FireEye Reports Financial Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019

FireEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE), the intelligence-led security company, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2019.

“We continue to accelerate our transformation to a comprehensive security solutions company,” said Kevin Mandia, FireEye chief executive officer. “Our higher growth solutions, which include Platform, Cloud Subscription, Managed Services and Mandiant services, were 59 percent of our billings in the fourth quarter and increased 23 percent from a year ago. We anticipate that these solutions will continue to eclipse the on-premise portion of our business in 2020."

Fourth Quarter 2019 Financial Results

• Revenue of $235 million increased 8 percent from the fourth quarter of 2018 and was above the guidance range of $224 million to $228 million.
• Billings of $274 million increased 3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2018 and were below the guidance range of $285 million to $295 million.1
• GAAP gross margin was 66 percent of revenue, compared to 68 percent of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018.
• Non-GAAP gross margin was 73 percent of revenue, compared to 75 percent of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018, and was consistent with the guidance of approximately 73 percent of revenue.1
• GAAP operating margin was negative 15 percent of revenue, compared to negative 17 percent of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018.
• Non-GAAP operating margin was 7 percent of revenue, compared to 5 percent of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018, and was above the guidance range of 3 percent to 5 percent of revenue.1
• GAAP net loss per share was $0.23, compared to GAAP net loss per share of $0.25 in the fourth quarter of 2018.
• Non-GAAP net income per diluted share was $0.07, compared to non-GAAP net income per diluted share of $0.06 in the fourth quarter of 2018, and was above the guidance range of $0.03 to $0.05.1
• Cash flow provided by operating activities was $40 million, compared to cash flow provided by operating activities of $31 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, and was below the guidance range of $57 million to $67 million.

2019 Financial Results

• Revenue of $889 million increased 7 percent from 2018 and was above the guidance range of $878 million to $882 million.
• Billings of $926 million increased 8 percent from 2018 and were below the guidance range of $937 million to $947 million.1
• GAAP gross margin was 65 percent of revenue, compared to 67 percent of revenue in 2018.
• Non-GAAP gross margin was 73 percent of revenue, compared to 75 percent of revenue in 2018, and was consistent with the guidance of approximately 73 percent of revenue.1
• GAAP operating margin was negative 24 percent of revenue, compared to negative 22 percent of revenue in 2018.
• Non-GAAP operating margin was 1 percent of revenue, compared to 3 percent of revenue in 2018, and was at the high end of the guidance range of 0 percent to 1 percent of revenue.1
• GAAP net loss per share was $1.24, compared to GAAP net loss per share of $1.27 in 2018.
• Non-GAAP net income per diluted share was $0.05, compared to non-GAAP net income per diluted share of $0.08 in 2018, and was above the guidance range of $0.01 to $0.03.1
• Cash flow provided by operating activities was $68 million, compared to cash flow provided by operating activities of $17 million in 2018, and was below the guidance range of $85 million to $95 million.

1 A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures is provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

“While billings, revenue, and operating cash flow were at record levels, fourth quarter billings were impacted by a two-month decrease in the average contract length for our subscription and support contracts," said Frank Verdecanna, FireEye chief financial officer and chief accounting officer. “The decrease reduced fourth quarter total billings by approximately $15 million compared to what they would have been at the fourth quarter 2018 average contract length. The average contract length does not impact annual recurring revenue, which was up six percent sequentially. Our outlook for the first quarter and full year 2020 assumes the average contract length for our subscription and support billings will decline two to three months compared to 2019."

First Quarter and 2020 Outlook

FireEye provides guidance based on current market conditions and expectations.

For the first quarter of 2020, FireEye currently expects:

• Revenue in the range of $222 million to $226 million.
• Billings in the range of $165 million to $175 million.
• Non-GAAP gross margin as a percent of revenue of approximately 71 percent.
• Non-GAAP operating margin as a percent of revenue in the range of negative 3 percent to negative 5 percent.
• Non-GAAP net loss per share between $0.03 and $0.05.
• Cash flow provided by operating activities between negative $5 million and positive $5 million.
• Capital expenditures of approximately $10 million.

Non-GAAP net loss per share for the first quarter assumes interest income on cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments will offset cash interest expense associated with the company’s convertible senior notes, provision for income taxes of between $1.5 million and $2.0 million, and weighted average basic shares outstanding of approximately 217 million.

For 2020, FireEye currently expects:

• Revenue in the range of $935 million to $945 million.
• Billings in the range of $930 million to $950 million.
• Non-GAAP gross margin as a percent of revenue of approximately 71 percent.
• Non-GAAP operating margin as a percent of revenue between 5 percent and 6 percent.
• Non-GAAP net income per diluted share between $0.20 and $0.24.
• Cash flow provided by operating activities between $65 million and $85 million.
• Capital expenditures of approximately $40 million.

