Latest news with #operationalEfficiency
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can Axon Enterprise Sustain EBITDA Margin Momentum Amid Cost Pressures?
Axon Enterprise, Inc. AXON achieved a solid adjusted EBITDA of $155.2 million in the first quarter of 2025, which increased 9.6% year over year. The company's adjusted EBITDA margin reached 25.7%, reflecting an increase of 200 basis points (bps). This improved margin not only reflects its strong operational efficiency but also benefits from the continued adoption of its premier products and rising operating expenses, AXON's adjusted gross margin grew 40 basis points to 63.6%. The improvement in margins was driven by higher revenues generated from robust sales of TASER 10, Axon Body 4, personal sensors and platform sensor products. It's worth noting that the company reported revenues of $603.6 million in the first quarter, which increased 31.3% year over Enterprise's focus on effective cost management and revenue improvement is likely to expand its margin performance. For 2025, AXON currently expects adjusted EBITDA in the range of $650-$675 million, higher than its previous outlook of $640-$670 million. The updated guided range implies an adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 25%. It's worth noting that, effective first-quarter 2025, Axon Enterprise realigned its business segments. This realignment is expected to enhance the company's visibility into segment-specific performance and enable it to effectively manage its costs. This strategic move will likely support Axon Enterprise's ongoing margin improvement and operational efficiency. While AXON is putting its best foot forward to improve margins, the road ahead for its peers like Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. KTOS and Teledyne Technologies Incorporated TDY looks bumpy as they struggle to maintain healthy its major peers, Kratos Defense is facing cost pressure. In the first quarter of 2025, its cost of sales increased 11.1% year over year, while its SG&A expenses rose 4.8%. Kratos Defense's gross margin declined 30 bps to 24.3% in the Technologies' cost of sales rose 7.8% year over year in first-quarter 2025. The company's SG&A expenses also increased 6.5% year over year. Teledyne Technologies' gross margin declined 320 basis points to 42.7% in the same period. Shares of Axon Enterprise have surged 48.3% in the past three months compared with the industry's growth of 22.5%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, AXON is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 115.81X above the industry's average of 48.85X. Axon Enterprise carries a Value Score of F. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AXON's 2025 earnings has declined 0.8% over the past 60 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 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 Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (TDY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Axon Enterprise, Inc (AXON) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data

Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Flatworld.ai Launches as AI Transformation Partner, Built on BPO Mastery and Agentic AI
PRINCETON, N.J., June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- has been launched as an AI-powered transformation partner, emerging from Flatworld Solutions Inc.'s two-decade track record of BPO mastery in optimizing complex business processes. The new launch is focused on delivering applied AI systems that help enterprises improve operational efficiency by leveraging AI. is shaped by years of engagement in banking, healthcare, retail, and logistics, domains where success depends not only on automation, but on the ability to respond to variability and operate at scale. That operational heritage informs how its AI-powered platforms are built: to reflect existing workflows, accommodate exceptions, and support real-time decision-making. At the centre of approach is Agentic AI, AI systems that support autonomous, logic-driven decisions. offers a modular portfolio of intelligent agents and automation solutions, helping organizations tailor their transformation journey to specific operational priorities. Its offerings span Gen AI, Enterprise AI, AI Consulting, and BI/Analytics—designed to solve industry-specific challenges and deliver measurable impact. That journey encompasses the Front, Middle, and Back Office (FOMOBO): an enterprise-wide scope essential to meaningful transformation. complements its AI capability with what it calls Process Intelligence: a methodology grounded in Lean thinking and Six Sigma principles, built on years of BPO delivery. This enables to bring structure to change and ensure gains are both measurable and sustainable. Key products include: Telena – AI Agent for Intelligent Customer Support A conversational AI agent designed to enhance customer service. Telena taps into business-specific knowledge—SOPs, help articles, and documentation—to deliver accurate, context-aware responses. It integrates with customer systems to read, update, and trigger workflows just like a human agent. Bot@Work – AI Assistant Enhancing Enterprise Productivity A workflow-oriented assistant that automates routine and cognitively demanding tasks like content creation, meeting prep, and research—so employees can focus on higher-order work. MSuite – AI-Powered Platform for Mortgage Process Automation A mature automation platform for the mortgage industry. MSuite integrates AI into core workflows, streamlining document handling, reducing cycle times, and supporting compliance. CURAIDE – AI Assistant for Clinical Documentation Support A healthcare-focused assistant that helps physicians with pre-charting and documentation. CURAIDE auto-generates SOAP notes and summaries—lightening administrative load and supporting patient care. By combining domain-specific insight with AI and automation, helps businesses improve throughput, cut cycle times, and support teams with tools that evolve with how they work. In a landscape where AI adoption is accelerating but implementation remains complex, offers a grounded approach—combining process expertise, automation depth, and adaptable AI systems. Its goal: to help businesses turn ambition into sustainable transformation. Tomorrow, solved. To learn more, visit | Ph: 1-800-296-8744 Photo: Logo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Flatworld Solutions Inc.


