NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited)
1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Description of Business
F5, Inc. (the "Company") is a leading provider of multicloud application security and delivery solutions which enable its customers to develop, deploy, operate, secure, and govern applications in any architecture, from on-premises to the public cloud. The Company's cloud, software, and hardware solutions enable its customers to deliver digital experiences to their customers faster, reliably, and at scale. The Company's enterprise-grade application services are available as cloud-based, software-as-a-service, and software-only solutions optimized for multi-cloud environments, with modules that can run independently, or as part of an integrated solution on its high-performance appliances. In connection with its solutions, the Company offers a broad range of professional services, including consulting, training, maintenance, and other technical support services.
Basis of Presentation
The year-end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). In the opinion of management, the unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for their fair statement in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.
There have been no changes to the Company's significant accounting policies as of and for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024.
New Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures ("ASU 2023-19"). This ASU requires disclosure of disaggregated income taxes paid, prescribes standard categories for the components of the effective tax rate reconciliation, and modifies other income tax-related disclosures. ASU 2023-09 will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. This ASU will impact our income tax disclosures, but not our consolidated financial statements.
2. Revenue from Contracts with Customers
Capitalized Contract Acquisition Costs
The table below shows significant movements in capitalized contract acquisition costs (current and noncurrent) for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
Balance, beginning of period
$
66,468
$
77,220
Additional capitalized contract acquisition costs
21,553
19,384
Amortization of capitalized contract acquisition costs
(26,705)
(28,514)
Balance, end of period
$
61,316
$
68,090
Amortization of capitalized contract acquisition costs was $8.7 million and $9.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $26.7 million and $28.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and is recorded in Sales and Marketing expense in the accompanying consolidated income statements. There was no impairment of any capitalized contract acquisition costs during any period presented.
Timing may differ between the satisfaction of performance obligations and the invoicing and collection of amounts related to the Company's contracts with customers. Liabilities are recorded for amounts that are collected in advance of the satisfaction of performance obligations, or for contracts with customers that contain the Company's unconditional rights to consideration, for which the customer has not been billed. These liabilities are classified as current and non-current deferred revenue.
The table below shows significant movements in the deferred revenue balances (current and noncurrent) for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
Balance, beginning of period
$
1,775,121
$
1,691,580
Amounts added but not recognized as revenues
966,031
1,012,441
Deferred revenue acquired through acquisition of businesses
—
1,800
Revenues recognized related to the opening balance of deferred revenue
(968,568)
(914,387)
Balance, end of period
$
1,772,584
$
1,791,434
Remaining Performance Obligations
Remaining performance obligations represent the amount of the transaction price under contracts with customers that are attributable to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially satisfied at the reporting date. The composition of unsatisfied performance obligations consists mainly of deferred service revenue, and to a lesser extent, deferred product revenue, for which the Company has an obligation to perform, and has not yet recognized as revenue in the consolidated financial statements. As of June 30, 2024, the total non-cancelable remaining performance obligations under the Company's contracts with customers was $1.8 billion and the Company expects to recognize revenues on approximately 64.4% of these remaining performance obligations over the next 12 months, 22.2% in year two, and the remaining balance thereafter.
See Note 12, Segment Information, for disaggregated revenue by significant customer and geographic region, as well as disaggregated product revenue by systems and software.
3. Fair Value Measurements
In accordance with the authoritative guidance on fair value measurements and disclosure under GAAP, the Company determines fair value using a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity, and the reporting entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances and expands disclosure about fair value measurements.
Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date, essentially the exit price.
The levels of fair value hierarchy are:
Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities at the measurement date that the Company has the ability to access.
Level 2: Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data available. These inputs reflect management's assumptions of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.
Level 1 investments are valued based on quoted market prices in active markets and include the Company's cash equivalent investments. Level 2 investments, which include investments that are valued based on quoted prices in markets that are not active, broker or dealer quotations, actual trade data, benchmark yields or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency, include the Company's certificates of deposit, corporate bonds and notes, municipal bonds and notes, U.S. government securities, U.S. government agency securities and international government securities. Fair values for the Company's level 2 investments are based on similar assets without applying significant judgments. In addition, all of the
Company's level 2 investments have a sufficient level of trading volume to demonstrate that the fair values used are appropriate for these investments.
A financial instrument's level within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. However, the determination of what constitutes "observable" requires significant judgment by the Company. The Company considers observable data to be market data which is readily available, regularly distributed or updated, reliable and verifiable, not proprietary, and provided by independent sources that are actively involved in the relevant market.
Assets and Liabilities Measured and Recorded at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The Company's financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis subject to the disclosure requirements at June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, were as follows (in thousands):
Gross Unrealized
Classification on Balance Sheet
As of June 30, 2024
Fair Value Level
Cost or Amortized Cost
Gains
Losses
Aggregate Fair Value
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Short-Term Investments
Long-Term Investments
Changes in fair value recorded in other comprehensive income (loss)
Money Market Funds
Level 1
$
396,777
$
—
$
—
$
396,777
$
396,777
$
—
$
—
Corporate bonds and notes
Level 2
817
—
(5)
812
—
812
—
Total debt investments
$
397,594
$
—
$
(5)
$
397,589
$
396,777
$
812
$
—
Changes in fair value recorded in other income (expense), net
Equity investments
*
$
7,298
$
—
$
—
$
7,298
Total equity investments
7,298
—
—
7,298
Total investments
$
404,887
$
396,777
$
812
$
7,298
* The fair value of this equity investment is measured at net asset value (NAV) which approximates fair value and is not classified within the fair value hierarchy.