Non-GAAP net income per diluted share for 2020 assumes interest income on cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments will offset cash interest expense associated with the company’s convertible senior notes, provision for income taxes of between $6 million and $8 million, and weighted average diluted shares outstanding of approximately 228 million.

Guidance for non-GAAP financial measures excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes, and other non-recurring items. A reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to corresponding GAAP measures is not available on a forward-looking basis due to the uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, the amounts of stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, and non-recurring expenses that may be incurred in the future. Stock-based compensation expense is impacted by the company’s future hiring and retention needs, as well as the future fair market value of the company’s common stock, all of which are difficult to predict and subject to constant change. The actual amount of stock-based compensation in the first quarter of 2020 and full year 2020 will have a significant impact on the company’s GAAP operating margin and net loss per share. Further, amortization of intangible assets, as well as other non-recurring expenses, if any, will also impact results. Accordingly, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure guidance to the corresponding GAAP measures for future periods is not available without unreasonable effort.

Organizational Changes Announced

The company also announced that President Travis Reese will retire as an executive of FireEye on March 1, 2020, and will subsequently join the FireEye Advisory Board.

Kevin Mandia commented, “Travis has been a vital member of the leadership team driving the transformation of our business. On behalf of the Board of Directors and management team, I wish to thank Travis for his hard work and leadership as well as his deep insights into the cyber security industry and threat landscape. Although we will miss Travis’ day-to-day counsel, I am grateful he will remain a member of the FireEye family as an advisor and look forward to his continued involvement in the company.”

Additionally, the company announced that Peter Bailey has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and that Bill Robbins has been appointed Chief Revenue Officer of the company and General Manager of Products.

Conference Call Information

FireEye will host a conference call today, February 5, 2020, at 5 p.m. Eastern time (2 p.m. Pacific time) to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2019 financial results and the company’s outlook for the first quarter and full year 2020. Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing 877-312-5521 (domestic) or 678-894-3048 (international). A live audio webcast of the call can be accessed from the Investor Relations section of the company's website at https://investors.fireeye.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available at the same website shortly after the conclusion of the live event.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements related to future financial results for the first quarter and full year 2020, including revenue, billings, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net loss per share, non-GAAP net income per diluted share, cash flow provided by operating activities, interest income and expense, provision for income taxes, weighted average basic shares outstanding, weighted average diluted shares outstanding, and capital expenditures in the section entitled “First Quarter and 2020 Outlook” above, as well as expectations regarding FireEye higher growth solutions in 2020.

These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions which, if they do not fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause FireEye’s results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties that could cause FireEye’s results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include customer demand and adoption of FireEye’s products and services; real or perceived defects, errors or vulnerabilities in FireEye's products or services; any delay in the release of FireEye's new products or services; FireEye's ability to react to trends and challenges in its business and the markets in which it operates; FireEye's ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products and services to meet those needs; FireEye’s ability to hire and retain key executives and employees; FireEye’s ability to attract new and retain existing customers and train its sales force; the budgeting cycles, seasonal buying patterns and length of FireEye’s sales cycle; risks associated with new offerings; sales and marketing execution risks; the failure to achieve expected synergies and efficiencies of operations between FireEye and its acquired companies; the ability of FireEye and its acquired companies to successfully integrate their respective market opportunities, technologies, products, personnel and operations; the ability of FireEye and its partners to execute their strategies, plans, objectives and expected investments with respect to FireEye’s partnerships; and general market, political, economic, and business conditions, as well as those risks and uncertainties included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in FireEye’s Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 1, 2019, which should be read in conjunction with these financial results and is available on the Investor Relations section of FireEye’s website at investors.fireeye.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to the company as of the date hereof, and FireEye does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law. Any future product, service, feature, or related specification that may be referenced in this release is for informational purposes only and is not a commitment to deliver any offering, technology or enhancement. FireEye reserves the right to modify future product or service plans at any time.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this release FireEye has provided financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). These non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any standardized methodology and are not necessarily comparable to similar measures used by other companies. The company uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally in analyzing its financial results and believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as an additional tool to evaluate ongoing operating results and trends, and in comparing the company's financial results with other companies in its industry, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should be read only in conjunction with the company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the company's non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures has been provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation.

Billings. FireEye defines billings as revenue recognized plus the change in deferred revenue from the beginning to the end of the period. FireEye excludes deferred revenue assumed in connection with acquisitions from the billings calculation. The company considers billings to be a useful metric for management and investors because billings drive deferred revenue balances, which are an important indicator of the company’s future revenues. Revenue recognized from deferred revenue represents a significant percentage of quarterly revenue. There are a number of limitations related to the use of billings versus revenue calculated in accordance with GAAP. First, billings include amounts that have not yet been recognized as revenue. Second, FireEye’s calculation of billings may be different from other companies in its industry, some of which may not use billings, may calculate billings differently, may have different billing frequencies, or may use other financial measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of billings as a comparative measure. FireEye compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding GAAP revenue and evaluating billings together with revenue calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Non-GAAP gross margin, operating income, operating margin, net income (loss), and net income (loss) per share. FireEye defines non-GAAP gross margin as total gross profit excluding stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, and, as applicable, other special or non-recurring items, divided by total revenue.

FireEye defines non-GAAP operating income (loss) as operating income (loss) excluding stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses, restructuring charges, and other special or non-recurring items. FireEye defines non-GAAP operating margin as non-GAAP operating income divided by total revenue.

FireEye defines non-GAAP net income (loss) as net income (loss) excluding stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition-related expenses, restructuring charges, other special or non-recurring items, non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes, and discrete tax provision (benefits). FireEye defines non-GAAP net income per diluted share as non-GAAP net income divided by weighted average diluted shares outstanding. Weighted average diluted shares used to calculate non-GAAP net income per diluted share excludes shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes that are anti-dilutive. FireEye defines non-GAAP net loss per share as non-GAAP net loss divided by weighted average basic shares outstanding, which excludes stock options, restricted stock units, performance stock units, and shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes that are anti-dilutive.

Non-GAAP net income and net income per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2019 excluded stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, restructuring charges, non-cash interest expense related to convertible senior notes issued in June 2015 and the second quarter of 2018, and discrete provision for income taxes. Weighted average diluted shares outstanding used to calculate non-GAAP net income per diluted share excluded shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes that are anti-dilutive.

Non-GAAP net income and net income per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2018 excluded stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, non-cash interest expense related to convertible senior notes issued in June 2015 and the second quarter of 2018, and discrete benefit from income taxes. Weighted average diluted shares outstanding used to calculate non-GAAP net income per diluted share excluded shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes that are anti-dilutive.

Non-GAAP net income and net income per diluted share for 2019 excluded stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, acquisition related expenses, restructuring charges, non-cash interest expense related to convertible senior notes issued in June 2015 and the second quarter of 2018, and discrete benefit from income taxes. Weighted average diluted shares outstanding used to calculate non-GAAP net income per diluted share excluded shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes that are anti-dilutive.

Non-GAAP net income and net income per diluted share for 2018 excluded stock-based compensation expense, amortization of intangible assets, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, acquisition related expenses, non-cash interest expense related to convertible senior notes issued in June 2015 and the second quarter of 2018, non-cash losses on the repurchase and retirement of $340 million principal amount of the 1.000% Convertible Senior Notes due 2035, and discrete benefit from income taxes. Weighted average diluted shares outstanding used to calculate non-GAAP net income per diluted share excluded shares issuable upon conversion of the company's convertible senior notes that are anti-dilutive.

FireEye considers these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful metrics for management and investors because they exclude the effect of stock-based compensation expense, amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, amortization of intangible assets, acquisition related expenses, non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes, amounts deemed repayment of accreted debt discount on repurchased convertible senior notes, change in fair value of contingent earn-out liability, restructuring charges, and other non-recurring and discrete items so that management and investors can compare the company's core business operating results over multiple periods.

There are a number of limitations related to the use of these non-GAAP financial measures versus their nearest GAAP equivalents. First, these non-GAAP financial measures exclude stock-based compensation expense. Stock-based compensation is an important part of FireEye employees' overall compensation and has been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, a significant recurring expense in the company's business. Second, the components of the costs that FireEye excludes in its calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures, including not only stock-based compensation, but also amortization of stock-based compensation expense capitalized in software development costs, non-recurring or non-operating items such as acquisition related expenses, legal settlement costs, amortization of intangible assets, non-cash interest expense related to the company’s convertible senior notes, amounts deemed repayment of accreted debt discount on convertible senior notes, non-cash losses related to the retirement of convertible senior notes prior to maturity, change in fair value of contingent earn-out liability, restructuring charges, and discrete tax benefits, may differ from the components excluded by peer companies when they report their non-GAAP results of operations. FireEye compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from non-GAAP financial measures and evaluating non-GAAP financial measures together with their nearest GAAP equivalents.

About FireEye, Inc.

FireEye is the intelligence-led security company. Working as a seamless, scalable extension of customer security operations, FireEye offers a single platform that blends innovative security technologies, nation-state grade threat intelligence, and world-renowned Mandiant® consulting. With this approach, FireEye eliminates the complexity and burden of cyber security for organizations struggling to prepare for, prevent, and respond to cyber attacks. FireEye has over 8,800 customers across 103 countries, including more than 50 percent of the Forbes Global 2000.

© 2020 FireEye, Inc. All rights reserved. FireEye and Mandiant are registered trademarks or trademarks of FireEye, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

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