F5 10-Q 2023-03-31
Filed 2023-05-05. 8 sections, 137K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
| ☑ | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2023
OR
| ☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number 000-26041
F5, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Washington | 91-1714307 | |||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
801 5th Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98104
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)
(206) 272-5555
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
| Common stock, no par value | FFIV | NASDAQ Global Select Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
| Large Accelerated Filer | ☑ | Accelerated Filer | ☐ | |||||||||||||||||
| Non-accelerated Filer | ☐ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller Reporting Company | ☐ | |||||||||||||||||
| Emerging Growth Company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☑
The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock as of April 28, 2023 was 60,468,009.
F5, INC.
QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q
For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2023
Table of Contents
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
F5, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(unaudited, in thousands)
| March 31, 2023 | September 30, 2022 | |||||||||||||
| ASSETS | ||||||||||||||
| Current assets | ||||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 734,544 | $ | 758,012 | ||||||||||
| Short-term investments | 20,710 | 126,554 | ||||||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $5,181 and $6,020 | 485,622 | 469,979 | ||||||||||||
| Inventories | 50,745 | 68,365 | ||||||||||||
| Other current assets | 533,554 | 489,314 | ||||||||||||
| Total current assets | 1,825,175 | 1,912,224 | ||||||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 169,771 | 168,182 | ||||||||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 216,293 | 227,475 | ||||||||||||
| Long-term investments | 4,736 | 9,544 | ||||||||||||
| Deferred tax assets | 235,109 | 183,365 | ||||||||||||
| Goodwill | 2,288,635 | 2,259,282 | ||||||||||||
| Other assets, net | 483,532 | 516,122 | ||||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 5,223,251 | $ | 5,276,194 | ||||||||||
| LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY | ||||||||||||||
| Current liabilities | ||||||||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 69,952 | $ | 113,178 | ||||||||||
| Accrued liabilities | 295,533 | 309,819 | ||||||||||||
| Deferred revenue | 1,160,118 | 1,067,182 | ||||||||||||
| Current portion of long-term debt | — | 349,772 | ||||||||||||
| Total current liabilities | 1,525,603 | 1,839,951 | ||||||||||||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 3,401 | 2,781 | ||||||||||||
| Deferred revenue, long-term | 636,194 | 624,398 | ||||||||||||
| Operating lease liabilities, long-term | 259,916 | 272,376 | ||||||||||||
| Other long-term liabilities | 72,578 | 67,710 | ||||||||||||
| Total long-term liabilities | 972,089 | 967,265 | ||||||||||||
| Commitments and contingencies (Note 8) | ||||||||||||||
| Shareholders' equity | ||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock, no par value; 10,000 shares authorized, no shares outstanding | — | — | ||||||||||||
| Common stock, no par value; 200,000 shares authorized, 60,465 and 59,860 shares issued and outstanding | 190,592 | 91,048 | ||||||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (22,977) | (26,176) | ||||||||||||
| Retained earnings | 2,557,944 | 2,404,106 | ||||||||||||
| Total shareholders' equity | 2,725,559 | 2,468,978 | ||||||||||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders' equity | $ | 5,223,251 | $ | 5,276,194 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F5, INC.
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)
| Three months ended March 31, | Six months ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Products | $ | 340,581 | $ | 297,518 | $ | 681,139 | $ | 640,667 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 362,594 | 336,706 | 722,414 | 680,657 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 703,175 | 634,224 | 1,403,553 | 1,321,324 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of net revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Products | 99,795 | 71,234 | 198,650 | 152,896 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 55,859 | 55,125 | 112,011 | 108,536 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 155,654 | 126,359 | 310,661 | 261,432 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gross profit | 547,521 | 507,865 | 1,092,892 | 1,059,892 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 233,076 | 228,826 | 466,181 | 462,861 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research and development | 141,363 | 135,838 | 283,686 | 266,109 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | 67,036 | 68,554 | 137,027 | 134,215 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | — | — | 8,740 | 7,909 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 441,475 | 433,218 | 895,634 | 871,094 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income from operations | 106,046 | 74,647 | 197,258 | 188,798 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other income (expense), net | 2,737 | (1,934) | 7,439 | (4,365) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | 108,783 | 72,713 | 204,697 | 184,433 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 27,347 | 16,477 | 50,859 | 34,638 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 81,436 | $ | 56,236 | $ | 153,838 | $ | 149,795 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net income per share — basic | $ | 1.35 | $ | 0.93 | $ | 2.55 | $ | 2.47 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weighted average shares — basic | 60,330 | 60,573 | 60,211 | 60,693 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income per share — diluted | $ | 1.34 | $ | 0.92 | $ | 2.54 | $ | 2.43 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weighted average shares — diluted | 60,691 | 61,405 | 60,537 | 61,661 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F5, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(unaudited, in thousands)
| Three months ended March 31, | Six months ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 81,436 | $ | 56,236 | $ | 153,838 | $ | 149,795 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive income (loss): |
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Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations, strategies, intentions or other characterizations of future events or circumstances and are generally identified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current information and expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Part II, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" herein and in other documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statements.