Gross Unrealized
Classification on Balance Sheet
As of September 30, 2023
Fair Value Level
Cost or Amortized Cost
Gains
Losses
Aggregate Fair Value
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Short-Term Investments
Long-Term Investments
Changes in fair value recorded in other comprehensive income (loss)
Money Market Funds
Level 1
$
392,592
$
—
$
—
$
392,592
$
392,592
$
—
$
—
Corporate bonds and notes
Level 2
4,412
—
(88)
4,324
—
4,324
—
Municipal bonds and notes
Level 2
1,108
—
(9)
1,099
—
1,099
—
U.S. government agency securities
Level 2
740
—
(3)
737
—
737
—
Total debt investments
$
398,852
$
—
$
(100)
$
398,752
$
392,592
$
6,160
$
—
Changes in fair value recorded in other income (expense), net
Equity investments
*
$
5,068
$
—
$
—
$
5,068
Total equity investments
5,068
—
—
5,068
Total investments
$
403,820
$
392,592
$
6,160
$
5,068
* The fair value of this equity investment is measured at NAV which approximates fair value and is not classified within the fair value hierarchy.
The Company uses the fair value hierarchy for financial assets and liabilities. The carrying amounts of other current financial assets and other current financial liabilities approximate fair value due to their short-term nature.
Interest income from cash, cash equivalents, and investments was $8.9 million and $5.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $25.0 million and $11.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Interest income is included in other income (expense), net on the Company's consolidated income statements. Unrealized losses on investments held for a period greater than 12 months at June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 were not material.
The Company invests in debt securities that are rated investment grade. The Company reviews the individual debt securities in its portfolio to determine whether a credit loss exists by comparing the extent to which the fair value is less than the amortized cost and considering any changes to ratings of a debt security by a ratings agency. The Company determined that as of June 30, 2024, there were no credit losses on any investments within its portfolio.
Assets Measured and Recorded at Fair Value on a Non-Recurring Basis
The Company's non-financial long-lived assets, which include goodwill and other intangible assets, are not required to be carried at fair value on a recurring basis. These non-financial assets are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis when there is an indicator of impairment, and they are recorded at fair value only when impairment is recognized. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment annually, during the second quarter of each fiscal year, or as circumstances indicate the possibility of impairment. The Company monitors the carrying value of tangible and intangible long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate its carrying amount may not be recoverable.
During the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Company recorded an impairment of $3.5 million against the operating lease right-of-use asset related to its third quarter of fiscal 2023 restructuring plan. See Note 13, Restructuring Charges. The charge was reflected in the Restructuring Charges line item on the Company's consolidated income statements.
The Company did not recognize any other impairment charges related to non-financial long-lived assets for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.
4. Business Combinations
Fiscal Year 2024 Acquisitions
During the second quarter of fiscal 2024, the Company completed two acquisitions. The acquired assets and assumed liabilities of the acquisitions were not material and the Company recorded $23.6 million of goodwill as a result of the acquisitions. The acquisitions did not have a material impact to the Company's operating results.
Fiscal Year 2023 Acquisition
In February 2023, the Company acquired Lilac Cloud, Inc. ("Lilac"), a provider of innovative application delivery services. The acquired assets and assumed liabilities of Lilac were not material. The Company recorded $29.4 million of goodwill as a result of the acquisition. The measurement period for the Lilac acquisition lapsed during the second quarter of fiscal 2024. The acquisition did not have a material impact to the Company's operating results.
5. Balance Sheet Details
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
The following table provides a reconciliation of the Company's cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the Company's consolidated statements of cash flows for the periods presented (in thousands):
Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Finished goods
$
27,657
$
11,699
Raw materials
50,880
24,175
$
78,537
$
35,874
Other Current Assets
Other current assets consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Unbilled receivables
$
372,393
$
374,113
Prepaid expenses
97,913
84,506
Capitalized contract acquisition costs
30,290
31,206
Other1
51,427
64,919
$
552,023
$
554,744
(1) As of June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, includes a deposit of $1.7 million and $36.2 million, respectively, used to support the working capital needs of the Company’s primary contract manufacturer's procurement of components used in the manufacturing of system hardware. As of June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, includes income tax receivables of $21.4 million and $5.2 million, respectively.
Other Assets, Net
Other assets, net consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Intangible assets
$
122,140
$
150,969
Unbilled receivables
213,394
202,838
Capitalized contract acquisition costs
31,026
35,263
Other
58,961
55,543
$
425,521
$
444,613
Accrued Liabilities
Accrued liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Payroll and benefits
$
143,141
$
152,898
Operating lease liabilities, current
38,122
41,421
Income and other tax accruals
34,196
34,504
Other
44,415
54,067
$
259,874
$
282,890
Other Long-term Liabilities
Other long-term liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
In connection with the acquisition of Shape, on January 24, 2020, the Company entered into a Term Credit Agreement ("Term Credit Agreement") with certain institutional lenders that provides for a senior unsecured term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $400.0 million (the "Term Loan Facility"). The Term Loan Facility had an original maturity date of January 24, 2023 with quarterly installments equal to 1.25% of the original principal amount. Borrowings under the Term Loan Facility bore interest at a rate equal to LIBOR, plus an applicable margin of 1.125% to 1.75% depending on the Company's leverage ratio. The proceeds from the Term Loan Facility were primarily used to finance the acquisition of Shape and related expenses. In connection with the Term Loan Facility, the Company incurred $2.2 million in debt issuance costs, which were recorded as a reduction to the carrying value of the principal amount of the debt.
On December 15, 2022, the Company voluntarily prepaid, in full, all borrowings under the Term Loan Facility, including the outstanding principal balance of $350.0 million, and all accrued, but unpaid interest outstanding of $3.0 million. All remaining debt issuance costs were amortized to interest expense in connection with the prepayment. As a result of the payoff of its Term Loan Facility, the Company was released of any and all obligations, maintenance of covenants, and indebtedness under the Term Credit Agreement. The weighted average interest rate on the principal amount under the Term Loan Facility outstanding balance was 4.072% for the period of October 1, 2022 to December 15, 2022.
Revolving Credit Agreement
On January 31, 2020, the Company entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement (the "Revolving Credit Agreement") that provides for a senior unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $350.0 million (the "Revolving Credit Facility"). The Company has the option to increase commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility from time to time, subject to certain conditions, by up to $150.0 million. Historically, borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility bore interest at a rate equal to, at the Company's option, (a) LIBOR, adjusted for customary statutory reserves, plus an applicable margin of 1.125% to 1.75% depending on the Company's leverage ratio, or (b) an alternate base rate determined in accordance with the Revolving Credit Agreement, plus an applicable margin of 0.125% to 0.750% depending on the Company's leverage ratio. On May 26, 2023, the Company amended the Revolving Credit Agreement as a result of the cessation of the LIBOR borrowing reference rate. The amendment modified and directly replaced the LIBOR borrowing reference rate within the Revolving Credit Agreement to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR). After the amendment, borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a rate equal to, at the Company's option, (a) SOFR plus 0.10%, plus an applicable margin of 1.125% to 1.75% depending on the Company's leverage ratio, or (b) an alternate base rate determined in accordance with the Revolving Credit Agreement, plus an applicable margin of 0.125% to 0.750% depending on the Company's leverage ratio. The Revolving Credit Agreement also requires payment of a commitment fee calculated at a rate per annum of 0.125% to 0.300% depending on the Company's leverage ratio on the undrawn portion of the Revolving Credit Facility. Commitment fees incurred during the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 were not material.
The Revolving Credit Facility matures on January 31, 2025, at which time any remaining outstanding principal of borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility is due. The Company has the option to request up to two extensions of the maturity date in each case for an additional period of one year. Among certain affirmative and negative covenants provided in the Revolving Credit Agreement, there is a financial covenant that requires the Company to maintain a leverage ratio, calculated as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, of consolidated total indebtedness to consolidated EBITDA. As of June 30, 2024, the Company was in compliance with all covenants. As of June 30, 2024, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, and the Company had available borrowing capacity of $350.0 million.
7. Leases
The majority of the Company's operating lease payments relate to its corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington, which includes approximately 515,000 square feet of office space. The lease commenced in April 2019 and expires in 2033 with an option for renewal. The Company also leases additional office and lab space for product development and sales and support personnel in the United States and internationally. The Company's lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.
The components of the Company's operating lease expenses for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows (in thousands):
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Operating lease expense
$
10,101
$
11,801
$
30,594
$
36,498
Short-term lease expense
699
872
2,065
2,271
Variable lease expense
5,557
5,895
17,532
16,881
Total lease expense
$
16,357
$
18,568
$
50,191
$
55,650
Variable lease expense primarily consists of common area maintenance, real estate taxes and parking expenses.
Supplemental balance sheet information related to the Company's operating leases was as follows (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate):
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net
$
185,253
$
195,471
Operating lease liabilities, current1
38,122
41,421
Operating lease liabilities, long-term
222,486
239,565
Total operating lease liabilities
$
260,608
$
280,986
Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)
8.1
8.6
Weighted average discount rate
2.93
%
2.77
%
(1)Current portion of operating lease liabilities is included in accrued liabilities on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
As of June 30, 2024, the future operating lease payments for each of the next five years and thereafter is as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal Years Ending September 30:
Operating Lease Payments
2024 (remainder)
$
11,934
2025
42,961
2026
36,960
2027
33,658
2028
29,488
2029
26,750
Thereafter
112,351
Total lease payments
294,102
Less: imputed interest
(33,494)
Total lease liabilities
$
260,608
Operating lease liabilities above do not include sublease income. As of June 30, 2024, the Company expects to receive sublease income of approximately $7.5 million, which consists of $1.4 million to be received for the remainder of fiscal 2024 and $6.1 million to be received over the two fiscal years thereafter.
As of June 30, 2024, the Company had no significant operating leases that were executed but not yet commenced.
In the normal course of business to facilitate sales of its products, the Company indemnifies other parties, including customers, resellers, lessors, and parties to other transactions with the Company, with respect to certain matters. The Company has agreed to hold the other party harmless against losses arising from a breach of representations or covenants, or out of intellectual property infringement or other claims made against certain parties. These agreements may limit the time within which an indemnification claim can be made and the amount of the claim. The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its officers and directors and certain other employees, and the Company's bylaws contain similar indemnification obligations to the Company's agents. It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount under these indemnification agreements due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement.
The Company offers warranties of one year for its systems product offerings. Additional warranty coverage can be purchased by customers through service maintenance agreements in yearly increments. The Company accrues for warranty costs as part of its cost of sales based on associated material product costs and technical support labor costs. Accrued warranty costs as of June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 were not material.
Commitments
In October 2022, the Company entered into an unconditional purchase commitment with one of its suppliers for the delivery of systems components. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company is obligated to purchase $10.0 million of component inventory annually, with a total committed amount of $40.0 million over a four-year term. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had no remaining purchase commitments under the second year of the agreement. The Company's total non-cancelable long-term purchase commitments outstanding as of June 30, 2024 was $20.0 million.
The Company leases its facilities under operating leases that expire at various dates through 2033. There have been no material changes in the Company's lease obligations compared to those discussed in Note 7 to its annual consolidated financial statements.
Legal Proceedings
Lynwood Investment CY Limited v. F5 Networks et al.
On June 8, 2020, Lynwood Investment CY Limited (“Lynwood”) filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against the Company and certain affiliates, along with other defendants. In its complaint, Lynwood claims to be the assignee of all rights and interests of Rambler Internet Holding LLC (“Rambler”), and alleges that the intellectual property in the NGINX software originally released by the co-founder of NGINX in 2004 belongs to Rambler (and therefore Lynwood, by assignment) because the software was created and developed while the co-founder was employed by Rambler. Lynwood asserted 26 causes of action against the various defendants, including copyright infringement, violation of trademark law, tortious interference, conspiracy, and fraud. The complaint sought damages, disgorgement of profits, declarations of copyright and trademark ownership, trademark cancellations, and injunctive relief. Lynwood also initiated several trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which have all since been suspended.
In August and October 2020, the Company and the other defendants filed motions to dismiss Lynwood’s case. On March 25 and 30, 2021, the Court granted the Company’s and the other defendants’ motions to dismiss with leave to amend. Lynwood filed its amended complaint on April 29, 2021, seeking the same relief against the Company and other defendants. On May 27, 2021, the Company and other defendants filed a consolidated motion to dismiss.
