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Workday, Inc.: Q2 FY2027 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2027, from the documents filed with the SEC on 27 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Total revenue grew 12.8%: Total revenues were $2.649 billion, up from $2.348 billion a year earlier. Professional services revenue was $178 million, against $179 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS included large tax benefit: Diluted EPS of $2.57 included a $1.52 per share tax benefit from an intra-entity transfer of intellectual property rights during an internal legal entity restructuring. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $2.75. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin rose to 31.1%: Non-GAAP operating income was $824 million, or 31.1% of revenues, against $680 million, or 29.0%, a year earlier. Source
  • 12-month backlog up 14.2%: 12-month subscription revenue backlog was $9.034 billion, up 14.2% year over year. Source
  • Developer Agent and Agent Passport unveiled: Developer Agent lets developers build AI apps and agents using natural language. Agent Passport tests and verifies each AI agent before production and monitors it afterward. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell year over year: Operating cash flows were $520 million, down from $616 million. Free cash flows were $460 million, against $588 million, as capital expenditures rose. Source
  • Repurchases of $1.3 billion in quarter: Management said about 9.8 million Class A shares were repurchased for $1.3 billion as part of its share repurchase programs. Source

“We had a strong Q2, with AI driving more than 25% of our new ACV and more than 5,500 customers now using at least one of our organic agents,”

Aneel Bhusri, co-founder, CEO, and chair, Workday

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Subscription revenue Sourcethird quarter of fiscal 2027 (ending October 31, 2026)$2.515 billionNew
Non-GAAP operating margin Sourcethird quarter of fiscal 202730.0%New
Subscription revenue Sourcefull fiscal 2027 (year ending January 31, 2027)$9.940 billion to $9.950 billionRaised from $9.925 billion to $9.950 billion
Non-GAAP operating margin Sourcefull fiscal 202731.0%Raised from 30.5%

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year subscription revenue low end raised to $9.940 billion from $9.925 billion; top end unchanged at $9.950 billion. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year non-GAAP operating margin guidance raised to 31.0% from 30.5%. Source
  • New guidance: Third-quarter guidance provided for subscription revenue of $2.515 billion and non-GAAP operating margin of 30.0%. Source
  • New: Board authorized an additional open-ended repurchase of up to $4.0 billion of Class A common stock. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Total revenue grew 12.8%: Total revenues were $2.649 billion, up from $2.348 billion a year earlier. Professional services revenue was $178 million, against $179 million. Source
  • Operating income rose to $313 million: GAAP operating income was $313 million, or 11.8% of revenues, up from $248 million, or 10.6%, a year earlier. Source
  • Diluted EPS included large tax benefit: Diluted EPS of $2.57 included a $1.52 per share tax benefit from an intra-entity transfer of intellectual property rights during an internal legal entity restructuring. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $2.75. Source

Margins and cost lines

  • Non-GAAP operating margin rose to 31.1%: Non-GAAP operating income was $824 million, or 31.1% of revenues, against $680 million, or 29.0%, a year earlier. Source
  • Subscription and development costs grew: Costs of subscription services rose to $436 million from $370 million. Product development rose to $747 million from $660 million. Source
  • Share-based compensation rose: Share-based compensation expense was $462 million, or 17.4% of revenues, compared with $391 million a year earlier. Source
  • Acquired intangibles amortization rose: Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets was $34 million, up from $21 million; it is excluded from non-GAAP operating income. Source
  • Sales and marketing and G&A rose: Sales and marketing expense was $706 million, up from $641 million. General and administrative expense was $231 million, up from $216 million. Source

“Our Q2 results reflect continued momentum across our platform, with AI emerging as a strategic driver of customer expansion,”

Zane Rowe, CFO, Workday

Demand and the order book

  • 12-month backlog up 14.2%: 12-month subscription revenue backlog was $9.034 billion, up 14.2% year over year. Source
  • Total backlog up 8.0%: Total subscription revenue backlog was $27.403 billion, up 8.0% from a year earlier. Source
  • Unearned revenue moved in quarter: Unearned revenue was a $64 million increase in the quarter and a $622 million decrease over the six months, per the cash flow statement. Source

Products and AI agents

  • Developer Agent and Agent Passport unveiled: Developer Agent lets developers build AI apps and agents using natural language. Agent Passport tests and verifies each AI agent before production and monitors it afterward. Source
  • Sana-based learning now generally available: Workday Learning, powered by Sana, combines people and skills data with an AI-native learning experience and is generally available. Source
  • Adaptive Decision Intelligence introduced: Adaptive Decision Intelligence lets finance and operations teams ask natural-language questions and model scenarios. The Financial Audit Agent is generally available. Source
  • Research arm published AI findings: A new research arm published a first wave of findings on making enterprise AI agents more reliable, trustworthy, and efficient. Source

“Because of Workday’s deterministic rails, customers can trust our agents with the work that matters, and you're seeing that in the numbers.”

Aneel Bhusri, co-founder, CEO, and chair, Workday

Customers, partners and recognition

  • New and expanded customer relationships: New customers include BWX Technologies, Guess, KPMG and S-E-B. Existing relationships expanded with Caterpillar, Merck, Novartis and others. Source
  • Gartner Leader recognition: Workday was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) Suites. Source
  • VNDLY named Everest Group leader: VNDLY was named a Leader in Everest Group's Vendor Management System PEAK Matrix for the sixth consecutive year. Source

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow fell year over year: Operating cash flows were $520 million, down from $616 million. Free cash flows were $460 million, against $588 million, as capital expenditures rose. Source
  • Repurchases of $1.3 billion in quarter: Management said about 9.8 million Class A shares were repurchased for $1.3 billion as part of its share repurchase programs. Source
  • Cash and securities declined: Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $3.403 billion at July 31, 2026, against $5.443 billion at January 31, 2026. Source
  • Debt split current and noncurrent: Debt was $999 million current and $1,990 million noncurrent at July 31, 2026. Noncurrent debt was $2,987 million at January 31, 2026. Source
  • Capital expenditures more than doubled: Capital expenditures were $60 million, up from $28 million a year earlier. Six-month capital expenditures were $139 million, against $64 million. Source

Coming up, as management said on 27 August 2026

  • Data Cloud integration with AWS: Workday Data Cloud is to integrate with AWS, giving bi-directional, zero-copy access between AWS data and AI services and Workday's HR and finance data. No date stated. Source
  • Workday agents into Gemini Enterprise: Workday agents are to be brought directly into Gemini Enterprise, alongside agents from Google Cloud and third parties. No date stated. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Subscription revenue Source$2.471 billion, up 13.9%
Customers using organic agents Sourcemore than 5,500
Customer count Sourcemore than 11,500 organizations
Large customers Sourcemore than 65% of the Fortune 500
New ACV SourceAI drove more than 25%

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management says it continues to prioritize agentic AI roadmap investment while driving efficiencies as it scales. No status 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.