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Dell Technologies Inc.: Q4 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 8 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Record full-year revenue, up 19%: Full-year net revenue was a record $113.5 billion, up 19%, the company reported for fiscal 2026. Source
  • Record EPS and non-GAAP EPS: Full-year GAAP diluted EPS was $8.68, up 36%, and non-GAAP diluted EPS was $10.30, up 27%. Both were recorded as full-year highs. Source
  • ISG revenue up 73% in quarter: Infrastructure Solutions Group revenue was a record in the fourth quarter, up 73%, and rose 40% for the year. ISG operating income was $2.9 billion, up 41%. Source
  • AI server orders and shipments: The company closed more than $64 billion of AI-optimized server orders in the year and shipped more than $25 billion during it. Source
  • Record backlog entering FY27: Management said the company enters fiscal 2027 with record backlog. Source
  • Gross margin dollars rose; rate fell: Gross margin dollars rose 19% in the quarter, but the gross margin rate was below the prior year. Full-year gross margin dollars rose 7%. Source
  • Cash from operations at record: Cash flow from operations was $4.7 billion in the quarter and $11.2 billion for the year, up 147%. Source
  • Shareholder returns record for year: The company returned $2.2 billion to shareholders in the quarter. For the year, buybacks totaled $6.0 billion and dividends $1.5 billion. Source

“FY26 was a defining year in our company’s history, with record full-year revenue of $113.5 billion, record EPS, and record cash generation”

Jeff Clarke, vice chairman and chief operating officer, Dell Technologies

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefiscal 2027 full year$138.0 billion to $142.0 billion, midpoint $140.0 billion, up 23%New
AI-Optimized Servers revenue Sourcefiscal 2027 full yearroughly $50 billion, up 103%New
GAAP diluted EPS Sourcefiscal 2027 full year$11.52 at the midpoint, up 33%New
Non-GAAP diluted EPS Sourcefiscal 2027 full year$12.90 at the midpoint, up 25%New
Revenue Sourcefirst quarter of fiscal 2027$34.7 billion to $35.7 billion, midpoint $35.2 billion, up 51%New
GAAP diluted EPS Sourcefirst quarter of fiscal 2027$2.55 at the midpoint, up 86%New
Non-GAAP diluted EPS Sourcefirst quarter of fiscal 2027$2.90 at the midpoint, up 87%New
Non-GAAP adjustments per share Sourcefirst quarter and fiscal 2027 full yearfirst quarter: amortization 0.15, stock-based compensation 0.28; full year: amortization 0.59, stock-based compensation 1.10New
Income tax adjustment Sourcefiscal 2027 full yearapproximately $0.2 billionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fiscal 2027 full-year and first-quarter guidance was given for revenue, EPS and AI-optimized servers revenue. The prior release gave fiscal 2026 guidance. Source
  • New: The cash dividend is raised 20% and the share repurchase authorization is increased by $10 billion. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Record full-year revenue, up 19%: Full-year net revenue was a record $113.5 billion, up 19%, the company reported for fiscal 2026. Source
  • Record EPS and non-GAAP EPS: Full-year GAAP diluted EPS was $8.68, up 36%, and non-GAAP diluted EPS was $10.30, up 27%. Both were recorded as full-year highs. Source
  • Fourth-quarter revenue record, up 39%: Fourth-quarter revenue was a record $33.4 billion, up 39% from a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income up 43% in quarter: Operating income was $3.1 billion in the fourth quarter, up 43%, and $8.1 billion for the year, up 31%. Source

Infrastructure and client segments

  • ISG revenue up 73% in quarter: Infrastructure Solutions Group revenue was a record in the fourth quarter, up 73%, and rose 40% for the year. ISG operating income was $2.9 billion, up 41%. Source
  • AI-optimized servers drove ISG growth: AI-optimized servers revenue rose 342% in the quarter and 166% for the year. Traditional servers and networking rose 27% in the quarter. Source
  • Storage rose 2% in quarter: Storage revenue rose 2% in the fourth quarter and 1% for the year, well below the growth of AI-optimized servers. Source
  • CSG revenue up 14% in quarter: Client Solutions Group revenue was $13.5 billion in the fourth quarter, up 14%, and rose 5% for the year. Full-year CSG operating income was $2.8 billion, down 5%. Source
  • Commercial up, consumer flat in quarter: Commercial revenue rose 16% in the quarter and 8% for the year. Consumer revenue was flat in the quarter and fell 8% for the year. Source

