NetApp and Cisco Launch New AI Solutions
NetApp (NTAP) and Cisco (CSCO) announced that they have collaborated to offer new validated solutions for secure, scalable, and simplified AI. Expanding the proven success of FlexPod, the new solutions provide a simple, reliable path for enterprises to address the specific challenges AI workloads place on compute, network, and storage infrastructure. NetApp and Cisco are expanding FlexPod to support AI adoption across different organizational sizes and maturity levels, using pre-tested, validated architectures and enterprise-grade data management as a consistent foundation. These solutions support use cases such as: Enterprise AI Deployments: Enterprises can simply and quickly deploy high-performance infrastructure for AI use cases including retrieval-augmented generation and semantic search using this validated architecture. FlexPod reduces integration complexity while allowing AI capabilities to run directly where the data resides, with built-in, end-to-end security. This architecture includes disaggregated storage for independent scaling of performance and capacity with NetApp AFX; future functionality of data discovery, preparation and governance capabilities from NetApp AI Data Engine which integrates the NVIDIA AI Data Platform reference design; and distributed security and Zero Trust-aligned controls across the AI pipeline for AI-specific risks from Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA. Underpinning the Secure AI Factory, Cisco AI networking infrastructure with Nexus One transforms the network into a deterministic, high-performance fabric to maximize XPU utilization, reduce job completion times, and deliver predictable AI outcomes at scale. Targeting full-stack enterprise AI use cases, NetApp and Cisco have collaborated with NVIDIA to build FlexPod Solutions based on NVIDIA Enterprise Reference Architectures, enabling organizations to design, deploy, and scale high-performance AI factories. AI Inferencing and RAG Workflows: To enable teams and departments to tap into the benefits of AI with their existing data, this simplified, pre-integrated solution is designed to lower the cost, complexity, and specialized skill requirements associated with deploying AI infrastructure. Edge Computing: This solution enables enterprises to support AI inferencing, containerized, and virtualized workloads at the edge while maintaining low latency and operational consistency. By extending proven FlexPod architecture to remote and edge locations, customers benefit from faster time to value and reduced operational complexity compared to bespoke infrastructure or isolated IT stacks at each site. Combining Cisco Unified Edge with flexible NetApp storage options delivers a flexible, validated converged solution. Centralized fleet management, policy-based configuration, and automated orchestration enable repeatable deployments and simplified operations across highly distributed environments.
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- Jobs Data Surprises: The May jobs report revealed an increase of 172,000 payrolls, significantly exceeding the expected 80,000, which heightened concerns about the Federal Reserve maintaining elevated interest rates, leading to a broad market decline, particularly among high-valuation hardware stocks.
- Market Overreaction: As rate hike expectations rise, hardware and infrastructure companies like Dell (DELL) fell 3.5%, NetApp (NTAP) dropped 4.3%, and Everpure (P) decreased by 3.8%, presenting potential buying opportunities for investors looking for quality stocks amidst the volatility.
- NetApp's Strong Earnings: NetApp reported a 12.5% year-over-year revenue growth to $1.95 billion in Q1, with adjusted earnings per share of $2.43 surpassing analyst expectations, and the company provided an optimistic revenue guidance for the next quarter, 8.5% above consensus estimates, indicating robust profitability.
- Impressive Stock Performance: NetApp has surged 59.6% year-to-date, trading near its 52-week high of $181.08, and investors who purchased $1,000 worth of shares five years ago would now see their investment valued at $2,096, highlighting its long-term investment appeal.
- Earnings Beat: NetApp reported non-GAAP earnings of $2.43 per share for Q4 2026, exceeding the Zacks consensus estimate of $2.27, while revenues of $1.95 billion surpassed expectations of $1.86 billion, indicating strong market performance driven by cloud and AI demand.
- Surge in AI Demand: The company secured over 1,100 AI and data preparation wins in fiscal 2026, with 500 in Q4 alone, highlighting AI as a central growth driver, particularly in areas requiring high-performance storage and data mobility.
- Optimistic Outlook: Management forecasts fiscal 2027 revenues between $7.33 billion and $7.58 billion, with non-GAAP EPS of $8.70 to $9.00, reflecting 8% revenue growth and 9% earnings growth despite rising component costs.
- Cash Flow and Buybacks: NetApp generated $900 million in free cash flow in Q4 and returned $303 million to shareholders while increasing its share repurchase authorization by $1 billion, demonstrating a robust capital allocation strategy.
- Significant Earnings Growth: NetApp's net income surged by 19% year-over-year to $404 million in Q4 FY2026, demonstrating strong performance amid rapid AI growth, which further solidifies its market position.
- Revenue Continues to Rise: The company reported a 12.47% increase in net revenues to $1.948 billion, reflecting its leadership in hybrid cloud and intelligent data infrastructure, driving customer AI transformations.
- Impressive Annual Performance: For FY2026, NetApp's net income grew by 8% to $1.276 billion, with annual revenues increasing by 5% to $6.925 billion, indicating record highs across financial metrics and boosting investor confidence.
- Clear Strategic Positioning: CEO George Kurian emphasized that NetApp's unified data platform and flexible offerings support enterprises' AI scaling ambitions, ensuring sustained growth potential for the company despite competition from other AI stocks.
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 rose by 0.22%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.72%, and the Nasdaq 100 climbed by 0.36%, with all three indices reaching new all-time highs, reflecting market confidence in economic recovery.
- Tech Stocks Lead Gains: Dell Technologies surged 32% after reporting Q1 total revenue of $43.84 billion, significantly exceeding the consensus estimate of $35.52 billion, and raised its 2027 revenue forecast to between $165 billion and $169 billion, indicating strong market demand and growth potential.
- Positive Economic Data: The May Chicago PMI rose by 13.5 to 62.7, far surpassing expectations of 50.3, marking the fastest expansion pace in 4.25 years, which further bolstered market confidence in stocks.
- Oil Price Decline Benefits Stocks: Crude oil prices fell over 1% to a five-week low due to a preliminary agreement between the US and Iran, easing inflation concerns and supporting the upward trend in the stock market.
- Earnings Beat Expectations: NetApp reported a 26% year-over-year increase in earnings for fiscal Q4 2026, reaching $2.43 per share, significantly surpassing analyst expectations of $2.27, highlighting the company's robust profitability and market demand.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company's quarterly revenue rose 13% year-over-year to $1.95 billion, exceeding market expectations of $1.87 billion, indicating NetApp's sustained competitiveness in the data storage market.
- Stock Hits All-Time High: With shares surpassing $170, NetApp's stock price eclipsed the previous record of $148.63 set in 2000, reflecting strong investor confidence in the company's future growth prospects.
- Positive Future Outlook: Management's guidance for fiscal year 2027 consistently exceeds analyst projections, indicating strong demand and growth potential in the AI and data management sectors, further solidifying its market position.
- Strong Earnings Report: NetApp's fiscal Q4 2026 earnings per share reached $2.43, a 26% year-over-year increase, significantly surpassing analyst expectations of $2.27, highlighting the company's robust profitability and market demand.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company reported revenue of $1.95 billion, a 13% increase from the previous year, exceeding market expectations of $1.87 billion, indicating sustained growth potential in the data storage and management sector.
- Stock Price Breaks Historical High: Following the earnings report, NetApp's stock surged to $170, surpassing the previous all-time high of $148.63 set in 2000, reflecting strong investor confidence in the company's future prospects.
- Strong Demand in AI Market: CEO George Kurian emphasized that as enterprise AI adoption scales, the need to manage large volumes of unstructured data is increasing, positioning NetApp's services as a critical driver of ongoing growth.











