US Market News
1月前
NiCE Reports 10% Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth Driven by 14.6% Cloud Revenue Growth in First Quarter 2026May 6, 2026 5:30 AM
Business Wire Q1 2026 AI ARR increased 66% year over year Share repurchases in Q1 2026 of $253 million Company raises full-year 2026 EPS guidance NiCE (NASDAQ: NICE) today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. First Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights* GAAP Non-GAAP Total revenue was $768.6 million and increased 9.8% Total revenue was $768.6 million and increased 9.8% Cloud revenue was $603.4 million and increased 14.6% Cloud revenue was $603.4 million and increased 14.6% Operating income was $126.8 million with operating margin of 16.5% Operating income was $199.7 million with operating margin of 26.0% Diluted EPS was $0.77 Diluted EPS was $2.64 Net cash provided by operating activities was $179.2 million *For all periods presented, there were no adjustments to the GAAP revenue, and thus the non-GAAP revenue is equal to the GAAP revenue presented. “We delivered a solid start to 2026, reflecting disciplined execution and strong momentum across our AI-native CX platform,” said Scott Russell, CEO of NiCE. “In the first quarter, we exceeded the high end of our guidance on both revenue and non-GAAP EPS, and delivered cloud revenue growth of 14.6% year over year. AI remains a powerful growth driver, with AI ARR increasing 66% year over year and included in 100% of our CXone enterprise deals, highlighting the growing adoption of our AI solutions at scale. International markets were another area of strength, with 30% revenue growth as we continue to expand large enterprise deployments globally.” Mr. Russell continued, “Eight months after closing Cognigy, integration is ahead of plan and execution is accelerating. Together, NiCE and Cognigy offer the only fully AI-native CX platform that unifies voice, digital, and agentic AI at enterprise scale, delivering measurable outcomes for customers in production environments. AI is expanding our market opportunity beyond the contact center, and with strong bookings momentum, and increasing partner contribution, we are well positioned to extend our leadership in CX AI and drive sustained growth in 2026 and beyond.” GAAP Financial Highlights for the First Quarter Ended March 31: Revenues:
First quarter 2026 total revenues increased 9.8% year over year to $768.6 million compared to $700.2 million for the first quarter of 2025. Gross Profit:
First quarter 2026 gross profit was $494.8 million compared to $468.1 million for the first quarter of 2025. First quarter 2026 gross margin was 64.4% compared to 66.9% for the first quarter of 2025. Operating Income:
First quarter 2026 operating income was $126.8 million compared to $148.2 million for the first quarter of 2025. First quarter 2026 operating margin was 16.5% compared to 21.2% for the first quarter of 2025. Net Income:
First quarter 2026 net income was $46.8 million compared to $129.3 million for the first quarter of 2025. First quarter 2026 net income margin was 6.1% compared to 18.5% for the first quarter of 2025. Fully Diluted Earnings Per Share:
Fully diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2026 was $0.77 compared to $2.01 in the first quarter of 2025. Cash Flow and Cash Balance:
First quarter 2026 operating cash flow was $179.2 million. In the first quarter of 2026, $253.3 million was used for share repurchases. As of March 31, 2026, total cash and cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $304.1 million, with no outstanding debt. Non-GAAP Financial Highlights for the First Quarter Ended March 31: Revenues:
First quarter 2026 non-GAAP total revenues increased 9.8% year over year to $768.6 million compared to $700.2 million for the first quarter of 2025. Gross Profit:
First quarter 2026 non-GAAP gross profit was $525.5 million compared to $489.2 million for the first quarter of 2025. First quarter 2026 non-GAAP gross margin was 68.4% compared to 69.9% for the first quarter of 2025. Operating Income:
First quarter 2026 non-GAAP operating income was $199.7 million compared to $213.6 million for the first quarter of 2025. First quarter 2026 non-GAAP operating margin was 26.0% compared to 30.5% for the first quarter of 2025. Net Income:
First quarter 2026 non-GAAP net income was $160.1 million compared to $185.0 million for the first quarter of 2025. First quarter 2026 non-GAAP net income margin totaled 20.8% compared to 26.4% for the first quarter of 2025. Fully Diluted Earnings Per Share:
First quarter 2026 non-GAAP fully diluted earnings per share was $2.64 compared to $2.87 for the first quarter of 2025. Second Quarter and Full Year 2026 Guidance: Second-Quarter 2026:
Second-quarter 2026 non-GAAP total revenues are expected to be in a range of $761 million to $771 million, representing 5.5% year over year growth at the midpoint.
Second-quarter 2026 non-GAAP fully diluted earnings per share are expected to be in a range of $2.60 to $2.70. Full-Year 2026:
Full-year 2026 non-GAAP total revenues are reiterated and expected to be in a range of $3,170 million to $3,190 million, representing 8.0% year over year growth at the midpoint.