TechCrunch
6 days ago
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
Rivian cuts dozens on manufacturing team ahead of R2 launch
Rivian has laid off around 140 employees, or roughly 1% of its workforce, as it prepares for the launch of its more affordable R2 SUV in 2026, TechCrunch has learned. The cuts were mostly made to Rivian's manufacturing team and have been ongoing since Wednesday, according to multiple former employees who were granted anonymity to speak about the layoffs. Some employees were told that the company was eliminating roles that created 'process inefficiencies.' Rivian confirmed the cuts in an email to TechCrunch. 'We have made the difficult decision to reduce a small number of our salaried manufacturing employees as part of an ongoing effort to improve operational efficiency for R2,' a spokesperson wrote. The company said affected employees are being encouraged to apply to other open positions inside the company. Rivian began the year with more than 14,800 workers in North America and Europe, according to its annual filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company has made multiple cuts over the last few years, including a 10% reduction in early 2024, and another layoff of around 1% of staff in April 2024.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Insightful Analyst Questions From EXL's Q1 Earnings Call
ExlService Holdings' first quarter results were met with a positive market reaction, reflecting both broad-based revenue growth and operational efficiency improvements. Management attributed performance to strong momentum across insurance, healthcare and life sciences, banking, and international markets, as well as robust demand for embedded data and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. CEO Rohit Kapoor pointed to the company's 'significant momentum across all our segments,' highlighting that data and AI-led revenue now accounts for over half of total sales. The company's new segment reporting structure was also presented as better aligning with how senior leaders evaluate performance and allocate resources. Is now the time to buy EXLS? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $501 million vs analyst estimates of $491.2 million (14.8% year-on-year growth, 2% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.48 vs analyst estimates of $0.44 (8.8% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $111.2 million vs analyst estimates of $105.8 million (22.2% margin, 5.1% beat) The company slightly lifted its revenue guidance for the full year to $2.05 billion at the midpoint from $2.04 billion Management reiterated its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance of $1.86 at the midpoint Operating Margin: 15.7%, up from 14.1% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $7.15 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Bryan Bergin (TD Cowen) questioned the sustainability of EXL's high revenue visibility and annuity-like contract base; CFO Maurizio Nicolelli explained that 87% of annual revenue is already committed, with 95% overall visibility at the guidance midpoint. Bryan Bergin (TD Cowen) asked whether increased adoption of AI would cannibalize traditional digital operations revenue; CEO Rohit Kapoor replied that AI is implemented with 'human in the loop,' raising revenue per headcount and shifting workforce needs gradually. Surinder Thind (Jefferies LLC) inquired about the durability of EXL's early-mover advantage in AI; Kapoor pointed to decades of investment in domain expertise, analytics, and data science as foundational, emphasizing ongoing reinvestment to maintain leadership. David Grossman (Stifel Europe) probed the potential deflationary impact of AI on the existing business; Kapoor noted less than half of revenue comes from legacy operations, and proactive integration of AI strengthens client relationships and can accelerate growth, rather than suppressing it. Vincent Colicchio (Barrington Research Associates) asked about new competitors in the AI space; Kapoor responded that EXL faces a diverse set of competitors, including startups and large technology firms, but maintains an edge due to deep client integration and workflow expertise. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will closely monitor (1) the pace of client adoption and monetization of and other AI-led solutions, (2) the ability of healthcare and insurance segments to sustain above-market growth amid macro uncertainty, and (3) the impact of rising AI-related investments on adjusted margins. We will also track new client additions and the expansion of outcome-based contracts as indicators of strategic execution. EXL currently trades at $44.55, in line with $44.98 just before the earnings. At this price, is it a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it's free). Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Tahawul Tech
24-06-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Perplexity AI Archives
"We are experiencing a new era of AI that enhances emotional connection in addition to operational efficiency". For further insights from @HP's Peter Oganesean, read the exclusive op-ed below. #HP #tahawultech