Why Zscaler Is Thursday’s Big Earnings Winner

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Updated Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Why Zscaler Is Thursday’s Big Earnings Winner

© filistimlyanin / iStock

When Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS) reported its fiscal first-quarter results after the markets closed on Tuesday, the company said it had $0.01 in earnings per share (EPS) and $63.3 million in revenue. That compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for a net loss of $0.05 per share and $58.7 million in revenue, as well as the −$0.24 per share and $39.86 million posted in the same period of last year.

In the latest quarter, revenues grew 59% year over year, while deferred revenues totaled $165.3 million, an increase of 68% year over year. Calculated billings grew 56% year over year to $64.6 million.

Also during the quarter, Zscaler Private Access (ZPA) became the first zero trust architecture to achieve Amazon Web Service (AWS) Security Competency status. AWS established the AWS Competency Program to help customers identify Consulting and Technology Partners in the Amazon Partner Network with deep industry experience and expertise.

Looking ahead to the fiscal second quarter, the company expects to see EPS in the range of flat to $0.02 and total revenue between $65 million and $67 million. Consensus estimates call for a net loss of $0.01 per share and $67.56 million in revenue.

[nativounit]

On the books, Zscaler’s cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $314.0 million, up from $298.5 million at the end of the previous fiscal year.

Jay Chaudhry, board chair and chief executive of Zscaler, commented:

We are executing on our vision and seeing good momentum in our business, as reflected in our strong first quarter financial results and increased outlook for the second quarter and full year fiscal 2019. We are seeing significant demand for our high-end Transformation bundle as well as rapid growth in Zscaler Private Access, as more enterprises embrace cloud transformation. We are very pleased with our operating results, which demonstrate the leverage in our business model. Going forward, we will continue to aggressively invest in our business to pursue our large market opportunity.

Shares of Zscaler were last seen up 12% at $41.80 on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $24.76 to $48.24. The consensus analyst price target is $44.38.

[recirclink id=509447]

[wallst_email_signup]

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

Our $500K AI Portfolio

See us invest in our favorite AI stock ideas for free

Our Investment Portfolio

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

CBOE Vol: 1,568,143
PSKY Vol: 12,285,993
STX Vol: 7,378,346
ORCL Vol: 26,317,675
DDOG Vol: 6,247,779

Top Losing Stocks

LKQ
LKQ Vol: 4,367,433
CLX Vol: 13,260,523
SYK Vol: 4,519,455
MHK Vol: 1,859,865
AMGN Vol: 3,818,618