The Court granted the consolidated motion to dismiss without leave to amend on August 16, 2022 and entered final judgment against Lynwood on September 9, 2022. On September 14, 2022, Lynwood filed a notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to appeal the dismissal. Lynwood filed its opening brief on December 16, 2022. The Company filed its opening appellate brief on April 10, 2023, and Lynwood filed its reply on May 31, 2023. Following the Court’s order granting the consolidated motion to dismiss and final judgment in the Company’s favor, the Court subsequently granted the Company attorneys' fees of over $0.8 million, which Lynwood appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The dismissal appeal and the fees appeal were heard by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on December 7, 2023. The Court of Appeals has not yet ruled on the appeals.
In addition to the above matters, the Company is subject to a variety of legal proceedings, claims, investigations, and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, including intellectual property litigation. Management believes that the Company has meritorious defenses to the allegations made in its pending cases and intends to vigorously defend these lawsuits; however, the Company is unable to currently determine if an unfavorable outcome is probable or estimate any potential amount or range of possible loss of these or similar matters. There are many uncertainties associated with any litigation and these actions or other third-party claims against the Company may cause it to incur costly litigation and/or substantial settlement charges that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
The Company records an accrual for loss contingencies for legal proceedings when it believes that an unfavorable outcome is both (a) probable and (b) the amount or range of any possible loss is reasonably estimable. The Company has not recorded any accrual for loss contingencies associated with such legal proceedings or the investigations discussed above.
9. Income Taxes
The Company's tax provision for interim periods is determined using an estimated annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items in the related period.
The effective tax rate was 16.0% and 18.4% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, compared to 16.4% and 22.0% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2023, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 as compared to the three and nine months ended June 30, 2023 is primarily due to the tax impact of stock-based compensation.
At June 30, 2024, the Company had $81.4 million of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. It is anticipated that the Company’s existing liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits will change within the next twelve months due to audit settlements or the expiration of statutes of limitations. The Company does not expect these changes to be material to the consolidated financial statements. The Company recognizes interest and, if applicable, penalties for any uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense.
The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as the income tax of multiple state and foreign jurisdictions. The Company has concluded all U.S. federal income tax matters for fiscal years through September 30, 2018. Major jurisdictions where there are wholly-owned subsidiaries of F5, Inc. which require income tax filings include the United Kingdom, Singapore, Israel, and India. The earliest periods open for review by local taxing authorities are fiscal years 2022 for the United Kingdom, 2019 for Singapore, 2018 for Israel, and 2018 for India. The Company is under audit by the Internal Revenue Service for fiscal year 2019, by various states for fiscal years 2018 through 2022, and by various foreign jurisdictions including India for fiscal years 2018 to 2023, Israel for fiscal years 2018 to 2022, Saudi Arabia for fiscal years 2015 to 2020, and Singapore for fiscal years 2019 to 2021.
10. Shareholders' Equity
Common Stock Repurchase
On July 25, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized an additional $1.0 billion for its common stock share repurchase program. This authorization is incremental to the existing $5.4 billion program, initially approved in October 2010 and expanded in subsequent fiscal years. Acquisitions for the share repurchase programs will be made from time to time in private transactions, accelerated share repurchase programs, or open market purchases as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements. The programs can be terminated at any time.
The following table summarizes the Company's repurchases and retirements of its common stock under its Stock Repurchase Program (in thousands, except per share data):
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Shares repurchased
873
1,812
2,338
2,075
Average price per share
$
171.98
$
137.99
$
171.11
$
139.75
Amount repurchased
$
150,018
$
250,036
$
400,047
$
290,041
As of June 30, 2024, the Company had $522.4 million remaining authorized to purchase shares under its share repurchase program.
Basic net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common and dilutive common stock equivalent shares outstanding during the period. The Company's nonvested restricted stock units do not have nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents and are not considered participating securities that should be included in the computation of earnings per share under the two-class method.
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per share (in thousands, except per share data):
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Numerator
Net income
$
144,079
$
88,976
$
401,482
$
242,814
Denominator
Weighted average shares outstanding — basic
58,584
59,977
58,832
60,133
Dilutive effect of common shares from stock options and restricted stock units
563
337
629
330
Weighted average shares outstanding — diluted
59,147
60,314
59,461
60,463
Basic net income per share
$
2.46
$
1.48
$
6.82
$
4.04
Diluted net income per share
$
2.44
$
1.48
$
6.75
$
4.02
Anti-dilutive stock-based awards excluded from the calculations of diluted earnings per share were not material for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.
12. Segment Information
Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision-maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Management has determined that the Company is organized as, and operates in, one reportable operating segment.
Revenues by Geographic Location and Other Information
The Company does business in three main geographic regions: the Americas (primarily the United States); Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and the Asia Pacific region (APAC). The Company's chief operating decision-maker reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis accompanied by information about net product revenues and revenues by geographic region. The Company's foreign offices conduct sales, marketing, research and development, and support activities. Revenues are attributed by geographic location based on the location of the customer.
The following presents revenues by geographic region (in thousands):
The Company continues to offer its products through a range of consumption models, from physical systems to software solutions and managed services. The following presents net product revenues by systems and software (in thousands):
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Net product revenues
Systems revenue
$
129,845
$
154,659
$
406,873
$
536,379
Software revenue
178,644
173,516
507,637
472,935
Total net product revenue
$
308,489
$
328,175
$
914,510
$
1,009,314
The following distributors of the Company's products accounted for more than 10% of total net revenue:
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Ingram Micro, Inc.
15.7
%
14.3
%
16.5
%
16.1
%
Synnex Corporation
15.9
%
15.8
%
16.0
%
14.7
%
Carahsoft Technology Corporation
10.5
%
10.7
%
—
—
The Company tracks assets by physical location. Long-lived assets consist of property and equipment, net, and are shown below (in thousands):
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Americas:
United States
$
114,885
$
125,736
Other
1,758
2,592
Total Americas
116,643
128,328
EMEA
22,734
24,336
APAC
14,861
17,758
$
154,238
$
170,422
13. Restructuring Charges
In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the Company initiated a restructuring plan to match strategic and financial objectives and optimize resources for long-term growth, including a reduction in force program. The Company recorded a restructuring charge of $9.8 million and did not record any significant subsequent charges related to the first quarter of fiscal 2024 restructuring plan.