Full-year 2026 non-GAAP fully diluted earnings per share are now expected to be in a range of $10.98 to $11.18. The above full year 2026 guidance includes the updated expectation of 13%-15% year over year growth in cloud revenue. Quarterly Results Conference Call NiCE management will host its earnings conference call today, May 6, 2026, at 8:30 AM ET, 13:30 GMT, 15:30 Israel, to discuss the results and the company's outlook. A live webcast and replay will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website. To access, please register by clicking here: https://www.nice.com/investor-relations/upcoming-event. Explanation of Non-GAAP measures
Non-GAAP financial measures are included in this press release. Non-GAAP financial measures consist of GAAP financial measures adjusted to exclude share-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, gains on intercompany foreign currency transactions, amortization of deferred financing costs, amortization of discount on debt, the tax effect of the Non-GAAP adjustments, and the tax rate impact resulting from the non-U.S. intercompany transaction. The Company believes that these Non-GAAP financial measures, used in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures, provide investors with useful supplemental information about the ongoing financial performance of our business. Our management regularly uses our supplemental Non-GAAP financial measures internally to understand, manage and evaluate our business and to make financial, strategic and operating decisions. These Non-GAAP measures are among the primary factors management uses in planning for and forecasting future periods. Our Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP measures and should be read only in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. These Non-GAAP financial measures may differ materially from the Non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Reconciliation between results on a GAAP and Non-GAAP basis is provided in a table immediately following the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company provides guidance only on a Non-GAAP basis. A reconciliation of guidance from a GAAP to Non-GAAP basis is not available due to the unpredictability and uncertainty associated with future events that would be reported in GAAP results and would require adjustments between GAAP and Non-GAAP financial measures, including the impact of future possible business acquisitions. Accordingly, a reconciliation of the guidance based on Non-GAAP financial measures to corresponding GAAP financial measures for future periods is not available without unreasonable effort. About NiCE
NiCE (NASDAQ: NICE) is transforming the world with AI that puts people first. Our purpose-built AI-powered platforms automate engagements into proactive, safe, intelligent actions, empowering individuals and organizations to innovate and act, from interaction to resolution. Trusted by organizations throughout 150+ countries worldwide, NiCE’s platforms are widely adopted across industries connecting people, systems, and workflows to work smarter at scale, elevating performance across the organization, delivering proven measurable outcomes. Trademark Note: NiCE and the NiCE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NiCE trademarks, please see: http://www.nice.com/nice-trademarks. Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believe”, “expect”, “seek”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “should”, “project”, “anticipate”, “plan”, and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the Company’s management regarding the future of the Company’s business, performance, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economic environment, and other future conditions. Examples of forward-looking statements include guidance regarding the Company’s revenue and earnings and the growth of our cloud, analytics and artificial intelligence business. Forward looking statements are inherently subject to significant uncertainties, contingencies, and risks, including, economic, competitive and other factors, which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of management. The Company cautions that these statements are not guarantees of future performance, and investors should not place undue reliance on them. There are or will be important known and unknown factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors, include, but are not limited to, risks associated with changes in economic and business conditions, competition, successful execution of the Company’s growth strategy, success and growth of the Company’s cloud Software-as-a-Service business, difficulties in making additional acquisitions or effectively integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel, the Company’s dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners, rapid changes in technology and market requirements, the implementation of AI capabilities in certain products and services; decline in demand for the Company's products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, loss of market share, cyber security attacks or other security incidents, privacy concerns and legislation impacting the Company’s business, changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, the effects of additional tax liabilities resulting from our global operations, the effect of unexpected events or geo-political conditions, including those arising from political instability or armed conflict that may disrupt our business and the global economy, our ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel, the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products, and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). You are encouraged to carefully review the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 20-F and our other filings with the SEC for additional information regarding these and other factors and uncertainties that could affect our future performance. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. ### NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS U.S. dollars in thousands March 31, December 31, 2026 2025 Unaudited Audited ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents $ 257,539 $ 379,388 Short-term investments 46,528 38,010 Trade receivables 767,275 737,954 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 230,404 223,780 Total current assets 1,301,746 1,379,132 LONG-TERM ASSETS: Property and equipment, net 194,095 189,395 Deferred tax assets 178,867 198,213 Other intangible assets, net 551,482 587,599 Operating lease right-of-use assets 75,850 78,064 Goodwill 2,437,484 2,440,532 Prepaid expenses and other long-term assets 243,121 233,095 Total long-term assets 3,680,899 3,726,898 TOTAL ASSETS $ 4,982,645 $ 5,106,030 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES: Trade payables $ 101,917 $ 100,782 Deferred revenues and advances from customers 356,096 303,911 Current maturities of operating leases 13,591 13,742 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 591,244 469,192 Total current liabilities 1,062,848 887,627 LONG-TERM LIABILITIES: Deferred revenues and advances from customers 57,479 61,392 Operating leases 72,485 75,059 Deferred tax liabilities 16,454 109,993 Other long-term liabilities 96,999 95,431 Total long-term liabilities 243,417 341,875 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Nice Ltd's equity 3,676,380 3,876,528 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 4,982,645 $ 5,106,030 NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME U.S. dollars in thousands (except per share amounts) Quarter ended March 31, 2026 2025 Unaudited Unaudited Revenue: Cloud $ 603,365 $ 526,323 Services 123,968 140,203 Product 41,284 33,666 Total revenue 768,617 700,192 Cost of revenue: Cloud 219,410 179,474 Services 48,270 46,243 Product 6,138 6,363 Total cost of revenue 273,818 232,080 Gross profit 494,799 468,112 Operating expenses: Research and development, net 97,476 89,102 Selling and marketing 185,106 161,434 General and administrative 85,467 69,407 Total operating expenses 368,049 319,943 Operating income 126,750 148,169 Financial and other income, net (19,318 ) (15,850 ) Income before tax 146,068 164,019 Taxes on income 99,254 34,729 Net income $ 46,814 $ 129,290 Earnings per share: Basic $ 0.78 $ 2.04 Diluted $ 0.77 $ 2.01 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 59,920 63,354 Diluted 60,603 64,368 NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENTS U.S. dollars in thousands Quarter ended March 31, 2026 2025 Unaudited Unaudited Operating Activities Net income $ 46,814 $ 129,290 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 61,842 43,441 Share-based compensation 35,392 43,337 Amortization of premium and discount and accrued interest on marketable securities (109 ) (2,275 ) Deferred taxes, net (74,061 ) (21,537 ) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Trade Receivables, net (30,141 ) 4,678 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 9,190 28,555 Operating lease right-of-use assets 2,960 5,897 Trade payables 2,291 (53,291 ) Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 96,097 49,518 Deferred revenue 49,426 69,574 Operating lease liabilities (3,443 ) (10,189 ) Amortization of discount on debt - 421 Gains on intercompany foreign currency transactions (17,835 ) - Other 823 (2,348 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 179,246 285,071 Investing Activities Purchase of property and equipment (9,376 ) (3,667 ) Purchase of Investments (15,748 ) (49,454 ) Proceeds from sales of marketable investments 7,192 58,358 Capitalization of internal use software costs (21,080 ) (16,766 ) Payments for business acquisitions, net of cash acquired - (36,466 ) Net cash used in investing activities (39,012 ) (47,995 ) Financing Activities Proceeds from issuance of shares upon exercise of options 57 675 Purchase of treasury shares (253,250 ) (252,329 ) Payment of deferred financing costs (2,470 ) - Net cash used in financing activities (255,663 ) (251,654 ) Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents (2,870 ) 1,147 Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (118,299 ) (13,431 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period $ 382,007 $ 485,032 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 263,708 $ 471,601 Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported in the consolidated balance sheet: Cash and cash equivalents $ 257,539 $ 469,532 Restricted cash included in other current assets $ 6,169 $ 2,069 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statement of cash flows $ 263,708 $ 471,601 NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP RESULTS U.S. dollars in thousands (except per share amounts) Quarter ended March 31, 2026 2025 GAAP revenues $ 768,617 $ 700,192 Non-GAAP revenues $ 768,617 $ 700,192 GAAP cost of revenue $ 273,818 $ 232,080 Amortization of acquired intangible assets on cost of cloud (26,942 ) (15,403 ) Cost of cloud revenue adjustment (1) (2,391 ) (3,178 ) Cost of services revenue adjustment (1) (1,320 ) (2,455 ) Cost of product revenue adjustment (1) (9 ) (22 ) Non-GAAP cost of revenue $ 243,156 $ 211,022 GAAP gross profit $ 494,799 $ 468,112 Gross profit adjustments 30,662 21,058 Non-GAAP gross profit $ 525,461 $ 489,170 GAAP operating expenses $ 368,049 $ 319,943 Research and development (1) (3,282 ) (4,693 ) Sales and marketing (1) (10,288 ) (15,414 ) General and administrative (1,2) (19,585 ) (19,558 ) Amortization of acquired intangible assets (9,155 ) (4,693 ) Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 325,739 $ 275,585 GAAP financial and other income, net $ (19,318 ) $ (15,850 ) Amortization of discount on debt - (421 ) Amortization of deferred financing costs (128 ) - Gains on intercompany foreign currency transactions 17,835 - Non-GAAP financial and other income, net $ (1,611 ) $ (16,271 ) GAAP taxes on income $ 99,254 $ 34,729 Tax adjustments re non-GAAP adjustments (57,981 ) 10,093 Non-GAAP taxes on income $ 41,273 $ 44,822 GAAP net income $ 46,814 $ 129,290 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 36,097 20,096 Share-based compensation (1) 36,875 44,925 Acquisition related expenses (2) - 395 Amortization of discount on debt - 421 Amortization of deferred financing costs 128 - Gains on intercompany foreign currency transactions (17,835 ) - Tax adjustments re non-GAAP adjustments 57,981 (10,093 ) Non-GAAP net income $ 160,060 $ 185,034 GAAP diluted earnings per share $ 0.77 $ 2.01 Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share $ 2.64 $ 2.87 Shares used in computing GAAP diluted earnings per share 60,603 64,368 Shares used in computing non-GAAP diluted earnings per share 60,603 64,368 NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP RESULTS (continued) U.S. dollars in thousands (1) Share-based compensation Quarter ended March 31, 2026 2025 Cost of cloud revenue $ 2,391 $ 3,178 Cost of services revenue 1,320 2,455 Cost of product revenue 9 22 Research and development 3,282 4,693 Sales and marketing 10,288 15,414 General and administrative 19,585 19,163 $ 36,875 $ 44,925 (2) Acquisition related expenses Quarter ended March 31, 2026 2025 Cost of cloud revenue $ - $ - Research and development - - Sales and marketing - - General and administrative - 395 $ - $ 395 NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME TO NON-GAAP EBITDA U.S. dollars in thousands Quarter ended March 31, 2026 2025 Unaudited Unaudited GAAP net income $ 46,814 $ 129,290 Non-GAAP adjustments: Depreciation and amortization 61,842 43,441 Share-based compensation 35,392 43,337 Financial and other income, net (19,318 ) (15,850 ) Acquisition related expenses - 395 Taxes on income 99,254 34,729 Non-GAAP EBITDA $ 223,984 $ 235,342 NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION - FREE CASH FLOW FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS U.S. dollars in thousands Quarter ended March 31, 2026 2025 Unaudited Unaudited Net cash provided by operating activities $ 179,246 $ 285,071 Purchase of property and equipment (9,376 ) (3,667 ) Capitalization of internal use software costs (21,080 ) (16,766 ) Free Cash Flow (a) $ 148,790 $ 264,638 (a) Free cash flow from continuing operations is defined as operating cash flows from continuing operations less capital expenditures of the continuing operations and less capitalization of internal use software costs. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260506659399/en/ Investor Relations Contact
Ryan Gilligan, +1-551-417-2531,
US Market News
4月前
NiCE Reports 14% Year-Over-Year Cloud Revenue Growth for Fourth Quarter and 13% Growth for Full Year 2025February 19, 2026 5:30 AM
Business Wire
Company expects 14.5%-15.0% year over year cloud revenue growth for full year 2026
Year-end ’25 cloud backlog growth accelerates to 25% year over year
Q4 2025 AI ARR increased 66% year over year
Company announces new $600 million share repurchase program
NiCE (NASDAQ: NICE) today announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the corresponding periods of the previous year.
Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights
GAAP
Non-GAAP
Total revenue was $786.5 million and increased 9%
Total revenue was $786.5 million and increased 9%
Cloud revenue was $608.3 million and increased 14%
Cloud revenue was $608.3 million and increased 14%
Operating income was $176.2 million and increased 14%
Operating income was $243.8 million and increased 7%
Operating margin was 22.4% compared to 21.4% last year
Operating margin was 31.0% compared to 31.5% last year
Diluted EPS was $2.41 and increased 57%
Diluted EPS was $3.24 and increased 7%
Net cash provided by operating activities was $179.7 million
Full Year 2025 Financial Highlights
GAAP
Non-GAAP
Total revenue was $2,945.4 million and increased 8%
Total revenue was $2,945.4 million and increased 8%
Cloud revenue was $2,238.4 million and increased 13%
Cloud revenue was $2,238.4 million and increased 13%
Operating income was $645.8 million and increased 18%
Operating income was $907.9 million and increased 7%
Operating margin was 21.9% compared to 20.0% last year
Operating margin was 30.8% compared to 31.1% last year
Diluted EPS was $9.67 and increased 43%
Diluted EPS was $12.30 and increased 11%
Net cash provided by operating activities was $716.5 million
“We’re pleased to report a strong fourth quarter and close to a transformative year for NiCE, reflecting disciplined execution and accelerating AI momentum,” said Scott Russell, CEO of NiCE. “For the full year, we delivered total revenue growth of 8% and cloud revenue growth of 13%, both at the high end of our guidance. Our strong cloud revenue growth was driven by continued momentum in our AI offerings, growing traction in the large enterprise segment, and robust performance across international markets. In the fourth quarter 2025, AI ARR increased 66% year over year to $328 million, and AI was included in 100% of our new seven-figure CXone deals for the full year 2025, underscoring strong enterprise demand for our AI-native platform.”
