DigitalOcean Surges on Strong Q3 Earnings and AI-Driven Infrastructure Demand
DigitalOcean Holdings Inc. (DOCN), the cloud computing platform and hosting provider, experienced a 20% surge in its shares following robust Q3 2023 earnings and an upward revision of guidance. The company, operating in the Computer and Technology sector, specializes in providing on-demand cloud infrastructure services to start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), with a significant portion of its revenue coming from international sources. Despite challenging conditions for SMBs in the current economic climate, the surge in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) has proven beneficial for DigitalOcean.
AI Application Development with Paperspace
DigitalOcean’s Paperspace machine learning platform facilitates the building and scaling of AI models through high-performance GPU-powered virtual machines, known as droplets, fueled by Nvidia Co. GPUs. These droplets support various pre-configured machine learning networks, including TensorFlow, PyTorch, and MXNet, simplifying the initiation of machine learning projects without the need for intricate installations.
Expansion with Jupyter Notebooks
The company also offers Jupyter integrated development environment (IDE) notebooks, providing a web-based application for collaborative code sharing, visualizations, and equations. The recent acquisition of Paperspace enhances DigitalOcean’s AI/ML capabilities, broadening its market scope.
Q3 Earnings Highlights
DigitalOcean’s Q3 2023 earnings report revealed an earnings per share (EPS) beat of 8 cents, reaching 44 cents compared to consensus estimates of 36 cents. The company reported a Gross Profit of 60% of revenue, with revenues growing by 16.4% year-over-year to $177.06 million. Notably, the Annual Run-Rate Revenue increased by 11% to $713 million. Average Revenue per Customer (ARPU) also rose by 6% to $92.06. The quarter concluded with $384 million in cash and cash equivalents.
Upgraded Guidance and Positive Outlook
DigitalOcean raised its guidance for Q4 2023, targeting $178 million in revenues against consensus estimates of $175.16 million. Additionally, the company expects a non-GAAP EPS of 36 to 37 cents, outperforming analyst estimates of 36 cents, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 36% to 37%.
The full-year 2023 outlook anticipates total revenues of around $690 million, exceeding consensus estimates of $683.4 million, with an adjusted EBITDA margin ranging between 38% and 39%. Non-GAAP diluted net income is projected to be between $1.52 and $1.54 per share, surpassing consensus analyst estimates of $1.42.
Goldman Sachs Upgrade
Goldman Sachs upgraded DigitalOcean shares from Sell to Buy on November 7, 2023, with a 12-month price target of $33 per share. The analysts believe the business is entering a cyclical upswing, evidenced by positive trends in Q3 2023 and contributions from new initiatives, including the Paperspace acquisition and Cloudways expansion.
DigitalOcean’s stock pattern indicates a cup formation, potentially targeting a price gap fill at $31.15. The surge in shares following Q3 earnings and the Goldman Sachs upgrade has positioned the stock for further momentum.