Overview
F5 is a leading provider of multi-cloud application security and delivery solutions which enable our customers to develop, deploy, operate, secure, and govern applications in any architecture, from on-premises to the public cloud. Our enterprise-grade application services are available as cloud-based, software-as-a-service, and software-only solutions optimized for multi-cloud environments, with modules that can run independently, or as part of an integrated solution on our high-performance appliances. We market and sell our products primarily through multiple indirect sales channels in the Americas; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and the Asia Pacific region (APAC). Enterprise customers (Fortune 1000 or Business Week Global 1000 companies) in the technology, telecommunications, financial services, transportation, education, manufacturing and health care industries, along with government customers, continue to make up the largest percentage of our customer base.
Our management team monitors and analyzes a number of key performance indicators in order to manage our business and evaluate our financial and operating performance on a consolidated basis. Those indicators include:
- Revenues. Our revenue is derived from the sales of both global services and products. Our global services revenue includes annual maintenance contracts, training and consulting services. The majority of our product revenues are derived from sales of our application security and delivery solutions including our BIG-IP software and systems, F5 NGINX software, and our F5 Silverline offerings. Our BIG-IP software solutions are sold both on a perpetual license and a subscription basis. We sell F5 NGINX on a subscription basis. Our Silverline solution is a managed services offering, also sold on a subscription basis. F5 Distributed Cloud Services provides security, multi-cloud networking, and edge-based computing solutions, encompassing software solutions from what were previously branded as our Shape, Volterra, and Silverline product offerings. F5 Distributed Cloud Services are offered on a subscription basis, under a unified software-as-a-service ("SaaS") platform.
We monitor the sales mix of our revenues within each reporting period. We believe customer acceptance rates of our new products, feature enhancements and consumption models are indicators of future trends. We also consider overall revenue concentration by geographic region as an additional indicator of current and future trends. Toward the end of fiscal 2022, and continuing through the first half of fiscal 2023, we saw changes in customer buying patterns due to the uncertain macroeconomic environment. In our second quarter of fiscal 2023, the impact of these buying patterns have led to softer demand in customer orders for both our software and systems products and services. We believe the current demand environment is temporary based on several factors, notably our products and services unique market position relative to our peers, the softer demand being a matter of customer budget constraints rather than competitive pressures or architectural shifts, and our stronger than normal maintenance renewals, which signal delays in purchases rather than decisions, which are typical indicators we have witnessed in times of macroeconomic uncertainty. We will continue to closely monitor the macroeconomic environment and its impacts on our business.
-
Cost of revenues and gross margins. We strive to control our cost of revenues and thereby maintain our gross margins. Significant items impacting cost of revenues are hardware costs paid to our contract manufacturers, third-party software license fees, software-as-a-service infrastructure costs, amortization of developed technology and personnel and overhead expenses. In addition, factors such as sales price, product and services mix, inventory obsolescence, returns, component price increases, warranty costs, global supply chain constraints, and the remaining uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic could significantly impact our gross margins from quarter to quarter.
-
Operating expenses. Operating expenses are substantially driven by personnel and related overhead expenses. Existing headcount and future hiring plans are the predominant factors in analyzing and forecasting future operating expense trends. Other significant operating expenses that we monitor include marketing and promotions, travel, professional
fees, computer costs related to the development of new products and provision of services, facilities and depreciation expenses.