Mr. Russell continued, “As we enter 2026, we are building on this strength with strong bookings momentum, expanding backlog, and accelerating international growth. Together with Cognigy, NiCE is the only provider offering a fully AI-native CX platform that unifies voice, digital, and agentic AI at enterprise scale. AI is expanding our market opportunity beyond the contact center, and we are moving with speed and focus to capitalize on this generational shift — positioning NiCE to extend our market leadership in CX AI and accelerate cloud growth in 2026 and beyond.”
GAAP Financial Highlights for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year Ended December 31:
Revenues:
Fourth quarter 2025 total revenues increased 9% year over year to $786.5 million compared to $721.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 total revenues increased 8% to $2,945.4 million compared to $2,735.3 million for the full year 2024.
Gross Profit:
Fourth quarter 2025 gross profit was $513.9 million compared to $489.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Fourth quarter 2025 gross margin was 65.3% compared to 67.8% for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 gross profit was $1,956.1 million compared to $1,825.7 million for the full year 2024. Full year 2025 gross margin was 66.4% compared to 66.7% for the full year 2024.
Operating Income:
Fourth quarter 2025 operating income increased 14% to $176.2 million compared to $154.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Fourth quarter 2025 operating margin was 22.4% compared to 21.4% for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 operating income was $645.8 million compared to $546.0 million for the full year 2024. Full year 2025 operating margin was 21.9% compared to 20.0% for the full year 2024.
Net Income:
Fourth quarter 2025 net income increased 51% to $150.6 million compared to $99.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Fourth quarter 2025 net income margin was 19.1% compared to 13.8% for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 net income was $612.1 million compared to $442.6 million for the full year 2024. Full year 2025 net income margin was 20.8% compared to 16.2% for the full year 2024.
Fully Diluted Earnings Per Share:
Fully diluted earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2025 increased 57% to $2.41 compared to $1.54 in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Fully diluted earnings per share for the full year 2025 increased 43% to $9.67 compared to $6.76 for the full year 2024.
Cash Flow and Cash Balance:
Fourth quarter 2025 operating cash flow was $179.7 million and full year 2025 operating cash flow was $716.5 million.
In the fourth quarter 2025, $165.2 million was used for share repurchases and for the full year 2025, $488.9 million were used for share repurchases.
As of December 31, 2025, total cash and cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $417.4 million, with no outstanding debt.
Non-GAAP Financial Highlights for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year Ended December 31:
Revenues:
Fourth quarter 2025 non-GAAP total revenues increased 9% year over year to $786.5 million compared to $721.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 non-GAAP total revenues increased 8% to $2,945.4 million compared to $2,735.3 million for the full year 2024.
Gross Profit:
Fourth quarter 2025 non-GAAP gross profit was $544.9 million compared to $515.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Fourth quarter 2025 non-GAAP gross margin was 69.3% compared to 71.4% for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 gross profit was $2,049.5 million compared to $1,942.7 million for the full year 2024. Full year 2025 non-GAAP gross margin was 69.6% compared to 71.0% for the full year 2024.
Operating Income:
Fourth quarter 2025 non-GAAP operating income was $243.8 million compared to $227.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Fourth quarter 2025 non-GAAP operating margin was 31.0% compared to 31.5% for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 non-GAAP operating income was $907.9 million compared to $849.6 million for the full year 2024. Full year 2025 non-GAAP operating margin was 30.8% compared to 31.1% for the full year 2024.
Net Income:
Fourth quarter 2025 non-GAAP net income was $202.7 million compared to $195.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Fourth quarter 2025 non-GAAP net income margin totaled 25.8% compared to 27.1% for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 non-GAAP net income was $778.8 million compared to $728.4 million for the full year 2024. Full year 2025 non-GAAP net income margin was 26.4% compared to 26.6% for the full year 2024.
Fully Diluted Earnings Per Share:
Fourth quarter 2025 non-GAAP fully diluted earnings per share was $3.24 compared to $3.02 for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Full year 2025 non-GAAP fully diluted earnings per share was $12.30 compared to $11.12 for the full year 2024.
Balance Sheet and Capital Return Update:
On February 18, 2026, NiCE entered into a secured Credit Agreement with certain lenders and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent. The Credit Agreement provides for a $300 million revolving credit facility, and is subject to customary closing conditions. Unless terminated earlier, the commitments under the revolving credit facility will expire on February 17, 2029. The facility provides additional liquidity and optionality while maintaining a strong balance sheet.
On February 18, 2026, NiCE’s Board of Directors authorized a new $600 million share repurchase program. The execution of this program is subject to the issuance of the Company’s audited annual financial report for the year 2025. This authorization reflects the company’s conviction in its long-term growth opportunity and durability of its cash flow generation. Following this authorization, NiCE currently has approximately $1 billion of total remaining share repurchase capacity (including previously authorized share repurchased programs which were not fully exhausted).
The new share repurchase program has an indefinite term. Share repurchases under the program will be made from time to time in open market purchases, private transactions, or other transactions as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements. The timing and amounts of any purchases will be based on market conditions and other factors including but not limited to price, regulatory requirements, and capital availability. The program does not require the purchase of any minimum dollar amount or number of shares, and the program may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time without further notice.
First Quarter and Full Year 2026 Guidance:
First-Quarter 2026:
First-quarter 2026 non-GAAP total revenues are expected to be in a range of $755 million to $765 million, representing 8.5% year over year growth at the midpoint.
First-quarter 2026 non-GAAP fully diluted earnings per share are expected to be in a range of $2.45 to $2.55.
Full-Year 2026:
Full-year 2026 non-GAAP total revenues are expected to be in a range of $3,170 million to $3,190 million, representing 8.0% year over year growth at the midpoint.
Full-year 2026 non-GAAP fully diluted earnings per share are expected to be in a range of $10.85 to $11.05.
The above full year 2026 guidance includes the expectation of 14.5%-15.0% year over year growth in cloud revenue.
Quarterly Results Conference Call
NiCE management will host its earnings conference call today, February 19, 2026, at 8:30 AM ET, 13:30 GMT, 15:30 Israel, to discuss the results and the company's outlook. A live webcast and replay will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website. To access, please register by clicking here: https://www.nice.com/investor-relations/upcoming-event.
Explanation of Non-GAAP measures
Non-GAAP financial measures are included in this press release. Non-GAAP financial measures consist of GAAP financial measures adjusted to exclude share-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, amortization of discount on debt and the tax effect of the Non-GAAP adjustments.
