It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Nutanix (NTNX). Shares have lost about 3.8% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Nutanix due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Nutanix Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates, Sales Rise Y/Y
Nutanix delivered third-quarter fiscal 2026 non-GAAP earnings of 47 cents per share, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 34.29% and improved 11.9% year over year.
Revenues rose 10% year over year to $703.1 million, beating the consensus mark by 2.53%.
The average contract duration increased to 3.4 years from 3.1 years in the year-ago quarter. Longer contract duration can help improve revenue visibility for a subscription-heavy model while reflecting customers’ willingness to commit to longer-term platform deployments.
NTNX’s Top-Line Details for Q3
Product revenues (51.9% of total revenues) increased 5.6% year over year to $364.9 million. Support, maintenance & other services revenues (48.1% of total revenues) rose 15.2% to $338.1 million.
Subscription revenues (94.6% of total revenues) climbed 9% to $664.8 million from the year-ago quarter’s figure. Professional services and other revenues (5.4% of total revenues) improved 30.5% to $38.3 million.
Annual recurring revenues (ARR) grew 15% year over year to $2.43 billion, reflecting continued momentum in the company’s subscription model.
Nutanix added 730 new logos, up 18% year over year, signaling continued customer acquisition despite what management described as a dynamic environment. The company’s cumulative customer count rose to 31,710 by the end of the quarter, reflecting the steady expansion of its installed base
NTNX’s Operating Details for Q3
In the fiscal third quarter, Nutanix’s non-GAAP gross margin contracted 40 basis points year over year to 87.8%.
Non-GAAP operating expenses increased 8% year over year to $460.5 million.
Non-GAAP operating income totaled $156.5 million, up 14.2% from the year-ago quarter.
Non-GAAP operating margin was 22.3%, up 80 bps from the year-ago quarter. The company highlighted that operating income expanded from the prior-year period, driven by improved operating leverage alongside revenue growth.
NTNX’s Balance Sheet & Cash Flow
As of April 30, 2026, cash and cash equivalents plus short-term investments totaled $2.01 billion, up from $1.87 billion as of Jan. 31, 2026.
During the third quarter of fiscal 2026, cash generated from operating activities was $207.5 million and free cash flow was $197.2 million, underscoring the company’s ability to translate operating execution into cash even as it continues investing in growth initiatives.
Shareholder returns also received an incremental lift. Nutanix announced that its board authorized an additional $750 million of common stock under the company’s existing share repurchase program, expanding capacity for potential buybacks going forward.
NTNX Raises FY26 Guidance
NTNX raised its fiscal 2026 guidance across metrics, reflecting confidence in business momentum. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the company guided revenues to $725-$745 million and non-GAAP operating margin to 21-23%, with diluted weighted average shares outstanding expected to be approximately 292 million.
For fiscal 2026, NTNX now expects revenues of $2.82-$2.84 billion, non-GAAP operating margin of approximately 22.5% and free cash flow of $760-$780 million. Management noted that server hardware shortages and partner pricing increases continue to affect the timing of converting bookings into revenues, an impact that the updated outlook incorporates into expectations for the fiscal fourth quarter and into fiscal 2027.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates revision.
The consensus estimate has shifted 6.42% due to these changes.
VGM Scores
At this time, Nutanix has a strong Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a C. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Nutanix has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
