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Nutanix, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 27 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 raised, 3 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • ARR grew 15% year over year: Annual recurring revenue reached $2.43 billion, up from $2.12 billion a year earlier. The company updated its ARR methodology in fiscal 2026 and restated prior periods. Source
  • Revenue rose 10% in the quarter: Revenue was $703.1 million against $639.0 million a year earlier. Nine-month revenue was $2.10 billion against $1.88 billion. Source
  • GAAP operating margin rose to 10.0%: GAAP operating income was $70.5 million, a 10.0% margin against 7.6% a year earlier. Non-GAAP operating margin was 22.3%, up 80 bps. Source
  • Remaining performance obligations up 27%: Total remaining performance obligations were $3.08 billion against $2.43 billion. Current obligations were $1.50 billion, and 13-36 month obligations $1.19 billion. Source
  • Free cash flow was $197.2 million: Free cash flow was $197.2 million, down $6.2 million, after operating cash flow of $207.5 million and purchases of property and equipment of $10.3 million. Source
  • Agentic AI full software stack launched: At NVIDIA GTC 2026 the company announced Nutanix Agentic AI, a full software stack for customers adopting agentic AI for business transformation. Source

“We saw solid demand in the third quarter, including strong bookings, healthy new logo additions, and good free cash flow performance,”

Rajiv Ramaswami, CEO of Nutanix

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFourth quarter fiscal 2026$725 - $745 millionNew
Non-GAAP operating margin SourceFourth quarter fiscal 202621% to 23%New
Weighted average diluted shares SourceFourth quarter fiscal 2026Approximately 292 millionNew
Revenue SourceFiscal 2026$2.82 - $2.84 billionRaised from $2.80 - $2.84 billion
Non-GAAP operating margin SourceFiscal 2026Approximately 22.5%Raised from 21% to 22%
Free cash flow SourceFiscal 2026$760 - $780 millionRaised from $745 - $775 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Fiscal 2026 guidance raised for revenue, non-GAAP operating margin and free cash flow. Source
  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 guidance given for revenue, non-GAAP operating margin and diluted share count. Source
  • New: Board authorized a $750 million increase to the share repurchase program, announced at Investor Day. Source
  • New: Nutanix and NetApp formed a strategic alliance with a planned integration for a modern cloud platform. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • ARR grew 15% year over year: Annual recurring revenue reached $2.43 billion, up from $2.12 billion a year earlier. The company updated its ARR methodology in fiscal 2026 and restated prior periods. Source
  • Revenue rose 10% in the quarter: Revenue was $703.1 million against $639.0 million a year earlier. Nine-month revenue was $2.10 billion against $1.88 billion. Source
  • Net income and diluted EPS rose: GAAP net income was $72.1 million, or $0.25 diluted EPS, against $63.4 million and $0.22. Non-GAAP net income was $136.2 million against $124.7 million. Source

Revenue mix and customers

  • Subscription revenue grew 9%: Subscription revenue was $664.8 million against $609.7 million. Professional services and other revenue was $38.3 million against $29.3 million. Source
  • Support revenue rose faster than product: Product revenue was $364.9 million against $345.5 million. Support, maintenance and other services revenue was $338.1 million against $293.5 million. Source
  • Customer base described as large: The company describes its customer base as more than 30,000 customers worldwide. Source

“Our business performed well in our third quarter, as reflected in results that exceeded the high end of the range for all of our guided metrics,”

Rukmini Sivaraman, CFO of Nutanix

Costs and margins

  • GAAP operating margin rose to 10.0%: GAAP operating income was $70.5 million, a 10.0% margin against 7.6% a year earlier. Non-GAAP operating margin was 22.3%, up 80 bps. Source
  • Gross margin edged lower: GAAP gross margin was 86.9%, down 10 bps. Non-GAAP gross margin was 87.8%, down 40 bps. Source
  • Operating expenses rose on both bases: GAAP operating expenses were $540.3 million, up 6.5%. Non-GAAP operating expenses were $460.5 million, up 8.0%. Source
  • Stock-based compensation slightly lower: Stock-based compensation expense was $82.8 million in the quarter against $84.2 million a year earlier. Source

Demand and order book

  • Remaining performance obligations up 27%: Total remaining performance obligations were $3.08 billion against $2.43 billion. Current obligations were $1.50 billion, and 13-36 month obligations $1.19 billion. Source
  • Contract duration lengthened: Average contract duration on subscription contracts executed in the quarter was 3.4 years, up from 3.1 years on a dollar-weighted billings basis. Source

“We are pleased to raise our full year guidance and remain focused on driving sustainable growth and improving profitability.”

Rukmini Sivaraman, CFO of Nutanix

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Free cash flow was $197.2 million: Free cash flow was $197.2 million, down $6.2 million, after operating cash flow of $207.5 million and purchases of property and equipment of $10.3 million. Source
  • Nine-month free cash flow higher: Nine-month free cash flow was $563.1 million against $542.4 million a year earlier. Source
  • Nine-month repurchases rose: Nine-month repurchases of common stock were $433.2 million, against $257.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and short-term investments reported: Cash and cash equivalents were $718.8 million and short-term investments were $1,299.1 million at April 30, 2026. Source

Products and partnerships

  • Agentic AI full software stack launched: At NVIDIA GTC 2026 the company announced Nutanix Agentic AI, a full software stack for customers adopting agentic AI for business transformation. Source
  • Bare-metal Kubernetes product added: NKP Metal extends the Nutanix operating model and Nutanix Kubernetes Platform to Kubernetes deployments directly on bare-metal infrastructure. Source
  • MongoDB certified integration announced: A certified integration links the Nutanix Database Service platform with MongoDB Ops Manager to simplify MongoDB operations. Source
  • Service provider and neocloud programs expanded: New multitenant cloud capabilities for service provider partners were announced, alongside Agentic AI capabilities aimed at neocloud providers. Source
  • Investor Day held with .NEXT conference: Investor Day 2026 was held on April 7, 2026 in conjunction with the annual .NEXT conference in Chicago. Source

Coming up, as management said on 27 May 2026

  • Neocloud capabilities for Agentic AI: New capabilities for Nutanix Agentic AI, designed for neocloud providers, are scheduled for the second half of 2026. Source
  • NetApp integration due later this year: Integration of NetApp storage systems with the Nutanix Cloud Platform and AHV hypervisor is expected later this year. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Annual recurring revenue Source$2.43 billion
Remaining performance obligations Source$3.08 billion
Subscription revenue Source$664.8 million
Average contract duration Source3.4 years
Customers Sourcemore than 30,000

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Second-quarter release said supply chain timing was factored into third-quarter and updated full-year guidance.
  • Not stated: Second-quarter release said revenue and free cash flow from higher bookings were expected to be realized later.

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.