Workday (WDAY)


Market Price (9/12/2026): $184.96 | Market Cap: $45.3 BilInvestor Relations Sector: Information Technology | Industry: Application Software

Workday (WDAY)


Market Price (9/12/2026): $184.96
Market Cap: $45.3 Bil
Sector: Information Technology
Industry: Application Software

Investment Highlights Why It Matters Detailed financial logic regarding cash flow yields vs trend-riding momentum.

0

Attractive cash flow generation
CFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 30%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 28%, CFO LTM is 3.1 Bil, FCF LTM is 2.8 Bil

Attractive yield
FCF Yield is 6.2%

Stock buyback support
Stock Buyback 3Y Total is 6.8 Bil

Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Automation & Robotics, Future of Work, Show more.

Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -69%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -97%

Significant share based compensation
SBC/Rev LTMShare Based Compensation / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 16%

Key risks
WDAY key risks include [1] intense competitive pressure from both legacy and cloud-native rivals challenging its premium pricing model, Show more.

0 Attractive cash flow generation
CFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 30%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 28%, CFO LTM is 3.1 Bil, FCF LTM is 2.8 Bil
1 Attractive yield
FCF Yield is 6.2%
2 Stock buyback support
Stock Buyback 3Y Total is 6.8 Bil
3 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Automation & Robotics, Future of Work, Show more.
4 Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -69%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -97%
5 Significant share based compensation
SBC/Rev LTMShare Based Compensation / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 16%
6 Key risks
WDAY key risks include [1] intense competitive pressure from both legacy and cloud-native rivals challenging its premium pricing model, Show more.

WDAY in ETFs

Weight = WDAY's share of each fund

SPY0.06%
VOO0.05%
IVV0.06%
VTI0.04%
ITOT0.06%
QQQ0.17%
QQQM0.17%
IWB0.06%
+42 more covered ETFs

Valuation & Metrics

Price Chart

Why The Stock Moved

Qualitative Assessment

AI Analysis | Feedback

Updated on 9/8/2026

Workday (WDAY) stock has gained about 25% since 5/31/2026 because of the following key factors:

1. Workday exceeded fiscal Q2 2027 earnings expectations and raised its full-year guidance. The company announced its fiscal Q2 2027 results on August 27, 2026 (for the quarter ended July 31, 2026), reporting a non-GAAP diluted EPS of $2.75, surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.61. Total revenues reached $2.649 billion, a 12.8% increase year-over-year, slightly above the $2.64 billion analyst estimate. Following these strong results, Workday raised its fiscal year 2027 subscription revenue guidance to a range of $9.940 billion to $9.950 billion, representing 13% growth, and increased its non-GAAP operating margin guidance to 31.0%.

2. Strong momentum and adoption of Workday's AI products significantly contributed to growth. Artificial intelligence is becoming a strategic driver for customer expansion, with over 25% of new annual contract value (ACV) now stemming from AI products. Furthermore, Workday reported that over 5,500 customers are actively utilizing at least one Workday AI agent, marking a more than 35% increase from the prior quarter. The AI-related annual recurring revenue (ARR) neared $600 million in fiscal Q2 2027, demonstrating a more than 200% year-over-year rise.

Show more
Updated on 9/8/2026

Workday (WDAY) stock has gained about 25% since 5/31/2026 because of the following key factors:

1. Workday exceeded fiscal Q2 2027 earnings expectations and raised its full-year guidance. The company announced its fiscal Q2 2027 results on August 27, 2026 (for the quarter ended July 31, 2026), reporting a non-GAAP diluted EPS of $2.75, surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.61. Total revenues reached $2.649 billion, a 12.8% increase year-over-year, slightly above the $2.64 billion analyst estimate. Following these strong results, Workday raised its fiscal year 2027 subscription revenue guidance to a range of $9.940 billion to $9.950 billion, representing 13% growth, and increased its non-GAAP operating margin guidance to 31.0%.

2. Strong momentum and adoption of Workday's AI products significantly contributed to growth. Artificial intelligence is becoming a strategic driver for customer expansion, with over 25% of new annual contract value (ACV) now stemming from AI products. Furthermore, Workday reported that over 5,500 customers are actively utilizing at least one Workday AI agent, marking a more than 35% increase from the prior quarter. The AI-related annual recurring revenue (ARR) neared $600 million in fiscal Q2 2027, demonstrating a more than 200% year-over-year rise.

