Analyst Consensus ?
ConsensusBuy15 ratings
Bullish960.0%
Neutral533.3%
Bearish16.7%
VeriSign, Inc. · VRSN · FY2025 Q4 · Calendar Q1 2026
VeriSign: AI traffic supports growth, but execution remains the test
The supplied analysis offers partial support for a durable-growth view: management points to AI-driven traffic, registrar programs, and new services as growth drivers, but the evidence still depends on conversion into domain growth and execution of the 2026 plan.
Reported After market closeNASDAQTechnology
$25.50B market cap
100quality score
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS
$2.23
Consensus $2.35
EPS surprise
-5.1%
Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue
$425.3M
Consensus $424.4M
Revenue surprise
+0.2%
Reported versus consensus
Market reaction
event-close to next-session close
Stock move
-7.6%
Event window
SPY move
+1.9%
Same window
Abnormal move
-9.5%
Stock minus SPY
Volume
3.6×
Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift
+8.1%
Up to 20 sessions
VRSNSPY benchmark
Ask FN2 about VRSN FY2025 Q4
Transcript, numbers and history already loaded
Why did VRSN fall 7.6% after missing EPS estimates in FY2025 Q4?What changed in VRSN's guidance and outlook in FY2025 Q4?Give me the bull and bear case for VRSN after FY2025 Q4 earnings.
Free account. Your question opens in FN2 with this report's transcript and numbers attached.
Transcript intelligence
What changed
The current analysis shifts the focus toward AI-related DNS demand, higher 2026 capex, possible security offerings, and the ICANN new-gTLD process. Relative to the prior analysis, the domain base is described as reaching a record 173.5 million and management’s 2026 outlook calls for modest revenue growth with higher operating margin.
Guidance delta
Maintained in the supplied transcript analysis; 2026 revenue guidance is described as $1.715–$1.735 billion.
Key takeaways
- Management identified AI-driven internet traffic and DNS queries as an important growth driver.
- The domain base reached a record 173.5 million, while 2026 guidance calls for modest revenue growth and higher operating margin.
- Higher capex is planned for capacity expansion and replacement of end-of-life equipment.
- The supplied scorecard shows EPS below consensus while revenue was approximately in line; the analysis does not attribute the variance to a specific cause.
Management priorities
- Expand capacity and replace end-of-life equipment in 2026.
- Develop potential security and functionality services.
- Use registrar marketing programs to support registrations and renewal categories.
- Evaluate opportunities in the upcoming ICANN new-gTLD round.
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Try FN2 freeEarnings History
Estimate
Beat
Miss
Match
Analyst 52W Price Targets
$277.68Current
$215Low
$280.8Average
$355High
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Sep 29, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wedbush | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Sep 1, 2026 |
| JP Morgan | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Citigroup | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Baird | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Apr 24, 2026 |
| CFRA | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Apr 27, 2020 |
| B. Riley FBR | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | May 5, 2018 |
| Cowen & Co. | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Oct 2, 2015 |
| Credit Suisse | Underperform | Neutral | Downgrade | Jan 26, 2015 |
| Wells Fargo | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Jun 27, 2014 |
| B. Riley Securities | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Jul 26, 2013 |
| Topeka Capital | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Feb 5, 2013 |
| Topeka | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Feb 5, 2013 |
| First Analysis | Equal Weight | Overweight | Downgrade | Nov 26, 2012 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 27, 2012 |
| Stifel | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 27, 2012 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $277.68. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wedbush | Analyst unavailable | $341 | $288.28 | +22.8% | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Wedbush | Analyst unavailable | $324 | $261.58 | +16.7% | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $355 | $276.95 | +27.8% | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $325 | $233.01 | +17.0% | Oct 24, 2025 |
| Robert W. Baird | Rob Oliver | $250 | $191.14 | -10.0% | Dec 9, 2024 |
| Citigroup | Ygal Arounian | $215 | $190.64 | -22.6% | Sep 27, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | Rob Oliver | $265 | $200.86 | -4.6% | Dec 15, 2022 |
| Citigroup | Analyst unavailable | $243 | $199.69 | -12.5% | Dec 13, 2022 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $210 | $182.37 | -24.4% | Apr 29, 2022 |
Track every rating change on VRSN the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationVeriSign, Inc., along with its affiliates, provides fundamental internet infrastructure and domain name registration services, which enable global web navigation across numerous recognized online addresses. The company plays a crucial role in upholding the security, stability, and resilience of internet systems and services. This includes its function as the root zone maintainer, operating two of the thirteen internet root servers globally, and delivering essential registration and authoritative lookup services for the widely used .com and .net domains, which are vital for worldwide online commerce. Beyond these, VeriSign also manages the underlying technical systems for several other top-level domains, such as .cc, .gov, .edu, and .name. Its operational scope further encompasses distributed server management, network infrastructure, cybersecurity, and ensuring data integrity. Established in 1995, VeriSign, Inc. maintains its corporate headquarters in Reston, Virginia.
Historical context
All VRSN earningsTechnology peers this season
Latest reports in the same sector| Company | Quarter | EPS surprise | Market move | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNX TD Synnex Corp | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +20.9% | -9.9% | TD SYNNEX: AI-led growth accelerates, but mix and cash flow matter |
| ADBE Adobe Inc. | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +0.8% | +1.4% | Adobe raises FY26 outlook as AI strategy broadens |
| ORCL Oracle Corporation | FY2027 Q1 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +10.3% | -1.7% | Oracle raises FY27 outlook as AI demand accelerates cloud growth |
| SAIL SailPoint, Inc. | FY2027 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +13.8% | -1.2% | SailPoint pairs 25% ARR growth with accelerating AI-driven adoption |
| CIEN Ciena Corporation | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +22.0% | -10.4% | Ciena raises outlook as AI networking demand lifts backlog |
| DOCU DocuSign, Inc. | FY2027 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026 | +6.4% | +3.7% | DocuSign Q2 FY27: IAM momentum supports a raised outlook |
Latest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
- COSTFY2026 Q4 · September 24, 2026+3.2% EPS+2.9% move
- SNXFY2026 Q3 · September 24, 2026+20.9% EPS-9.9% move
- DRIFY2027 Q1 · September 24, 20260.0% EPS-3.0% move
- CTASFY2027 Q1 · September 23, 2026+3.0% EPS-3.4% move
- PAYXFY2027 Q1 · September 23, 2026+1.5% EPS-8.8% move
- GISFY2027 Q1 · September 23, 2026+4.6% EPS+1.0% move
Get the VRSN recap when the next report posts
One email per quarter with the scorecard, the market reaction and what changed on the call. No account needed.
Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-05-11T10:29:34.698584+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-07-26T00:37:12.209961+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-09-29T13:21:00.214590+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-09-29T13:21:00.211123+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-09-29. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.