PANW - 8-K - Q2'15 Earnings Release


 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8‑K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
March 2, 2015
 _____________________
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
 
Delaware
001-35594
20-2530195
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)
(Commission File Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
4401 Great America Parkway
Santa Clara, California 95054
(Address of principal executive office, including zip code)
(408) 753-4000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
 
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 






Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On March 2, 2015, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing its financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended January 31, 2015. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information contained in this Item 2.02 and in the accompanying Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing, unless expressly incorporated by specific reference in such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d)      Exhibits.
Exhibit Number
Description of Exhibit
99.1
Press release dated as of March 2, 2015.





SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC.
 
 
By:
/s/ MARK D. MCLAUGHLIN
 
Mark D. McLaughlin
 
President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: March 2, 2015






EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number
Description of Exhibit
99.1
Press release dated as of March 2, 2015.


Ex 99.1 (Q2'15 Earnings Release)


Exhibit 99.1

Palo Alto Networks Reports Fiscal Second Quarter 2015 Financial Results

Fiscal second quarter total revenue grows 54 percent year-over-year to $217.7 million
Billings grow 51 percent year-over-year to $282.8 million
Deferred revenue grows 65 percent year-over-year to $535.8 million

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 2, 2015 - Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NYSE: PANW) today announced financial results for its fiscal second quarter 2015 ended January 31, 2015.

Total revenue for the fiscal second quarter grew 54 percent year-over-year to a record $217.7 million, compared with $141.1 million in the fiscal second quarter 2014. GAAP net loss for the fiscal second quarter was $43.0 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $39.9 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, in the fiscal second quarter 2014.

Palo Alto Networks recorded fiscal second quarter non-GAAP net income of $16.9 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, compared with non-GAAP net income of $7.8 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, in the fiscal second quarter 2014. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP information is contained in the tables below.

“We delivered very strong second quarter results across all metrics, driven by continued high customer demand for our next-generation enterprise security platform that not only detects malicious activity, but also provides integrated and automated prevention capabilities. Given the increasing rate and severity of today’s highly sophisticated cyber attacks, enterprises worldwide are turning to us to help them solve their most complex security challenges,” said Mark McLaughlin, president and chief executive officer of Palo Alto Networks. “Our highly differentiated approach to enterprise security has resulted in growth that outpaces the security market as we continue to capture significant market share.”

“New customer additions and expansion in existing customers resulted in record billings, revenue and deferred revenue in the second quarter,” said Steffan Tomlinson, chief financial officer of Palo Alto Networks. “With approximately 47 percent of total revenue coming from recurring services, our hybrid SaaS-revenue model and ramping economies of scale continue to drive leverage in the business, resulting

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in sequential and year-over-year expansion in non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin and cash flow from operations.”

Recent Highlights
Introduced new hardware - We introduced the PA-3060, a new addition to the PA-3000 series, designed for mid-range data center environments.

Continued threat research efforts - On the heels of finding the IOS-targeted WireLurker threat, our Unit 42 threat intelligence team revealed a “backdoor” contained in millions of Android mobile devices.

Launched global user group - We launched Fuel, a global community established to drive knowledge and sharing of best practices among security professionals across industries.

Participated in White House Cybersecurity Summit discussions - We engaged in dialogue on public/private sector threat information sharing practices, such as those already in process by the Cyber Threat Alliance that we co-founded with several other security industry leaders, to improve protection for consumers and companies against cyber threats.

Financial Outlook
Palo Alto Networks provides guidance based on current market conditions and expectations.

For the fiscal third quarter 2015, Palo Alto Networks expects:
Total revenue in the range of $219 to $223 million, representing year-over-year growth between 45 percent and 48 percent.
Diluted non-GAAP earnings per share in the range of $0.19 to $0.20 using 87 to 89 million shares.

Guidance for non-GAAP financial measures excludes share-based compensation and related payroll taxes, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, discrete tax benefits, non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes, and certain non-recurring expenses. The company has not reconciled diluted non-GAAP earnings per share guidance to GAAP net income (loss) per diluted share because the company does not provide guidance on GAAP net income (loss) or the various reconciling cash and non-cash items between GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP net income (loss). Items that impact these measures are out of the company’s control and/or cannot be reasonably

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predicted. Accordingly, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure guidance to the corresponding GAAP measures is not available without unreasonable effort.