3. The announcement of a new $4 billion share repurchase program boosted investor confidence. Workday's board authorized a new share repurchase program totaling $4.0 billion. This was announced after the company successfully completed a previous $5 billion share repurchase program six months ahead of schedule during fiscal Q2 2027, signaling strong financial health and a commitment to returning value to shareholders.

4. Positive analyst sentiment and increased price targets reflected a favorable outlook. Following the fiscal Q2 2027 earnings report, several analysts upgraded Workday's stock or increased their price targets. For example, Wall Street Zen upgraded Workday from a "hold" to a "buy" rating. Other firms raised their price objectives, including Bank of America from $140.00 to $205.00, Monness Crespi & Hardt from $202.00 to $218.00, D.A. Davidson from $135.00 to $190.00, and Royal Bank of Canada from $220.00 to $240.00. The consensus among analysts shifted to a "Buy" rating for Workday stock.

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Stock Movement Drivers

Fundamental Drivers

The 27.0% change in WDAY stock from 5/31/2026 to 9/11/2026 was primarily driven by a 43.3% change in the company's Net Income Margin (%).
(LTM values as of)53120269112026Change
Stock Price ($)146.19185.7027.0%
Change Contribution By: 
Total Revenues ($ Mil)9,85410,1553.1%
Net Income Margin (%)8.6%12.3%43.3%
P/E Multiple43.836.4-16.9%
Shares Outstanding (Mil)2542453.6%
Cumulative Contribution27.0%

LTM = Last Twelve Months as of date shown

Market Drivers

5/31/2026 to 9/11/2026
ReturnCorrelation
WDAY27.0% 
Market (SPY)1.0%6.1%
Sector (XLK)-1.8%-25.4%

Fundamental Drivers

The 38.8% change in WDAY stock from 2/28/2026 to 9/11/2026 was primarily driven by a 77.1% change in the company's Net Income Margin (%).
(LTM values as of)22820269112026Change
Stock Price ($)133.76185.7038.8%
Change Contribution By: 
Total Revenues ($ Mil)9,23110,15510.0%
Net Income Margin (%)7.0%12.3%77.1%
P/E Multiple55.436.4-34.3%
Shares Outstanding (Mil)2662458.4%
Cumulative Contribution38.8%

LTM = Last Twelve Months as of date shown

Market Drivers

2/28/2026 to 9/11/2026
ReturnCorrelation
WDAY38.8% 
Market (SPY)11.7%-2.5%
Sector (XLK)35.4%-15.3%

Fundamental Drivers

The -19.5% change in WDAY stock from 8/31/2025 to 9/11/2026 was primarily driven by a -65.5% change in the company's P/E Multiple.
(LTM values as of)83120259112026Change
Stock Price ($)230.82185.70-19.5%
Change Contribution By: 
Total Revenues ($ Mil)8,95910,15513.3%
Net Income Margin (%)6.5%12.3%89.3%
P/E Multiple105.636.4-65.5%
Shares Outstanding (Mil)2672458.8%
Cumulative Contribution-19.5%

LTM = Last Twelve Months as of date shown

Market Drivers

8/31/2025 to 9/11/2026
ReturnCorrelation
WDAY-19.5% 
Market (SPY)19.5%8.6%
Sector (XLK)43.6%-3.3%

Fundamental Drivers

The -24.0% change in WDAY stock from 8/31/2023 to 9/11/2026 was primarily driven by a -52.8% change in the company's P/S Multiple.
(LTM values as of)83120239112026Change
Stock Price ($)244.50185.70-24.0%
Change Contribution By: 
Total Revenues ($ Mil)6,71710,15551.2%
P/S Multiple9.54.5-52.8%
Shares Outstanding (Mil)2612456.5%
Cumulative Contribution-24.0%

LTM = Last Twelve Months as of date shown

Market Drivers

8/31/2023 to 9/11/2026
ReturnCorrelation
WDAY-24.0% 
Market (SPY)75.7%30.4%
Sector (XLK)117.7%23.3%

Return vs. Risk

Price Returns Compared

 202120222023202420252026Total [1]
Returns
WDAY Return14%-39%65%-7%-17%-14%-23%
Peers Return21%-18%13%32%-13%0%29%
S&P 500 Return27%-19%24%23%16%11%102%

Monthly Win Rates [3]
WDAY Win Rate42%42%75%58%50%33% 
Peers Win Rate57%37%53%62%42%47% 
S&P 500 Win Rate75%42%67%75%67%44% 

