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NetApp, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 2 lowered, 4 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue and earnings both rose: Net revenues rose 4% to $1.713 billion. GAAP diluted EPS rose 16% to $1.67 and non-GAAP diluted EPS rose 11% to $2.12. GAAP net income was $334 million. Source
  • Billings grew for ninth straight quarter: Billings reached $1.886 billion, up 10% year-over-year. This was the ninth consecutive quarter of year-over-year billings growth. Source
  • All-flash array revenue reached record: All-flash array revenue grew 11% year-over-year to $1.0 billion, which the company described as a record. The annualized net revenue run rate was $4.2 billion. Source
  • Gross margin rose on both bases: GAAP gross margin was 70.6%, up from 69.8%. Non-GAAP gross margin was 71.2%, up from 70.7%. Gross profit was $1,209 million on a GAAP basis. Source
  • Operating cash flow declined: Cash provided by operations was $317 million, down 18%. Free cash flow was $271 million, against $338 million. Free cash flow margin was 15.8%, against 20.6%. Source
  • Returned $303 million to holders: Share repurchases were $200 million and dividends paid were $103 million in the quarter. Nine-month repurchases totaled $750 million. Source
  • Unified data platform as AI backbone: Management described the unified data platform as delivering exceptional customer benefits and establishing the company as the intelligent data backbone for the AI era. Source

“Our unified data platform continues to deliver exceptional customer benefits, establishing us as the intelligent data backbone for the AI era.”

George Kurian, Chief Executive Officer, NetApp

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net revenues SourceFourth quarter fiscal 2026$1.795 billion - $1.945 billionNew
Consolidated gross margin SourceFourth quarter fiscal 2026GAAP 68.5% - 69.5%; non-GAAP 69.5% - 70.5%New
Operating margin SourceFourth quarter fiscal 2026GAAP 25.5% - 26.5%; non-GAAP 30.5% - 31.5%New
Earnings per share (diluted) SourceFourth quarter fiscal 2026GAAP $1.76 - $1.86; non-GAAP $2.21 - $2.31New
Net revenues SourceFull fiscal year 2026$6.772 billion - $6.922 billionRaised from $6.625 billion - $6.875 billion
Consolidated gross margin SourceFull fiscal year 2026GAAP 69.7% - 70.7%; non-GAAP 70.7% - 71.7%Lowered from GAAP 70.7% - 71.7%; non-GAAP 71.7% - 72.7%
Operating margin SourceFull fiscal year 2026GAAP 23.3% - 24.3%; non-GAAP 29.3% - 30.3%Lowered from GAAP 23.5% - 24.5%; non-GAAP 29.5% - 30.5%
Earnings per share (diluted) SourceFull fiscal year 2026GAAP $6.07 - $6.17; non-GAAP $7.92 - $8.02Raised from GAAP $5.82 - $6.12; non-GAAP $7.75 - $8.05
Quarterly cash dividend SourcePayment on April 22, 2026$0.52 per shareKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year net revenue range raised at both ends. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year GAAP EPS range raised; non-GAAP range narrowed. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year gross margin range lowered on GAAP and non-GAAP bases. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year operating margin range lowered on GAAP and non-GAAP bases. Source
  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 guidance provided for the first time in this release. Source
  • New: Willem Hendrickx named to lead EMEA and LATAM as a senior vice president and general manager. Source
  • New: Paul Fipps joined the Board of Directors. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue and earnings both rose: Net revenues rose 4% to $1.713 billion. GAAP diluted EPS rose 16% to $1.67 and non-GAAP diluted EPS rose 11% to $2.12. GAAP net income was $334 million. Source
  • Billings grew for ninth straight quarter: Billings reached $1.886 billion, up 10% year-over-year. This was the ninth consecutive quarter of year-over-year billings growth. Source
  • Currency added to reported growth: Excluding currency effects, net revenues rose 2% and billings rose 8%. Favorable currency changes added about $21 million to net income and $0.11 to EPS. Source
  • Operating income and margin rose: GAAP operating income was $434 million, a 25.3% margin. Non-GAAP operating income was $533 million, a 31.1% margin, against $492 million a year earlier. Source

Segments and regions

  • Hybrid Cloud segment revenue grew: Hybrid Cloud segment revenue was $1,539 million, up 5%. Product revenue was $786 million, support $654 million and professional and other services $99 million. Source
  • Public Cloud revenue flat, services grew: Public Cloud segment revenue was $174 million, unchanged year-over-year. Management said first-party and marketplace storage services grew 27% year-over-year. Source
  • Americas share of revenue rose: Americas was 52% of revenue, up from 51%. EMEA was 34%, unchanged. Asia Pacific was 14%, down from 15%. U.S. Public Sector was 10% in both periods. Source
  • Direct pathway share rose: Indirect pathways were 76% of revenue, down from 79%. Direct pathways were 24%, up from 21%. Source

