Eric Yuan, chief executive of Zoom, predicts an increase in the company’s user base in the remaining year. The firm has seen a surge amid the Covid-19 pandemic with revenue increasing more than four fold in the second quarter. AFP
Eric Yuan, chief executive of Zoom, predicts an increase in the company’s user base in the remaining year. The firm has seen a surge amid the Covid-19 pandemic with revenue increasing more than four fold in the second quarter. AFP
Eric Yuan, chief executive of Zoom, predicts an increase in the company’s user base in the remaining year. The firm has seen a surge amid the Covid-19 pandemic with revenue increasing more than four fold in the second quarter. AFP
Eric Yuan, chief executive of Zoom, predicts an increase in the company’s user base in the remaining year. The firm has seen a surge amid the Covid-19 pandemic with revenue increasing more than four f

Zoom’s Q2 net profit eclipses 2019 earnings as revenue surges


Alkesh Sharma
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Zoom Video Communications said its second-quarter net profit exceeded its full-year earnings for 2019, driven by revenue growth amid the coronavirus-induced crisis.

The $186 million (Dh683.2m) earned during the period was also about 34 times the $5.5m recorded during the same period a year ago, the Nasdaq-listed company said in a regulatory filing on Monday.

The Nasdaq-listed company's revenue for the period reached $663.5m, more than four fold the previous year and exceeding Bloomberg’s average analyst estimates of $500m. Shares of the San Jose-based firm surged 26 per cent on Monday boosting the net worth of its chief executive Eric Yuan by $4.2 billion.

“Organisations are shifting from addressing their immediate business continuity needs to supporting a future of working anywhere, learning anywhere and connecting anywhere,” Mr Yuan said.

“Our ability to keep people around the world connected, coupled with our strong execution, led to [the] revenue growth.”

Zoom said the firm’s ability to acquire new customers and expand across its existing customer base “drove the company’s revenue”. At the end of the second quarter, it had nearly 370,200 customers, with more than 10 employees, a yearly increase of 458 per cent.

Large customers – companies that generated more than $100,000 in revenue for Zoom in the past year – more than doubled to 988 during the quarter.

The company said it increased its revenue outlook for the third quarter and the full financial year, with third quarter revenue to hover between $685m and $690m. For the full year, Zoom estimates revenue between $2.37bn and $2.39bn - which is more than three fold its 2019 earnings, Mr Yuan said.

The video communications platform has been adopted by businesses, schools, universities and individuals due to Covid-19 related movement restrictions and lockdowns. The company expects to increase its user base further in the remaining year.

“At Zoom, we strive to deliver a world-class, frictionless and secure communication experience for our customers across locations, devices and use cases,” Mr Yuan said.

Zoom shares, which started the year at around $69, closed at $410 on Monday. If the stock maintains a similar gain on Tuesday, Mr Yuan's fortune will surpass $20bn, according to Bloomberg data.

Zoom has joined forces with two large corporate customers in recent months, Exxon Mobil and Activision Blizzard, said Mr Yuan, boosting investors’ confidence.

“For the quarter, the year-over-year growth in revenue was primarily due to subscriptions provided to new customers, which accounted for approximately 81 per cent of the increase,” the company’s chief financial officer Kelly Steckelberg said on the conference call.

Zoom has seen a surge in its user base during the Covid-19 pandemic. Reuters
Zoom has seen a surge in its user base during the Covid-19 pandemic. Reuters

Subscriptions to existing customers accounted for 19 per cent of the revenue increase.

“This demand was broad-based across industry verticals, geographies and customer cohorts,” Ms Steckelberg said.

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)