In the third quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company initiated a restructuring plan to better align strategic and financial objectives, optimize operations, and drive efficiencies for long-term growth and profitability, including a reduction in force affecting approximately 620 employees, or approximately 9% of the Company’s global workforce as of April 19, 2023. This included $53.2 million in severance benefits costs and related employer payroll taxes, and $3.5 million in charges related to the reduction of its leased facility space. The Company incurred $56.7 million in restructuring costs and did not record any significant subsequent charges related to the third quarter of fiscal 2023 restructuring plan.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company initiated a restructuring plan to match strategic and financial objectives and optimize resources for long term growth, including a reduction in force program. The Company recorded a restructuring charge of $8.7 million and did not record any significant subsequent charges related to the first quarter of fiscal 2023 restructuring plan.
During the nine months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, the following activity was recorded (in thousands):
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
Employee Severance, Benefits and Related Costs
Accrued expenses, beginning of period
$
3,496
$
—
Restructuring charges1
8,655
61,933
Cash payments
(11,615)
(53,560)
Accrued expenses, end of period
$
536
$
8,373
(1) Includes relief of unused benefits and foreign currency fluctuations.
Charges related to employee severance, benefits, and related costs are reflected in the restructuring charges line item on the Company's consolidated income statements.
Item 2.Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations, strategies, intentions or other characterizations of future events or circumstances and are generally identified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current information and expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Part II, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" herein and in other documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statements.
Overview
F5 is a leading provider of multicloud application security and delivery solutions which enable our customers to develop, deploy, operate, secure, and govern applications in any architecture, from on-premises to the public cloud. Our enterprise-grade application services are available as cloud-based, software-as-a-service, and software-only solutions optimized for multicloud environments, with modules that can run independently, or as part of an integrated solution on our high-performance appliances. We market and sell our products primarily through multiple indirect sales channels in the Americas; Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and the Asia Pacific region (APAC). Enterprise customers (Fortune 1000 or Business Week Global 1000 companies) in the technology, telecommunications, financial services, transportation, education, manufacturing and health care industries, along with government customers, continue to make up the largest percentage of our customer base.
Our management team monitors and analyzes a number of key performance indicators in order to manage our business and evaluate our financial and operating performance on a consolidated basis. Those indicators include:
•Revenues. Our revenue is derived from the sales of both global services and products. Our global services revenue includes annual maintenance contracts, training and consulting services. The majority of our product revenues are derived from sales of our application security and delivery solutions including our BIG-IP software and systems, F5 NGINX software, and our F5 Distributed Cloud Services offerings. Our BIG-IP software solutions are sold both on a perpetual license and a subscription basis. We sell F5 NGINX on a subscription basis. F5 Distributed Cloud Services provides security, multicloud networking, and edge-based computing solutions, encompassing software solutions from what were previously branded as our Shape, Volterra, and Silverline product offerings. F5 Distributed Cloud Services are offered on a subscription basis, under a unified software-as-a-service ("SaaS") platform.
We monitor the sales mix of our revenues within each reporting period. We believe customer acceptance rates of our new products, feature enhancements and consumption models are indicators of future trends. We also consider overall revenue concentration by geographic region as an additional indicator of current and future trends. In fiscal 2023 and as we entered fiscal 2024, continued customer budget constraints brought on by uncertainties in the macroeconomic environment led to delays in customer purchase decisions. The impact of these buying patterns led to softer demand for both our software and systems products and services. Over the course of fiscal 2024, we have seen customer demand stabilizing. During our third quarter of fiscal 2024, we saw early signs of improving demand, however, we will continue to closely monitor the macroeconomic environment and its impacts on our business.
•Cost of revenues and gross margins. We strive to control our cost of revenues and thereby maintain our gross margins. Significant items impacting cost of revenues are hardware costs paid to our contract manufacturers, third-party software license fees, software-as-a-service infrastructure costs, amortization of developed technology and personnel and overhead expenses. In addition, factors such as sales price, product and services mix, inventory obsolescence, returns, component price increases, warranty costs, and global supply chain constraints could significantly impact our gross margins.
•Operating expenses. Operating expenses are substantially driven by personnel and related overhead expenses. Existing headcount and future hiring plans are the predominant factors in analyzing and forecasting future operating expense trends. Other significant operating expenses that we monitor include marketing and promotions, travel, professional fees, computer costs related to the development of new products and provision of services, facilities and depreciation expenses.
•Liquidity and cash flows. Our financial condition remains strong with significant cash and investments. The increase in cash and investments for the first nine months of fiscal year 2024 was primarily due to cash provided by operating activities of $545.9 million, partially offset by $400.0 million of cash used for the repurchase of outstanding common stock under our stock repurchase program. Going forward, we believe the primary driver of cash flows will be net income from operations. We will continue to evaluate possible acquisitions of, or investments in businesses, products, or technologies that we believe are strategic, which may require the use of cash. Additionally, on January 31, 2020, we entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement (the "Revolving Credit Agreement") that provides for a senior unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $350.0 million (the "Revolving Credit Facility"). We have the option to increase commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility from time to time, subject to certain conditions, by up to $150.0 million. As of June 30, 2024, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, and we had available borrowing capacity of $350.0 million.
•Balance sheet. We view cash, short-term and long-term investments, deferred revenue, accounts receivable balances and days sales outstanding as important indicators of our financial health. Total deferred revenues remained relatively flat for the first three quarters of fiscal 2024. Our days sales outstanding for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024 was 54. Days sales outstanding is calculated by dividing ending accounts receivable by revenue per day for a given quarter.
