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Dynatrace, Inc.: Q1 FY2027 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2027, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 7 lowered, 7 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 16% in the quarter: Total revenue was $555 million, up 16% as reported and 15% in constant currency. Subscription revenue was $530 million, up 16%. Source
  • Record new logo ARR growth: New logo ARR growth was above 160%, which the company described as a record. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin eased to 29%: Non-GAAP operating margin was 29%, against 30%. Non-GAAP operating expenses rose to $302 million from $261 million. Source
  • Buybacks totalled $275 million: The company repurchased 7.1 million shares at an average price of $38.88 under its share repurchase program. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow rose: Adjusted free cash flow was $309 million, a 56% margin, against $262 million and 55% a year earlier. Net cash from operations was $306 million. Source
  • FX headwind cuts ARR guidance: Foreign exchange is now expected to be a headwind of about $14 million on ARR and $4 million on revenue for fiscal 2027. Source

“Dynatrace delivered an exceptional quarter, led by 41% organic net new ARR growth,”

Rick McConnell, Chief Executive Officer of Dynatrace

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
ARR SourceFiscal 2027$2,359 - $2,379 millionLowered from $2,382 - $2,402 million
ARR growth, constant currency SourceFiscal 202715.5% - 16.5%Kept
Total revenue SourceFiscal 2027$2,306 - $2,320 millionLowered from $2,317 - $2,335 million
Total revenue growth, constant currency SourceFiscal 202714.5% - 15%Raised from 14% - 15%
Subscription revenue SourceFiscal 2027$2,206 - $2,220 millionLowered from $2,217 - $2,235 million
Subscription revenue growth, constant currency SourceFiscal 202714.5% - 15%Raised from 14% - 15%
Non-GAAP income from operations SourceFiscal 2027$682 - $690 millionKept
Non-GAAP operating margin SourceFiscal 202729.5% - 29.75%Raised from 29.5%
Non-GAAP net income SourceFiscal 2027$581 - $591 millionLowered from $584 - $594 million
Non-GAAP net income per diluted share SourceFiscal 2027$1.97 - $1.99Raised from $1.93 - $1.95
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding SourceFiscal 2027295 - 297 millionLowered from 302 - 304 million
Adjusted free cash flow SourceFiscal 2027$610 - $615 millionLowered from $613 - $620 million (free cash flow, prior definition)
Adjusted free cash flow margin SourceFiscal 202726.5%Kept
Foreign exchange impact on ARR and revenue SourceFiscal 2027Headwind of approximately $14 million on ARR and $4 million on revenueLowered from Tailwind of approximately $10 million on ARR and $15 million on revenue
Total revenue SourceSecond quarter of fiscal 2027$565 - $570 millionNew
Subscription revenue SourceSecond quarter of fiscal 2027$540 - $545 millionNew
Non-GAAP income from operations SourceSecond quarter of fiscal 2027$166 - $170 millionNew
Non-GAAP operating margin SourceSecond quarter of fiscal 202729.5% - 30%New
Non-GAAP net income SourceSecond quarter of fiscal 2027$141 - $145 millionNew
Non-GAAP net income per diluted share SourceSecond quarter of fiscal 2027$0.48 - $0.49New
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding SourceSecond quarter of fiscal 2027293 - 294 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Full-year ARR guidance as reported lowered by $23 million at midpoint; full-year total and subscription revenue as reported each lowered by $13 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and constant currency revenue growth guidance raised. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year non-GAAP net income and diluted share count guidance lowered; adjusted free cash flow guidance midpoint down $4 million. Source
  • New guidance: Second quarter of fiscal 2027 guidance issued alongside the updated full-year guidance. Source
  • Ended: Free cash flow was replaced as the non-GAAP liquidity measure by adjusted free cash flow, with prior periods recast. Source
  • New: Chief Financial Officer Jim Benson will resign by March 31, 2027, in connection with his planned retirement. Source
  • New: New Dynatrace Intelligence capabilities announced: Autonomous SRE agent, Cloud SE agent, and Agent Building. Source
  • New: Private preview launched of Dynatrace Bluebox, an observability offering for AI-first teams. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 16% in the quarter: Total revenue was $555 million, up 16% as reported and 15% in constant currency. Subscription revenue was $530 million, up 16%. Source
  • Record new logo ARR growth: New logo ARR growth was above 160%, which the company described as a record. Source
  • Operating income rose on both bases: GAAP income from operations was $71 million, against $62 million a year earlier. Non-GAAP income from operations was $162 million, against $143 million. Source
  • Net income and GAAP EPS fell: GAAP net income was $36.7 million, against $48.0 million, and GAAP diluted EPS was $0.12, against $0.16. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.48, against $0.42. Source
  • Four quarters of ARR acceleration: The company reported four consecutive quarters of acceleration in trailing-twelve-month organic net new ARR growth. Source