-
Liquidity and cash flows. Our financial condition remains strong with significant cash and investments. The decrease in cash and investments for the first six months of fiscal year 2023 was primarily due to cash used for the voluntary prepayment of the Term Loan Facility, including the outstanding principal balance of $350.0 million, and all accrued, but unpaid interest outstanding of $3.0 million. In addition, $40.0 million of cash was used for the repurchase of outstanding common stock in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. The decrease was partially offset by cash provided by operating activities of $298.6 million. Going forward, we believe the primary driver of cash flows will be net income from operations. We will continue to evaluate possible acquisitions of, or investments in businesses, products, or technologies that we believe are strategic, which may require the use of cash. Additionally, on January 31, 2020, we entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement (the "Revolving Credit Agreement") that provides for a senior unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $350.0 million (the "Revolving Credit Facility"). We have the option to increase commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility from time to time, subject to certain conditions, by up to $150.0 million. As of March 31, 2023, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, and we had available borrowing capacity of $350.0 million.
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Balance sheet. We view cash, short-term and long-term investments, deferred revenue, accounts receivable balances and days sales outstanding as important indicators of our financial health. Deferred revenues continued to increase in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 due to the growth of our subscriptions business. Our days sales outstanding for the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 was 62. Days sales outstanding is calculated by dividing ending accounts receivable by revenue per day for a given quarter.
Summary of Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of our financial condition and results of operations requires us to make judgments and estimates that may have a significant impact upon our financial results. We believe that, of our significant accounting policies, the following require estimates and assumptions that require complex, subjective judgments by management, which can materially impact reported results: revenue recognition, accounting for business combinations and accounting for leases. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
There were no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates compared to the critical accounting policies and estimates described in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. Refer to the "Recently Adopted Accounting Standards" section of Note 1 in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for a summary of the new accounting policies.
Impact of Current Macroeconomic Conditions
Our overall performance depends in part on worldwide economic and geopolitical conditions and their impacts on customer behavior. Worsening economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates, slower growth, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, and developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and other changes in economic conditions, may adversely affect our results of operations and financial performance. For further discussion of the potential impacts of recent macroeconomic events on our business, financial condition, and operating results, see Part 1, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 and Part II, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, related notes and risk factors included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
| Three months ended March 31, | Six months ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Products | $ | 340,581 | $ | 297,518 | $ | 681,139 | $ | 640,667 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 362,594 | 336,706 | 722,414 | 680,657 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 703,175 | $ | 634,224 | $ | 1,403,553 | $ | 1,321,324 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Percentage of net revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Products | 48.4 | % | 46.9 | % | 48.5 | % | 48.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 51.6 | 53.1 | 51.5 | 51.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % |
Net Revenues. Total net revenues increased 10.9% and 6.2% for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively, from the comparable periods in the prior year. The increase in total net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase in product revenue from stronger systems sales through greater availability of product compared to supply constraints in the previous year. In addition, service revenue increased largely based on continued growth in maintenance contract renewals. Overall revenue growth for the six months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to increases in both product and service revenue. International revenues represented 48.8% and 47.6% of total net revenues for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively, compared to 46.5% and 45.5% for the same periods in the prior year, respectively.
Net Product Revenues. Net product revenues increased 14.5% and 6.3% for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively, from the comparable periods in the prior year. The increase in net product revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase in systems revenue, partially offset by a decrease in software revenue from a decline in sales of new term-based subscriptions. The increase in net product revenues for the six months ended March 31, 2023 was due to an increase in systems revenue compared to the same period in the prior year.
The following presents net product revenues by systems and software:
| Three months ended March 31, | Six months ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net product revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Systems revenue | $ | 208,689 | $ | 145,975 | $ | 381,721 | $ | 326,132 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Software revenue | 131,892 | 151,543 | 299,418 | 314,535 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total net product revenue | $ | 340,581 | $ | 297,518 | $ | 681,139 | $ | 640,667 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Percentage of net product revenues | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Systems revenue | 61.3 | % | 49.1 | % | 56.0 | % | 50.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Software revenue | 38.7 | 50.9 | 44.0 | 49.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total net product revenue | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % |
Net Service Revenues. Net service revenues increased 7.7% and 6.1% for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively, from the comparable periods in the prior year. The increase in net service revenues for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023 was the result of increased purchases or renewals of maintenance contracts driven by delayed purchase decisions in new product purchases by our install base and additions to our installed base of products. In addition, we are starting to see the benefits of price increases put in place in fiscal 2022.
