While many of the biggest companies in the U.S. have already reported their latest quarterly results this earnings season, there are still some stragglers in the second half of August. Two in particular worth watching this month will be financial software company Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) and enterprise identity specialist Okta (NASDAQ: OKTA).
Ahead of these two companies' earnings reports later this month, here's a preview of some key items to watch.
Intuit
Intuit, provider of popular software platforms for tax prep (TurboTax), bookkeeping (QuickBooks), and personal finance (Mint), has seen a nice run-up this year, rising 42% year to date. That reflects Intuit's strong traction in software solutions for small businesses and the self-employed as well as a robust tax season.
When Intuit reports its fourth-quarter results on Aug. 22, investors will look for the company to keep up its strong revenue growth, which has trended at a year-over-year rate of 12% for three quarters in a row.
In addition, investors should look for more sharp revenue growth in the company's small-business online ecosystem — a category that includes revenue from Intuit's online small-business and self-employed group offerings. Online ecosystem revenue increased 38% year over year in fiscal Q3. Did it keep growing this rapidly in fiscal Q4?
Okta
As with Intuit, investors have been buying up Okta stock in 2019. Shares have surged nearly 110% year to date as investors have been impressed with the company's soaring subscription revenue and free cash flow.
In Okta's most recent quarter (its first quarter of fiscal 2020), overall revenue jumped 50% year over year, driven by a 52% jump in subscription revenue. Bolstering the company's subscription revenue, which accounted for 94% of total revenue, was strength with enterprise customers.
Investors will want to look for more strong growth in enterprise customers, as they can move the needle on Okta's results. To gauge how well the company is doing at attracting these customers, look for Okta's year-over-year growth rate in customers with more than $100,000 in contract value. These customers increased 53% year over year in fiscal Q1.
“The world's largest organizations are increasingly realizing that identity is essential to their cloud, digital transformation, and security initiatives,” said CEO Todd McKinnon in the company's first-quarter earnings release.
Was Okta able to sustain its impressive growth in large customers during fiscal Q2? We'll find out when Okta reports its fiscal second-quarter results after market close on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
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