8x8, Inc. (EGHT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Access earnings results, analyst expectations, report, slides, earnings call, and transcript.
Overview
The earnings call presented a positive outlook, with strong revenue performance, debt reduction, and shareholder returns. Despite a slight decline in gross margin, the company is effectively managing cash flow and demonstrating growth in usage-based revenue. The Q&A highlighted challenges with the Fuze migration but also revealed growth opportunities in AI and CPaaS, especially in Asia. The stock buyback and debt reduction further support a positive sentiment. Overall, the company's strategic initiatives and financial health suggest a positive stock price movement in the short term.
Key Financial Performance
Total Revenue $181.4 million, near the high end of guidance, reflecting strong execution across the business.
Service Revenue $176.3 million, above the high end of guidance, showing sequential growth and 2% year-over-year improvement. Excluding revenue from Fuze customers, service revenue grew just over 5% year-over-year.
Usage-based Revenue Approximately 17% of total service revenue compared to approximately 12% in Q1'25, showing a significant increase.
Gross Margin 67.8%, down year-over-year and sequentially, primarily due to a mix shift toward usage-based communication platform revenue.
Cash Flow from Operations Exceeded $11 million for the quarter, marking the 18th consecutive quarter of positive cash flow from operations.
Debt Reduction Reduced debt principal by $219 million or 40% since August 2022, including a $15 million term loan prepayment during Q1.
Stock-based Compensation 3.5% of revenue, a multiyear low, reflecting a focus on prudent equity management.
Non-GAAP Operating Margin 9%, reflecting solid profit margins despite macroeconomic pressures.
Non-GAAP Fully Diluted EPS $0.08 per share, landing in the middle of the guidance range.
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Operating Highlights
CPaaS solutions: Strong growth in CPaaS solutions, with consumption-based revenue growing more than 30% year-over-year. New use cases, channels, and engagement models are being explored, including programmable voice, alerts, authentication, and AI-driven workflows.
UCaaS and CCaaS offerings: Continued evolution to support more integrated and flexible deployments. Adoption of Intelligent Customer Assistant rose 75% year-over-year, and voice interactions grew more than 7x year-over-year.
AI-enabled tools: Focus on predictive customer journey orchestration, real-time sentiment analysis, AI summarization, and orchestration across bots, agents, and CX tools.
International expansion: Focus on industries undergoing transformation like retail, healthcare, and government, leveraging compliance posture, self-service capabilities, and global infrastructure.
Microsoft Teams integration: Sales of 8x8 Voice for Teams licenses grew more than 30% year-over-year, with recognition as a top 5 operator Connect partner worldwide by country reach.
Revenue growth: Returned to year-over-year growth for the first time in 9 quarters, with service revenue exceeding guidance by more than $3 million.
Debt reduction: Reduced debt principal by $219 million since August 2022, with a $15 million term loan prepayment in Q1.
Operational cash flow: Achieved 18 consecutive quarters of positive cash flow from operations, with $11 million in Q1.
Shift to consumption-based models: Enterprises are moving towards usage-based intelligent platforms, prioritizing flexible, AI-enabled solutions.
Go-to-market evolution: Transitioned from SKU-based selling to outcome-based selling, focusing on customer success and high-touch support.
Fuze platform sunset: On track to fully sunset the Fuze platform by fiscal year-end, eliminating complexity and unlocking margin leverage.
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Risk or Challenges
Competitive Pressures: Legacy vendors are responding with aggressive pricing and long-term lock-ins, introducing complexity and resistance to market changes.
Financial Profile Shift: Transition to a usage-based model results in higher growth but lower gross margins, impacting financial stability.
Macroeconomic Pressures: FX volatility and macroeconomic conditions are creating revenue headwinds and operational challenges.
Debt Management: Despite progress in debt reduction, the company still faces significant debt obligations, which could limit financial flexibility.
Platform Transition: The ongoing transition from the Fuze platform introduces operational complexity and resource allocation challenges.
Revenue Mix Impact: Rapid growth in lower-margin communication platform solutions is pressuring overall gross margins.
Regulatory and Compliance Risks: Expansion into industries like healthcare and government requires adherence to strict compliance and regulatory standards, posing potential risks.
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Guidance & Outlook
Service Revenue Guidance for Q2 FY26: Expected to be between $170 million and $175 million.
Total Revenue Guidance for Q2 FY26: Anticipated to be between $175 million and $180 million, negatively impacted by approximately $1.3 million due to unfavorable FX rate changes.
Gross Margin Guidance for Q2 FY26: Expected to be between 66% and 68%.
Operating Margin Guidance for Q2 FY26: Anticipated to be between 8% and 9%.
Non-GAAP EPS Guidance for Q2 FY26: Expected to be in the range of $0.06 to $0.08 per share.
Cash Flow from Operations Guidance for Q2 FY26: Expected to be between $3 million and $5 million.
Service Revenue Guidance for FY26: Anticipated to be between $685 million and $700 million.
Total Revenue Guidance for FY26: Anticipated to be between $706 million and $720 million, with Q1 revenue beat offset by unfavorable FX rate changes.
Gross Margin Guidance for FY26: Expected to be between 66% and 68%.
Operating Margin Guidance for FY26: Projected to be between 8.5% and 9.5%, translating to non-GAAP operating income of approximately $64.2 million at the midpoint.
Non-GAAP EPS Guidance for FY26: Expected to be in the range of $0.28 to $0.33 per share, assuming approximately 143 million average diluted shares outstanding.
Cash Flow from Operations Guidance for FY26: Anticipated to be between $35 million and $45 million.
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Shareholder Return Plan
Stock Buyback: The company executed an opportunistic $1.8 million stock buyback during the quarter.