The Company believes that these Non-GAAP financial measures, used in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures, provide investors with useful supplemental information about the ongoing financial performance of our business. Our management regularly uses our supplemental Non-GAAP financial measures internally to understand, manage and evaluate our business and to make financial, strategic and operating decisions. These Non-GAAP measures are among the primary factors management uses in planning for and forecasting future periods. Our Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP measures and should be read only in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. These Non-GAAP financial measures may differ materially from the Non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Reconciliation between results on a GAAP and Non-GAAP basis is provided in a table immediately following the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company provides guidance only on a Non-GAAP basis. A reconciliation of guidance from a GAAP to Non-GAAP basis is not available due to the unpredictability and uncertainty associated with future events that would be reported in GAAP results and would require adjustments between GAAP and Non-GAAP financial measures, including the impact of future possible business acquisitions. Accordingly, a reconciliation of the guidance based on Non-GAAP financial measures to corresponding GAAP financial measures for future periods is not available without unreasonable effort.
About NiCE
NiCE (NASDAQ: NICE) is transforming the world with AI that puts people first. Our purpose-built AI-powered platforms automate engagements into proactive, safe, intelligent actions, empowering individuals and organizations to innovate and act, from interaction to resolution. Trusted by organizations throughout 150+ countries worldwide, NiCE’s platforms are widely adopted across industries connecting people, systems, and workflows to work smarter at scale, elevating performance across the organization, delivering proven measurable outcomes.
Trademark Note: NiCE and the NiCE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NiCE trademarks, please see: http://www.nice.com/nice-trademarks.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believe”, “expect”, “seek”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “should”, “project”, “anticipate”, “plan”, and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the Company’s management regarding the future of the Company’s business, performance, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economic environment, and other future conditions. Examples of forward-looking statements include guidance regarding the Company’s revenue and earnings and the growth of our cloud, analytics and artificial intelligence business.
Forward looking statements are inherently subject to significant uncertainties, contingencies, and risks, including, economic, competitive and other factors, which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of management. The Company cautions that these statements are not guarantees of future performance, and investors should not place undue reliance on them. There are or will be important known and unknown factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors, include, but are not limited to, risks associated with changes in economic and business conditions, competition, successful execution of the Company’s growth strategy, success and growth of the Company’s cloud Software-as-a-Service business, difficulties in making additional acquisitions or effectively integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel, the Company’s dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners, rapid changes in technology and market requirements, the implementation of AI capabilities in certain products and services; decline in demand for the Company's products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, loss of market share, cyber security attacks or other security incidents, privacy concerns and legislation impacting the Company’s business, changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates, the effects of additional tax liabilities resulting from our global operations, the effect of unexpected events or geo-political conditions, including those arising from political instability or armed conflict that may disrupt our business and the global economy, our ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel, the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products, and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
You are encouraged to carefully review the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our latest Annual Report on Form 20-F and our other filings with the SEC for additional information regarding these and other factors and uncertainties that could affect our future performance. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
###
NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
U.S. dollars in thousands
December 31,
December 31,
2025
2024
Unaudited
Audited
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
379,388
$
481,712
Short-term investments
38,010
1,139,996
Trade receivables
737,954
643,985
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
223,780
239,080
Total current assets
1,379,132
2,504,773
LONG-TERM ASSETS:
Property and equipment, net
189,395
185,292
Deferred tax assets
198,213
219,232
Other intangible assets, net
587,599
231,346
Operating lease right-of-use assets
78,064
93,083
Goodwill
2,440,532
1,849,668
Prepaid expenses and other long-term assets
233,095
212,512
Total long-term assets
3,726,898
2,791,133
TOTAL ASSETS
$
5,106,030
$
5,295,906
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Trade payables
$
100,782
$
110,603
Deferred revenues and advances from customers
303,911
299,367
Current maturities of operating leases
13,742
12,554
Debt
-
458,791
Accrued expenses and other liabilities
469,192
593,109
Total current liabilities
887,627
1,474,424
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Deferred revenues and advances from customers
61,392
66,289
Operating leases
75,059
92,258
Deferred tax liabilities
109,993
1,965
Other long-term liabilities
95,431
57,807
Total long-term liabilities
341,875
218,319
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Nice Ltd's equity
3,876,528
3,589,742
Non-controlling interests
-
13,421
Total shareholders' equity
3,876,528
3,603,163
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
$
5,106,030
$
5,295,906
NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
U.S. dollars in thousands (except per share amounts)
Quarter ended
Year to date
December 31,
December 31,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Unaudited
Audited
Unaudited
Audited
Revenue:
Cloud
$
608,334
$
533,947
$
2,238,421
$
1,984,160
Services
140,600
149,650
559,989
596,031
Product
37,562
38,003
146,989
155,081
Total revenue
786,496
721,600
2,945,399
2,735,272
Cost of revenue:
Cloud
215,370
180,110
770,476
699,713
Services
52,219
47,009
193,934
184,410
Product
5,054
5,267
24,844
25,401
Total cost of revenue
272,643
232,386
989,254
909,524
Gross profit
513,853
489,214
1,956,145
1,825,748
Operating expenses:
Research and development, net
91,123
94,753
360,450
360,607
Selling and marketing
168,035
176,813
661,132
642,251
General and administrative
78,472
63,336
288,805
276,936
Total operating expenses
337,630
334,902
1,310,387
1,279,794
Operating income
176,223
154,312
645,758
545,954
Financial and other income, net
(6,453
)
(16,938
)
(58,259
)
(58,872
)
Income before tax
182,676
171,250
704,017
604,826
Taxes on income
32,122
71,741
91,916
162,238
Net income
$
150,554
$
99,509
$
612,101
$
442,588
Earnings per share:
Basic
$
2.44
$
1.56
$
9.82
$
6.97
Diluted
$
2.41
$
1.54
$
9.67
$
6.76
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic
61,802
63,720
62,333
63,483
Diluted
62,576
64,802
63,323
65,506
NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENTS
U.S. dollars in thousands
Quarter ended
Year to date
December 31,
December 31,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Unaudited
Audited
Unaudited
Audited
Operating Activities
Net income
$
150,554
$
99,509
$
612,101
$
442,588
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
62,073
48,776
199,044
205,020
Share-based compensation
29,565
48,185
146,046
182,067
Amortization of premium and discount and accrued interest on marketable securities
(66
)
(3,135
)
1,468
(9,861
)
Deferred taxes, net
19,792
(1,312
)
10,495
(40,261
)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade Receivables, net
(23,107
)
(20,993
)
(75,792
)
(61,025
)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
7,354
(2,625
)
40,744
25,040
Operating lease right-of-use assets
3,226
3,025
14,361
12,951
Trade payables
4,687
39,319
(15,124
)
43,965
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
(30,393
)
63,507
(175,149
)
41,952
Deferred revenue
(41,882
)
(19,138
)
(22,833
)
3,049
Realized gain on marketable securities, net
-
-
(4,463
)
-
Operating lease liabilities
(2,731
)
(2,767
)
(16,309
)
(13,291
)
Amortization of discount on debt
-
430
1,210
1,834
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
-
(3,054
)
-
(3,054
)
Other
584
(205
)
750
1,667
Net cash provided by operating activities
179,656
249,522
716,549
832,641
Investing Activities
Purchase of property and equipment
(3,416
)
(7,567
)
(18,920
)
(34,962
)
Purchase of Investments
(4,228
)
(362,822
)
(93,272
)
(938,154
)
Proceeds from sales of marketable investments
792
-
1,002,100
512,556
Proceeds from maturities of marketable investments
3,374
77,086
200,972
192,776
Capitalization of internal use software costs
(20,262
)
(16,819
)
(74,828
)
(64,805
)
Payments for business acquisitions, net of cash acquired
(29,509
)
(20,309
)
(856,092
)
(64,816
)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
(53,249
)
(330,431
)
159,960
(397,405
)
Financing Activities
Proceeds from issuance of shares upon exercise of options
86
723
1,109
3,063
Purchase of treasury shares
(165,192
)
(95,156
)
(488,911
)
(369,196
)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interest
-
(355
)
-
(3,036
)
Purchase of subsidiaries shares from non-controlling interest
-
-
(36,466
)
-
Repayment of debt
-
-
(460,000
)
(87,435
)
Net cash used in financing activities
(165,106
)
(94,788
)
(984,268
)
(456,604
)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents
535
(8,174
)
4,734
(6,914
)
Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
(38,164
)
(183,871
)
(103,025
)
(28,282
)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period
$
420,171
$
668,903
$
485,032
$
513,314
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period
$
382,007
$
485,032
$
382,007
$
485,032
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported in the consolidated balance sheet:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
379,388
$
481,712
$
379,388
$
481,712
Restricted cash included in other current assets
$
2,619
$
3,320
$
2,619
$
3,320
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statement of cash flows
$
382,007
$
485,032
$
382,007
$
485,032
NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP RESULTS
U.S. dollars in thousands (except per share amounts)
Quarter ended
Year to date
December 31,
December 31,
2025
2024
2025
2024
GAAP revenues
$
786,496
$
721,600
$
2,945,399
$
2,735,272
Non-GAAP revenues
$
786,496
$
721,600
$
2,945,399
$
2,735,272
GAAP cost of revenue
$
272,643
$
232,386
$
989,254
$
909,524
Amortization of acquired intangible assets on cost of cloud
(27,151
)
(19,592
)
(72,933
)
(93,370
)
Amortization of acquired intangible assets on cost of product
-
-
-
(410
)
Cost of cloud revenue adjustment (1,2)
(2,211
)
(3,520
)
(11,592
)
(12,549
)
Cost of services revenue adjustment (1)
(1,725
)
(2,966
)
(8,852
)
(10,472
)
Cost of product revenue adjustment (1)
58
(18
)
(7
)
(108
)
Non-GAAP cost of revenue
$
241,614
$
206,290
$
895,870
$
792,615
GAAP gross profit
$
513,853
$
489,214
$
1,956,145
$
1,825,748
Gross profit adjustments
31,029
26,096
93,384
116,909
Non-GAAP gross profit
$
544,882
$
515,310
$
2,049,529
$
1,942,657
GAAP operating expenses
$
337,630
$
334,902
$
1,310,387
$
1,279,794
Research and development (1,2)
(3,879
)
(6,461
)
(16,512
)
(28,822
)
Sales and marketing (1,2)
(8,610
)
(15,565
)
(50,739
)
(57,891
)
General and administrative (1,2)
(14,771
)
(21,628
)
(73,722
)
(81,042
)
Amortization of acquired intangible assets
(9,293
)
(6,263
)
(27,801
)
(22,087
)
Valuation adjustment on acquired deferred commission
-
-
-
24
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
3,054
-
3,054
Non-GAAP operating expenses
$
301,077
$
288,039
$
1,141,613
$
1,093,030
GAAP financial and other income, net
$
(6,453
)
$
(16,938
)
$
(58,259
)
$
(58,872
)
Amortization of discount on debt
-
(430
)
(1,210
)
(1,834
)
Realized gain on marketable securities, net
-
-
4,463
(115
)
Non-GAAP financial and other income, net
$
(6,453
)
$
(17,368
)
$
(55,006
)
$
(60,821
)
GAAP taxes on income
$
32,122
$
71,741
$
91,916
$
162,238
Tax adjustments re non-GAAP adjustments
15,429
(22,878
)
92,192
19,787
Non-GAAP taxes on income
$
47,551
$
48,863
$
184,108
$
182,025
GAAP net income
$
150,554
$
99,509
$
612,101
$
442,588
Amortization of acquired intangible assets
36,444
25,855
100,734
115,867
Valuation adjustment on acquired deferred commission
-
-
-
(24
)
Share-based compensation (1)
31,138
49,720
152,358
187,717
Acquisition related expenses (2)
-
438
9,066
3,167
Amortization of discount on debt
-
430
1,210
1,834
Realized gain on marketable securities, net
-
-
(4,463
)
-
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
-
(3,054
)
-
(2,939
)
Tax adjustments re non-GAAP adjustments
(15,429
)
22,878
(92,192
)
(19,787
)
Non-GAAP net income
$
202,707
$
195,776
$
778,814
$
728,423
GAAP diluted earnings per share
$
2.41
$
1.54
$
9.67
$
6.76
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share
$
3.24
$
3.02
$
12.30
$
11.12
Shares used in computing GAAP diluted earnings per share
62,576
64,802
63,323
65,506
Shares used in computing non-GAAP diluted earnings per share
62,576
64,802
63,323
65,506
NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP RESULTS (continued)
U.S. dollars in thousands
(1
)
Share-based compensation
Quarter ended
Year to date
December 31,
December 31,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Cost of cloud revenue
$
2,211
$
3,520
$
11,592
$
12,487