Conference Call Information
Palo Alto Networks will host a conference call for analysts and investors to discuss its fiscal second quarter 2015 results and outlook for its fiscal third quarter 2015 today at 4:30 PM Eastern time/1:30 PM Pacific time. Open to the public, investors may access the call by dialing 1-877-627-6590 or 1-719-325-4772 and entering the passcode 2722533. A live audio webcast of the conference call along with supplemental financial information will also be accessible from the “Investors” section of the company’s website at investors.paloaltonetworks.com. Following the webcast, an archived version will be available on the website for one year. A telephonic replay of the call will be available two hours after the call and will run for five business days and may be accessed by dialing 1-888-203-1112 or 719-457-0820 and entering the passcode 2722533.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the company’s financial outlook for the fiscal third quarter of 2015 and the company’s ability to continue to grow faster than the overall security market and capture significant market share. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including: Palo Alto Networks’ limited operating history; risks associated with Palo Alto Networks’ rapid growth, particularly outside of the United States; Palo Alto Networks’ limited experience with new product introductions, including the introduction of the Advanced Endpoint Protection offering; risks associated with new product releases, including software bugs; the failure to timely develop and achieve market acceptance of new products as well as existing products and services; rapidly evolving technological developments in the market for network security products; and general market, political, economic and business conditions.

Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect Palo Alto Networks’ financial results are included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” in the company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 25, 2014, which is available on the company’s website at investors.paloaltonetworks.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Additional information will also be set forth in other filings that the company makes with the SEC from time to time. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to the company as of the date hereof, and Palo Alto Networks does not

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assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Palo Alto Networks has provided in this release financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). The company uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing its financial results and believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing the company’s financial results with other companies in its industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measures, and should be read only in conjunction with the company’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the company’s non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation.

Non-GAAP net income and diluted net income per share. Palo Alto Networks defines non-GAAP net income as net income (loss) plus share-based compensation expense and related payroll taxes, acquisition related costs, amortization expense of acquired intangible assets, litigation related charges including legal settlements, and non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes. The company also excludes from non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP diluted net income per share the tax effects, including income tax associated with these items in order to provide a complete picture of the company’s recurring core business operating results. Without excluding these tax effects, investors would only see the gross effect that excluding these expenses had on the company’s operating results. In addition, the calculation of diluted shares within diluted net income per share gives effect to the anti-dilutive impact of the company’s note hedge agreements, which reduce the potential economic dilution that otherwise would occur upon conversion of the company’s convertible senior notes (under GAAP, the anti-dilutive impact of the note hedge is not reflected in diluted shares). Palo Alto Networks believes that excluding these items from non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP diluted net income per share provides management and investors with greater visibility into the underlying performance of the company’s core business operating results, meaning its operating performance excluding these items and, from time to time, other discrete charges that are infrequent in nature, over multiple periods.


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Billings. Palo Alto Networks defines billings as total revenue plus the change in deferred revenue during the period. The company’s management monitors billings because billings drive deferred revenue, which is an important indicator of the health and visibility of the company’s business. The company considers billings to be a useful metric for management and investors, particularly as sales of subscriptions increase and the company experiences strong renewal rates for subscriptions and support and maintenance.

Investors are cautioned that there are a number of limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool. In particular, many of the adjustments to the company’s GAAP financial measures reflect the exclusion of items that are recurring and will be reflected in the company’s financial results for the foreseeable future, such as share-based compensation. Share-based compensation is an important part of Palo Alto Networks employees’ compensation and impacts their performance. In addition, the billings metric reported by the company includes amounts that have not yet been recognized as revenue. The components that Palo Alto Networks excludes in its calculation of non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the components that its peer companies exclude when they report their non-GAAP results of operations. Palo Alto Networks compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures. In the future, the company may also exclude non-recurring expenses and other expenses that do not reflect the company’s core business operating results.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is leading a new era in cybersecurity by protecting thousands of enterprise, government, and service provider networks from cyber threats. Unlike fragmented legacy products, our security platform safely enables business operations and delivers protection based on what matters most in today's dynamic computing environments: applications, users, and content. Find out more at www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks and the Palo Alto Networks Logo are trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.