Debt Reduction: The company made a $15 million term loan prepayment during Q1 and an additional $10 million repayment shortly after, reducing debt principal by $219 million or 40% since August 2022.
Shareholder Returns: The company returned more than $17 million to investors in the quarter through reduced dilution and debt paydown.
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Key Q&A
Q:What is the impact of the Fuze migration on revenue growth and customer churn?
A:The Fuze migration caused a 3% headwind to revenue growth in the last quarter, with 4% of service revenue still tied to Fuze. The company expects to retain roughly half of the remaining Fuze customers as they migrate to the 8x8 platform. All Fuze customers have indicated whether they will stay or leave, and the migration is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year. The headwinds are subsiding, and next year, the growth headwind is expected to be about 1.5%.
Q:How is the margin profile evolving between usage-based and seat-based models?
A:The usage-based model, currently at 17% of revenue, is growing faster than the traditional seat-based model. The company expects usage-based revenue to grow by 1% to 2% per quarter, driven by AI-based products and CPaaS business. However, this growth estimate is not guaranteed.
Q:How does the company approach building versus buying AI solutions?
A:The company prefers building and partnering over buying AI solutions. This approach provides flexibility and allows them to partner with best-in-breed providers. Their platform integrates in-house AI developments like summarization, transcription, and agent assist, along with partnerships to offer optimal customer solutions.
Q:Are there any changes in legacy migrations, particularly from on-prem vendors?
A:The company sees tailwinds from legacy vendors like Avaya and Mitel facing challenges, which benefit the industry. Emerging AI technologies work better with cloud-native platforms, creating additional opportunities. However, the acceleration in legacy migrations is moderate.
Q:What is the opportunity in RCS (Rich Communication Services)?
A:The company is seeing increased interest in RCS, which offers two-way capabilities, graphical interactions, and integration with contact centers. They are currently active in the U.S. and plan to expand to European countries within 3-4 months. RCS is viewed as a significant opportunity, especially in the CPaaS business.
Q:How is the company balancing profitability and growth?
A:The company is reallocating expenses to support growth while maintaining profitability. They have returned to revenue growth after 9 quarters, with a 1.9% overall growth and 5.1% growth excluding Fuze. They are willing to accept slightly lower operating margins temporarily to achieve sustainable growth.
Q:Where is the CPaaS business experiencing the most growth geographically?
A:The CPaaS business is growing rapidly in Asia, with over 30% year-over-year growth. The U.K. is also seeing traction with multiproduct customers, and the U.S. is experiencing growth due to RCS traffic.
Q:Review of Unclear Management Responses
A:Management avoided providing a clear answer on the exact future growth rate of the usage-based model, stating it as a 'bit of a guess.' Additionally, while discussing profitability versus growth, the response lacked specific details on the magnitude of OpEx reallocation or precise plans for balancing growth and profitability.
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Earnings Word Cloud
The most frequently occurring keywords in this quarter's earning call
AI tool
AI workflow
CPaaS solution
Enterprises
Fuze
Inc
Kraus Chief
RCS
Research Division
SMS
Securities
UCaaS CCaaS
Voice way
WhatsApp
account
alignment
analytics
authentication AI
channel
collaboration
complexity
consumption
customer experience
day
engagement model
engineer
experience voice
expertise
feature
government
infrastructure
innovation
interaction
leader
orchestration
retailer
shift
story
transformation partner
trust
use case
video
EGHT Transcript
8x8, Inc. (EGHT) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Positive11-5
The earnings call indicates strong financial performance with a revenue and EPS beat, disciplined capital management, and debt reduction. Despite some margin pressures, the overall profitability and cash flow are improving. The Q&A reveals a strategic focus on AI and M&A for growth, with international markets showing promising trends. While management was vague about certain future projections, the overall sentiment is positive due to strong financial metrics, optimistic guidance, and strategic initiatives.
8x8, Inc. (EGHT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Positive8-5
The earnings call presented a positive outlook, with strong revenue performance, debt reduction, and shareholder returns. Despite a slight decline in gross margin, the company is effectively managing cash flow and demonstrating growth in usage-based revenue. The Q&A highlighted challenges with the Fuze migration but also revealed growth opportunities in AI and CPaaS, especially in Asia. The stock buyback and debt reduction further support a positive sentiment. Overall, the company's strategic initiatives and financial health suggest a positive stock price movement in the short term.
8×8, Inc. (NYSE:EGHT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown5-21
The earnings call presents a mixed outlook. Positive aspects include stable financial performance, debt reduction, and strategic investments in R&D and multi-product strategy. However, challenges such as economic uncertainty, competitive pressures, and supply chain issues temper enthusiasm. The lack of a share repurchase or dividend program further neutralizes sentiment. The Q&A section reveals concerns about macroeconomic impacts and ongoing transitions, but also highlights potential growth areas. Overall, the combination of stable financial results and external challenges suggests a neutral stock price movement over the next two weeks.
8x8, Inc. (EGHT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown5-19
The earnings call presents a mixed picture. Basic Financial Performance shows stable revenue and debt reduction but has weak gross margins and uncertain cash flow projections. Product Development is positive with AI focus but faces macroeconomic challenges. Market Strategy is in transition, with incomplete sales and marketing changes. Expenses are managed well, but financial health concerns persist due to vague guidance. Shareholder Return Plan is positive with debt reduction but lacks strong incentives. Q&A reveals market volatility and management's unclear responses, adding uncertainty. Overall, the sentiment is Neutral, expecting a stock price movement between -2% to 2%.
EGHT Slides
EGHT Report
Frequently Asked Questions
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