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    ZM
    Earnings call· Jan 2026(Q4 FY26)

    Zoom Communications Q4 FY26 earnings call ZM

    Feb 25, 2026 Source

    Executive summary

    Zoom Q4 FY26 — AI-driven Growth and Platform Expansion

    Zoom delivered strong Q4 FY26 results, driven by AI innovation and platform expansion, with revenue growth accelerating and profitability remaining robust. The company is strategically investing in AI-first solutions across collaboration, customer experience, and new revenue streams, positioning itself as an AI-powered system of action for modern work. Management is confident in durable growth beyond $5 billion in revenue while maintaining focus on profitability and shareholder returns.

    Highlights

    5
    • Q4 revenue grew 5.3% year-over-year to $1.25 billion, exceeding the high end of guidance by $12 million.

    • Full year FY26 revenue grew 4.4%, accelerating 130 basis points over FY25.

    • ZCX ARR continued high double-digit growth, accelerating in Q4, with every top 10 deal including paid AI.

    • Zoom Phone ARR continues mid-teens growth, securing a Fortune 10 customer with 140,000 seats.

    • Non-GAAP operating margin for full FY26 was 40.4%, up 100 basis points from the prior year.

    Concerns

    5
    • Q4 non-GAAP diluted EPS included a headwind of approximately $0.11 from higher-than-expected taxes.

    • Q4 operating cash flow decreased to $355 million from $425 million in the prior year period.

    • Q4 free cash flow decreased to $338 million from $416 million in the prior year period.

    • FY27 revenue guidance includes a 40 basis point headwind from a single large competitor white labeling churn.

    • FY27 free cash flow guidance includes approximately $75 million of incremental CapEx and a $50 million interest income headwind.

    Guidance & targets

    8
    CategoryTargetConfidence
    Q1 FY27 Revenue
    $1.22 billion to $1.225 billion
    high materiality
    High
    Q1 FY27 Non-GAAP Operating Income
    $487 million to $492 million
    medium materiality
    High
    Q1 FY27 Non-GAAP EPS
    $1.40 to $1.42
    high materiality
    High
    Q1 FY27 Deferred Revenue Growth
    up 1% to 2%
    medium materiality
    High
    FY27 Revenue
    $5.065 billion to $5.075 billion
    high materiality
    High
    FY27 Non-GAAP Operating Income
    $2.05 billion to $2.06 billion
    high materiality
    High
    FY27 Non-GAAP EPS
    $5.77 to $5.81
    high materiality
    High
    FY27 Free Cash Flow
    $1.7 billion to $1.74 billion
    high materiality
    High

    Segment performance

    5
    SegmentRevenueYoYQoQMargin
    Enterprise
    Enterprise business continues to be strong, representing 61% of total revenue, up 1 point year-over-year. TTM NDE held steady.
    Customers contributing more than $100,000 in TTM revenue: 9% YoY growthCustomers contributing more than $100,000 in TTM revenue as % of total revenue: 33%Trailing 12-month net dollar expansion rate: 98%
    $762.5M7.1%
    Online
    Online business continues to show signs of stabilizing, with average monthly churn slightly up year-over-year.
    Average monthly churn: 2.9% (vs 2.8% in Q4 FY25)
    $487.5M2.1%
    Americas
    Strong growth in the Americas region.
    6%
    EMEA
    Solid growth in the EMEA region.
    5%
    APAC
    Continued growth in the APAC region.
    3%

    Operational metrics

    24
    Non-GAAP Gross Margin
    79.8%up 1 point YoY
    Q4 FY26

    Primarily due to continued cost optimization efforts.

    Non-GAAP Income from Operations
    $490 millionup 4.6% YoY
    Q4 FY26

    Exceeded the high end of guidance by $8 million.

    Non-GAAP Operating Margin
    39.3%vs 39.5% prior year
    Q4 FY26

    Slight margin decline due to changes in bonus structure and investments in AI.

    Non-GAAP Diluted Net Income per Share
    $1.44up $0.03 YoY
    Q4 FY26

    Included a headwind of approximately $0.11 from higher-than-expected taxes.

    Operating Cash Flow Margin
    28.4%
    Q4 FY26

    Calculated for Q4 FY26.

    Free Cash Flow Margin
    27.1%
    Q4 FY26

    Calculated for Q4 FY26.

    Cash and investments balance
    $7.8 billion
    Q4 FY26

    Excluding restricted cash.

    Share Repurchases Executed
    $324 million
    Q4 FY26

    Under the current $3.7 billion share buyback plan.

    Total Share Repurchases under Plan
    $2.7 billion
    Q4 FY26

    Total repurchases under the $3.7 billion plan at the end of Q4 FY26.

    Non-GAAP Gross Margin
    79.7%up 80 bps YoY
    FY26

    Achieved for the full fiscal year.

    Non-GAAP Operating Margin
    40.4%up 100 bps YoY
    FY26

    Achieved for the full fiscal year.