Cost of services revenue
1,725
2,966
8,852
10,472
Cost of product revenue
(58
)
18
7
108
Research and development
3,879
6,461
16,512
28,492
Sales and marketing
8,610
15,554
50,729
57,230
General and administrative
14,771
21,201
64,666
78,928
$
31,138
$
49,720
$
152,358
$
187,717
(2
)
Acquisition related expenses
Quarter ended
Year to date
December 31,
December 31,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Cost of cloud revenue
$
-
$
-
$
-
$
62
Research and development
-
-
-
330
Sales and marketing
-
11
10
661
General and administrative
-
427
9,056
2,114
$
-
$
438
$
9,066
$
3,167
NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME TO NON-GAAP EBITDA
U.S. dollars in thousands
Quarter ended
Year to date
December 31,
December 31,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Unaudited
Audited
Unaudited
Audited
GAAP net income
$
150,554
$
99,509
$
612,101
$
442,588
Non-GAAP adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization
62,073
48,776
199,044
205,020
Share-based compensation
29,565
48,185
146,046
182,067
Financial and other income, net
(6,453
)
(16,938
)
(58,259
)
(58,872
)
Acquisition related expenses
-
438
9,066
3,167
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
-
(3,054
)
-
(3,054
)
Valuation adjustment on acquired deferred commission
-
-
-
(24
)
Taxes on income
32,122
71,741
91,916
162,238
Non-GAAP EBITDA
$
267,861
$
248,657
$
999,914
$
933,130
NICE LTD. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NON-GAAP RECONCILIATION - FREE CASH FLOW FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS
U.S. dollars in thousands
Quarter ended
Year to date
December 31,
December 31,
2025
2024
2025
2024
Unaudited
Audited
Unaudited
Audited
Net cash provided by operating activities
$
179,656
$
249,522
$
716,549
$
832,641
Purchase of property and equipment
(3,416
)
(7,567
)
(18,920
)
(34,962
)
Capitalization of internal use software costs
(20,262
)
(16,819
)
(74,828
)
(64,805
)
Free Cash Flow (a)
$
155,978
$
225,136
$
622,801
$
732,874
(a) Free cash flow from continuing operations is defined as operating cash flows from continuing operations less capital expenditures of the continuing operations and less capitalization of internal use software costs.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260219874240/en/
Investor Relations Contact
Ryan Gilligan, +1-551-417-2531, ir@nice.com, ET
Omri Arens, +972 3 763-0127, ir@nice.com, CET
Corporate Media Contact
Christopher Irwin-Dudek, +1 201 561 4442, media@nice.com, ET
Original: NiCE Reports 14% Year-Over-Year Cloud Revenue Growth for Fourth Quarter and 13% Growth for Full Year 2025
midastouch017
20年前
NICE Systems' record year
CEO Haim Shani on restoring market confidence and possible future acquisitions.
Gitit Pincas 17 Apr 06 13:18
Let us go back a few years to January 2001, when Applied Materials Israel general manager Haim Shani was appointed CEO of NICE Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: NICE; TASE: NICE), which was in deep crisis. NICE had a glorious past, a dark present and a clouded future.
“Whether by chance or not, this was the third time in my career that I took up a post with problems,” said Shani at the time. “I was given a clear picture of the problems at the company, and I believe that NICE must, and can, recover from its problems. The company has great potential, and its market position will help it grow.”
On a different occasion, Shani said that NICE had the means to stand on its feet and recover lost market share.
“Globes”: Did you really believe those things at the time? The situation was discouraging, and there were few optimists.
Shani: “Of course I believed them. We’re not an ad agency. I meant what I said. My optimism at the time was based on my knowledge of NICE’s markets, its standing and the need for its products. We had thousands of customers then, and our entire management team, myself included, met them to try to figure out where the market was headed. That was a Sisyphean task. All of NICE’s success was due to the wisdom, know-how and experience of the company’s people. For example, our NICE Perform product, launched in 2004, was initiated three years earlier at those rounds of talks with customers. NICE Perform underwent lengthy development that cost tens of millions of dollars and a long time to reach market, but look at the results. That’s why you need a lot of vision in this business.
“It’s hard for me to say precisely what we did to succeed, but it was definitely connected to the fact that the entire management team was focused on the company’s business. We built a fairly new management with experience in different fields, and we focused on operational matters and processes. In this matter, we were helped by a consultancy firm with which we formulated a long-term multi-year plan that brought us to this point. The plan was fulfilled successfully and completely. We recently prepared a new multi-year plan using the same format, and we hope that it, too, will be implemented.”
So, now you can sit back and relax?
“You never relax for a moment in high tech. We keep a constant finger on the pulse, especially as a company that wants to continue to grow. There’s not a moment of rest.”
“No miracles here”
NICE specializes in multimedia recording and quality management. The company’s solutions are used to record conversations, monitor and secure trading rooms, casinos and airports, and for other security purposes. The company’s market cap is $1.1 billion.
Before Shani was appointed CEO, NICE underwent a number of embarrassing incidents. They began with a severe profit warning in late 2000, a few weeks after then-chairman and CEO Benny Levin told shareholders that the company would see growth, belying rumors to the contrary. This was the company’s second profit warning in two years, and came in the wake of a restatement of its results for 2000 caused by incorrect reporting of revenue. The warning also followed Levin’s resignation as chairman. Above all, the profit warning created a crisis of confidence by the capital market. The rumors that preceded the profit warning slashed the company’s share price within a few days, and it continued to slide thereafter.
How do you restore capital market confidence? “There are no miracles here,” says Shani. “NICE CFO Ran Oz simply did a lot of legwork. I sometimes joined him to speak with investors and analysts, explaining our strategy, and providing guidance, which we eventually met. It was nothing glamorous. Ran would get on a plane, get off, make another connection, meet investment institutions and analysts, and return. It was a lot of hard work.”
Oz says, “After a while, we had more serious talks with American and other investment institutions. Some of them could name every company in our sectors, but didn’t know NICE, even though we were number one in some of these sectors. We had no such problems on our last road show. I think that investors now know that we’re a transparent company; we’re in contact with them, and we’re building trust. We can report the results we predicted, quarter after quarter. We draw them a picture, and while not everyone will ultimately invest in the company, that’s OK; we’re satisfied with less than everyone.”
