Snowflake shares target slashed by $50, Needham maintains buy rating By Investing.com

On Thursday, Needham, a financial services firm, revised its price target for Snowflake Inc . (NYSE: NYSE:), lowering it to $160 from the previous target of $210. Despite the reduction, the firm has maintained a Buy rating on the company’s shares. This adjustment follows Snowflake’s performance in the July quarter, where it exceeded both its guidance and the sell-side models.

Despite outperforming expectations, Snowflake’s shares dipped in after-market trading. Investors had anticipated stronger revenue growth in the October quarter and an increase in the operating margin guidance. The company’s decision to raise its FY25 revenue guidance after a 2% beat versus guidance this quarter, without doing the same last quarter after a stronger 5% beat, has seemingly confused investors.

Needham believes that Snowflake is poised to outperform the updated guidance for the remainder of the year. This outlook is underpinned by the company’s Net Retention rate, which is expected to stabilize around the mid-120% range, and the recent approximately 30% year-over-year growth in committed remaining performance obligations (cRPO).

The firm’s reiterated operating margin guidance reflects management’s strategic choice to accelerate sales and marketing hires, which Needham interprets as a bullish signal for Snowflake’s position in the infrastructure software sector.

Snowflake’s current market situation presents a mixed picture, with its strong performance metrics being weighed against investor expectations and strategic decisions. The updated price target by Needham reflects a recalibration in light of these factors while still signaling confidence in the company’s long-term prospects.

In other recent news, Snowflake Inc. has been the focus of various financial analyst firms following its strong second-quarter financial results. The cloud-based data warehousing company reported a 29.5% year-over-year increase in product revenue, reaching $829 million. This robust performance led Snowflake to raise its fiscal year 2025 product revenue guidance to $3.356 billion, a 26% increase year over year.

Goldman Sachs maintained its Conviction Buy rating on Snowflake, emphasizing the company’s stability in consumption and optimization trends. Despite a downward revision of Snowflake’s price target to $175, DA Davidson continued to endorse the stock with a Buy rating. However, Guggenheim maintained a neutral rating on Snowflake due to a slowdown in New Annual Recurring Revenue growth.

Jefferies reduced the company’s price target to $145, maintaining a Buy rating, while Evercore ISI reiterated an Outperform rating alongside a $170.00 price target. Despite these adjustments, both firms expressed confidence in Snowflake’s future growth. These recent developments provide a snapshot of the varying perspectives of different analyst firms on Snowflake’s performance and prospects.

InvestingPro Insights

As Snowflake Inc. navigates the complexities of market expectations and strategic decisions, real-time data from InvestingPro provides a deeper understanding of the company’s financial health and stock performance. With a market capitalization of $45.22 billion, Snowflake holds a significant position in the infrastructure software sector. Notably, the company’s liquid assets surpass its short-term obligations, showcasing a robust balance sheet that holds more cash than debt. This financial stability is a positive indicator for investors considering the company’s ability to manage its obligations and invest in growth opportunities.

Despite not being profitable over the last twelve months, analysts predict Snowflake will turn a profit this year. This projection aligns with Needham’s optimistic view of the company’s future performance. However, the stock has experienced considerable volatility, reflected in a 40.14% decline over the last six months. This underscores the importance of monitoring Snowflake’s stock movements and market sentiment.

InvestingPro Tips further reveal that Snowflake is trading at a high revenue valuation multiple and a high Price/Book multiple of 9.92. While these metrics indicate a premium valuation, they also suggest that investors have high expectations for the company’s growth and profitability. For those interested in a more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers additional insights, with a total of 7 InvestingPro Tips available for Snowflake at Investing.com/pro/SNOW.

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