Zoom (ZM) Stock: Strong Q3 Earnings Push Shares Higher on AI Momentum

TLDR

• Zoom posted Q3 earnings of $1.52 per share and revenue of $1.23 billion, surpassing analyst projections
• Full-year revenue forecast raised to $4.85-$4.86 billion with profit guidance increased to $5.95-$5.97 per share
• AI Companion 3.0 seeing strong adoption with Custom AI Companion add-on priced at $12 monthly per user
• Stock gained 4% in premarket trading despite being down 86% from 2020 pandemic peak

Zoom Video Communications delivered third-quarter results that beat Wall Street forecasts. The company earned $1.52 per share on revenue of $1.23 billion.

Analysts expected $1.44 per share on revenue of $1.21 billion. The better-than-expected performance sent shares up 3.8% to $81.60 in after-hours trading.

The videoconferencing platform raised its outlook for the full fiscal year. Revenue is now projected between $4.85 billion and $4.86 billion, up from the previous range of $4.83 billion to $4.84 billion.

Zoom Communications, Inc., ZM

Adjusted profit guidance increased to $5.95-$5.97 per share from $5.81-$5.84. The company also boosted its share buyback program by $1 billion.

Fourth-quarter expectations came in above consensus. Zoom projects earnings of $1.48-$1.49 per share on revenue of $1.23 billion to $1.24 billion. Both metrics exceed analyst estimates.

AI Features Driving Customer Spending

CEO Eric Yuan pointed to growing demand for Zoom’s artificial intelligence products. The company launched AI Companion 3.0 in September with advanced features for meeting assistance and workflow automation.

The Custom AI Companion add-on costs $12 per user monthly. This premium tier offers enhanced AI capabilities beyond the standard package.

Yuan reported broad AI adoption across major enterprise deals. The AI-first Customer Experience suite delivered one of Zoom’s best quarters in that segment.

New offerings like Phone, Contact Center and Virtual Agent are generating most of the company’s growth. These products leverage AI to automate tasks and improve efficiency.

Partnership and Market Position

Zoom partnered with Nvidia to integrate the chipmaker’s Nemotron technology. The collaboration supports AI Companion 3.0 across finance, healthcare and government sectors.

The bundling approach helps drive adoption while setting up future monetization opportunities. Companies get AI features as part of their existing subscriptions.

Shares climbed 4% in premarket trading Tuesday following the earnings announcement. The stock remains well below pandemic-era levels despite recent gains.

Zoom peaked at $568.34 per share on October 19, 2020. The stock has fallen 86% from that all-time high as remote work demand normalized after pandemic lockdowns ended.

The company continues focusing on hybrid work solutions as businesses settle into new workplace patterns. Third-quarter revenue of $1.23 billion topped the $1.21 billion estimate, while adjusted earnings beat forecasts by 8 cents per share.

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