Products and customers

  • Logs consumption nearly doubled: Annualized logs consumption nearly doubled over the last two quarters to $200 million, growing well over 100% year-over-year. Source
  • Gartner Leader for 16th year: The company was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Observability Platforms for the 16th consecutive year. Source
  • GigaOm Kubernetes recognition: The company was named a Leader and an Outperformer in the 2026 GigaOm Radar for Kubernetes Observability. Source

“Demand continues to strengthen as enterprises expand cloud-native workloads and accelerate their AI initiatives.”

Rick McConnell, Chief Executive Officer of Dynatrace

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin eased on both bases: GAAP gross margin was 81%, against 82% a year earlier. Non-GAAP gross margin was 84%, against 85%. Source
  • R&D and sales spend rose: Research and development expense was $136 million, against $108 million. Sales and marketing was $182 million, against $165 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin eased to 29%: Non-GAAP operating margin was 29%, against 30%. Non-GAAP operating expenses rose to $302 million from $261 million. Source
  • Acquisition and restructuring charges: A $7.7 million acquisition-related, restructuring and other charge sat within operating expenses and is excluded from the non-GAAP figures. Source

Demand and the order book

  • AI-driven demand drivers: Management said customers turn to Dynatrace for deterministic answers, contextual analytics and intelligent automation as software becomes AI-driven. Source
  • Current deferred revenue declined: Current deferred revenue was $1,109 million at June 30, 2026, down from $1,241 million at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Receivables fell from March: Accounts receivable, net was $380 million at June 30, 2026, down from $710 million at March 31, 2026. Source

“These strong results reflect the competitive differentiation of our platform and the momentum in our business”

Jim Benson, Chief Financial Officer, Dynatrace

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Buybacks totalled $275 million: The company repurchased 7.1 million shares at an average price of $38.88 under its share repurchase program. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow rose: Adjusted free cash flow was $309 million, a 56% margin, against $262 million and 55% a year earlier. Net cash from operations was $306 million. Source
  • Cash balance dipped slightly: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,058 million at June 30, 2026, down from $1,097 million at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Shares outstanding declined: Shares outstanding were 290.3 million at June 30, 2026, against 294.7 million at March 31, 2026. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Bindplane ARR excluded from growth: ARR growth excludes $13 million of ARR contributed from the Bindplane acquisition. Source
  • Acquisition cash outflow of $99 million: Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired, was $99.5 million in the quarter. Source
  • Confidence in growth prospects: Management said it is increasingly confident in the growth ahead as the company's platform serves AI-driven software. Source

People and leadership

  • CFO's four-year tenure: Jim Benson said his tenure as CFO lasted four years and that he is proud of what the company accomplished. Source
  • CEO credited finance leadership: Rick McConnell said Benson played a critical role in scaling the business and built the Finance organization. Source
  • Benson to assist CFO search: Benson said he will help the CEO with the search and ensure a smooth transition once a new CFO is appointed. Source

Guidance basis and currency

  • FX headwind cuts ARR guidance: Foreign exchange is now expected to be a headwind of about $14 million on ARR and $4 million on revenue for fiscal 2027. Source
  • Constant currency growth presentation: ARR, total revenue and subscription revenue growth rates are shown in constant currency to show underlying growth. Source
  • Guidance uses June 30 exchange rates: The guidance is based on foreign exchange rates as of June 30, 2026. Source
  • Guidance excludes later buybacks: The guidance excludes the impact of any share repurchases after June 30, 2026. Source
  • Prior guidance used free cash flow: The May 2026 guidance used the previous free cash flow definition; no below-the-line items were contemplated. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • CFO search under way: Dynatrace has started a search for a new CFO; no successor is named in the release. Source

Risks management discussed

  • External: Currency movements produce an incremental headwind of $23 million to ARR and $19 million to revenue versus prior guidance. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said Q1 results exceeded the high end of its top-line and profitability guidance. Source
  • Not stated: The CFO described Q1 as a solid start toward the goal of accelerating ARR growth in fiscal 2027. 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.