FireEye Reports Financial Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020

Rhea-AI Summary

FireEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE) reported a 5% increase in Q4 2020 revenue, totaling $248 million, and a 6% increase in full-year revenue to $941 million. The annualized recurring revenue rose 8% to $638 million. Notably, GAAP net loss per share improved to $(0.17) in Q4 from $(0.23) in Q4 2019, and full-year GAAP net loss per share declined to $(0.93). Operating cash flow increased by $31 million in Q4. FireEye anticipates continued momentum in its platform and services as organizations focus on intelligence-led security.

Positive

• Q4 2020 revenue grew by 5% YoY to $248 million.
• Annualized recurring revenue increased by 8% to $638 million in 2020.
• GAAP net loss per share improved from $(0.23) to $(0.17) in Q4.
• Cash flow from operations rose by $31 million in Q4.

Negative

• GAAP gross margin decreased by 1 pt to 65% in Q4.
• GAAP operating margin remains negative at (11)% in Q4.
• Full year GAAP net loss per share was $(0.93), though improved from $(1.24).

FireEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE), the intelligence-led security company, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2020.

“Our record fourth quarter and 2020 results demonstrated that we are gaining momentum in our Platform, Cloud Subscription, Managed Services and Professional services categories. The combined revenue from these two categories accounted for 55% of total revenue in 2020 and increased 23% from the full year 2019,” said Kevin Mandia, FireEye chief executive officer.

“We continue to transform our business and believe we are well-positioned as organizations shift to intelligence-led security focused on security effectiveness. Our vision is to become a seamless extension of our customers’ security operations by delivering our threat intelligence and expertise gained on the frontlines through the Mandiant Advantage platform,” added Mandia.

Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Results

	Q4 2020		Q4 2019		Y/Y change
Revenue	$248 million		$235 million		+5%
Annualized recurring revenue2	$638 million		$592 million		+8%
GAAP gross margin	65%		66%		-1 pt
Non-GAAP gross margin1	72%		73%		-1 pt
GAAP operating margin	(11)%		(15)%		+4 pts
Non-GAAP operating margin1	12%		7%		+5 pts
GAAP net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted	$(0.17)		$(0.23)		+$0.06
Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, diluted1	$0.12		$0.07		+$0.05
Cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	$71 million		$40 million		+$31 million
Capital expenditures	$4 million		$7 million		$(3) million

2020 Financial Results

	2020		2019		Y/Y change
Revenue	$941 million		$889 million		+6%
GAAP gross margin	64%		65%		-1 pt
Non-GAAP gross margin1	71%		73%		-2 pts
GAAP operating margin	(16)%		(24)%		+8 pts
Non-GAAP operating margin1	8%		1%		+7 pts
GAAP net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted	$(0.93)		$(1.24)		+$0.31
Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, diluted1	$0.31		$0.05		+$0.26
Cash flow provided (used) by operating activities	$95 million		$68 million		+$27 million
Capital expenditures	$26 million		$46 million		$(20) million

¹ A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures is provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

² Annualized recurring revenue is defined as the annualized run-rate of active term licenses, subscriptions, and support contracts at the end of a reporting period.

First Quarter and 2021 Outlook

FireEye provides guidance based on current market conditions and expectations. The company emphasizes that the guidance is subject to various important cautionary factors referenced in the section entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" below, including risks and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

	Q1 2021 Outlook		2021 Outlook
Revenue	$235 - $238 million		$990 - $1,010 million
Non-GAAP gross margin	70% - 71%		70.5% - 71.5%
Non-GAAP operating margin	6.5% - 7.5%		9% - 10%
Net interest income (expense)	$(1) million		$(3) - $(4) million
Provision for non-GAAP income taxes	$1 - $2 million		$4 - $6 million
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	238 million		240 - 245 million
Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders, diluted	$0.05 - $0.07		$0.35 - $0.37
Capital expenditures	~ $6 million		~ $25 million

Guidance for non-GAAP financial measures excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, restructuring charges, non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes, discrete tax provision (benefit), dividends on Series A convertible preferred stock, other special non-recurring items, and shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes and Series A convertible preferred shares that are anti-dilutive. A reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is not available on a forward-looking basis due to the uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, the amounts of stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, and non-recurring expenses that may be incurred in the future. Stock-based compensation expense is impacted by the company’s future hiring and retention needs, as well as the future fair market value of the company’s common stock, all of which are difficult to predict and subject to constant change. The actual amount of stock-based compensation expense in the first quarter of 2021 and full year 2021 will have a significant impact on the company’s GAAP operating margin and net loss per share attributable to common stockholders. Further, amortization of intangible assets, as well as other non-recurring expenses, if any, will also impact results. Accordingly, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure guidance to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures for future periods is not available without unreasonable effort.