Summary of Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of our financial condition and results of operations requires us to make judgments and estimates that may have a significant impact upon our financial results. We believe that, of our significant accounting policies, revenue recognition requires estimates and assumptions that require complex, subjective judgments by management, which can materially impact reported results. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
There were no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates compared to the critical accounting policies and estimates described in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. Refer to the "New Accounting Pronouncements" section of Note 1 in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for a summary of the new accounting policies.
Impact of Current Macroeconomic Conditions
Our overall performance depends in part on worldwide economic and geopolitical conditions and their impacts on customer behavior. Uncertain economic conditions, including inflation, higher interest rates, slower growth, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, and other changes in economic conditions, may adversely affect our results of operations and financial performance. For further discussion of the potential impacts of recent macroeconomic events on our business, financial condition, and operating results, see Part 1, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, related notes and risk factors included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
(in thousands, except percentages)
Net revenues
Products
$
308,489
$
328,175
$
914,510
$
1,009,314
Services
387,006
374,467
1,154,936
1,096,881
Total
$
695,495
$
702,642
$
2,069,446
$
2,106,195
Percentage of net revenues
Products
44.4
%
46.7
%
44.2
%
47.9
%
Services
55.6
53.3
55.8
52.1
Total
100.0
%
100.0
%
100.0
%
100.0
%
Net Revenues. Total net revenues decreased 1.0% and 1.7% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, from the comparable periods in the prior year. The decrease in total net revenues for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to a decrease in product revenues associated with systems, partially offset by an increase in service revenues. The increase in service revenues was primarily due to an increase in the renewal of maintenance contracts on existing perpetual assets held by customers, along with continued realization of price increases from prior periods. International revenues represented 48.0% and 48.0% of total net revenues for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, compared to 46.8% and 47.3% for the same periods in the prior year, respectively.
Net Product Revenues. Net product revenues decreased 6.0% and 9.4% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, from the comparable periods in the prior year. The decrease in net product revenues was primarily due to a decrease in systems sales, partially offset by an increase in software revenue primarily from packaged software sales.
The following presents net product revenues by systems and software:
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
(in thousands, except percentages)
Net product revenues
Systems revenue
$
129,845
$
154,659
$
406,873
$
536,379
Software revenue
178,644
173,516
507,637
472,935
Total net product revenue
$
308,489
$
328,175
$
914,510
$
1,009,314
Percentage of net product revenues
Systems revenue
42.1
%
47.1
%
44.5
%
53.1
%
Software revenue
57.9
52.9
55.5
46.9
Total net product revenue
100.0
%
100.0
%
100.0
%
100.0
%
Software Revenues. As a component of net product revenues, software revenues increased 3.0% and 7.3% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, from the comparable periods in the prior year.
Net Service Revenues. Net service revenues increased 3.3% and 5.3% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, from the comparable periods in the prior year. The increase in net service revenues for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 was the result of the renewal of maintenance agreements associated with perpetual offerings as customers continue to utilize their assets for longer periods of time, as well as the realization of price increases from prior periods.
The following distributors of our products accounted for more than 10% of total net revenue:
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Ingram Micro, Inc.
15.7
%
14.3
%
16.5
%
16.1
%
Synnex Corporation
15.9
%
15.8
%
16.0
%
14.7
%
Carahsoft Technology Corporation
10.5
%
10.7
%
—
—
The following distributors of our products accounted for more than 10% of total receivables:
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2023
Ingram Micro, Inc.
10.5
%
—
Synnex Corporation
12.3
%
16.0
%
Carahsoft Technology Corporation
11.1
%
10.1
%
No other distributors accounted for more than 10% of total net revenue or receivables.
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
(in thousands, except percentages)
Cost of net revenues and gross profit
Products
$
80,813
$
87,940
$
248,834
$
286,590
Services
55,612
53,743
165,093
165,754
Total
136,425
141,683
413,927
452,344
Gross profit
$
559,070
$
560,959
$
1,655,519
$
1,653,851
Percentage of net revenues and gross margin (as a percentage of related net revenue)
Products
26.2
%
26.8
%
27.2
%
28.4
%
Services
14.4
14.4
14.3
15.1
Total
19.6
20.2
20.0
21.5
Gross margin
80.4
%
79.8
%
80.0
%
78.5
%
Cost of Net Product Revenues. Cost of net product revenues consists of finished products purchased from our contract manufacturers, manufacturing overhead, freight, warranty, provisions for excess and obsolete inventory, software-as-a-service infrastructure costs and amortization expenses in connection with developed technology from acquisitions. Cost of net product revenues decreased $7.1 million, or 8.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and decreased $37.8 million, or 13.2% for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 from the comparable periods in the prior year primarily due to a decrease in systems revenue.
Cost of Net Service Revenues. Cost of net service revenues consists of the salaries and related benefits of our professional services staff, travel, facilities and depreciation expenses. For the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, cost of net service revenues as a percentage of net service revenues was 14.4% and 14.3%, respectively, compared to 14.4% and 15.1% for the comparable periods in the prior year, respectively. Professional services headcount at the end of June 2024 increased to 1,088 from 1,045 at the end of June 2023.
Operating expenses (as a percentage of net revenue)
Sales and marketing
29.5
%
29.5
%
29.7
%
32.0
%
Research and development
17.9
18.3
17.7
19.6
General and administrative
9.5
9.2
9.6
9.5
Restructuring charges
—
8.1
0.4
3.1
Total
56.9
%
65.1
%
57.4
%
64.2
%
Sales and Marketing. Sales and marketing expenses consist of salaries, commissions and related benefits of our sales and marketing staff, the costs of our marketing programs, including public relations, advertising and trade shows, travel, facilities and depreciation expenses. Sales and marketing expenses decreased $1.7 million, or 0.8% for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and decreased $58.1 million, or 8.6% for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 from the comparable periods in the prior year. The decrease in sales and marketing expense for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to a decrease of $2.3 million and $37.2 million, respectively, in personnel costs from the comparable periods in the prior year. In addition, commissions for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 decreased $9.9 million from the comparable period in the prior year. Sales and marketing headcount at the end of June 2024 decreased to 2,166 from 2,194 at the end of June 2023. Sales and marketing expenses included stock-based compensation expense of $20.8 million and $63.8 million for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $22.6 million and $75.2 million for the same periods in the prior year, respectively.
