI-enabled platform demand: The CEO said customers are adopting the AI-enabled platform for data protection, access governance and clean, trusted recoveries. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 July 2026

  • Restructuring activities to finish: Most restructuring costs have been incurred, and the remaining activities are expected to be completed during fiscal 2027. Source
  • Pricing initiative fees depend on conditions: Potential additional contingent fees of up to $3.0 million remain subject to future contractual conditions and performance outcomes. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Subscription ARR Source$1,054.3 million, up 22% year over year
SaaS ARR Source$424.3 million
SaaS revenue Source$100.6 million, up 39% year over year
Net revenue retention Source114%

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Restructuring plans involve workforce reductions, technology transitions, office lease closures and exits from certain jurisdictions, with charges continuing into fiscal 2027. Source
  • Financial: Contingent performance-based pricing fees may add up to $3.0 million of further cost, subject to future conditions and performance outcomes. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior release expected both restructuring plans to be substantially completed in fiscal 2027; the current release says remaining activities are anticipated to finish in fiscal 2027.
  • Not stated: The prior release estimated first-half fees of $5 million to $10 million; the current release records $6.5 million in the quarter.

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.