    Stock-Based Compensation Expense Reduction
    18%
    FY26

    Reduction in stock-based compensation expense for the full fiscal year.

    Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding Reduction
    2.5%
    FY26

    Reduction for the full fiscal year, combined with buybacks.

    AI Companion Monthly Active Users
    more than tripledYoY
    Q4 FY26

    Reflects growing adoption and broadening engagement.

    AI Companion MAUs engaging via side panel
    more than doubledQoQ
    Q4 FY26

    Reflects growing adoption and broadening engagement.

    Zoom Phone MAUs using AI features
    35%sequentially
    Q4 FY26

    Reflects growing adoption and broadening engagement.

    ZCX ARR Growth
    high double digitsaccelerating
    Q4 FY26

    Driven by AI monetization.

    Zoom Revenue Accelerator Customer Growth
    50%YoY
    Q4 FY26

    Number of customers purchasing ZRA.

    Zoom Phone ARR Growth
    mid-teens
    Q4 FY26

    Consistent growth trend.

    Total Strategic Investment Balance
    $1.6 billion
    Q4 FY26

    Total balance of Zoom Ventures strategic investments.

    Pretax Gain on Strategic Investments
    $532 million
    Q4 FY26

    Mainly due to the change in valuation of Anthropic after their last round.

    Cloud Phone Market Seats
    130+ million
    current

    Estimate of total seats in the cloud phone market.

    On-prem Phone Market Seats
    150+ million
    current

    Estimate of total seats in the on-prem phone market.

    Online Price Increase
    6%
    mid-March

    Intended to realize incremental value to customers, not just a price increase.

    Industry KPIs

    11
    MetricValueDetails
    Capacity CAPEX$75 millionUSD
    Revenue growth$1.25 billionUSD
    Arr net new arrhigh double digits%
    Rpo current rpo~$4.2 billionUSD
    Pricing model mix6%%
    Customer account count9%%
    Large deal new logo metrics10deals
    Multi product platform attach6deals
    Operating FCF margin rule of 4039.3%%
    Ai product adoption monetizationmore than tripled
    Net revenue net dollar retention98%%

    Orderbook & backlog

    2
    Deferred Revenue$1.42 billionQ4 FY26

    up 5% YoY

    Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO)~$4.2 billionQ4 FY26

    increased over 10% YoY

    57% expected to be recognized as revenue over the next 12 months, down 2 points YoY.

    Product announcements

    3
    ProductTypeDetails
    AI Companion 3.0launch
    ZVA 3.0 (Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0)launch
    Core Zoom Workplace clientupdate

    Deals & partnerships

    11
    Aeroflow HealthMedical device company chose Zoom Contact Center (ZCC Elite and ZVA Voice plus Chat) to replace a leading CCaaS vendor.

    Chose Zoom due to its bold AI vision for CX and ability to execute.

    MLB and OPENLANEExisting Zoom Contact Center customers expanded to include ZCC Elite and ZVA Voice.

    Adopted a combination of ZCC Elite and ZVA Voice to deliver reimagined AI-first human plus virtual agent customer service.

    Major Insurance ProviderDecided to replace an expensive contact center with Zoom Phone, Zoom Contact Center, and ZVA Voice.

    Aimed to automate call triage, reduce agent workload, and increase overall efficiency.

    Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS TrustModernized manual fragmented inbound call operations with Zoom Phone, Zoom Contact Center, and ZVA Voice plus Chat.

    Enabled AI-powered self-service, improved wait times, reduced missed appointments, and enhanced overall patient outcomes and call operations efficiency.

    Leading U.S. RetailerSigned a nearly 7-figure ARR deal leveraging ZVA to handle inbound calls across more than 1,100 locations.nearly 7-figure ARR

    ZVA is bringing new customers and acting as a beachhead for potential expansion into large organizations.

    Fortune 10 customerLanded on Zoom Phone for 140,000 seats, replacing Cisco Calling.

    A large and competitive deal.

    Two Major U.S. Financial InstitutionsSecured on Zoom Workplace and Phone, displacing Teams and Cisco Calling.

    Highlights Zoom's ability to meet complex, highly regulated industry needs.

    Leading Global BankSignificantly expanded footprint, adding nearly 50,000 Zoom Phone seats in Q4.

    Brings their total deployment to an incredible 150,000 seats.

    BrightHireAcquisition to bring conversation AI value to recruiting and hiring.

    Closed in Q4. Combines BrightHire's domain-specific AI capabilities with Zoom's product breadth and distribution advantages.

    HarmonicAdded Custom AI Companion wall-to-wall to their Workplace deployment.

    Integrated across multiple third-party tools to support knowledge retention, sales enablement, and employee onboarding.

    Grand Valley State UniversityAdopted Custom AI Companion wall-to-wall alongside Zoom Work for education, and added ZVA to their existing Zoom Contact Center.

    Supporting efforts to streamline help desk and student-facing processes, and provide more responsive omnichannel support.