“we are well-positioned to drive sustained growth and are confident in our ability to deliver long-term value for our shareholders”

George Kurian, Chief Executive Officer, NetApp

Products and customers

  • All-flash array revenue reached record: All-flash array revenue grew 11% year-over-year to $1.0 billion, which the company described as a record. The annualized net revenue run rate was $4.2 billion. Source
  • Agentic AI added to cloud service: Agentic AI capabilities were introduced in Workload Factory, delivering real-time insights for proactive detection and faster operational response on FSx for NetApp ONTAP. Source
  • Azure file storage releases: Azure NetApp Files cross-zone-region replication became generally available. Cache volumes and large volumes up to 7.2 PiB were added in preview. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin rose on both bases: GAAP gross margin was 70.6%, up from 69.8%. Non-GAAP gross margin was 71.2%, up from 70.7%. Gross profit was $1,209 million on a GAAP basis. Source
  • Product margin fell, support steady: Product gross margin was 55.3% on a non-GAAP basis, down from 56.7%. Support gross margin was 92.5%, up from 92.3%. Professional and other services margin was 31.3%, up from 28.4%. Source
  • Operating expenses moved little: Total GAAP operating expenses were $775 million, down from $783 million. Sales and marketing rose to $455 million, while research and development fell to $237 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin higher: Non-GAAP operating margin was 31.1%, up from 30.0%. The company reported non-GAAP operating income of $533 million against $492 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP tax rate held steady: Non-GAAP effective tax rate was 20.5%, against 20.6% a year earlier. GAAP effective tax rate was 22.9%, up from 19.2%. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Deferred revenue balance increased: Deferred revenue and financed unearned services revenue reached $4.631 billion, up from $4.122 billion a year earlier. Changes in deferred revenue added $173 million to billings. Source
  • Receivable days rose sharply: Days sales outstanding were 70, up from 50. Days payables outstanding were 75, down from 80. Inventory turns were 18, up from 7. Source
  • Inventory declined from April: Inventories were $109 million at January 23, 2026, against $186 million at April 25, 2025. Source
  • Industry tracker ranks NetApp top three: IDC's tracker placed NetApp among the top three global storage vendors in Q3 2025, as enterprises selectively increased storage investments. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Operating cash flow declined: Cash provided by operations was $317 million, down 18%. Free cash flow was $271 million, against $338 million. Free cash flow margin was 15.8%, against 20.6%. Source
  • Returned $303 million to holders: Share repurchases were $200 million and dividends paid were $103 million in the quarter. Nine-month repurchases totaled $750 million. Source
  • Debt repaid during the year: Nine-month debt repayments totaled $750 million. The current portion of long-term debt was nil at January 23, 2026, against $750 million at April 25, 2025. Source
  • Cash and investments declined: Cash, cash equivalents and investments were $3.008 billion at January 23, 2026, against $3.846 billion at April 25, 2025. Source
  • Capital spending modest: Purchases of property and equipment were $46 million, against $47 million a year earlier. Nine-month purchases were $148 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Unified data platform as AI backbone: Management described the unified data platform as delivering exceptional customer benefits and establishing the company as the intelligent data backbone for the AI era. Source
  • Cloud storage services expanded: Block storage support was announced for Google Cloud NetApp Volumes, with a zonal high availability preview. Azure NetApp Files added object REST API and ransomware protection previews. Source
  • Amazon S3 Access Points integration: The integration lets AWS AI, ML and analytics services connect directly to NetApp file data in the cloud and on premises, without moving data. Source

People and leadership

  • New EMEA and LATAM leader: Willem Hendrickx will lead regional strategy and growth for EMEA and LATAM as customer demand accelerates for AI-driven, hybrid cloud data infrastructure. Source
  • ServiceNow executive joins board: Paul Fipps, President of Global Customer Operations at ServiceNow, joined the board to help guide strategy and customer-focused growth for AI and digital transformation. Source

Coming up, as management said on 26 February 2026

  • Fourth-quarter guidance provided: The company provided fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 guidance for net revenues, gross margin, operating margin and EPS. Source
  • Next dividend date set: The next dividend of $0.52 per share is payable April 22, 2026, to holders of record at the close of April 3, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Gross margin (GAAP) Source70.6% (Q3 FY26) vs 69.8% (Q3 FY25)
Gross margin (non-GAAP) Source71.2% (Q3 FY26) vs 70.7% (Q3 FY25)
Hybrid Cloud segment revenue Source$1,539 million vs $1,467 million
Public Cloud segment revenue Source$174 million vs $174 million
Hybrid Cloud segment gross margin Source69.6% vs 70.1%
Public Cloud segment gross margin Source85.1% vs 76.4%

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.