Workday's stock price declines on weak quarterly outlook.

Workday's stock price declines on weak quarterly outlook.
Workday's stock price declines on weak quarterly outlook.
  • Although Workday's October quarter results exceeded expectations, its guidance for the current quarter did not.
  • The human resources and finance software company announced forthcoming artificial intelligence agents.

On Tuesday, the human resources and finance software maker's shares dropped by as much as 8% in extended trading after their quarterly forecast missed Wall Street expectations.

In the fiscal fourth quarter, Workday predicted an adjusted operating margin of 25% on $2.03 billion in subscription revenue. Analysts surveyed by StreetAccount anticipated a 25.5% margin and $2.04 billion in subscription revenue.

In terms of LSEG consensus, how did the company perform during the fiscal third quarter?

  • Earnings per share: $1.89 adjusted vs. $1.76 expected
  • Revenue: $2.16 billion vs. $2.13 billion expected

In the quarter ended on Oct. 31, Workday's total revenue grew approximately 16% year over year, with subscription revenue totaling $1.96 billion, up around 16%, in line with the $1.96 billion consensus among analysts surveyed by StreetAccount.

The company's net income increased by $114 million or 43 cents per share in the same quarter last year, resulting in a net income of $193 million or 72 cents per share. The adjusted operating margin for the quarter was 26.3%, which was higher than the 25.4% expected by StreetAccount.

Rob Enslin, the former UiPath CEO who stepped down in June, has been appointed as president and chief commercial officer at Workday.

In the quarter, Evisort, a contract lifecycle management software startup, was acquired by Workday. Additionally, Workday announced that artificial intelligence agents for identifying inefficiencies, filing expense reports, and updating succession plans would be made available in early access in 2025.

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 index had gained 26%, while Workday shares had fallen 2% in 2024.

Analysts will receive a conference call from executives to discuss the results starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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by Jordan Novet

Technology