Recent Highlights

• Uncovered an international cyber espionage campaign with our discovery of a supply chain compromise in the SolarWinds Orion platform
• Strengthened our management team with the addition of Bryan Palma as Executive Vice President, FireEye Products
• Added new board members, Viral Patel, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone and Arthur Coviello, Venture Partner at Rally Ventures
• Introduced Mandiant Advantage, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for delivery of our solutions, beginning with Mandiant Intelligence; Mandiant Validation and other offerings will become available on the platform in coming months
• Announced a $400 million strategic investment by Blackstone and ClearSky to accelerate investment in Mandiant Solutions strategic growth initiatives
• Acquired Respond Software, an innovator in security operations automation through AI-driven eXtended Detection and Response (XDR)
• Awarded first place by Naval Information Warfare Systems Command in a network threat detection challenge, following the March 2020 first place award for FireEye Endpoint Security
• Recognized by CRN with a 2020 CRN Tech Innovator award in the ‘Security – Risk Assessment and Management’ category for Mandiant Security Validation

Conference Call Information

FireEye will host a conference call today, February 2, 2021, at 5 p.m. Eastern time (2 p.m. Pacific time) to discuss its fourth quarter financial results and the company’s outlook for the first quarter and full year 2021. Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing 877-312-5521 (domestic) or 678-894-3048 (international). A live audio webcast of the call can be accessed from the Investor Relations section of the company's website at https://investors.fireeye.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available at the same website shortly after the conclusion of the live event.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements related to future financial results for the first quarter and full year 2021, including revenue, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, net interest income and expense, provision for non-GAAP income taxes, weighted average shares outstanding, non-GAAP net income per share, and capital expenditures in the section entitled “First Quarter and 2021 Outlook” above, as well as statements regarding plans and opportunities, including new offerings.

These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions which, if they do not fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause FireEye’s results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties that could cause FireEye’s results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include customer demand and adoption of FireEye’s products, solutions and services; real or perceived defects, errors or vulnerabilities in FireEye's products, solutions or services; any delay in the release of FireEye's new products, solutions or services; FireEye's ability to realize the expected benefits resulting from its 2020 restructuring plans; the potential disruption or perception of disruption to FireEye's business due to the restructuring plans; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FireEye's business, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources; FireEye's ability to react to trends and challenges in its business and the markets in which it operates; FireEye's ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products, solutions and services to meet those needs; FireEye’s ability to hire and retain key executives and employees; FireEye’s ability to attract new and retain existing customers and train its sales force; the budgeting cycles, seasonal buying patterns and length of FireEye’s sales cycle; risks associated with new offerings; sales and marketing execution risks; the failure to achieve expected synergies and efficiencies of operations between FireEye and its acquired companies; the ability of FireEye and its acquired companies to successfully integrate their respective market opportunities, technologies, products, personnel and operations; the ability of FireEye and its partners to execute their strategies, plans, objectives and expected investments with respect to FireEye’s partnerships; and general market, political, economic, and business conditions, as well as those risks and uncertainties included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in FireEye’s Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 30, 2020, which should be read in conjunction with these financial results and is available on the Investor Relations section of FireEye’s website at investors.fireeye.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to the company as of the date hereof, and FireEye does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law. Any future product, service, feature, or related specification that may be referenced in this release is for informational purposes only and is not a commitment to deliver any offering, technology or enhancement. FireEye reserves the right to modify future product or service plans at any time.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this release FireEye has provided financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). These non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any standardized methodology and are not necessarily comparable to similar measures used by other companies. The company uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing its financial results and believes the use of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing operating results and trends, and in comparing the company's financial results with other companies in its industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP and should be read only in conjunction with the company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the company's non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures has been provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation.

Non-GAAP gross margin. FireEye defines non-GAAP gross margin as total gross profit excluding stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, and, as applicable, other special or non-recurring items, divided by total revenue.

Non-GAAP operating income (loss) and non-GAAP operating margin. FireEye defines non-GAAP operating income (loss) as operating income (loss) excluding stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses, restructuring charges, and other special or non-recurring items. FireEye defines non-GAAP operating margin as non-GAAP operating income (loss) divided by total revenue.

Non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders. FireEye defines non-GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders as net income (loss) excluding stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses, restructuring charges, non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes, discrete tax provision (benefit), dividends on Series A convertible preferred stock, and other special or non-recurring items.

Non-GAAP net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders. FireEye defines non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders as non-GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders divided by weighted average diluted shares outstanding. Weighted average diluted shares used to calculate non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders excludes shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes and Series A convertible preferred shares that are anti-dilutive. FireEye defines non-GAAP net loss per share attributable to common stockholders as non-GAAP net loss attributable to common stockholders divided by weighted average basic shares outstanding, which excludes stock options, restricted stock units, performance stock units, and shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes and Series A convertible preferred shares that are anti-dilutive.