The following distributors of our products accounted for more than 10% of total net revenue:
| Three months ended March 31, | Six months ended March 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ingram Micro, Inc. | 16.5 | % | 20.3 | % | 17.1 | % | 19.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Synnex Corporation | 14.7 | % | 14.3 | % | 14.2 | % | 13.2 | % |
The following distributors of our products accounted for more than 10% of total receivables:
| March 31, 2023 | September 30, 2022 | ||||||||||
| Ingram Micro, Inc. | — | 12.9 | % | ||||||||
| Synnex Corporation | 13.9 | % | 12.6 | % | |||||||
| Carahsoft Technology | — | 16.2 | % | ||||||||
No other distributors accounted for more than 10% of total net revenue or receivables.
| Three months ended March 31, | Six months ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of net revenues and gross profit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Products | $ | 99,795 | $ | 71,234 | $ | 198,650 | $ | 152,896 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 55,859 | 55,125 | 112,011 | 108,536 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 155,654 | 126,359 | 310,661 | 261,432 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gross profit | $ | 547,521 | $ | 507,865 | $ | 1,092,892 | $ | 1,059,892 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Percentage of net revenues and gross margin (as a percentage of related net revenue) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Products | 29.3 | % | 23.9 | % | 29.2 | % | 23.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Services | 15.4 | 16.4 | 15.5 | 15.9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 22.1 | 19.9 | 22.1 | 19.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gross margin | 77.9 | % | 80.1 | % | 77.9 | % | 80.2 | % |
Cost of Net Product Revenues. Cost of net product revenues consists of finished products purchased from our contract manufacturers, manufacturing overhead, freight, warranty, provisions for excess and obsolete inventory, software-as-a-service infrastructure costs and amortization expenses in connection with developed technology from acquisitions. Cost of net product revenues increased $28.6 million, or 40.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and increased $45.8 million, or 29.9% for the six months ended March 31, 2023 from the comparable periods in the prior year. The increase in cost of net product revenues was primarily due to systems product revenue growth for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023 from the comparable periods in the prior year. In addition, cost of product revenues increased due to component cost increases, expedite fees, and other sourcing-related costs in the first half of fiscal 2023, from the comparable period in the prior year.
Cost of Net Service Revenues. Cost of net service revenues consists of the salaries and related benefits of our professional services staff, travel, facilities and depreciation expenses. For the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, cost of net service revenues as a percentage of net service revenues was 15.4% and 15.5%, respectively, compared to 16.4% and 15.9% for the comparable periods in the prior year, respectively. Professional services headcount at the end of March 2023 increased to 1,072 from 1,059 at the end of March 2022.
| Three months ended March 31, | Six months ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | $ | 233,076 | $ | 228,826 | $ | 466,181 | $ | 462,861 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Research and development | 141,363 | 135,838 | 283,686 | 266,109 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | 67,036 | 68,554 | 137,027 | 134,215 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | — | — | 8,740 | 7,909 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 441,475 | $ | 433,218 | $ | 895,634 | $ | 871,094 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses (as a percentage of net revenue) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 33.2 | % | 36.1 | % | 33.2 | % | 35.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Research and development | 20.1 | 21.4 | 20.2 | 20.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | 9.5 | 10.8 | 9.8 | 10.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring charges | — | — | 0.6 | 0.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 62.8 | % | 68.3 | % | 63.8 | % | 65.9 | % |
Sales and Marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist of salaries, commissions and related benefits of our sales and marketing staff, the costs of our marketing programs, including public relations, advertising and trade shows, travel, facilities, and depreciation expenses. Sales and marketing expenses increased $4.3 million, or 1.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and increased $3.3 million, or 0.7% for the six months ended March 31, 2023 from the comparable periods in the prior year. The increase in sales and marketing expense for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase of $6.7 million in commissions from the comparable period in the prior year. The increase in sales and marketing expense for the six months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase of $8.0 million in employee travel and customer outreach as well as an increase in commissions of $6.6 million from the comparable period in the prior year. The increase in sales and marketing expense for the six months ended March 31, 2023 was partially offset by a decrease in marketing spend of $4.0 million as part of cost reductions implemented by management. In addition, sales and marketing expenses for the first quarter of fiscal 2022 included an impairment charge of $6.2 million related to the write-off of the Shape trade name intangible asset which offset the year-over-year increase. Sales and marketing headcount at the end of March 2023 increased to 2,480 from 2,437 at the end of March 2022. Sales and marketing expenses included stock-based compensation expense of $26.9 million and $52.6 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively, compared to $27.6 million and $54.4 million for the same periods in the prior year, respectively.
