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Zscaler, Inc. (ZS)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Zscaler delivered a solid Q2 FY25: revenue $647.9M (+23% YoY, +3% QoQ) and non-GAAP EPS $0.78, with non-GAAP operating margin at 22% and free cash flow (FCF) margin at 22% .
- Billings accelerated to $742.7M (+18% YoY), RPO reached $4.615B (+28% YoY), ARR surpassed $2.7B (+23% YoY), and NRR improved to 115% as large-customer momentum continued (620 customers >$1M ARR) .
- Management raised FY25 guidance across revenue ($2.640–$2.654B), billings ($3.153–$3.168B), non-GAAP operating income ($562–$572M), and non-GAAP EPS ($3.04–$3.09), citing stronger pipeline, sales productivity, and platform breadth .
- Key catalysts: momentum in Zero Trust Branch (57% of purchasers were new logos), data protection net new ACV growth >40%, and deepening GSI engagement; management reiterated a path to “$3B or more” ARR by FY25 year-end .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Billings/ARR/RPO momentum: Q2 billings +18% YoY to $742.7M; ARR >$2.7B (+23% YoY); RPO $4.615B (+28% YoY). CEO: “Billings accelerated in Q2… ARR grew 23%… NRR improved to 115%.”
- Product traction and platform expansion: Data protection net new ACV grew >40% YoY; Zero Trust Branch adoption strong with 57% of buyers as new logos; $1M+ ARR customers grew to 620 (+25% YoY) .
- Go-to-market productivity and partner leverage: Management cited increased sales productivity, lower sales attrition, and growing GSI contributions to large deals; “I expect sales productivity to continue [to] grow in the second half” .
What Went Wrong
- Ongoing deal scrutiny and tight macro: “Our Q2 results exceeded… even with ongoing customer scrutiny of large deals”; macro still tight; federal deals are “lumpy” and not baked as a strong 2H driver .
- Gross margin modestly pressured by new product mix: Total gross margin ~80% with commentary that new, fast-growing products are optimized for go-to-market over margins near term .
- GAAP profitability remains negative (improved): GAAP net loss was $7.7M; GAAP tax benefit included a $17.2M one-time valuation allowance release in the UK, which does not affect non-GAAP results .
Financial Results
Income Statement and Margins (USD Millions, per-share; chronological: Q4 FY24 → Q1 FY25 → Q2 FY25)
Notes: Q2 revenue +23% YoY and +3% QoQ; CFO highlighted 80% gross margin near term, with mix effects from new products .
Cash Flow and Billings (USD Millions; chronological: Q4 FY24 → Q1 FY25 → Q2 FY25)
Balance Sheet / Contracting KPIs (chronological: Q4 FY24 → Q1 FY25 → Q2 FY25)
Geographic Mix (Q2 FY25 revenue)
- Americas 54%, EMEA 30%, APJ 16% .
Non-GAAP adjustments: Company uses a 23% long-term projected non-GAAP tax rate effective FY25; prior periods recast; Q2 GAAP tax included a one-time $17.2M benefit from releasing a UK valuation allowance (excluded from non-GAAP) .
Guidance Changes
Management reiterated gross margin around ~80% near term given mix (optimize over time) .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Billings accelerated in Q2 and revenue grew by 23% year-over-year… ARR grew 23%… NRR improved to 115%.”
- “With our growing pipeline and better sales productivity, I expect us to achieve $3 billion or more in ARR by the end of the fiscal year.”
- “Zero Trust Branch is seeing tremendous customer interest… 57% of customers who purchased Zero Trust Branch are new logo customers.”
- “Data protection… experienced over 40% year-over-year growth in net new ACV.”
- “We’re introducing new products… optimized for faster go-to-market rather than margins. This will continue to influence our gross margins.”
- CEO on strategy: “We are leading the industry towards Zero Trust Everywhere… By combining AI with Zero Trust, we are delivering… innovations to secure… AI applications.” .
Q&A Highlights
- Go-to-market transformation durability: Pipeline quality up, double-digit new ACV growth, rising C-level engagement; GSIs embedded earlier and contributing to larger deals .
- Billings phasing: Scheduled vs unscheduled assumptions unchanged; more bullish outlook supported by pipeline/visibility .
- Firewall refresh catalyst: Targeted campaigns; Zero Trust Branch underpinning displacement of firewalls/SD-WAN; strong early traction .
- Data Protection and AI: Platform handles inline and at-rest controls; AI-enhanced classification; securing public (e.g., Copilot) and private AI usage drives demand .
- Macro and deal scrutiny: Persistent, but Zscaler’s ability to reduce both risk and cost improves deal sponsorship; federal modeled prudently due to lumpiness .
Estimates Context
- We attempted to retrieve S&P Global consensus for revenue, EPS, EBITDA, and target price for Q2–Q4 FY25 but were unable to due to a vendor daily request limit. As a result, we cannot quantify beats/misses versus Wall Street consensus in this report. We recommend revisiting once S&P Global access is available to anchor comparisons to consensus.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Execution improving: Acceleration in billings, ARR >$2.7B, rising $1M+ customer cohort, and raised FY25 guide indicate durable demand and better sales productivity .
- Platform breadth driving larger lands and upsells: Strong data protection growth, Zero Trust Branch new-logo mix, and GSI leverage support multi-pillar consolidation narratives and larger TCVs .
- AI is a multi-dimensional tailwind: Monetization through AI-powered ZDX, analytics (Risk360, UVM), and securing AI app usage (public/private) expands TAM and upsell pathways .
- Margin profile stable near term with mix headwind: Gross margin around ~80% given new product mix; non-GAAP operating margin at ~22% with FCF margin 22% in Q2; longer-term potential as newer products scale .
- Federal and international public sector opportunities: FedRAMP progress and landmark APJ government deployment underline public sector runway, albeit with lumpiness .
- Model watch items: Monitor NRR trajectory (management cautions bigger initial bundles can mathematically lower NRR), billings phasing in 2H, and gross margin optimization pacing .
- Near-term trading lens: “Raise and beat” quarter with visible catalysts (branch/firewall refresh, AI and data protection, GSI momentum) should support sentiment pending consensus validation when S&P estimates are accessible .
Appendix: Other Q2 FY25 Press Releases
- EY alliance to help secure and simplify customer environments .
- New application extending Exposure Management Solution .
- Investor conference participation and earnings call logistics .
All financial and qualitative information is sourced from company filings and earnings materials as cited.