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SYNCHRONOSS TECHNOLOGIES INC (SNCR)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 2025 revenue was $42.0M with 93.8% recurring, while diluted GAAP EPS was $0.51; non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.63, supported by a $5.2M one-time interest income from the IRS CARES Act refund .
- Versus consensus, EPS beat and revenue missed: EPS $0.63 vs $0.57*, Revenue $42.0M vs $43.2M*; adjusted EBITDA was $12.0M vs consensus $13.3M*, reflecting definition differences and revenue softness at certain customers .
- Guidance lowered: FY25 revenue to $169–$172M (from $170–$180M), adjusted EBITDA to $50–$53M (from $52–$56M), and FCF to $6–$10M (from $11–$16M); adjusted gross margin (78–80%) and recurring revenue (≥90%) maintained .
- Catalysts: management reiterated “high confidence” in adding one new cloud customer in 2025 and an additional Tier 1 in H1’26; hybrid-cloud AI deployment and debt reduction improving strategic flexibility .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- High-quality revenue mix and profitability resilience: recurring revenue was 93.8% and adjusted EBITDA margin 28.5%, showcasing the stability of the SaaS model even with revenue headwinds .
- Strategic progress with major carriers: “strong subscriber growth at AT&T,” initiatives at Verizon to position cloud as a premium perk, and SoftBank SDK integration to broaden digital discoverability .
- AI-driven cost optimization and feature roadmap: “successfully completed and deployed a hybrid cloud AI model for advanced content intelligence,” enabling in-house photo tagging and embeddings across private/public clouds; foundational for “new memories feature” and engagement .
What Went Wrong
- Top-line softness: revenue of $42.0M declined YoY due to delayed customer signings and subscriber growth weakness at some customers; cloud subscriber growth slowed to ~1% YoY vs 2–3% earlier in the year .
- Sequential revenue pressure: fewer one-time license/professional services in Q3 versus Q2 (SoftBank SDK license impacted Q2), despite slight subscription growth Q3 over Q2 .
- Guidance cut: FY25 revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and FCF lowered, reflecting subscriber headwinds and timing of new customer contributions; consensus EBITDA also above company’s adjusted EBITDA in Q3, signaling external expectations may have been ahead .
Financial Results
Core P&L and EPS vs prior periods
Margins and Profitability
KPIs and Cash Flow
Segment Breakdown
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “We demonstrated the strength of our SaaS powered cloud model, generating $42 million in revenue with 93.8% being recurring, net income of $5.8 million resulting in diluted EPS of $0.51, and $12.0 million adjusted EBITDA… We have high confidence in adding at least one new cloud customer in 2025 and a new tier 1 customer in the first half of 2026” .
- CEO on customers: “Strong subscriber growth at AT&T… initiatives to accelerate growth at Verizon… advancing cloud application discovery integrations at SoftBank” .
- CFO: “Net income was $5,800,000 or $0.51 per diluted share. This result was driven by a $5,200,000 one-time interest income event from our tax refund… Adjusted EBITDA was $12,000,000 representing a 28.5 margin” .
- Technology: “Successfully completed and deployed a hybrid cloud AI model for advanced content intelligence… foundational pillar for next generation features… personalized Genius style content” .
Q&A Highlights
- Growth drivers and pipeline: Subscriber growth slowed to ~1% YoY; management expects mid-single-digit subscriber growth as initiatives and new customer contracts ramp in 2026 .
- Capital allocation: With added cash from the refund, priorities are product investment, platform expansion, and potential inorganic opportunities before buybacks .
- Interest itemization: ~$1.7M deferred issuance costs impacted interest expense; $5.2M interest related to the CARES refund inflated Q3 interest income .
- Sequential revenue: Q3 down vs Q2 due to fewer one-time license/professional services (SoftBank SDK license boosted Q2); subscription growth slightly up Q3 over Q2 .
Estimates Context
Values retrieved from S&P Global*. Consensus EBITDA may reflect a different definition than company-reported adjusted EBITDA. The EPS “actual” from consensus aligns with non-GAAP diluted EPS reported by the company .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Mix quality remains high (recurring 93.8%), but near-term revenue softness and slower subscriber growth at some customers weighed on Q3 and drove FY25 guidance cuts .
- The EPS beat was aided by one-time interest income from the IRS refund; core profitability (adj. EBITDA margin 28.5%) remains resilient amid cost control .
- Execution on Verizon channel optimization and SoftBank SDK integration is key to reigniting subscriber growth; AT&T remains a bright spot with <2% penetration .
- Balance sheet improved: net debt ~2.7x FY25 adj. EBITDA and annual interest down by ~$2.8M, enhancing investment optionality into product and potential M&A .
- Watch for new customer announcements (≥1 in 2025 and a Tier 1 in H1’26) as primary stock catalysts; narrative turning toward 2026 growth reacceleration .
- Estimates may drift lower given guidance revisions; pay attention to EBITDA definition alignment when benchmarking to consensus .
- Short-term: trade around customer signings and channel data at Verizon; Medium-term: thesis rests on execution of AI-driven engagement features and broader digital integrations to lift take-rates and subscriber growth .