LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (RAMP) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Access earnings results, analyst expectations, report, slides, earnings call, and transcript.
Overview
The earnings call indicates a positive sentiment with several growth catalysts. The company has raised its full-year outlook due to recent sales momentum and confidence in higher revenue growth in the second half. Partnerships with major companies and new pricing models are expected to drive further growth. The Q&A section revealed management's confidence in their strategies, despite some uncertainties. The market cap suggests a moderate reaction, leading to a positive prediction of 2% to 8% stock price increase over the next two weeks.
Key Financial Performance
Total Revenue $195 million, up 11% year-over-year. Reasons for change: Strong execution amidst a favorable macro and selling environment.
Subscription Revenue $148 million, up 10% year-over-year. Reasons for change: Driven by a 40% increase in subscription usage revenue, mostly due to an easy year-ago comparison and a couple of one-time positive items.
Marketplace and Other Revenue $46 million, up 13% year-over-year. Reasons for change: Growth in Data Marketplace (76% of this revenue), though slightly below expectations due to an isolated issue with a new integration feature, which has since been resolved.
Non-GAAP Operating Income $36 million, up 34% year-over-year. Reasons for change: 3 points of margin expansion to a record first-quarter high of 18%, driven by efficiency initiatives like offshore presence in India and a new pricing model.
GAAP Operating Margin 7-point expansion year-over-year. Reasons for change: Lower stock-based compensation due to new grant policies rationalizing costs and aligning with performance.
Gross Margin 72%, down 1 point year-over-year. Reasons for change: Temporarily higher cloud hosting expenses related to platform modernization.
Free Cash Flow Negative $16 million. Reasons for change: Reflects typical seasonality and changes in working capital.
ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) Up 5% year-over-year. Reasons for change: Softer selling environment in the first half of the previous year and unusual churn events like Oracle exiting their ad tech business.
Subscription Net Retention 104%, stable year-over-year. Reasons for change: In line with expectations of 100%-105%.
Total RPO (Remaining Performance Obligations) $690 million, up 29% year-over-year. Reasons for change: Seasonality in contract renewals skewed to the fiscal second half.
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Operating Highlights
Cross-Media Intelligence: Launched in Q1, this solution addresses outdated measurement tools in digital advertising. It has already attracted high-profile customers like a leading social media platform, a CPG manufacturer, and a financial software provider.
Commerce Media Networks: Walgreens used this for a clean room solution, enhancing ad personalization and audience insights. Partnerships expanded to industries like airlines, casinos, and real estate.
CTV (Connected TV): Integration with platforms like Netflix has scaled dozens of brands in 4 months, driving growth in ad destinations.
New Pricing Model: A pilot program launched with 40 customers, including a major quick-serve restaurant. It offers flexible, usage-based pricing to attract small and midsized customers.
AI-driven Advertising: Positioned to capitalize on AI's transformation of advertising, focusing on data connectivity and interoperability to fuel AI systems.
Revenue Growth: Achieved double-digit revenue growth for the sixth consecutive quarter, with Q1 revenue at $195 million, up 11%.
Operational Efficiency: Non-GAAP operating income increased by 34%, driven by a 3-point margin expansion to 18%. Initiatives include offshore presence in India and a new pricing model.
AI Integration: Focused on leveraging AI for personalized advertising and data connectivity. Positioned as a critical partner for AI ambitions.
Platform Modernization: Investments in platform modernization to support AI and improve operational efficiency.
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Risk or Challenges
Macroeconomic Environment: Potential slower U.S. macroeconomic growth in the fiscal second half could impact variable revenue, as noted in the guidance.
Customer Churn: Higher-than-expected dollar churn due to unique customer events, such as Oracle exiting their ad tech business, could affect subscription revenue growth.
Subscription Revenue Growth: Fixed subscription revenue growth is expected to improve in the second half, but current growth is mid- to high single digits, which may limit overall revenue expansion.
Cloud Hosting Costs: Temporarily higher cloud hosting expenses related to platform modernization are impacting gross margins in the first half of the fiscal year.
Data Marketplace Growth: Data Marketplace growth was below expectations due to an isolated issue with a new integration feature, though this has been resolved.
Pricing Model Transition: The new pricing model pilot may introduce operational complexities and risks during its transition phase, with full rollout expected in FY '27.
AI and Data Fragmentation: The increasing complexity of fragmented data and the need for trusted infrastructure to manage proprietary information for AI applications could pose operational challenges.
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Guidance & Outlook
FY '26 Revenue Guidance: Increased to $798 million to $818 million, reflecting growth of 7% to 10%. This includes a $6 million increase at the midpoint, with $4 million from Q1 performance and $2 million from subscription usage over the remaining quarters.
Subscription Revenue Growth: Expected to grow mid- to high single digits, with fixed subscription revenue and subscription usage revenue both contributing to this growth.
Marketplace and Other Revenue: Projected to grow in the low to mid-teens, benefiting from new marketplace integrations.
Gross Margin: Expected to remain consistent with FY '25, with first-half gross margins in the low 70s and second-half margins normalizing to the mid-70s as customer migrations to the new back end are completed.
Non-GAAP Operating Income: Guidance remains at $178 million to $182 million, representing a 33% growth at the midpoint and a 4-point margin expansion to 22%.
Free Cash Flow: Expected to increase year-on-year, driven by benefits from new tax legislation and an EBITDA conversion rate well above the 75% target.
Q2 Revenue Guidance: Expected to be $197 million, with subscription revenue up mid-single digits and marketplace and other revenue up low to mid-teens.
