Zoom Gears Up to Post Q1 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?

Zoom Communications ZM is scheduled to report its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May 21.

Zoom expects first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues between $1.162 billion and $1.167 billion. Non-GAAP earnings per share are expected in the range of $1.29-$1.31.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ZM’s first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $1.16 billion, indicating a 2.03% increase from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $1.30 per share, which has remained unchanged over the past 90 days. The figure suggests a 3.70% decrease from the year-ago reported figure.

ZM surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 10.33%. (See the Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news.)

Zoom Communications, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Zoom Communications, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Zoom Communications, Inc. Quote

Let us see how things are shaping up for the upcoming announcement.

Factors to Consider

The expansion of Zoom’s AI Companion capabilities is anticipated to have played a major role in boosting the company’s top-line performance. With the launch of AI Companion 2.0 and the rollout of the customizable add-on in April, Zoom began to monetize its agentic AI features. These innovations are likely to have improved customer stickiness and platform engagement in the quarter under review, directly benefiting the top line.

Enterprise is expected to have continued being the dominant growth driver. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, enterprise revenues grew 6% year over year and accounted for 60% of total revenues. The number of customers generating over $100,000 in trailing 12-month revenues grew 7% year over year, while churn rates reached record lows. This trend is expected to have persisted in the to-be-reported quarter, supported by continued momentum in Zoom Phone, Contact Center, and Workvivo, particularly as large deals likely ramped up.

The Online business segment, which includes SMB and individual customers, is expected to have remained flat to slightly down during the quarter. This performance reflects ongoing stabilization trends, including record-low churn levels achieved in the previous quarter. In contrast, Zoom’s Enterprise segment is anticipated to have carried the bulk of the growth in the fiscal first quarter. Large deal wins, such as the deployment of Zoom solutions to Amazon employees and Delta Airlines' adoption of Workvivo, is expected to have reinforced the platform’s relevance and appeal to upmarket clients.

From a bottom-line perspective, strategic investments in AI are expected to have weighed on gross margins, though the company remains committed to achieving long-term efficiency gains. Zoom’s federated AI approach and infrastructure optimization efforts are expected to have helped offset these costs in the fiscal first quarter, keeping operating margins stable near 39%. Additionally, free cash flow in the quarter under review is expected to have been impacted by timing differences, tax conditions and changes in interest rates.

What Our Model Says for ZM

Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.

ZM currently has an Earnings ESP of -1.68% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks to Consider

Here are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat earnings in their upcoming releases:

NVIDIA NVDA currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.87% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

NVDA shares have gained 0.8% in the year-to-date (YTD) period. It is slated to report its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May 28.

Ralph Lauren RL has an Earnings ESP of +2.72% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

RL shares have gained 18.9% YTD. It is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 22.

Amer Sports, Inc. AS has an Earnings ESP of +1.06% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

AS shares have gained 11.4% YTD. It is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2025 results on May 20.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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