Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLK) impressive run in the market does not come as a surprise. Cloud computing has emerged as a bright spot in 2020, amid the pandemic ravaged economy. With global public cloud spending growing by as much as 6%, the company remains well-positioned to be one of the beneficiaries, which explains 50% plus run in the market.
Cloud Competing opportunity
Ahead of the release of its quarterly results in December, the company’s fundamentals remain strong, attributed to the ever-burgeoning global cloud market. Investors are increasingly jostling for positions in data monitoring and analytics platforms such as Splunk as global cloud spending is poised to top $364 billion.
As an old player in the data monitoring and analytics industry, the company has accrued substantial market share allowing it to shrug off stiff-competition in pursuit of revenues. When it comes to revenue generation, it is by far the industry leader despite facing stiff competition.
The company’s growth metrics and long-term prospects remain solid thanks to an update of data and analytics software. Likewise, the company has been transitioning to a customer billing model that reflects modern needs. The transition has helped affirm and strengthen the company’s revenue base.
Annual recurring revenue was up 50% in the second quarter to $1.93 billion, mostly driven by an 89% increase in cloud ARR. Over the next three years, ARR is expected to grow at an average of 40% and clock highs of $4.6 billion by 2023.
While the stock has pulled lower significantly from its all-time highs of, the plunge does not in any way spell doubt about the company’s growth metrics. The fact that the market has been unpredictable lately is one of the reasons why the stock is lower.
A better than expected earnings call could be the catalysts to propel the stock even higher. While the stock trades for 14 times its current expected revenue, it is a discount to some of its peers.