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Fortinet, Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 2 lowered, 6 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue and billings grew 14%: Total revenue was $1,724.9 million against $1,508.1 million a year earlier, and nine-month revenue reached $4,894.6 million. Billings were $1,807.7 million, up from $1,582.2 million. Source
  • Product sales grew fastest: Product revenue rose to $559.3 million from $473.9 million, while service revenue was $1,165.6 million against $1,034.2 million. Service made up most of total revenue. Source
  • Operating margins rose year over year: GAAP operating income was $547.3 million, a 31.7% margin against 31.2%. Non-GAAP operating income was $636.8 million, a 36.9% margin against 36.1%. Source
  • FortiSASE billings more than doubled: FortiSASE third-quarter billings rose more than 100% year over year. Management linked the growth to a migration path that lets existing SD-WAN customers enable SASE in minutes. Source
  • Billings grew 14%: Billings were $1,807.7 million, up from $1,582.2 million. Billings equal revenue plus the change in deferred revenue, which was $82.8 million in the quarter against $115.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Nine-month buybacks reached $2.2 billion: Repurchase and retirement of common stock totaled $2,232.6 million for the nine months, against $0.6 million a year earlier. The first-half figure was $401.1 million, implying about $1.8 billion in the quarter. Source

“We are pleased with our excellent third quarter results, driven by our leading innovation and customer-first culture resulting in broad-based demand for our solutions across organizations of all sizes,”

Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fortinet

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefourth quarter 2025$1.825 billion to $1.885 billionNew
Billings Sourcefourth quarter 2025$2.185 billion to $2.285 billionNew
Non-GAAP gross margin Sourcefourth quarter 202579.0% to 80.0%New
Non-GAAP operating margin Sourcefourth quarter 202534.5% to 35.5%New
Diluted non-GAAP EPS Sourcefourth quarter 2025$0.73 to $0.75New
Diluted share count Sourcefourth quarter 2025751 million to 755 millionNew
Revenue Sourcefiscal year 2025$6.720 billion to $6.780 billionKept
Service revenue Sourcefiscal year 2025$4.575 billion to $4.595 billionLowered from $4.550 billion to $4.650 billion
Billings Sourcefiscal year 2025$7.370 billion to $7.470 billionRaised from $7.325 billion to $7.475 billion
Non-GAAP gross margin Sourcefiscal year 202580.25% to 80.75%Raised from 79.0% to 81.0%
Non-GAAP operating margin Sourcefiscal year 202534.5% to 35.0%Raised from 32.0% to 33.5%
Diluted non-GAAP EPS Sourcefiscal year 2025$2.66 to $2.70Raised from $2.47 to $2.53
Diluted share count Sourcefiscal year 2025764 million to 768 millionLowered from 773 million to 777 million

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter 2025 guidance given for the first time, covering revenue, billings, margins, EPS and share count. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year revenue midpoint kept at $6.750 billion, with the range narrowed. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year billings midpoint raised by $20 million to $7.420 billion. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year non-GAAP gross margin midpoint raised to 80.5% from 80.0%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year non-GAAP operating margin midpoint raised to 34.75% from 32.75%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year diluted non-GAAP EPS midpoint raised to $2.68 from $2.50. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year service revenue midpoint lowered to $4.585 billion from $4.600 billion. Source
  • New: Launched a Secure AI Data Center solution, described as an end-to-end framework for AI workloads; not mentioned in the prior quarter's release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue and billings grew 14%: Total revenue was $1,724.9 million against $1,508.1 million a year earlier, and nine-month revenue reached $4,894.6 million. Billings were $1,807.7 million, up from $1,582.2 million. Source
  • Product sales grew fastest: Product revenue rose to $559.3 million from $473.9 million, while service revenue was $1,165.6 million against $1,034.2 million. Service made up most of total revenue. Source
  • Operating margins rose year over year: GAAP operating income was $547.3 million, a 31.7% margin against 31.2%. Non-GAAP operating income was $636.8 million, a 36.9% margin against 36.1%. Source
  • Net income and EPS declined: GAAP net income was $473.9 million, or $0.62 diluted EPS, against $539.9 million and $0.70 a year earlier. The prior-year period included a $106.3 million gain on bargain purchase. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.74 versus $0.63. Source

Product and service revenue

  • Service revenue is most of sales: Service revenue reached $1,165.6 million, up 13% from $1,034.2 million, and nine-month service revenue was $3,367.3 million. Service revenue was about two-thirds of total revenue in the quarter. Source
  • Product gross margin narrowed: Product gross profit was $378.6 million, about 68% of product revenue, against $337.8 million or about 71% a year earlier. Product cost of revenue rose to $180.7 million from $136.1 million. Source

“FortiSASE has quickly emerged as one of the fastest growing leaders in the SASE market.”

Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fortinet

Products and customers

  • FortiSASE billings more than doubled: FortiSASE third-quarter billings rose more than 100% year over year. Management linked the growth to a migration path that lets existing SD-WAN customers enable SASE in minutes. Source
  • Secure AI Data Center launched: The company launched a Secure AI Data Center solution, described as an end-to-end framework for AI workloads. It cites up to 69% lower energy consumption than alternative solutions. Source
  • AI add-on adoption and patents: The company reported rapid adoption of AI add-on solutions, backed by continued R&D investment, more than 500 issued and pending AI patents, and over 20 AI-driven solutions. Source

Costs and operating expenses

  • Sales and marketing costs rose: Sales and marketing expense was $583.5 million against $515.9 million, while general and administrative expense fell to $61.4 million from $71.7 million. Source
  • Acquired intangible amortization rose: Amortization of acquired intangible assets was $13.1 million against $5.3 million. Stock-based compensation was $72.2 million against $66.4 million; both are excluded from non-GAAP results. Source
  • Total operating expenses increased: Total operating expenses were $845.9 million against $773.8 million. Operating income rose to $547.3 million from $470.9 million. Source

“providing our customers with maximum flexibility to deploy security access at the edge and giving us a sustainable competitive advantage.”

Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fortinet

Billings and receivables

  • Billings grew 14%: Billings were $1,807.7 million, up from $1,582.2 million. Billings equal revenue plus the change in deferred revenue, which was $82.8 million in the quarter against $115.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Deferred revenue balance rose: Total deferred revenue, current and long-term, was $6,650.4 million at September 30, 2025, against $6,567.6 million at June 30, 2025. Source
  • Receivables eased: Accounts receivable were $1,168.3 million, down from $1,215.7 million at June 30, 2025 and $1,463.4 million at December 31, 2024. Source

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow rose, capex higher: Operating cash flow was $655.2 million against $608.1 million. Capital expenditures were $87.7 million against $36.3 million, leaving free cash flow of $567.5 million against $571.8 million. Source
  • Nine-month buybacks reached $2.2 billion: Repurchase and retirement of common stock totaled $2,232.6 million for the nine months, against $0.6 million a year earlier. The first-half figure was $401.1 million, implying about $1.8 billion in the quarter. Source
  • Cash and investments declined: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,995.7 million, against $3,368.5 million at June 30, 2025. Short-term investments were $1,127.7 million and long-term investments $289.1 million. Source
  • Debt about $1.0 billion; equity lower: Current and long-term debt totaled about $996 million. Total stockholders' equity was $735.1 million, against $2,060.4 million at June 30, 2025, and the accumulated deficit was $958.5 million. Source
  • Nine-month free cash flow higher: Nine-month operating cash flow was $1,970.4 million against $1,780.5 million. Nine-month capital expenditures were $322.0 million against $281.3 million. Source

Strategy and market position

  • Unified FortiOS platform strategy: Management said SASE functions were developed natively and integrated with next-generation firewall and SD-WAN in one unified solution, which it described as a sustainable competitive advantage. Source
  • Hybrid Mesh Firewall recognition: Fortinet was named a Leader in the inaugural 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hybrid Mesh Firewall, ranking highest in ability to execute. Source
  • R&D spending rose 8%: Research and development expense was $202.4 million against $187.3 million, and $610.5 million for nine months against $525.7 million a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 November 2025

  • Fourth-quarter investor conferences: Management is scheduled to present at the Wells Fargo TMT Summit on November 18, 2025, the UBS Global Technology and AI Conference on December 2, 2025, the Nasdaq Investor Conference on December 10, 2025, and the Barclays Global Technology Conference on December 11, 2025. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Product revenue Source$559.3 million, up 18% year over year
Service revenue Source$1,165.6 million, up 13% year over year
Product gross profit Source$378.6 million, against $337.8 million
Total gross profit Source$1,393.2 million, about 80.8% of total revenue

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.