Most Shareholders Will Probably Find That The CEO Compensation For F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) Is Reasonable

Despite positive share price growth of 27% for F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) over the last few years, earnings growth has been disappointing, which suggests something is amiss. Some of these issues will occupy shareholders' minds as the AGM rolls around on 10 March 2022. It would also be an opportunity for them to influence management through exercising their voting power on company resolutions, including CEO and executive remuneration, which could impact on firm performance in the future. In our analysis below, we show why shareholders may consider holding off a raise for the CEO's compensation until company performance improves.

View our latest analysis for F5

Comparing F5, Inc.'s CEO Compensation With the industry

At the time of writing, our data shows that F5, Inc. has a market capitalization of US$12b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of US$11m for the year to September 2021. That's a modest increase of 5.4% on the prior year. While we always look at total compensation first, our analysis shows that the salary component is less, at US$875k.

On comparing similar companies in the industry with market capitalizations above US$8.0b, we found that the median total CEO compensation was US$11m. From this we gather that Francois Locoh-Donou is paid around the median for CEOs in the industry. Moreover, Francois Locoh-Donou also holds US$19m worth of F5 stock directly under their own name, which reveals to us that they have a significant personal stake in the company.

Component	2021	2020	Proportion (2021)
Salary	US$875k	US$875k	8%
Other	US$11m	US$10m	92%
Total Compensation	US$11m	US$11m	100%

Talking in terms of the industry, salary represented approximately 20% of total compensation out of all the companies we analyzed, while other remuneration made up 80% of the pie. It's interesting to note that F5 allocates a smaller portion of compensation to salary in comparison to the broader industry. If non-salary compensation dominates total pay, it's an indicator that the executive's salary is tied to company performance.

F5, Inc.'s Growth

Over the last three years, F5, Inc. has shrunk its earnings per share by 12% per year. Its revenue is up 11% over the last year.

Overall this is not a very positive result for shareholders. While the revenue growth is good to see, it is outweighed by the fact that EPS are down, over three years. These factors suggest that the business performance wouldn't really justify a high pay packet for the CEO. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings..

Has F5, Inc. Been A Good Investment?

With a total shareholder return of 27% over three years, F5, Inc. shareholders would, in general, be reasonably content. But they probably don't want to see the CEO paid more than is normal for companies around the same size.

In Summary...

Despite the positive returns on shareholders' investments, the fact that earnings have failed to grow makes us skeptical about whether these returns will continue. The upcoming AGM will provide shareholders the opportunity to revisit the company’s remuneration policies and evaluate if the board’s judgement and decision-making is aligned with that of the company’s shareholders.

Shareholders may want to check for free if F5 insiders are buying or selling shares.

Switching gears from F5, if you're hunting for a pristine balance sheet and premium returns, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.