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Media Contact:
Jennifer Jasper Smith
Head of Corporate Communications
Palo Alto Networks
408-638-3280
jjsmith@paloaltonetworks.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Kelsey Turcotte
Vice President of Investor Relations
408-753-3872
kturcotte@paloaltonetworks.com

Chris Danne/Maria Riley
The Blueshirt Group
415-217-7722
ir@paloaltonetworks.com



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Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Three Months Ended January 31,
 
Six Months Ended January 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2015
 
2014
Revenue:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Product
$
115,621

 
$
80,823

 
$
217,097

 
$
156,308

Services
102,034

 
60,245

 
192,904

 
112,940

Total revenue
217,655

 
141,068

 
410,001

 
269,248

Cost of revenue:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Product
30,640

 
20,221

 
59,781

 
38,175

Services
28,685

 
17,283

 
53,005

 
33,136

Total cost of revenue
59,325

 
37,504

 
112,786

 
71,311

Total gross profit
158,330

 
103,564

 
297,215

 
197,937

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Research and development
46,948

 
24,253

 
84,253

 
44,146

Sales and marketing
122,875

 
76,734

 
229,241

 
144,100

General and administrative
27,023

 
19,733

 
46,000

 
33,858

Legal settlement

 
20,000

 

 
20,000

Total operating expenses
196,846

 
140,720

 
359,494

 
242,104

Operating loss
(38,516
)
 
(37,156
)
 
(62,279
)
 
(44,167
)
Interest expense
(5,539
)
 
(14
)
 
(11,028
)
 
(22
)
Other income (expense), net
344

 
(170
)
 
685

 
235

Loss before income taxes
(43,711
)
 
(37,340
)
 
(72,622
)
 
(43,954
)
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
(703
)
 
2,606

 
454

 
3,853

Net loss
$
(43,008
)
 
$
(39,946
)
 
$
(73,076
)
 
$
(47,807
)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
$
(0.53
)
 
$
(0.55
)
 
$
(0.91
)
 
$
(0.66
)
Weighted-average shares used to compute net loss per share, basic and diluted
80,824

 
72,854

 
80,105

 
72,260



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Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Three Months Ended January 31,
 
Six Months Ended January 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2015
 
2014
GAAP net loss
$
(43,008
)
 
$
(39,946
)
 
$
(73,076
)
 
$
(47,807
)
Share-based compensation expense
56,881

 
21,000

 
95,356

 
35,411

Share-based payroll tax expense
3,727

 
2,355

 
4,781

 
2,620

Acquisition related costs

 
3,799

 

 
3,799

Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets
1,724

 
65

 
3,268

 
65

Litigation related charges [a]
3,065

 
22,653

 
6,130

 
24,542

Non-cash interest expense related to convertible notes 
5,521

 

 
10,999

 

Income tax and other tax adjustments related to the above
(11,042
)
 
(2,156
)
 
(17,753
)
 
(4,690
)
Non-GAAP net income
$
16,868

 
$
7,770

 
$
29,705

 
$
13,940

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP net loss per share, diluted
$
(0.53
)
 
$
(0.55
)
 
$
(0.91
)
 
$
(0.66
)
Share-based compensation expense
0.68

 
0.29

 
1.16

 
0.47

Share-based payroll tax expense
0.05

 
0.03

 
0.06

 
0.04

Acquisition related costs
0.00

 
0.05

 
0.00

 
0.05

Amortization expense of acquired intangible assets
0.02

 
0.00

 
0.04

 
0.00

Litigation related charges [a]
0.04

 
0.31

 
0.08

 
0.34

Non-cash interest expense related to convertible notes 
0.07

 
0.00

 
0.14

 
0.00

Income tax and other tax adjustments related to the above
(0.14
)
 
(0.03
)
 
(0.22
)
 
(0.06
)
Non-GAAP net income per share, diluted
$
0.19

 
$
0.10

 
$
0.35

 
$
0.18

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP weighted-average shares used to compute net loss per share, diluted
80,824

 
72,854

 
80,105

 
72,260

Weighted-average effect of potentially dilutive securities [b]
5,804

 
5,329

 
5,733

 
5,427

Non-GAAP weighted-average shares used to compute net income per share, diluted
86,628

