• Revenue: $639 million, a 0.9% increase year-over-year.
• Total ARR: $2.579 billion, up 2.1% year-over-year.
• Paying Users: 18.24 million, with a net addition of approximately 19,000 users.
• Average Revenue Per User (ARPU): $139.05, compared to $138.71 in the previous year.
• Gross Margin: 84% for the quarter.
• Operating Margin: 36.2%, up 20 basis points from the previous year.
• Net Income: $190 million, a 2% decrease year-over-year.
• Diluted EPS: $0.60, a 7% increase year-over-year.
• Cash and Short-term Investments: $891 million.
• Cash Flow from Operations: $274 million, a 7% increase year-over-year.
• Free Cash Flow: $270 million, compared to $247 million in Q3 2023.
• Share Repurchase: Approximately 15 million shares repurchased for $349 million.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with DBX.

Release Date: November 07, 2024

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• Dropbox Inc (NASDAQ:DBX) reported a year-over-year revenue increase of 0.9% to $639 million for Q3 2024.
• The company launched Dropbox Dash for Business, an AI-powered universal search product, receiving positive initial feedback.
• Dropbox Inc (NASDAQ:DBX) achieved a gross margin of 84% for the quarter, benefiting from an increase in the useful life of servers.
• The company reported a 7% year-over-year increase in free cash flow, reaching $270 million for the quarter.
• Dropbox Inc (NASDAQ:DBX) repurchased approximately 15 million shares, demonstrating a commitment to returning capital to shareholders.

Negative Points

• Dropbox Inc (NASDAQ:DBX) announced a 20% reduction in workforce, indicating challenges in aligning investments with future opportunities.
• The company faced down-sell pressure across Teams plans and FormSwift, impacting paying user count.
• Average revenue per paying user saw a sequential decline due to pricing rollbacks.
• Dropbox Inc (NASDAQ:DBX) reduced its free cash flow guidance for 2024, citing severance payments and lower billings expectations.
• The company anticipates a modest headwind to revenue growth due to reduced investment levels following workforce reductions.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Could you talk about how Dash is differentiated from other offerings in the market? A: Andrew Houston, CEO, explained that Dash's unique governance capabilities, such as Protect and Control, set it apart by providing real-time visibility and control over shared content across platforms. Additionally, Dropbox's scale, distribution, and platform-agnostic design offer significant advantages, especially for SMB and mid-market audiences.

Q: Can you frame the monetization opportunity for Dash and its potential impact on ARPU? A: Andrew Houston noted that while it's early, Dash is expected to be accretive to ARPU. The market dynamics for Dash differ from FSS, with less price sensitivity and a larger potential market due to the universal challenges it addresses.

Q: What gives Dropbox a right to win in the competitive Dash space, especially at the enterprise level? A: Andrew Houston emphasized Dropbox's existing customer trust, the natural extension of Dash from their core business, and the universal nature of the problems Dash solves. He also highlighted the company's strong foundation and the timing of their market entry.

Q: How is Dropbox approaching hiring and team restructuring following the recent headcount reduction? A: Andrew Houston stated that the company is focusing on creating a flatter, leaner organization while reinvesting in specialized talent for Dash. The aim is to balance growth opportunities with efficiency and cash generation.

Q: What are the financial expectations for 2025 following the restructuring? A: Timothy Regan, CFO, mentioned that Dropbox expects a 150 basis point expansion in non-GAAP operating margin for 2025 compared to 2024, despite some offsets from investments in Dash and annual merit increases.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.