“record annual cash flow of more than $11 billion and record capital returned to shareholders of $7.5 billion”

David Kennedy, chief financial officer, Dell Technologies

AI server products and backlog

  • AI server orders and shipments: The company closed more than $64 billion of AI-optimized server orders in the year and shipped more than $25 billion during it. Source
  • Record backlog entering FY27: Management said the company enters fiscal 2027 with record backlog. Source
  • Traditional servers and networking grew: Traditional servers and networking revenue rose 27% in the quarter and 9% for the year, the company reported. Source

Costs and margins

  • Gross margin dollars rose; rate fell: Gross margin dollars rose 19% in the quarter, but the gross margin rate was below the prior year. Full-year gross margin dollars rose 7%. Source
  • Operating expenses fell for year: Selling, general and administrative expense fell 4% for the year but rose 3% in the quarter. Research and development rose 3% in both periods. Source
  • Non-GAAP gross margin below prior year: Non-GAAP gross margin was 20.5% of revenue in the quarter, against 24.3% a year earlier, and 20.4% for the year, against 22.8%. Source
  • Income tax rate higher for year: The income tax rate was 18.3% for the year, against 9.4% in the prior year, and 19.3% in the quarter, against 22.3%. Source
  • Operating margin rose: Operating income was 9.3% of revenue in the quarter, up from 9.0%, and 7.2% for the year, up from 6.5%. Source

“powerful proof that our engineering leadership and differentiated AI solutions are winning”

Jeff Clarke, vice chairman and chief operating officer, Dell Technologies

Cash flow and shareholder returns

  • Cash from operations at record: Cash flow from operations was $4.7 billion in the quarter and $11.2 billion for the year, up 147%. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow up: Adjusted free cash flow was $5.1 billion in the quarter and $11.5 billion for the year, up 272%. Source
  • Free cash flow compared with last year: Free cash flow was $4.0 billion in the quarter, against negative $117 million a year earlier, and $8.6 billion for the year. Source
  • Shareholder returns record for year: The company returned $2.2 billion to shareholders in the quarter. For the year, buybacks totaled $6.0 billion and dividends $1.5 billion. Source
  • Stockholders deficit and debt levels: The stockholders’ deficit was $2.5 billion at year end, against $1.5 billion a year earlier. Source

Strategy and leadership

  • FY26 framed as defining year: Management called fiscal 2026 a defining year, citing record revenue, EPS and cash generation. Source
  • Engineering leadership cited for AI wins: Management credited engineering leadership and differentiated AI solutions for the company's AI results. Source
  • Leadership named in the release: David Kennedy is named as chief financial officer in the release's quotations. Source

Coming up, as management said on 26 February 2026

  • First quarter of fiscal 2027 ends May 1, 2026: The first quarter of fiscal 2027 is the period ending May 1, 2026, for which first-quarter guidance was given. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
AI-optimized servers revenue Source$8,952 million (quarter); $24,683 million (fiscal 2026)
Traditional servers and networking revenue Source$5,853 million (quarter); $19,512 million (fiscal 2026)
Storage revenue Source$4,797 million (quarter); $16,631 million (fiscal 2026)
ISG total net revenue Source$19,602 million (quarter); $60,826 million (fiscal 2026)
CSG Commercial net revenue Source$11,614 million (quarter); $44,062 million (fiscal 2026)
CSG Consumer net revenue Source$1,880 million (quarter); $6,922 million (fiscal 2026)
Gross margin Source20.2% (quarter, GAAP); 20.0% (fiscal 2026)
Backlog Source$43 billion, record

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said the portfolio, operating model and customer base put the company in position to exceed its long-term growth targets in fiscal 2027. Source
  • Not stated: The third-quarter release raised AI shipment guidance to roughly $25 billion. The fourth-quarter release reports shipments of more than $25 billion during the year.
  • Not stated: The third-quarter release gave fiscal 2026 revenue guidance with a $111.7 billion midpoint.

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.