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Netscout Systems Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly revenue slightly lower: Quarterly revenue was $250.7 million, against $252.0 million a year earlier. Product revenue fell while service revenue rose. Source
  • Service revenue up, product down: Service revenue was $129.0 million, about 51% of revenue, against $123.8 million. Product revenue was $121.7 million, about 49% of revenue, against $128.2 million. Source
  • GAAP operating margin higher: GAAP operating margin was 25.7%, against 24.5% a year earlier. GAAP income from operations was $64.3 million, against $61.7 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin higher: Non-GAAP income from operations was $89.9 million, a 35.9% margin, against $89.7 million and 35.6% a year earlier. Source
  • Diluted EPS higher on both bases: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.75, against $0.67. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.00, against $0.94 a year earlier. Source
  • Product backlog lower year over year: Total product backlog was about $24.0 million, including $18.7 million fulfillable, against about $30 million and $21.8 million fulfillable a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and securities increased: Cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term marketable securities and investments were $586.2 million, against $492.5 million at March 31, 2025. Source

“Our Q3 fiscal year 2026 revenue and earnings results were ahead of expectations.”

Anil Singhal, NETSCOUT's President & Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFiscal year 2026$835 million to $870 millionRaised from $830 million to $870 million
GAAP net income per share (diluted) SourceFiscal year 2026$1.15 to $1.23Raised from $1.13 to $1.23
Non-GAAP net income per share (diluted) SourceFiscal year 2026$2.37 to $2.45Raised from $2.35 to $2.45
Non-GAAP net income (reconciliation table, $ millions) SourceFiscal year 2026~$174 to ~$180Raised from ~$171 to ~$178
Average weighted diluted shares, GAAP (millions) SourceFiscal year 2026~73 to ~74
Amortization of intangible assets (millions) SourceFiscal year 2026~$47Kept
Share-based compensation expense (millions) SourceFiscal year 2026~$62Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Fiscal 2026 revenue range low end lifted from $830 million to $835 million; high end stays at $870 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Fiscal 2026 GAAP diluted EPS range low end lifted from $1.13 to $1.15; high end stays at $1.23. Source
  • Guidance raised: Fiscal 2026 non-GAAP diluted EPS range low end lifted from $2.35 to $2.37; high end stays at $2.45. Source
  • New: Non-GAAP EBITDA from operations renamed Adjusted EBITDA; adjustments and prior-period amounts are unchanged. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Quarterly revenue slightly lower: Quarterly revenue was $250.7 million, against $252.0 million a year earlier. Product revenue fell while service revenue rose. Source
  • Nine-month revenue and net income higher: Nine-month revenue rose to $656.4 million from $617.7 million. Nine-month GAAP net income was $77.3 million, against a prior-year loss that included a $427.0 million goodwill impairment. Source
  • Growth tied to two offerings: Management attributed first-three-quarter growth to both the Cybersecurity and Service Assurance offerings. Source

Products and recent launches

  • Service revenue up, product down: Service revenue was $129.0 million, about 51% of revenue, against $123.8 million. Product revenue was $121.7 million, about 49% of revenue, against $128.2 million. Source
  • Nine-month product revenue higher: Nine-month product revenue was $289.4 million, against $270.4 million; nine-month service revenue was $367.0 million, against $347.3 million. Source
  • NGeniusONE adds Wi-Fi 7 monitoring: A late-January update adds real-time deep packet inspection over Ethernet and Wi-Fi 7 and expanded SSL/TLS certificate monitoring. Source
  • 5G network slicing observability announced: In January the company announced 5G observability for communications service providers, covering end-to-end visibility into 5G Standalone network slices. Source
  • Industry awards named: Frost & Sullivan named the company its 2025 Global Company of the Year in network monitoring; Security Today selected Omnis Cyber Intelligence as a CyberSecured winner. Source

“This performance was enhanced by certain product orders and service renewals originally anticipated for the fourth quarter as customers utilized their calendar year-end budgets.”

Anil Singhal, NETSCOUT's President & Chief Executive Officer

Costs and operating expenses

  • Sales and marketing spend lower: Sales and marketing was $65.4 million, against $69.9 million. Research and development rose to $39.6 million from $37.8 million; general and administrative rose to $24.1 million from $23.5 million. Source
  • Restructuring charges nearly absent: Third-quarter restructuring charges were $25 thousand, against $923 thousand. Nine-month restructuring charges were $858 thousand, against $19.9 million. Source
  • Amortization of acquired intangibles lower: Amortization of acquired intangible assets was $11.2 million in the quarter, against $11.6 million a year earlier. Source

Margins and profitability

  • GAAP operating margin higher: GAAP operating margin was 25.7%, against 24.5% a year earlier. GAAP income from operations was $64.3 million, against $61.7 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin higher: Non-GAAP income from operations was $89.9 million, a 35.9% margin, against $89.7 million and 35.6% a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin slightly lower: Third-quarter adjusted EBITDA was $91.7 million, or 36.6% of revenue, against $92.8 million, or 36.8%, a year earlier. Source
  • Gross profit slightly lower: Gross profit was $204.7 million, against $205.4 million; total cost of revenue was $46.0 million, against $46.6 million. Source
  • Nine-month adjusted EBITDA higher: Nine-month adjusted EBITDA was $181.7 million, or 27.7% of revenue, against $158.2 million, or 25.6%, in the prior-year period. Source
  • Diluted EPS higher on both bases: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.75, against $0.67. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $1.00, against $0.94 a year earlier. Source

“Given our year-to-date performance, including the acceleration of orders and our current pipeline, we are raising the midpoint of our fiscal year 2026 top- and bottom-line outlook ranges.”

Anil Singhal, NETSCOUT's President & Chief Executive Officer

Demand, backlog and receivables

  • Product backlog lower year over year: Total product backlog was about $24.0 million, including $18.7 million fulfillable, against about $30 million and $21.8 million fulfillable a year earlier. Source
  • Receivables and unbilled costs higher: Accounts receivable and unbilled costs, net, were $234.6 million, against $163.7 million at March 31, 2025. Source
  • Deferred revenue balances higher: Current deferred revenue and customer deposits were $321.3 million, against $301.8 million; long-term balances were $165.7 million, against $147.5 million. Source

Cash, balance sheet and share count

  • Cash and securities increased: Cash, cash equivalents and short and long-term marketable securities and investments were $586.2 million, against $492.5 million at March 31, 2025. Source
  • No debt under revolver: No debt was outstanding under the $600 million revolving credit facility, which expires in October 2029. Source
  • Diluted share count higher: Third-quarter weighted average diluted shares were 73.8 million, against 72.6 million a year earlier. Source

Strategy, reporting and leadership

  • AI-ready data platform focus: Management said it remains committed to leveraging the AI-ready data platform to address AI, performance, availability and security demands. Source
  • Non-GAAP EBITDA label changed: The non-GAAP EBITDA from operations measure is now reported as Adjusted EBITDA, reconciled to GAAP net income, with unchanged adjustments and prior-period results. Source
  • Executive transition costs in nine months: Executive transition costs of $959 thousand were recorded in the first nine months, with none in the third quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 February 2026

  • Final quarter execution focus: Management said it will focus on disciplined execution in the final fiscal quarter, pursuing product innovation, a return to annual revenue growth and margin gains. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management listed these as key objectives for the company; the release gives no status against them. Source
  • Not stated: Management said it is committed to leveraging the platform; no status is given. 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.