NetApp Divests FinOps Business to Flexera: Will NTAP Stock Gain?

NetApp NTAP recently inked a definitive agreement to divest its Spot by NetApp FinOps business to Flexera, a global technology spend and risk management player. NetApp acquired cloud services startup –– Spot –– in July 2020. The acquisition bolstered NetApp’s Application Driven Infrastructure capabilities. Spot’s compute platform provides customers with solutions that help optimize workloads while maintaining service-level objectives (SLO) and service-level agreements (SLA). Investors responded positively to the divesture announcement, with NTAP’s shares going up 2.3% and closing the trading session at $119.36 on Jan. 15.The Spot by NetApp FinOps business has been instrumental in helping organizations optimize their cloud infrastructure and costs. It saves up to 90% on compute and storage costs by using excess cloud capacity (spot instances) and reduces cloud storage costs by up to 60% with compression, deduplication and tiering. The company had previously undertaken strategic buyouts to bolster its Spot by NetApp portfolio, including the acquisitions of Data Mechanics (June 2021), CloudCheckr (November 2021), Fylamynt (February 2022) and Instaclustr (May 2022). Data Mechanics is a managed platform that enables clients to easily run Apache Spark on Kubernetes.How the Divesture is Proving Beneficial for NTAP & FlexeraThe combination of Spot’s artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-driven technology with Flexera’s hybrid cloud expertise will deliver a robust FinOps solution. This solution will improve financial accountability, streamline cloud operations and support the evolving FinOps landscape, which now encompasses data centers, SaaS applications, public cloud, software licensing and sustainability initiatives.Through this acquisition, Flexera will be able to add advanced features such as Kubernetes cost management and commitment management to its rich FinOps portfolio. It empowers Flexera to build a stronger ecosystem of FinOps Managed Service Providers to meet customers’ changing needs and introduce new DevOps users into its growing customer base.The divesture aligns seamlessly with NetApp’s vision of fostering long-term growth and innovation in the intelligent data infrastructure. While the financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed, the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Once finalized, the divesture is likely to boost NetApp’s financial health and share performance in the cloud storage market.The company’s differentiated portfolio of flash, block, cloud and AI continues to witness steady traction. Driven by strong year-to-date performance and growth in its portfolio, NetApp has raised its 2024 revenue forecast to $6.54-$6.74 billion, with a 6% year-over-year rise at the midpoint. Previously, the guidance was $6.48-$6.68 billion. It also updated its fiscal 2025 non-GAAP earnings per share outlook to $7.20-$7.40, a 13% year-over-year increase at the midpoint compared with the prior view of $7.00-$7.20. In the long term, it expects mid-to-upper single-digit revenue growth and double-digit bottom-line growth on average through fiscal 2027.NTAP’s Zacks Rank & Stock Price PerformanceNTAP currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Shares of the company have gained 39.7% in the past year compared with the sub-industry's growth of 22.5%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchOther Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the broader technology space are InterDigital, Inc. IDCC, Ubiquiti Inc. UI and Qualcomm Incorporated QCOM. IDCC & UI presently sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while QCOM carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.IDCC is a pioneer in advanced mobile technologies that enable wireless communications and capabilities. The company engages in designing and developing a wide range of advanced technology solutions, which are used in digital cellular as well as wireless 3G, 4G and IEEE 802-related products and networks. It has a long-term growth expectation of 17.44%.Ubiquiti’s effective management of its strong global network of more than 100 distributors and master resellers improved its visibility for future demand and inventory management techniques. In the last reported quarter, Ubiquiti delivered an earnings surprise of 20.9%. Its highly flexible global business model remains apt to adapt to the changing market dynamics to overcome challenges while maximizing growth.Qualcomm is well-positioned to meet its long-term revenue targets driven by solid 5G traction, greater visibility and a diversified revenue stream. It is increasingly focusing on the seamless transition from a wireless communications firm for the mobile industry to a connected processor company for the intelligent edge. Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockIt's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM): Free Stock Analysis Report NetApp, Inc. (NTAP): Free Stock Analysis Report InterDigital, Inc. (IDCC): Free Stock Analysis Report Ubiquiti Inc. (UI): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks