Sign in

You're signed outSign in or to get full access.

EI

EPLUS INC (PLUS)·Q4 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q4 FY25 delivered strong profitability on lower sales: gross profit +11.8% to $145.8M, gross margin +580 bps to 29.3%, and GAAP EPS +15.9% to $0.95; non-GAAP EPS rose 19.4% to $1.11 .
  • Versus Wall Street, PLUS posted an EPS beat and a revenue miss: EPS consensus $0.865 vs actual $1.11; revenue consensus $523.85M vs actual $498.1M; estimates had low coverage (2 estimates for both) [Values retrieved from S&P Global]*.
  • Mix shift to services and ratable/subscription models lifted margins; product sales fell 17.8% YoY, but product margin expanded to 26.6% as more revenue was recognized on a net basis .
  • FY26 outlook initiated: net sales growth low single digits, gross profit and adjusted EBITDA mid single digits, reflecting macro uncertainty and ongoing ratable revenue transition .
  • Near-term catalysts: services-led margin expansion and AI/security momentum vs lingering networking softness and digestion by enterprise customers; management highlighted tariffs/government spending uncertainty and ratable mix as key narrative drivers .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Gross margin expansion to 29.3% (+580 bps YoY) on a more profitable mix (higher netted-down product and services), driving operating income +19.6% YoY to $34.7M .
  • Services strength: professional services revenue +48.4% and managed services +16.6% YoY, aided by Bailiwick acquisition and EMS/cloud growth .
  • Financing segment solid: net sales +4.9% YoY to $10.9M and gross profit +8.2% to $9.5M, supported by transactional gains and portfolio earnings .

Management quotes:

  • “We delivered double digit growth across several key metrics… Our services-led approach… contributed to significant gross margin expansion.” — CEO Mark Marron .
  • “We are particularly well positioned to capitalize on [AI’s] transformative growth… only NVIDIA partner in North America with both DGX ready SuperPOD and DGX-ready MSP specializations.” — CEO .

What Went Wrong

  • Top-line pressure: consolidated net sales down 10.2% YoY; product sales down 17.8% YoY, with networking and collaboration weakness and higher gross-to-net adjustments dampening reported revenue .
  • Professional services gross margin declined to 35.9% (from 50.0%) due to Bailiwick mix (higher third-party costs) and service mix shift .
  • Operating expenses rose 9.6% YoY to $111.0M on added headcount and acquisition-related D&A/G&A; headcount increased by 299 YoY (mostly customer-facing), pressuring opex .

Financial Results

Quarterly progression (oldest → newest)

MetricQ2 FY25Q3 FY25Q4 FY25
Net Sales ($USD Millions)$515.2 $511.0 $498.1
Gross Profit ($USD Millions)$148.0 $140.9 $145.8
Consolidated Gross Margin %28.7% 27.6% 29.3%
Operating Income ($USD Millions)$42.7 $28.5 $34.7
Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Millions)$52.1 $39.1 $43.8
Net Earnings ($USD Millions)$31.3 $24.1 $25.2
Diluted EPS (GAAP) ($USD)$1.17 $0.91 $0.95
Non-GAAP Diluted EPS ($USD)$1.36 $1.06 $1.11

Notes: Non-GAAP EPS excludes other (income)/expense, share-based compensation, acquisition-related amortization/expenses, with related tax effects .

Q4 YoY vs prior year and estimates

MetricQ4 FY24Q4 FY25Consensus EstimateActual vs Consensus
Net Sales ($USD Millions)$554.5 $498.1 $523.85*Miss (revenue below consensus)
Gross Profit ($USD Millions)$130.3 $145.8
Gross Margin %23.5% 29.3%
Diluted EPS (GAAP) ($USD)$0.82 $0.95
Non-GAAP Diluted EPS ($USD)$0.93 $1.11 $0.865*Beat (EPS above consensus)

Estimates source: S&P Global (Capital IQ). Period: Q4 FY25. Primary EPS Consensus Mean and Revenue Consensus Mean had 2 contributing estimates each [Values retrieved from S&P Global]*.

Segment breakdown – Technology business (Q4 FY25 vs Q4 FY24)

TypeQ4 FY24 Net Sales ($M)Q4 FY25 Net Sales ($M)YoY Change
Networking$281.9 $178.8 (36.6%)
Cloud$119.0 $134.3 +12.9%
Security$37.5 $48.7 +30.1%
Collaboration$12.1 $8.2 (32.0%)
Other$14.8 $12.3 (17.2%)
Total Product$465.2 $382.4 (17.8%)
Professional Services$40.7 $60.4 +48.4%
Managed Services$38.2 $44.5 +16.6%
Total Tech Net Sales$544.1 $487.2 (10.4%)

End-market mix – Technology business (Q4 FY25 vs Q4 FY24)

End MarketQ4 FY24 ($M)Q4 FY25 ($M)YoY Change
Telecom, Media & Entertainment$142.3 $101.3 (28.9%)
SLED$65.2 $72.2 +10.7%
Technology$111.4 $65.1 (41.6%)
Healthcare$64.7 $74.3 +14.8%
Financial Services$69.2 $44.1 (36.3%)
All Other$91.2 $130.3 +42.9%
Total Tech Net Sales$544.1 $487.2 (10.4%)

Financing segment – Q4 FY25 vs Q4 FY24

MetricQ4 FY24Q4 FY25
Net Sales ($USD Millions)$10.4 $10.9
Gross Profit ($USD Millions)$8.8 $9.5
Operating Income ($USD Millions)$4.5 $4.7

KPIs (Q4 FY25)

KPIQ4 FY25Prior Period/Context
Product Margin %26.6% 19.3% in Q4 FY24
Professional Services Gross Margin %35.9% 50.0% in Q4 FY24
Managed Services Gross Margin %29.1% 30.5% in Q4 FY24
Consolidated Gross Margin %29.3% 23.5% in Q4 FY24
Headcount (end of quarter)2,199 up 299 YoY (272 customer-facing)
Cash & Cash Equivalents$389.4M $253.0M at FY24 year-end
Inventory$120.4M $139.7M at FY24 year-end
Cash Conversion Cycle29 days 46 days prior year
Effective Tax Rate (quarter)29.7% 29.5% prior-year quarter
Diluted Shares (avg, quarter)26.422M 26.806M prior-year quarter

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Net SalesFY2025Similar to FY2024 $2.07B–$2.11B (tightened range) Clarified/tightened
Adjusted EBITDAFY2025$195M–$205M $165M–$171M Lowered
Net Sales GrowthFY2026Low single digits YoY Initiated
Gross Profit GrowthFY2026Mid single digits YoY Initiated
Adjusted EBITDA GrowthFY2026Mid single digits YoY Initiated

Notes: Company unable to reconcile GAAP net earnings to adjusted EBITDA for FY26 forecast due to uncertainty around unusual items, GAAP tax impacts, interest income/expense, SBC, acquisition-related items .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q2 & Q3)Current Period (Q4)Trend
Ratable/subscription mix and gross-to-netGross-to-net up 940 bps in Q2; ratable/subscription shift accelerating; netted down revenues impacting top line Continued netting effect; margin expansion despite sales decline Increasing mix shift
AI initiativesAI Ignite, Secure GenAI, AI Experience Center with Digital Realty; elongating sales cycles; training sales force “Well positioned” with NVIDIA DGX specializations; expanding AI services and internal AI use Building momentum
Demand/macroSofter hardware; enterprise digestion; election/tariffs uncertainty; networking weakness Data center/cloud/security pickup; networking still down; tariffs/government spending uncertainty Mixed; networking soft
Managed servicesBookings up 48% TTM in Q2; strong growth Continued growth; EMS/cloud contributing; margins modestly lower Growing (slight margin pressure)
Security~21–22% of TTM gross billings in Q2–Q4; ongoing strength 22% TTM; aligns with AI/data governance priorities Strong/stable
Acquisitions (Bailiwick)Adds core-to-edge integration; professional services contribution; increases opex; ~$85M 2H rev contribution guide Benefits PS revenue growth; PS margins lower due to mix Integration ongoing

Management Commentary

  • “We are benefiting from… increased ratable and subscription revenue models… driving a greater gross to net percentage… Our services-led approach resulted in services revenue increasing 33% in the quarter… This contributed to significant gross margin expansion.” — CEO .
  • “AI adoption continues to be a significant potential business driver… only NVIDIA partner in North America… DGX SuperPOD specialization and DGX-ready MSP.” — CEO .
  • “Consolidated gross margin… led by our technology business, which saw product margin expand from 19.3% to 26.6%… and additional gross profit from our services business.” — CFO .

Q&A Highlights

  • Demand environment: pickup in data center/cloud/security; networking remains depressed; enterprise customers still digesting prior networking purchases .
  • Enterprise AI adoption: spending still concentrated in hyperscalers; PLUS expects enterprise AI infrastructure demand to pick up toward late FY26/early FY27; near-term services-led AI engagements (workshops, private GenAI PoCs) .
  • Ratable model implications: shift viewed as positive for services upsell and lifecycle/renewals; not disintermediating VAR channel; supports recurring profitability .

Estimates Context

  • Q4 FY25 consensus: Primary EPS $0.865*, Revenue $523.85M*; actual non-GAAP EPS $1.11 and revenue $498.1M — EPS beat, revenue miss [Values retrieved from S&P Global]* .
  • Low estimate count (2) for both EPS and revenue suggests limited coverage, potentially amplifying surprise magnitude and prompting estimate recalibration [Values retrieved from S&P Global]*.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Services-led pivot and ratable mix are expanding margins and stabilizing profitability despite lower reported net sales; watch for continued mix shift effects on revenue optics vs economics .
  • Networking and select enterprise digestion remain headwinds; strength in cloud/security should underpin gross billings and services growth near term .
  • FY26 guide (low-single-digit sales; mid-single-digit gross profit/EBITDA) sets a conservative baseline given macro/tariff uncertainty and revenue netting; upside hinges on enterprise AI infrastructure demand timing .
  • Financing segment provides incremental earnings stability through transactional gains/portfolio earnings diversification .
  • Non-GAAP EPS beat vs consensus and material margin expansion are positive narrative catalysts; however, reported revenue miss reflects gross-to-net accounting dynamics rather than demand collapse [Values retrieved from S&P Global]*.
  • Monitor professional services margin trajectory post-Bailiwick integration and opex discipline as headcount normalizes; PS margin compression was the main services offset .
  • Near-term trading lens: margin strength and EPS beat supportive; stock could be sensitive to management commentary on networking recovery, tariff spread-through, and AI project conversion pace .

Other relevant Q4 FY25 press releases and items for context: ePlus announced the earnings release (May 15, 2025) , highlighted recent recognitions (F5 Partner of the Year; Broadcom VMware Fastest Growth Partner; NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD specialization) supporting AI/security positioning .