Max Drawdowns [4]
WDAY Max Drawdown-21%-51%-19%-33%-24%-48% 
Peers Max Drawdown-22%-34%-30%-20%-37%-39% 
S&P 500 Max Drawdown-5%-25%-10%-8%-19%-9% 


[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2021
[2] Peers: ORCL, ADP, PAYC, PCTY, NOW. See WDAY Returns vs. Peers.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2026 data is for the year up to 9/11/2026 (YTD)

How Low Can It Go

EventWDAYS&P 500
2025 US Tariff Shock
  % Loss-19.4%-18.8%
  % Gain to Breakeven24.1%23.1%
  Time to Breakeven34 days79 days
2022 Inflation Shock & Fed Tightening
  % Loss-48.2%-24.5%
  % Gain to Breakeven93.1%32.4%
  Time to Breakeven526 days427 days
2020 COVID-19 Crash
  % Loss-42.4%-33.7%
  % Gain to Breakeven73.5%50.9%
  Time to Breakeven112 days140 days
Q4 2018 Fed Policy Error / Growth Scare
  % Loss-17.2%-19.2%
  % Gain to Breakeven20.7%23.8%
  Time to Breakeven13 days105 days
2016-2017 Trump Reflation Bond Selloff
  % Loss-27.3%-3.7%
  % Gain to Breakeven37.5%3.9%
  Time to Breakeven126 days6 days
2015-2016 China Devaluation / Global Growth Scare
  % Loss-42.3%-12.2%
  % Gain to Breakeven73.4%13.9%
  Time to Breakeven198 days62 days

Compare to ORCL, ADP, PAYC, PCTY, NOW

In The Past

Workday's stock fell -19.4% during the 2025 US Tariff Shock. Such a loss loss requires a 24.1% gain to breakeven.

Preserve Wealth

Limiting losses and compounding gains is essential to preserving wealth.

Asset Allocation

Actively managed asset allocation strategies protect wealth. Learn more.

EventWDAYS&P 500
2022 Inflation Shock & Fed Tightening
  % Loss-48.2%-24.5%
  % Gain to Breakeven93.1%32.4%
  Time to Breakeven526 days427 days
2020 COVID-19 Crash
  % Loss-42.4%-33.7%
  % Gain to Breakeven73.5%50.9%
  Time to Breakeven112 days140 days
2016-2017 Trump Reflation Bond Selloff
  % Loss-27.3%-3.7%
  % Gain to Breakeven37.5%3.9%
  Time to Breakeven126 days6 days
2015-2016 China Devaluation / Global Growth Scare
  % Loss-42.3%-12.2%
  % Gain to Breakeven73.4%13.9%
  Time to Breakeven198 days62 days
2014-2016 Oil Price Collapse
  % Loss-46.3%-6.8%
  % Gain to Breakeven86.2%7.3%
  Time to Breakeven234 days15 days

Compare to ORCL, ADP, PAYC, PCTY, NOW

In The Past

Workday's stock fell -19.4% during the 2025 US Tariff Shock. Such a loss loss requires a 24.1% gain to breakeven.

Preserve Wealth

Limiting losses and compounding gains is essential to preserving wealth.

Asset Allocation

Actively managed asset allocation strategies protect wealth. Learn more.

About Workday (WDAY)

Workday, Inc. is a global provider of enterprise cloud applications designed to help businesses and organizations manage their operations more effectively. The company's core mission is to enable customers to plan, execute, analyze, and extend their various business functions through a unified, cloud-based platform, driving efficiency and informed decision-making across the enterprise.

The company offers a comprehensive suite of specialized applications. Its key products include financial management solutions, which assist chief financial officers with accounting, financial processes, real-time insights, and auditability. Workday also provides cloud spend management tools for streamlining supplier interactions and sourcing events. A flagship offering is its Human Capital Management (HCM) solution, which covers the entire employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding to payroll, development, and retirement. Additionally, Workday provides applications for business planning, as well as robust analytics and reporting tools that incorporate augmented analytics, machine learning, and performance benchmarking.

Workday serves a broad array of industries around the world. Its primary customer base spans sectors such as professional and business services, financial services, healthcare, education, government, technology, media, retail, and hospitality. By offering integrated cloud applications, Workday aims to address the complex operational needs of diverse organizations seeking to modernize and optimize their core business functions.

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Analogy 1: Salesforce for a company's internal operations, like HR and finance.

Analogy 2: A cloud-native alternative to SAP or Oracle for managing human resources and financial operations.