Research and Development. Research and development expenses consist of the salaries and related benefits of our product development personnel, prototype materials and other expenses related to the development of new and improved products, facilities and depreciation expenses. Research and development expenses decreased $4.4 million, or 3.4% for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and decreased $46.3 million, or 11.2% for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 from the comparable periods in the prior year. The decrease in research and development expense for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to a decrease of $4.3 million and $35.2 million, respectively, in personnel costs from the comparable periods in the prior year. Research and development headcount at the end of June 2024 decreased to 1,995 from 2,052 at the end of June 2023. Research and development expenses included stock-based compensation expense of $14.8 million and $46.3 million for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $16.3 million and $53.5 million for the same periods in the prior year, respectively.
General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses consist of the salaries, benefits and related costs of our executive, finance, information technology, human resources and legal personnel, third-party professional service fees, facilities and depreciation expenses. General and administrative expenses increased $1.2 million, or 1.8% for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and decreased $4.0 million, or 2.0% for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 from the comparable periods in the prior year. The increase in general and administrative expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to an increase of $1.7 million in personnel costs from the comparable period in the prior year. The decrease in general and administrative expenses for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to a decrease of $6.0 million in fees paid for professional services. General and administrative headcount at the end of June 2024 increased to 874 from 858 at the end of June 2023. General and administrative expenses included stock-based compensation expense of $11.5 million and $32.9 million for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $10.3 million and $32.2 million for the same periods in the prior year, respectively.
Restructuring Charges. In the first fiscal quarter of 2024, and the first and third fiscal quarters of 2023, we completed restructuring plans to better align strategic and financial objectives, optimize operations, and drive efficiencies for long-term growth and profitability. As a result of the first fiscal quarter of 2024 restructuring initiative, we recorded a charge of $8.7 million, net of adjustments, related to a reduction in workforce that is reflected in our results for the nine months ended June 30, 2024. As a result of the first and third fiscal quarters of 2023 restructuring initiatives, we recorded charges of $8.7 million and
$56.7 million, respectively, related to a reduction in workforce and exit of leased space that is reflected in our results for the nine months ended June 30, 2023.
Three months ended June 30,
Nine months ended June 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
(in thousands, except percentages)
Other income and income taxes
Income from operations
$
163,090
$
103,569
$
467,566
$
300,827
Other income, net
8,529
2,896
24,385
10,335
Income before income taxes
171,619
106,465
491,951
311,162
Provision for income taxes
27,540
17,489
90,469
68,348
Net income
$
144,079
$
88,976
$
401,482
$
242,814
Other income and income taxes (as percentage of net revenue)
Income from operations
23.4
%
14.8
%
22.6
%
14.3
%
Other income, net
1.3
0.4
1.2
0.5
Income before income taxes
24.7
15.2
23.8
14.8
Provision for income taxes
4.0
2.5
4.4
3.3
Net income
20.7
%
12.7
%
19.4
%
11.5
%
Other Income, Net. Other income, net consists primarily of interest income and expense and foreign currency transaction gains and losses. The increase in other income, net for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to an increase in interest income of $3.5 million from our investments, as well as a decrease in foreign currency losses of $1.7 million compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase in other income, net for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily due to an increase in interest income of $13.5 million from our investments and a decrease in interest expense of $3.0 million compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase in other income, net for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 was partially offset by an increase in foreign currency losses of $3.1 million compared to the same period in the prior year.
Provision for Income Taxes. The effective tax rate was 16.0% and 18.4% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, compared to 16.4% and 22.0% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2023, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2024, as compared to the three and nine months ended June 30, 2023, is primarily due to the tax impact of stock-based compensation.
We record a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to the amount we believe is more likely than not to be realized. In making these determinations we consider historical and projected taxable income, and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in assessing the appropriateness of a valuation allowance. Our net deferred tax assets at June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 were $337.5 million and $290.7 million, respectively. The net deferred tax assets include valuation allowances of $42.0 million and $43.9 million as of June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively, which are primarily related to certain state and foreign net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards.
Our worldwide effective tax rate may fluctuate based on a number of factors, including variations in projected taxable income in the various geographic locations in which we operate, the impact of stock-based compensation, changes in the valuation of our net deferred tax assets, resolution of potential exposures, tax positions taken on tax returns filed in the various geographic locations in which we operate, and the introduction of new accounting standards or changes in tax laws or interpretations thereof in the various geographic locations in which we operate. We have recorded liabilities to address potential tax exposures related to business and income tax positions we have taken that could be challenged by taxing authorities. The ultimate resolution of these potential exposures may be greater or less than the liabilities recorded, which could result in an adjustment to our future tax expense.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments totaled $942.9 million as of June 30, 2024, compared to $808.4 million as of September 30, 2023, representing an increase of $134.5 million. The increase was primarily due to cash provided by operating activities of $545.9 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2024, partially offset by cash used for the repurchase of common stock during the nine months ended June 30, 2024 of $400.0 million.
Cash provided by operating activities for the first nine months of fiscal year 2024 resulted from net income of $401.5 million combined with changes in operating assets and liabilities, as adjusted for various non-cash items including stock-based compensation, deferred revenue, depreciation, impairment and amortization charges. Cash provided by operating activities for the first nine months of fiscal year 2024 increased from the comparable period in the prior year primarily due to an increase in cash received from customers.
Cash from operations could be affected by various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the effects of the risks detailed in Part 1, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. However, we anticipate our current cash, cash equivalents and investment balances, anticipated cash flows generated from operations, and available borrowing capacity on the Revolver Credit Facility will be sufficient to meet our liquidity needs.
