Stock Markets May 21, 2026 05:35 PM

Zoom Lifts Full-Year Targets, Pins Growth Hopes on New AI Capabilities

Company raises fiscal 2027 revenue and EPS outlook, adds $1 billion buyback and leans on AI features to win enterprise and consumer spending

By Nina Shah ZM

Zoom Communications raised its fiscal 2027 revenue and adjusted EPS guidance and approved an additional $1 billion share repurchase program, citing stronger demand tied to newly integrated AI agents and companions. The company posted first-quarter revenue that beat expectations, while its second-quarter guidance sits marginally below some analyst estimates.

Zoom Lifts Full-Year Targets, Pins Growth Hopes on New AI Capabilities
ZM

Key Points

  • Zoom raised fiscal 2027 revenue guidance to $5.08 billion - $5.09 billion and increased its annual adjusted EPS outlook to $5.96 - $6.00.
  • The company authorized an additional $1 billion share buyback and reported first-quarter revenue of $1.24 billion, beating estimates of $1.22 billion.
  • Second-quarter guidance is cautious relative to some market estimates - revenue forecast of $1.26 billion - $1.27 billion versus consensus of $1.27 billion, and adjusted EPS guidance of $1.45 - $1.47 versus an average estimate of $1.48. Impacted sectors include technology, enterprise services, and consumer communications.

Zoom Communications on Thursday nudged up its full-year financial targets and signaled confidence that newly embedded artificial intelligence features will help sustain demand from both corporate customers and individual users. The company raised its annual revenue and profit outlook and approved more share repurchases as it continues to integrate AI agents and companions into its meeting and communications offerings.

Shares of the company climbed more than 7% in extended trading following the update.


Updated guidance and buyback authorization

  • For fiscal 2027, Zoom now projects revenue between $5.08 billion and $5.09 billion, up from its earlier range of $5.07 billion to $5.08 billion.
  • The company raised its annual adjusted earnings per share outlook to a range of $5.96 to $6.00, compared with the prior forecast of $5.77 to $5.81.
  • Zoom also authorized an additional $1 billion for share repurchases.

Quarterly forecast and recent results

  • Zoom projected second-quarter revenue between $1.26 billion and $1.27 billion, against consensus estimates of $1.27 billion as compiled by LSEG.
  • Quarterly adjusted EPS was forecast in a range of $1.45 to $1.47, compared with analysts' average estimate of $1.48.
  • For the first quarter ended April 30, revenue came in at $1.24 billion, ahead of estimates of $1.22 billion.

Strategy emphasis

The company has been steadily integrating AI capabilities into its core products, including agents and companion features designed to augment video meetings and broader communications. Management framed these enhancements as central to bolstering the platform's appeal and attracting additional enterprise customers.

Market reaction and short-term considerations

Investors reacted positively to the guidance lift and the expanded buyback authority, with the stock rising sharply in after-hours trade. The quarterly guidance sits close to consensus, with revenue guidance matching or narrowly under some estimates and EPS guidance slightly below the analysts' average.

Zoom's results and outlook underscore the company's focus on monetizing AI-enhanced features and returning capital to shareholders while tracking near-term analyst expectations for revenue and profit.

Risks

  • Second-quarter guidance sits at or marginally below analysts' averages for revenue and EPS, creating near-term sensitivity in equity performance - this affects equity markets and investor sentiment in technology and communications sectors.
  • The company's outlook is tied to adoption of newly introduced AI agents and companions to drive enterprise and consumer spending; adoption rates and customer conversion remain a point of uncertainty for revenue growth in the technology and enterprise software markets.

More from Stock Markets

Toronto market ends at fresh record as healthcare, financials and materials lead gains Jun 4, 2026 After-Hours Movers: Lululemon Dips on Guidance as Software and Data Names Show Mixed Reactions Jun 4, 2026 Lululemon Lowers Fiscal 2026 Revenue and EPS Guidance as U.S. Demand Softens Jun 4, 2026 Anthropic Places Engineers Inside NSA to Support Mythos AI for Offensive Cyber Tasks Jun 4, 2026 Trump Directs $700M Toward Coal Industry, Lifting Peabody Shares Jun 4, 2026