AI Analysis | Feedback

Workday's major products are enterprise cloud applications:

  • Financial Management: A suite of applications enabling chief financial officers to manage accounting, financial processes, insights, consolidation, and internal controls.
  • Spend Management: Cloud solutions for streamlining supplier selection, contracts, indirect spend management, and sourcing events.
  • Human Capital Management (HCM): A comprehensive suite of applications that manage the entire employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to payroll, development, and retirement.
  • Planning: Applications that help customers plan their business and operations.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Tools providing insights through augmented analytics, machine learning for efficiency, and performance benchmarking.

AI Analysis | Feedback

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Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)

AI Analysis | Feedback

Workday's leadership team includes its co-founder, CEO, and Chair, Aneel Bhusri, and Chief Financial Officer, Zane Rowe, along with other key executives. Here is an overview of up to five management team members:

Aneel Bhusri
Co-Founder, CEO and Chair

Aneel Bhusri is the co-founder, CEO, and Chair of Workday, which he co-founded in 2005. He previously held leadership positions at PeopleSoft, including Vice Chairman, where he was responsible for product strategy and marketing until the company's acquisition by Oracle in 2004. Bhusri is also a partner at Greylock Partners, a venture capital firm he joined in 1999, focusing on investments in cloud technologies. He has been an investor in and served on the boards of several companies, including being the lead investor and Chairman of Data Domain, which was acquired by EMC.

Zane Rowe
Chief Financial Officer

Zane Rowe is the Chief Financial Officer at Workday, a role he assumed effective June 12, 2023. In this position, he oversees the company's finance, accounting, investor relations, tax, and treasury functions. Prior to joining Workday, Rowe served as Executive Vice President and CFO of VMware, where he also held the interim CEO position from February to May 2021. His extensive career includes CFO roles at EMC and United Airlines (formerly Continental Airlines), and leading North America sales for Apple. He currently serves on the board of directors for eBay, Inc.

Rob Enslin
President, Chief Commercial Officer

Rob Enslin serves as President and Chief Commercial Officer at Workday. In this role, he is responsible for the company's global sales, services, and marketing organizations. Before joining Workday in 2019, Enslin spent 27 years at SAP, where he held various leadership positions, including President of the Cloud Business Group and President of Global Customer Operations. He was instrumental in driving SAP's cloud transition and growing its customer base.

Gerrit Kazmaier
President, Product and Technology

Gerrit Kazmaier is the President of Product and Technology at Workday. He joined Workday in 2021 from SAP, where he led the development and delivery of SAP's database and analytics products as Executive Vice President. His background includes significant experience in enterprise software development, particularly in data management, analytics, and platform technologies.

Sheri Rhodes
Chief Customer Officer

Sheri Rhodes is the Chief Customer Officer at Workday. She is responsible for ensuring customer success and satisfaction globally. Prior to joining Workday, Rhodes served as Chief Marketing Officer at Western Digital. She also held senior leadership roles at Customer Relationship Management (CRM) company, Symantec, and was Vice President of Global Marketing at Adobe.

AI Analysis | Feedback

The key risks to Workday's business include intense market competition, technological disruption from artificial intelligence, and macroeconomic vulnerabilities.

  1. Intense Market Competition: Workday operates in a highly competitive market for enterprise cloud applications, facing significant challenges from established players such as Oracle and SAP, as well as emerging specialized vendors and AI-native startups. This competitive landscape can lead to pricing pressure, impact market share, and necessitate continuous innovation to maintain a competitive edge.
  2. Technological Disruption, particularly from AI: The rapid advancement and adoption of artificial intelligence, including generative AI and autonomous AI agents, pose a substantial risk to Workday's established per-seat SaaS licensing model. The potential for "seat compression," where AI agents reduce the need for human user licenses, could threaten Workday's revenue growth and valuation. Successfully integrating AI into its platform and adapting its business model to these technological shifts are critical for the company's long-term competitiveness.
  3. Macroeconomic Vulnerabilities: Workday is susceptible to broader economic uncertainties, including inflation, fluctuating interest rates, and potential slowdowns in overall information technology spending by its large enterprise customers. These macroeconomic factors can result in increased scrutiny of deals, longer sales cycles, and a moderation of revenue growth rates, impacting the company's financial performance.

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Workday, Inc. operates in several significant enterprise cloud application markets, including Human Capital Management (HCM), Financial Management, Planning, and Analytics and Reporting. The total addressable markets for these main product areas are substantial and are projected to grow. Here are the estimated addressable market sizes for Workday's key products and services: * