CT
Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (CRDO)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Record quarter: revenue $72.0M (+20.6% q/q, +63.6% y/y); non-GAAP gross margin 63.6%; non-GAAP diluted EPS $0.07; GAAP diluted EPS $(0.03) .
- Broad-based strength across AECs, optical DSPs, and line-card retimers; product revenue $69.1M and product ex-engineering $64.4M hit new records .
- Guidance inflects sharply: Q3 FY25 revenue $115–$125M and non-GAAP GM 61–63% as AI cluster deployments accelerate; management expects double-digit sequential growth into Q4 and FY25 revenue up ≥100% y/y .
- Stock reaction catalysts: outsized Q3 guide “well above Street expectations” per analyst framing; AEC leadership and “ZeroFlap” reliability narrative versus optics; diversified customer base including three 10%+ end customers in Q2 (one at 33%) .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Record revenue across all three main product lines and clear second-half inflection driven by AI deployments; “turning point has arrived” (CEO) .
- AEC momentum: another record AEC quarter with strong demand from two top hyperscalers and an emerging hyperscaler; ZeroFlap 800G AECs positioned to eliminate costly optical link flaps and leverage liquid cooling for 7m reach .
- Margin leverage: company-level non-GAAP GM 63.6% near high-end; product non-GAAP GM 62.2% (+66 bps q/q, +943 bps y/y) on scale; non-GAAP operating margin expanded to 11.5% (+780 bps q/q) .
What Went Wrong
- GAAP loss persists (net loss $(4.2)M; GAAP diluted EPS $(0.03)); OpEx stepped up q/q (GAAP $53.9M; non-GAAP $37.6M) as R&D spend rose .
- Free cash flow negative $(11.7)M in Q2, with CapEx $21.9M (5nm tape-outs); cash and ST investments down to $383.0M from $398.6M in Q1 .
- Customer concentration remains a watch item: the second AEC hyperscaler was 33% of revenue and declined sequentially ($31M→$24M), highlighting potential quarter-to-quarter non-linearity even amid strong overall ramp .
Financial Results
Summary P&L and EPS (GAAP/non-GAAP)
YoY context (Q2 FY2024 vs Q2 FY2025): Q2 FY2024 revenue $44.0M vs $72.0M (+63.6%); GAAP GM 59.3% vs 63.2%; non-GAAP GM 59.9% vs 63.6%; GAAP diluted EPS $(0.04) vs $(0.03); non-GAAP diluted EPS $0.01 vs $0.07 .
Revenue Breakdown
Operational KPIs
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Credo generated record revenue of $72.0 million, up 21% sequentially and 64% year over year… the turning point has arrived, driven by AI deployments and deepening customer relationships.” — Bill Brennan, CEO .
- “Our product lines grew double digits sequentially to achieve new, record revenue levels… Product non-GAAP gross margin was 62.2%… primarily due to increasing scale.” — Dan Fleming, CFO .
- “AECs outperform laser-based optics, offering lower power, reduced cost and more importantly, greater reliability… billions of hours of operations without link flaps.” — Bill Brennan, CEO .
Q&A Highlights
- Guidance surprise and drivers: Q3 guide “well above Street expectations” per analysts; upside driven by larger-than-expected projects and sheer number of GPUs deployed; attach rates per GPU likely rising over time .
- Competitive landscape and second-sourcing: Market desires multiple suppliers; Credo aims to be first to sample/qualify/ramp; >20 custom SKUs; comfortable competing from “high ground” as customers second-source .
- Customer mix clarity: Microsoft at ~11%; second hyperscaler at 33% (down q/q); emerging hyperscaler at 14%; second hyperscaler expected to drive second-half inflection .
- Optical DSP timeline: 50G/100G per lane to drive FY25–FY26; 200G per lane more impactful in FY27; strong engagement with module makers and hyperscalers .
- Inventory visibility: High consumption rates observed; not seeing inventory build at logistics partners despite surge; close monitoring continues .
Estimates Context
- Street consensus via S&P Global was not available at time of writing due to a data access limit; we anchor comparisons to company guidance and call commentary indicating the Q3 guide was “well above Street expectations” per analysts on the call .
- Implication: Models likely need upward revisions for Q3/Q4 revenue and margins; FY25 revenue growth ≥100% y/y and operating leverage targets suggest higher non-GAAP operating margins versus prior estimates .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- The core narrative is an AI-driven second-half inflection led by AECs, with optical DSPs and line-card retimers adding breadth; this underpins the step-up to $115–$125M in Q3 revenue and expected double-digit sequential growth into Q4 .
- Margin expansion is primarily scale-driven; non-GAAP GM near the long-term model and operating margin improved to 11.5%—expect continued leverage as OpEx grows at less than half the rate of revenue in FY25 .
- Customer concentration persists but is improving: three 10% customers and four more at 5–10%; watch for non-linear quarterly patterns even as aggregate demand ramps .
- Reliability “ZeroFlap” story versus optics resonates with hyperscalers, potentially expanding AEC TAM beyond in-rack to 5–7m rack-to-rack connections as liquid cooling densifies clusters—an investable product-cycle tailwind .
- Near-term optical growth is anchored in 50G/100G per lane; 200G per lane and PCIe Gen6/7 should emerge CY25–CY26 and beyond, supporting medium-term diversification and TAM expansion .
- Liquidity remains ample ($383.0M cash/ST investments), but FCF was negative given elevated tape-out CapEx; monitor conversion of outsized Q3/Q4 guides to cash generation as shipments ramp .
- Trading setup: Expect estimate revisions and positive sentiment into Q3 on revenue acceleration and reliability differentiation; monitor customer mix and any supply-chain/timing volatility acknowledged by management .