AI-Driven Advertising Future: LiveRamp is positioning itself as a critical partner for AI-driven advertising, focusing on data connectivity, interoperability, and partner networks to capitalize on AI disruptions.
New Pricing Model: A pilot program launched with up to 40 customers, aiming for a broader rollout in FY '27. The model offers greater flexibility, aligns costs with usage, and is expected to attract new clients and boost efficiency.
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Shareholder Return Plan
Share Repurchase: We repurchased $30 million in stock in the first quarter and have $226 million remaining under the current authorization that expires at the end of calendar 2026. We expect to deploy a substantial amount of this higher free cash flow towards share repurchases, consistent with our recent policy. As always, we will be opportunistic depending on market conditions. Given the decline in stock-based comp, combined with our repurchase activity, like last year, we're expecting to more than offset dilution.
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Key Q&A
Q:Can you elaborate on the assumptions behind the revenue growth for the second quarter?
A:Lauren R. Dillard explained that growth in the first half of the fiscal year was expected to be lighter than the second half. Q1 outperformed with a 40% year-on-year increase in subscription usage, but this was partly due to timing. For Q2, they are conservatively guiding flat year-on-year performance. Despite this, they raised their full-year outlook due to recent sales momentum and confidence in driving higher revenue growth in the second half.
Q:What gives you confidence that the strength in Commerce Media Networks can continue?
A:Scott E. Howe highlighted their leadership in the space, citing partnerships with companies like Walgreens Advertising Group, RE/MAX, and others. He emphasized the network flywheel effect, new pricing models, and the ability to securely and effectively use signals for AI models. He also pointed to case studies and a Forrester Economic Impact study showing strong ROI as evidence of continued strength.
Q:How are more budgets moving into CTV and programmatic execution impacting deeper integration of publishers or advertiser adoption of clean rooms?
A:Scott E. Howe noted that the shift from linear to CTV is driving deeper integration and adoption of clean rooms. He explained that CTV allows for precision targeting and measurement capabilities, such as linking ad views to downstream activities. This aligns with advertisers' needs for greater targeting and accountability in an uncertain economic environment.
Q:Can you provide clarity on the relative momentum across clean room, CMI, and Commerce Media, given the slight sequential downtick in $1 million-plus revenue customers?
A:Lauren R. Dillard attributed the downtick to known churn events, such as Oracle exiting its ad tech business. She expressed confidence in a rebound due to recent sales momentum and large multiyear deals. Scott E. Howe added that all initiatives are in early stages but show strong potential for growth, with examples like Netflix partnerships and cross-media insights.
Q:What progress has been made with offshoring and automation, and what are the expectations for pricing incrementality later this year?
A:Lauren R. Dillard reported that offshoring and automation are driving low double-digit millions in cost savings, enabling margin expansion and continued investment. Regarding pricing, the new model is in early stages but has been positively received. It is expected to benefit deal velocity, expand motion, and streamline internal processes, with more specifics to be shared later.
Q:How are the new pricing changes impacting new deals or reducing friction in the new business process?
A:Scott E. Howe stated that the new pricing model is viewed favorably, offering a usage-based entry-level product that reduces upfront commitments. This has already helped secure significant new clients. The rollout will be methodical for existing clients and opportunistic for new prospects.
Q:What is LiveRamp's right to win in the rapidly changing AI environment?
A:Scott E. Howe clarified that LiveRamp is not an AI company but an AI enabler. They focus on securely activating client data for AI models, addressing the complexity and security challenges. He mentioned partnerships with companies like Perplexity and Chalice and emphasized their role in data activation for AI.
Q:Review of Unclear Management Responses
A:Management avoided providing specific details on the financial impact of the new pricing model, stating that it is in early stages and specifics will be shared later. They also did not break down the relative size or contribution to growth of Cross-Media, CTV, and Commerce Media, citing that it is all part of subscription growth.
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Earnings Word Cloud
The most frequently occurring keywords in this quarter's earning call
AI advertising
AI agent
AI future
Businesses
Commerce Media
Cross Media
IDC
Intelligence Commerce
LLC Research
LiveRamp client
Media Intelligence
Media Networks
Networks CTV
Research Division
Scott
advertising AI
agent consumer
array
business
capability customer
customer usage
device
driver sale
flexibility
interoperability
medium platform
minute
month pilot
myriad
personalization
pilot program
platform provider
pricing model
purchase
recommendation
room
tool
RAMP Transcript
LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (RAMP) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript
Neutral3-2
LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (RAMP) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Positive2-6
The earnings call reveals strong sales growth, strategic AI partnerships, and successful CTV integrations, which are positive indicators. The usage-based pricing model and AI-driven initiatives are expected to drive future growth, despite some management opacity. The market cap suggests a moderate reaction, leading to a positive stock price prediction.
LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (RAMP) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Positive11-5
The earnings call shows strong financial performance, with revenue and ARR growth, and optimistic guidance. The Q&A section supports this with positive sentiment on growth opportunities, particularly in AI and new pricing models. Despite some lack of clarity on specifics, the overall sentiment is positive, with a focus on future growth and shareholder returns. The market cap suggests a moderate reaction, placing the stock price movement in the 'Positive' category (2% to 8%).
LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (RAMP) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Positive8-7
The earnings call indicates a positive sentiment with several growth catalysts. The company has raised its full-year outlook due to recent sales momentum and confidence in higher revenue growth in the second half. Partnerships with major companies and new pricing models are expected to drive further growth. The Q&A section revealed management's confidence in their strategies, despite some uncertainties. The market cap suggests a moderate reaction, leading to a positive prediction of 2% to 8% stock price increase over the next two weeks.
RAMP Slides
RAMP Report
Frequently Asked Questions
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