It’s impossible to talk about NICE’s recovery period without mentioning the takeover attempts. Then, as now, NICE has a lot of cash, and its shares a held by a great many investment institutions, very few of whom are parties at interest. Only six months after Shani’s appointment, Polar Investments Ltd. (TASE: PLR) (then Poalim Investments) and Koor Industries Ltd. (NYSE: KOR; TASE: KOR) tried to take over the company, and Koor became a party at interest in it. There was a lot of criticism, the takeover difficult, and was ultimately dropped. Even now, Shani doesn’t want to talk about takeovers. “It’s not a subject we deal with. Naturally, it’s more relevant during hard times, and so long as we’re successful, we’re not bothered by the matter. In any case, let’s move on.”
NICE’s growth, rising profitability, and jump in market cap are all noteworthy, especially when one remembers that the company was once up to its neck in the mire. The company predicts $367-375 million revenue for 2006, and pro-forma earning per share of $1.90-2 ($41.1-43.3 million). Revenue has grown by an average of 48% a year in 2001-05, and the share price has climbed 260% since the profit warning of February 2001. In other words, anyone who believed in NICE in 2001 has done very well.
Future growth engines
Shani’s carrier includes stints at Orbotech Ltd. (Nasdaq: ORBK) and Applied Materials Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT). He says he sees parallels with NICE. “Both Applied Materials and Orbotech are global companies, although Orbotech is a fraction of the size of Applied Materials. They both focus on combining technology with marketing, they both try to be number one, and lead in investment in technology. There’s a reason why they’ve been industry leaders for years. I learned from Applied Materials president emeritus Dan Maydan and Orbotech CEO Yochai Richter how to focus on markets, products and auditing, and apply the lessons at NICE.”
2005 was a record year for NICE, and 2006 promises to be better. As noted above, the company predicts $41.1-43.3 million on $367-375 million revenue for the year. What’s next? What will drive the company’s subsequent growth?
“We have a number of growth engines,” says Shani. “The first is enterprises’ need to meet new regulations. The cost of an error in this area is high.”
Shani is referring to the 2003 US national Do Not Call Registry, under which consumers can register to avoid telemarketers and pollsters. A company that calls a person in the registry will be fined. Companies use recordings of these calls to protect themselves from lawsuits, and companies have complete records of all outgoing calls.
“Our second growth engine is the VoIP revolution,” says Shani. “Anyone who lives on a budget who has Skype, for example, knows how important it is for making calls. This opens a new direction for us for recording calls not only at central branches, but also by agents and smaller branches.”
Shani says insurance companies and banks will record calls made from headquarters, but not those made by agents or from various branches, because of the high cost. The cost of recording and storing VoIP calls, even calls between branches, while managing them centrally, is not high.
Shani says a third growth engine is the trend towards outsourcing, especially to India and the Philippines. “Regardless of politics, and whether this is a good thing or not, it’s an additional business. Many companies set up English-speaking customer support teams in these countries. It is vital that these calls are monitored and supervised and that the call centers meet the standards the companies apply in the West. We help them do this.”
A fourth growth engine in security. Municipalities and national governments want to better protect citizens against terrorism and crime in general in city centers.
Without sounding cold, you expected more from the security market in the wake of 9/11.
“True, but with reservations. We didn’t expect that all security systems would utterly change. If someone thought so, it was a pipe dream. On the other hand, there’s the challenge of civil defense. The process is happening, we weren’t wrong about that, but the pace is slower; there’s no quick fix. We didn’t think there’d be a magic solution.
“I remember that after 9/11, at a security conference in Las Vegas, I met executives of a then-popular company that was developing facial identification software. There were stories on CNN at the time that if Bin Laden were to ride the subway, these products would identify him. I watched the company’s demo, and later worked on image processing for quite a few years at Orbotech and Applied Materials, and thought to myself that it had no chance of becoming significant. I thought toys [using the technology] might be sold here and there, but nothing on a large scale. Nevertheless, the company’s share soared at the time, and the hype was huge.
“In 2001, when were about a third of what we are now, we decided to focus on security, among other things, and on video. That’s starting now. A contract like the one we signed with the Baltimore municipality didn’t happen the day after 9/11, but last year. This might be bad news, but the good news is that it happened.”
NICE’s main competitors in the civilian market are Verint Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: VRNT), Witness Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:WITS) and General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) following the latter’s acquisition of Dallmeier Electronics GmbH. In the security and emergency services sector, NICE”s main competitors are Verint, Mercom Systems and ASC Telecom.
When asked about Verint, Shani replies, “It’s an important player, and I don’t want to insult them, but there are others.”
Israel’s Verint, with a market cap of $1.1 billion, is an old-time competitor of NICE, and there have been plenty of rumors about a merger between the two.
How much overlap is there between NICE and Verint?
“We divide the market differently, so I can’t be sure where we overlap today, but it’s certainly not 100% as is sometimes thought.”
Would it be correct to estimate the overlap at 30%?
“I really don’t know, and I don’t think about it.”
”Acquisitions as strategy”
One of the truly astonishing things about NICE”s balance sheet is its $411.6 million in cash, an immense amount that allows the company to make more acquisitions. In late 2005, NICE raise $200.1 million, and it was believed at the time that the money would be used to acquire a specific company, but that the matter was subsequently dropped.
“I don’t know who thought that,” says Shani, “but part of our growth to date has been through acquisitions, and we’ll make more. Future acquisitions will be in the same format as our acquisitions of Thales Contact Solutions (TCS), Fast Video Security, and Dictaphone’s Communications Recording Systems (CRS) business. In other words, acquisitions in both the civilian and security sectors will be on the basis of customers, technology, or distributors. We’re constantly accumulating experience, and the more we do, the more we learn and the better we get.”
Shani says acquisitions, including specific inputs, are part of the company’s plan. “This isn’t something opportunistic because I met someone during a flight. It’s part of our strategy. TCS, for example, was a company whose name appeared in our business plan as a possible acquisition target. The same is true for most of the companies we’ve acquired in recent years. It just didn’t suddenly pop up.”
What’s your vision?
“To be a market leader through solutions for the capture, management and analysis of raw multimedia data in every medium: radio, telephone and VoIP, and to improve enterprises and governments’ business performance to better protect people. We have substantial growth potential in all our areas of business. The fact that neither you nor I have an immediate interaction when we call a customer service center, and dissatisfaction is often measured in time, shows that our vision is rich enough and will fill our activities with content for a long time to come. It will enable the company to achieve growth, profitability, and a higher market cap.”
NICE will publish its financial report for the first quarter of 2006 on May 10.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on April 17, 2006
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