Non-GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders in the fourth quarter and full year of 2020 excluded stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, restructuring charges, non-cash interest expense related to convertible senior notes issued in June 2015 and the second quarter of 2018, discrete tax provision (benefit), and dividends on Series A convertible preferred stock. Weighted average diluted shares outstanding used to calculate non-GAAP net income per diluted share excluded stock options, restricted stock units, performance stock units, and shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes and Series A convertible preferred shares that were anti-dilutive.

Non-GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders and non-GAAP net income per diluted share attributable to common stockholders in the fourth quarter and full year of 2019 excluded stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, restructuring charges, non-cash interest expense related to convertible senior notes issued in June 2015 and the second quarter of 2018, and discrete tax provision (benefit). Weighted average diluted shares outstanding used to calculate non-GAAP net income per diluted share excluded stock options, restricted stock units, performance stock units, and shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes that were anti-dilutive.

FireEye considers these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful metrics for management and investors because they exclude the effect of stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, restructuring charges, non-cash interest expense related to convertible senior notes issued in June 2015 and the second quarter of 2018, discrete tax provision (benefit), dividends on Series A convertible preferred stock, and other non-recurring and discrete items so that management and investors can compare the company's core business operating results over multiple periods.

There are a number of limitations related to the use of these non-GAAP financial measures versus their nearest GAAP equivalents. First, these non-GAAP financial measures exclude stock-based compensation expense. Stock-based compensation is an important part of FireEye employees' overall compensation and has been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, a significant recurring expense in the company's business. Second, the components of the costs that FireEye excludes in its calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures, including not only stock-based compensation, but also amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, non-recurring or non-operating items such as amortization of intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, restructuring charges, non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes, discrete tax provision (benefit), and dividends on Series A convertible preferred stock, may differ from the components excluded by peer companies when they report their non-GAAP results of operations. FireEye compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from non-GAAP financial measures and evaluating non-GAAP financial measures together with their nearest GAAP equivalents.

About FireEye, Inc.

FireEye is the intelligence-led security company. Working as a seamless, scalable extension of customer security operations, FireEye offers a single platform that blends innovative security technologies, nation-state grade threat intelligence, and world-renowned Mandiant® consulting. With this approach, FireEye eliminates the complexity and burden of cyber security for organizations struggling to prepare for, prevent, and respond to cyber attacks. FireEye has over 9,900 customers across 103 countries, including more than 50 percent of the Forbes Global 2000.

© 2021 FireEye, Inc. All rights reserved. FireEye and Mandiant are registered trademarks or trademarks of FireEye, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

FireEye, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited, in thousands)
	December 31, 2020				December 31, 2019
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	676,454			$	334,603
Short-term investments	624,824				704,955
Accounts receivable, net	153,575				171,459
Inventories	4,023				5,892
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	103,368				96,827
Total current assets	1,562,244				1,313,736
Property and equipment, net	79,770				93,812
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	38,251				58,758
Goodwill	1,364,886				1,205,292
Intangible assets, net	126,067				134,420
Deposits and other long-term assets	74,664				84,468
Total Assets	$	3,245,882			$	2,890,486
Liabilities, Convertible preferred stock and Stockholders' equity
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	5,107			$	26,271
Operating lease liabilities, current	16,024				18,437
Accrued and other current liabilities	23,239				24,496
Accrued compensation	95,664				59,513
Convertible senior notes, current, net	—				117,288
Deferred revenue, current	613,709				603,944
Total current liabilities	753,743				849,949
Convertible senior notes, non-current, net	960,896				893,273
Deferred revenue, non-current	342,748				370,623
Operating lease liabilities, non-current	42,202				70,481
Other long-term liabilities	12,339				4,494
Total liabilities	2,111,928				2,188,820
Commitments and contingencies
Series A convertible preferred stock	$	401,050			$	—
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	24				22
Additional paid-in capital	3,623,243				3,457,359
Treasury stock	(80,000		)		(150,000		)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	3,834				1,180
Accumulated deficit	(2,814,197		)		(2,606,895		)
Total stockholders’ equity	732,904				701,666
Total Liabilities, Convertible preferred stock and Stockholders' equity	$	3,245,882			$	2,890,486

FireEye, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited, in thousands, except per share amounts)
	Three Months Ended December 31,								Year Ended December 31,
	2020				2019				2020				2019
Revenue:

FAQ

What were FireEye's Q4 2020 financial results?

FireEye reported Q4 2020 revenue of $248 million, a 5% increase from Q4 2019.

How did annualized recurring revenue change for FireEye in 2020?

FireEye's annualized recurring revenue grew by 8% to $638 million in 2020.

What is the outlook for FireEye in 2021?

FireEye anticipates continued momentum in its platform and services focused on intelligence-led security.

What was FireEye's full-year revenue for 2020?

FireEye reported full-year revenue of $941 million for 2020, up 6% from 2019.

What was FireEye's GAAP net loss per share in Q4 2020?

FireEye's GAAP net loss per share improved to $(0.17) in Q4 2020 from $(0.23) in Q4 2019.