    Risks & headwinds

    6
    Higher-than-expected taxesQ4 FY26

    approximately $0.11

    Changes in bonus structure and AI investmentsQ4 FY26

    Non-GAAP operating margin declined from 39.5% to 39.3%

    Single large competitor white labeling churnFY27

    40 basis point headwind

    Interest income headwindFY27

    approximately $50 million

    Incremental CapExFY27

    approximately $75 million

    Shift from stock-based compensation to cash bonus compensationFY27

    70 basis points of pressure

    What to watch in Q1 FY27

    5

    AI monetization progress

    next quarter
    CurrentZCX ARR growing high double digits, 4 of top 10 CX deals included ZVA
    TargetContinued acceleration of AI-driven revenue streams, particularly from Custom AI Companion and ZVA

    Why it matters

    AI monetization is a key driver for future growth and the investment thesis, indicating successful product adoption and revenue generation from new AI features.

    we're very optimistic about our AI technology monetization in FY '27, driven by, first of all, and customized AI combined.

    Q&A highlights

    5

    How does Zoom expect AI monetization, particularly Custom AI Companion and the broader AI portfolio, to progress and contribute to revenue in fiscal 2027?

    Eric Yuan expressed strong optimism for FY27 AI monetization, driven by Custom AI Companion for medium and large customers, leveraging AI Companion 3.0 to empower ZVA, Zoom Contact Center, Zoom Phone, and Zoom Revenue Accelerator. He highlighted that 4 of the top 10 CX deals included ZVA, demonstrating early success.

    we're very optimistic about our AI technology monetization in FY '27, driven by, first of all, and customized AI combined.

    asked by Arjun Bhatia · answered by Eric Yuan

    3 min read6 chapters

    Detailed Narrative

    01

    AI-Powered System of Action

    Zoom is strategically evolving its platform into an AI-powered system of action, moving beyond traditional systems of record and engagement. This transformation is guided by three priorities: elevating the workplace with AI, driving growth of new AI products, and scaling AI-first customer experience. The platform aims to unify internal and external workflows, eliminating silos and enabling continuous customer journeys from conversation to completion, leveraging AI to drive measurable outcomes.

    02

    Customer Experience (CX) Momentum

    Zoom's CX platform is gaining significant traction, differentiated by its integration within the broader system of action rather than being a standalone solution. ZCX ARR continues to grow in high double digits, accelerating in Q4, primarily driven by AI monetization. Notably, every one of the top 10 CX deals in Q4 included paid AI, and 7 represented competitive displacements. Zoom Virtual Agent (ZVA) Voice, launched only a few quarters ago, was included in 4 of the top 10 CX deals and secured a nearly 7-figure ARR deal with a leading U.S. retailer, demonstrating strong market adoption.

    03

    New AI Products and Vertical Workflows

    Beyond customer experience, Zoom is expanding its AI revenue streams and extending its system of action to new AI products across various vertical and horizontal workflows. Zoom Revenue Accelerator (ZRA) saw its customer base grow 50% year-over-year. The acquisition of BrightHire in Q4 aims to apply conversation AI to recruiting and hiring. Custom AI Companion is also making significant progress, with customers like Harmonic and Grand Valley State University adopting it wall-to-wall to integrate third-party tools, support knowledge retention, and streamline student-facing processes.

    04

    Zoom Workplace and Core Product Strength

    The foundation of Zoom's system of action is Zoom Workplace, which saw a major step forward with the launch of AI Companion 3.0. This innovation is transforming meetings into engines of ongoing work. AI Companion monthly active users (MAUs) more than tripled year-over-year, and MAUs engaging AI through the side panel more than doubled quarter-over-quarter. Zoom Phone continues to demonstrate strong competitive wins, including a 140,000-seat deal with a Fortune 10 customer displacing Cisco Calling, and a significant expansion with a leading global bank, adding 50,000 seats for a total of 150,000.

    05

    Financial Performance and Shareholder Returns

    Zoom reported Q4 revenue of $1.25 billion, exceeding guidance. Full FY26 revenue grew 4.4%, accelerating 130 basis points over FY25. The company also improved profitability, with non-GAAP gross margin reaching 79.7% for FY26 (up 80 bps) and non-GAAP operating margin at 40.4% (up 100 bps). Free cash flow grew 6.4% to $1.9 billion. Zoom repurchased 3.8 million shares for $324 million in Q4, bringing total repurchases under the current plan to 36.3 million shares for $2.7 billion, with an intent to offset dilution annually.

    06

    Channel and International Growth

    Investments in channel partnerships are proving critical, particularly for Zoom Phone and Contact Center, driving large competitive wins; 9 of the top 10 large Contact Center deals were channel-driven. The channel base continues to grow, with an increasing proportion of new customers originating from channel partners. Internationally, Americas revenue grew 6%, EMEA 5%, and APAC 3%. The company is focused on further international expansion through product diversification, AI monetization, and channel investments, including local investments like a U.K. data center.

    AI-generated summary of the company’s earnings call. Not investment advice.