Cash used in investing activities was $53.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2024, compared to cash provided by investing activities of $44.0 million for the same period in the prior year. Investing activities include purchases, sales and maturities of available-for-sale securities, business acquisitions and capital expenditures. The amount of cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 was primarily the result of $32.9 million in cash paid for acquisitions and $24.4 million in capital expenditures related to maintaining our operations worldwide.
Cash used in financing activities was $355.1 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2024, compared to cash used in financing activities of $591.9 million for the same period in the prior year. Our financing activities for the nine months ended June 30, 2024 primarily consisted of $400.0 million of cash used to repurchase shares of common stock. In addition, $10.0 million in cash was used for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards. Cash used in financing activities was partially offset by cash received from the exercise of employee stock options and stock purchases under our employee stock purchase plan of $54.9 million.
On January 31, 2020, we entered into a Revolving Credit Agreement (the "Revolving Credit Agreement") that provides for a senior unsecured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $350.0 million (the "Revolving Credit Facility"). We have the option to increase commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility from time to time, subject to certain conditions, by up to $150.0 million. As of June 30, 2024, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, and we had available borrowing capacity of $350.0 million.
Obligations and Commitments
As of June 30, 2024, our principal commitments consisted of obligations outstanding under operating leases and purchase obligations with one of our component suppliers.
We lease our facilities under operating leases that expire at various dates through 2033. There have been no material changes in our principal lease commitments compared to those discussed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.
In October 2022, we entered into an unconditional purchase commitment with one of our suppliers for the delivery of systems components. Under the terms of the agreement, we are obligated to purchase $10 million of component inventory annually, with a total committed amount of $40 million over a four-year term. As of June 30, 2024, we had no remaining purchase commitments under the second year of the agreement. Our total non-cancelable long-term purchase commitments outstanding as of June 30, 2024 was $20.0 million.
We have a contractual obligation to purchase inventory components procured by our primary contract manufacturer in accordance with our annual build forecast. The contractual terms of the obligation contain cancellation provisions, which reduce our liability to purchase inventory components for periods greater than one year. In order to support our build forecast, we will, from time-to-time prepay our primary contract manufacturer for inventory purchases.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The anticipated impact of recent accounting pronouncements is discussed in Note 1 to the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Item 3.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk. We maintain an investment portfolio of various holdings, types, and maturities. Our primary objective for holding fixed income securities is to achieve an appropriate investment return consistent with preserving principal and managing risk. At any time, a sharp rise in market interest rates could have a material adverse impact on the fair value of our fixed income investment portfolio. Conversely, declines in interest rates, including the impact from lower credit spreads, could have a material adverse impact on interest income for our investment portfolio. Our fixed income investments are held for purposes other than trading. Our fixed income investments were not leveraged as of June 30, 2024. We monitor our interest rate and credit risks, including our credit exposures to specific rating categories and to individual issuers. We believe the overall credit quality of our portfolio is strong.
Inflation Risk. We are actively monitoring the current inflationary environment, but we do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. If our costs were to become subject to significant inflationary pressures, we may not be able to fully offset such higher costs through price increases. Our inability or failure to do so could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. If the current inflationary environment constrains our customers’ ability to procure goods and services from us, we may see customers reprioritize these investment decisions. These macroeconomic conditions could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Foreign Currency Risk. The majority of our sales, cost of net revenues, and operating expenses are denominated in U.S. dollars and as a result, we have not experienced significant foreign currency transaction gains and losses to date. While we conduct transactions in foreign currencies and expect to continue to do so, we do not anticipate that foreign currency transaction gains or losses will be significant at our current level of operations. However, as we continue to expand our operations internationally, transaction gains or losses may become significant in the future.
Management believes there have been no material changes to our quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk during the nine month period ended June 30, 2024, compared to those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023.
Item 4.Controls and Procedures
The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) which are designed to ensure that required information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the required timeframe, as specified in the rules set forth by the Securities Exchange Commission. Our disclosure controls and procedures are also designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2024 and, based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of June 30, 2024.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended June 30, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.
See Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to Financial Statements (Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q) for information regarding legal proceedings in which we are involved.
Item 1A.Risk Factors
There have been no material changes to our risk factors from those described in Part 1, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 14, 2023.
Item 2.Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
On July 25, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized an additional $1.0 billion for its common stock share repurchase program. This authorization is incremental to the existing $5.4 billion program, initially approved in October 2010 and expanded in subsequent fiscal years. Acquisitions for the share repurchase programs will be made from time to time in private transactions, accelerated share repurchase programs, or open market purchases as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements. The programs can be terminated at any time. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had $522.4 million remaining authorized to purchase shares under its share repurchase program.
Shares repurchased and retired for the three months ended June 30, 2024 are as follows (in thousands, except shares and per share data):
Total Number
of Shares
Purchased1
Average Price Paid per Share
Total Number of Shares Purchased per the Publicly Announced Plan
Approximate Dollar
Value of Shares
that May Yet be
Purchased
Under the Plan2
April 1, 2024 — April 30, 2024
—
—
—
$
672,421
May 1, 2024 — May 31, 2024
879,915
$
171.93
872,209
$
522,421
June 1, 2024 — June 30, 2024
—
—
—
$
522,421
(1)Includes 7,706 shares withheld from restricted stock units that vested in the third quarter of fiscal 2024 to satisfy minimum tax withholding obligations that arose on the vesting of restricted stock units.
(2)Shares withheld from restricted stock units that vested to satisfy minimum tax withholding obligations that arose on the vesting of such awards do not deplete the dollar amount available for purchases under the repurchase program.
Rule 10b5-1 and Non-Rule 10b5-1 Trading Arrangements
During the three months ended June 30, 2024, certain of our officers and directors adopted or terminated Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements as follows:
On May 23, 2024, Chad Whalen, EVP, Worldwide Sales, adopted a written plan intended to satisfy the affirmative defense of Rule 10b5-1(c) that is designed to be in effect until June 27, 2025 with respect to the sale of 15,579 Company shares.
XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on this 6th day of August, 2024.
F5, INC.
By:
/s/ FRANCIS J. PELZER
Francis J. Pelzer
Executive Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer
(principal financial officer and principal accounting officer)