 
78,183

 
85,838

 
77,687

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Revenue
$
217,655

 
$
141,068

 
$
410,001

 
$
269,248

Change in deferred revenue
65,123

 
45,635

 
113,265

 
75,361

Billings
$
282,778

 
$
186,703

 
$
523,266

 
$
344,609

___________
[a]    Litigation related charges during the three and six months ended January 31, 2015 includes the amortization of intellectual property licenses entered into as part of the settlement with Juniper. Litigation related charges during the three and six months ended January 31, 2014 includes expenses for legal services and the legal settlement with Fortinet of $20.0 million.
[b]    Non-GAAP net income per share, diluted, includes the potentially dilutive effect of our options, restricted stock units, and convertible senior notes outstanding. In addition, Non-GAAP net income per share, diluted, includes the anti-dilutive impact of the company’s note hedge agreements, which reduced the potentially dilutive effect of the convertible notes for the three and six months ended January 31, 2015 by 0.6 million shares and 0.3 million shares, respectively. The potentially dilutive effect of the convertible notes for the three and six months ended January 31, 2014 was nil.

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Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
 
 
January 31, 2015
 
July 31, 2014
Assets
 
 
 
Current assets:
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
342,983

 
$
653,812

Short-term investments
332,074

 
118,690

Accounts receivable, net
135,251

 
135,518

Prepaid expenses and other current assets
51,196

 
50,306

Total current assets
861,504

 
958,326

Property and equipment, net
52,639

 
48,744

Long-term investments
463,908

 
201,880

Goodwill
155,402

 
155,033

Intangible assets, net
45,856

 
47,955

Other assets
93,475

 
66,528

Total assets
$
1,672,784

 
$
1,478,466

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
 
 
 
Current liabilities:
 
 
 
Accounts payable
$
14,001

 
$
14,526

Accrued compensation
53,158

 
48,727

Accrued and other liabilities
23,436

 
25,000

Deferred revenue
324,479

 
259,918

Total current liabilities
415,074

 
348,171

Convertible senior notes, net
476,872

 
466,875

Long-term deferred revenue
211,364

 
162,660

Other long-term liabilities
53,413

 
32,177

Stockholders’ equity:
 
 
 
Preferred stock

 

Common stock
8

 
8

Additional paid-in capital
924,634

 
804,406

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
221

 
(105
)
Accumulated deficit
(408,802
)
 
(335,726
)
Total stockholders’ equity
516,061

 
468,583

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
1,672,784

 
$
1,478,466



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Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
 
 
Six Months Ended January 31,
 
2015
 
2014
Cash flows from operating activities
 
 
 
Net loss
$
(73,076
)
 
$
(47,807
)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
 
 
 
Share-based compensation for equity based awards
95,291

 
38,729

Depreciation and amortization
12,917

 
7,082

Amortization of investment premiums, net of accretion of purchase discounts
1,510

 
747

Amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs
10,999

 

Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation arrangements
(1,271
)
 
(674
)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
 
 
 
Accounts receivable, net
267

 
1,371

Prepaid expenses and other assets
(32,435
)
 
(6,207
)
Accounts payable
(1,897
)
 
(4,387
)
Accrued compensation
4,431

 
7,709

Accrued and other liabilities
21,753

 
8,353

Deferred revenue
113,265

 
75,361

Net cash provided by operating activities
151,754

 
80,277

Cash flows from investing activities
 
 
 
Purchases of investments
(587,273
)
 
(249,803
)
Proceeds from sales of investments
1,999

 
6,630

Proceeds from maturities of investments
109,921

 
129,096

Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired

 
(10,102
)
Purchases of property, equipment, and other assets
(12,035
)
 
(25,483
)
Net cash used in investing activities
(487,388
)
 
(149,662
)
Cash flows from financing activities
 
 
 
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
15,743

 
14,085

Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan
7,791

 
5,988

Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation arrangements
1,271

 
674

Repurchases of restricted common stock from terminated employees

 
(109
)
Net cash provided by financing activities
24,805

 
20,638

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
(310,829
)
 
(48,747
)
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period
653,812

 
310,614

Cash and cash equivalents - end of period
$
342,983

 
$
261,867


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