Planet Labs PBC (PL) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Revenue $81.3 million, representing approximately 33% growth year-over-year. The growth was driven primarily by defense and intelligence and civil government customers, as well as progress against the JSAT satellite services contract. Upside was also supported by the Luno B win with the NGA and some onetime factors.
Non-GAAP Gross Margin 60% in the quarter, compared to 64% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025. The decrease reflects investments in satellite services contracts and the mix of contracts, including AI-enabled partner solutions.
Adjusted EBITDA Profit $5.6 million, marking the fourth sequential quarter of adjusted EBITDA profitability. This was better than expected, primarily driven by revenue outperformance and disciplined OpEx spend.
Backlog $734.5 million at the end of the quarter, representing a year-over-year increase of 216%. This growth reflects strong demand and strategic wins in government sectors.
Free Cash Flow Positive for the third quarter in a row, reinforcing the expectation of being free cash flow positive for the full fiscal year.
Defense and Intelligence Sector Revenue Accelerated to over 70% growth year-on-year, up over 15% quarter-over-quarter. Growth was driven by strong performance in data subscription, solutions businesses, and satellite services.
Civil Government Sector Revenue Up approximately 1% year-over-year and up approximately 15% quarter-over-quarter. Growth was supported by a $13.5 million task order from NASA under the commercial satellite data acquisition program.
Commercial Sector Revenue Moderately down both year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter. The decline is attributed to increased focus on large government customers and seasonality in the agricultural sector.
Capital Expenditures Approximately $27.7 million in Q3, above guidance range due to prepayments for favorable pricing in hardware procurements and launch deposits for next-generation satellites.
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-term Investments $677 million at the end of the quarter, an increase of approximately $406 million sequentially, driven by a $460 million convertible note raise.
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- Warrant Redemption Plan: Planet Labs announced its intention to redeem all outstanding public warrants, with an estimated maximum of 12.8 million remaining, a move that could increase the company's share count and impact existing shareholders' equity.
- Stock Price Decline: Following the announcement, Planet Labs' stock tumbled 9.7% by 1:05 p.m. ET on Monday, marking the third consecutive trading day of declines, indicating a negative market reaction to the news.
- Potential Cash Inflow: Should all warrant holders exercise their rights, Planet Labs could secure up to $211.2 million in new cash, increasing the outstanding shares from 322.7 million to 335.5 million, resulting in only a 4% dilution for existing shareholders.
- Overreaction in Market: Given the current stock price of approximately $28 per share, exercising the warrants would yield an immediate profit of $16.50 per share, suggesting that the 10% drop in stock price may be an overreaction to the redemption news, potentially presenting a buying opportunity for investors.
- Stock Decline Reason: Planet Labs stock fell 9.7% by 1:05 p.m. ET on Monday, marking its third consecutive day of decline, primarily due to the announcement of redeeming all outstanding public warrants, raising concerns about future equity dilution.
- Warrant Exercise Rights: The warrants allow holders to purchase Planet Labs shares at $11.50 each, and with the current stock price around $28, exercising the warrants would yield a $16.50 profit per share, leading most holders to likely exercise rather than accept the $0.01 redemption.
- Potential Cash Inflow: If all warrant holders exercise their rights, Planet Labs could receive up to $211.2 million in new cash while creating 12.8 million new shares, which would dilute existing shareholders by only 4%.
- Market Overreaction: Despite the expected exercise of warrants, the 10% drop in stock price today appears to be an overreaction by the market, considering that the decision to redeem warrants is not likely to have a substantial negative impact on the company's fundamentals.
Market Trends: Following recent uncertainty, stocks have pulled back, with the Trump administration's pause in hostilities with Iran initially easing investor anxiety, but rising energy prices and inflation concerns are complicating the market outlook.
Investment Opportunities: Analysts are highlighting potential opportunities in various sectors, including energy stocks and companies like Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), which is expected to see growth due to strong institutional buying and planned product launches.
Stock Performance: Companies like Rivian Automotive and Tesla are under scrutiny, with Rivian showing quiet performance while Tesla faces regulatory challenges, impacting investor sentiment and stock prices.
Consumer Sector Insights: Retail stocks, particularly Gap and Macy's, are experiencing mixed reactions post-earnings reports, with some showing recovery while others face caution from investors regarding their future strategies.
- Redemption Announcement: Planet Labs PBC has announced the redemption of all outstanding public warrants, which can be executed if the last sales price of Class A common stock reaches $18.00 per share, indicating the company's confidence in stock price stability.
- Stock Performance: Following the redemption announcement, Planet Labs' stock rose 1.27% in premarket trading to $32.81 per share, reflecting positive market expectations regarding the company's future growth.
- Market Reaction: This redemption decision may influence investors' holding strategies, especially against the backdrop of strong company performance, prompting investors to consider the balance of potential risks and rewards.
- Expansion Plans: Planet Labs is also accelerating its European expansion, recently opening new positions in Berlin, which enhances its market competitiveness and demonstrates the company's proactive approach to global business development.
- Redemption Announcement: Planet Labs has announced the redemption of all outstanding public warrants on April 27, 2026, at a redemption price of $0.01 per warrant, reflecting the company's confidence in its future stock performance.
- Exercise Price Setting: The exercise price for the public warrants is set at $11.50 per share, and if the stock price reaches $18.00 for 20 trading days within a 30-day period before the redemption notice, it triggers the redemption, enhancing potential returns for investors.
- Market Impact: This redemption plan may affect the liquidity of the company's stock, as unexercised warrants will become void after the redemption date, prompting investors to make decisions before the deadline, which could influence market sentiment.
- Company Background: Planet Labs is a leading provider of global satellite imagery and geospatial solutions, committed to daily imaging, supporting various sectors including agriculture and finance, highlighting its significant position in the market.
- U.S. Stock Market Performance: U.S. stock indexes experienced gains on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 rising by 0.77%.
- Index Increases: The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.66%, while the Nasdaq Composite saw a rise of 0.54%.