Research and Development. Research and development expenses consist of the salaries and related benefits of our product development personnel, prototype materials and other expenses related to the development of new and improved products, facilities and depreciation expenses. Research and development expenses increased $5.5 million, or 4.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and increased $17.6 million, or 6.6% for the six months ended March 31, 2023 from the comparable periods in the prior year. The increase in research and development expense for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase of $5.3 million in personnel costs from the comparable period in the prior year. The increase in research and development expense for the six months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily related to an increase of $17.1 million in personnel costs from the comparable period in the prior year. Research and development headcount at the end of March 2023 increased to 2,212 from 2,019 at the end of March 2022. Research and development expenses included stock-based compensation expense of $18.7 million and $37.2 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively, compared to $18.2 million and $36.8 million for the same periods in the prior year, respectively.
General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses consist of the salaries, benefits and related costs of our executive, finance, information technology, human resource and legal personnel, third-party professional service fees, facilities and depreciation expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased $1.5 million, or 2.2% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and increased $2.8 million, or 2.1% for the six months ended March 31, 2023 from the comparable periods in the prior year. General and administrative headcount at the end of March 2023 increased to 972 from 905 at the end of March 2022. General and administrative expenses included stock-based compensation expense of $10.9 million and $21.9 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively, compared to $10.9 million and $21.8 million for the same periods in the prior year, respectively.
Restructuring Charges. In the first fiscal quarters of 2023 and 2022, we completed restructuring plans to align strategic and financial objectives and optimize resources for long term growth. As a result of these initiatives, we recorded restructuring
charges of $8.7 million and $7.9 million related to a reduction in workforce that is reflected in our results for the six months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
| Three months ended March 31, | Six months ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other income and income taxes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income from operations | $ | 106,046 | $ | 74,647 | $ | 197,258 | $ | 188,798 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other income (expense), net | 2,737 | (1,934) | 7,439 | (4,365) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | 108,783 | 72,713 | 204,697 | 184,433 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 27,347 | 16,477 | 50,859 | 34,638 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 81,436 | $ | 56,236 | $ | 153,838 | $ | 149,795 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other income and income taxes (as percentage of net revenue) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income from operations | 15.1 | % | 11.8 | % | 14.1 | % | 14.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other expense, net | 0.4 | (0.3) | 0.5 | (0.3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | 15.5 | 11.5 | 14.6 | 14.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 3.9 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 2.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | 11.6 | % | 8.9 | % | 11.0 | % | 11.3 | % |
Other Income (Expense), Net. Other income (expense), net consists primarily of interest income and expense and foreign currency transaction gains and losses. The increase in other income (expense), net for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase in interest income of $2.7 million from our investments and a decrease in interest expense of $1.3 million compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase in other income (expense), net for the six months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily due to an increase in foreign currency gains of $6.6 million and an increase in interest income of $5.7 million from our investments compared to the same period in the prior year.
Provision for Income Taxes. The effective tax rate was 25.1% and 24.8% for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively, compared to 22.7% and 18.8% for the three and six months ended March 31, 2022, respectively. The change in the effective tax rate for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023, as compared to the three and six months ended March 31, 2022, is primarily due to the tax impact of stock-based compensation.
We record a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to the amount we believe is more likely than not to be realized. In making these determinations we consider historical and projected taxable income, and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in assessing the appropriateness of a valuation allowance. Our net deferred tax assets at March 31, 2023 and September 30, 2022 were $231.7 million and $180.6 million, respectively. The net deferred tax assets include valuation allowances of $46.7 million and $46.1 million as of March 31, 2023 and September 30, 2022, respectively, which are primarily related to certain state and foreign net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards.
Our worldwide effective tax rate may fluctuate based on a number of factors, including variations in projected taxable income in the various geographic locations in which we operate, the impact of stock-based compensation, changes in the valuation of our net deferred tax assets, resolution of potential exposures, tax positions taken on tax returns filed in the various geographic locations in which we operate, and the introduction of new accounting standards or changes in tax laws or interpretations thereof in the various geographic locations in which we operate. We have recorded liabilities to address potential tax exposures related to business and income tax positions we have taken that could be challenged by taxing authorities. The ultimate resolution of these potential exposures may be greater or less than the liabilities recorded which could result in an adjustment to our future tax expense.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments totaled $760.0 million as of March 31, 2023, compared to $894.1 million as of September 30, 2022, representing a decrease of $134.1 million. The decrease was primarily due to cash used for the voluntary prepayment of the Term Loan Facility, including the outstanding principal balance of $350.0 million, and all accrued, but unpaid interest outstanding of $3.0 million. In addition, $40.0 million of cash was used for the repurchase of outstanding common stock in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. The decrease was partially offset by cash provided by operating activities of $298.6 million for the six months ended March 31, 2023.
Cash provided by operating activities for the first six months of fiscal year 2023 resulted from net income of $153.8 million combined with changes in operating assets and liabilities, as adjusted for various non-cash items including stock-based compensation, deferred revenue, depreciation, impairment and amortization charges. Cash provided by operating activities for the first six months of fiscal year 2023 increased from the comparable period in the prior year primarily due to an increase in cash received from customers, which partially offset strong billings and an increase in the balance of accounts receivable.
Cash from operations could be affected by various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the effects of the risks detailed in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 and Part II, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. However, we anticipate our current cash, cash equivalents and investment balances, anticipated cash flows generated from operations, and available borrowing capacity on the Revolver Credit Facility will be sufficient to meet our liquidity needs.
Cash provided by investing activities was $52.4 million for the six months ended March 31, 2023, compared to cash provided by investing activities of $37.9 million for the same period in the prior year. Investing activities include purchases, sales and maturities of available-for-sale securities, business acquisitions and capital expenditures. The amount of cash provided by investing activities for the six months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily the result of $95.8 million in maturities of investments and $16.1 million in sales of investments, partially offset by $35.0 million in cash paid for acquisitions and $23.8 million in capital expenditures related to maintaining our operations worldwide.
Cash used in financing activities was $377.4 million for the six months ended March 31, 2023, compared to cash used in financing activities of $248.2 million for the same period in the prior year. Our financing activities for the six months ended March 31, 2023 primarily consisted of $350.0 million of cash used for the voluntary prepayment of the Term Loan Facility, as well as $40.0 million of cash used to repurchase shares. In addition, $9.8 million in cash was used for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards. Cash used in financing activities was partially offset by cash received from the exercise of employee stock options and stock purchases under our employee stock purchase plan of $22.5 million.
On January 31, 2020, we entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement (the "Revolving Credit Agreement") that provides for a senior unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $350.0 million (the "Revolving Credit Facility"). We have the option to increase commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility from time to time, subject to certain conditions, by up to $150.0 million. As of March 31, 2023, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, and we had available borrowing capacity of $350.0 million.
Obligations and Commitments
As of March 31, 2023, our principal commitments consisted of obligations outstanding under operating leases and purchase obligations with one of our component suppliers.
We lease our facilities under operating leases that expire at various dates through 2033. There have been no material changes in our principal lease commitments compared to those discussed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.
In October 2022, we entered into an unconditional purchase commitment with one of our suppliers for the delivery of systems components. Under the terms of the agreement, we are obligated to purchase $10 million of component inventory annually, with a total committed amount of $40 million over a four-year term. As of March 31, 2023, we have $1.2 million of remaining purchases under the first year of our commitment. Our total non-cancelable long-term purchase commitments outstanding as of March 31, 2023 was $31.2 million.
We have a contractual obligation to purchase inventory components procured by our primary contract manufacturer in accordance with our annual build forecast. The contractual terms of the obligation contain cancellation provisions, which reduce our liability to purchase inventory components for periods greater than one year. In order to support our build forecast, we will, from time-to-time prepay our primary contract manufacturer for inventory purchases.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The anticipated impact of recent accounting pronouncements is discussed in Note 1 to the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk. We maintain an investment portfolio of various holdings, types, and maturities. Our primary objective for holding fixed income securities is to achieve an appropriate investment return consistent with preserving principal and managing risk. At any time, a sharp rise in market interest rates could have a material adverse impact on the fair value of our fixed income investment portfolio. Conversely, declines in interest rates, including the impact from lower credit spreads, could have a material adverse impact on interest income for our investment portfolio. Our fixed income investments are held for purposes other than trading. Our fixed income investments were not leveraged as of March 31, 2023. We monitor our interest rate and credit risks, including our credit exposures to specific rating categories and to individual issuers. As of March 31, 2023, 3% of our fixed income securities balance consisted of U.S. government and U.S. government agency securities. We believe the overall credit quality of our portfolio is strong.
Inflation Risk. We are actively monitoring the current inflationary environment, but we do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. If our costs were to become subject to significant inflationary pressures, we may not be able to fully offset such higher costs through price increases. Our inability or failure to do so could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. If the current inflationary environment constrains our customers’ ability to procure goods and services from us, we may see customers reprioritize these investment decisions. These macroeconomic conditions could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Foreign Currency Risk. The majority of our sales, cost of net revenues, and operating expenses are denominated in U.S. dollars and as a result, we have not experienced significant foreign currency transaction gains and losses to date. While we conduct transactions in foreign currencies and expect to continue to do so, we do not anticipate that foreign currency transaction gains or losses will be significant at our current level of operations. However, as we continue to expand our operations internationally, transaction gains or losses may become significant in the future.
Management believes there have been no material changes to our quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk during the six month period ended March 31, 2023, compared to those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2022.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) which are designed to ensure that required information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the required timeframe, as specified in the rules set forth by the Securities Exchange Commission. Our disclosure controls and procedures are also designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2023 and, based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2023.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended March 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.
PART II — OTHER INFORMATION
**Item 1.**Legal Proceedings
See Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Financial Statements (Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q) for information regarding legal proceedings in which we are involved.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
The following information updates, and should be read in conjunction with, the information discussed in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. The risks discussed below and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K could materially affect our business, financial condition and future results. These are not the only risks facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be insignificant also may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results in the future.
Continued macroeconomic downturns or uncertainties may harm our industry, business, and results of operations.
We operate globally and as a result, our business, revenues, and profitability may be impacted global macroeconomic conditions. The continuing adverse global macroeconomic conditions and related market uncertainties have, among other things, softened customer demand and customer purchase decisions, which may in turn, limit our ability to forecast future business activities involving our products and services. Prolonged adverse macroeconomic conditions both in the U.S. and abroad, including, but not limited to, rising interest rates to combat inflationary pressures of goods and services, challenges in the financial and credit markets, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, trade uncertainty, adverse changes in global taxation and tariffs, sanctions, outbreaks of pandemic diseases such as COVID-19, political unrest and social strife, armed conflicts, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or other impacts from the macroeconomic environment have led to a slowing of global economic growth. Continued worsening of macroeconomic conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows through, among others, softer demand of our products and services as well as unfavorable increases to our operating costs, which could negatively impact our profitability.
**Item 2.**Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
On July 25, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized an additional $1.0 billion for its common stock share repurchase program. This authorization is incremental to the existing $5.4 billion program, initially approved in October 2010 and expanded in subsequent fiscal years. Acquisitions for the share repurchase programs will be made from time to time in private transactions, accelerated share repurchase programs, or open market purchases as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements. The programs can be terminated at any time. As of March 31, 2023, the Company had $1.2 billion remaining authorized to purchase shares under its share repurchase program.
**Item 4.**Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Item 5. Other Information
None.
Item 6. Exhibits
| Exhibit Number | Exhibit Description | ||||||||||
| 10.1 | — | F5, Inc. Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (1) § | |||||||||
| 10.2 | — | F5, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended and restated (2) § | |||||||||
| 10.3 | — | Severance Agreement by Haiyan Song and F5, Inc. (3) § | |||||||||
| 10.4 | — | F5, Inc. Assumed Lilac Cloud 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (4) § | |||||||||
| 10.5 | — | F5, Inc. Lilac Acquisition Equity Incentive Plan (5) § | |||||||||
| 31.1* | — | Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |||||||||
| 31.2* | — | Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |||||||||
| 32.1* | — | Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |||||||||
| 101.INS* | — | XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document | |||||||||
| 101.SCH* | — | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | |||||||||
| 101.CAL* | — | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | |||||||||
| 101.DEF* | — | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document | |||||||||
| 101.LAB* | — | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document | |||||||||
| 101.PRE* | — | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | |||||||||
| 104* | — | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
- Filed herewith.
§ Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
(1) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 on Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 10, 2023.
(2) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 on Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 10, 2023.
(3) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 on Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 9, 2023.
(4) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 on Form S-8 filed with the SEC on February 2, 2023.
(5) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 on Form S-8 filed with the SEC on February 2, 2023.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on this 5th day of May, 2023.
| F5, INC. | |||||||||||
| By: | /s/ FRANCIS J. PELZER | ||||||||||
| Francis J. Pelzer | |||||||||||
| Executive Vice President, | |||||||||||
| Chief Financial Officer | |||||||||||
| (principal financial officer and principal accounting officer) |