Fusion V2 And DirectFlash Will Transform Data Storage

Key Takeaways

• Integration of Fusion v2 and collaborations expand market reach, promising long-term earnings growth and improved margins through technological enhancements.
  
• New product launches and AI collaborations boost attractiveness, potentially increasing revenue and client base by offering innovative, high-capacity solutions.
  
• Rising NAND costs, geopolitical risks, and slow contract conversions threaten margins, revenue stability, and international growth amidst execution challenges.

Catalysts

Engages in the provision of data storage and management technologies, products, and services in the United States and internationally.

• The integration of Fusion v2 promises to transform enterprise data storage by changing storage arrays into a unified data cloud, potentially improving long-term earnings through efficiencies in data management and cybersecurity enhancements.
  
• The design win and ongoing co-development with a top 4 hyperscaler might expand Pure Storage's market reach and diversify revenue streams once in full deployment by fiscal 2027, providing a future catalyst for revenue growth and operating margins.
  
• The launch of the 150-terabyte DirectFlash module and upcoming 300-terabyte module could increase product attractiveness, leading to potential revenue growth through capturing market share in data storage solutions by offering higher capacity and efficiency.
  
• The growing E family and its approach to replace disk solutions, despite initial lower product gross margins, present an opportunity for Pure Storage to capture more enterprise clients, which could stabilize and improve margins over time as NAND pricing moderates.
  
• Expansion in AI and machine learning solutions, in collaboration with partners like NVIDIA, could open new revenue streams in high-performance storage and increase long-term earnings as businesses increasingly integrate AI into their operations.

Pure Storage Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• This narrative explores a more pessimistic perspective on Pure Storage compared to the consensus, based on a Fair Value that aligns with the bearish cohort of analysts.
• The bearish analysts are assuming Pure Storage's revenue will grow by 9.9% annually over the next 3 years.
• The bearish analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 3.9% today to 8.3% in 3 years time.
• The bearish analysts expect earnings to reach $359.8 million (and earnings per share of $1.06) by about August 2028, up from $127.8 million today. The analysts are largely in agreement about this estimate.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the price target of the more bearish analyst cohort, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 59.7x on those 2028 earnings, down from 150.0x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the US Tech industry at 20.2x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to decline by 0.26% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 8.19%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Pure Storage Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Rising NAND prices and competition with disk solutions led to decreased gross margins, which could impact future profitability if NAND prices do not moderate as expected.
  
• Geopolitical uncertainties and potential tariff scenarios introduce risk to the supply chain and distribution, potentially affecting revenue and earnings stability.
  
• Slower closure timelines of large Evergreen//One deals and conversions to traditional sales affected the total contract value growth, indicating volatility in subscription-based revenue models.
  
• The investment and integration required for a hyperscale design win, while promising, could strain resources and impact margins if not executed efficiently.
  
• Despite international growth potential, recent decline in international revenues could indicate regional market challenges affecting overall revenue projection targets.

Valuation

• The assumed bearish price target for Pure Storage is $52.31, which represents two standard deviations below the consensus price target of $71.28. This valuation is based on what can be assumed as the expectations of Pure Storage's future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors from analysts on the more bearish end of the spectrum.
• However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $93.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $50.0.
• In order for you to agree with the bearish analysts, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $4.3 billion, earnings will come to $359.8 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 59.7x, assuming you use a discount rate of 8.2%.
• Given the current share price of $58.62, the bearish analyst price target of $52.31 is 12.1% lower. Despite analysts expecting the underlying buisness to improve, they seem to believe the market's expectations are too high.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.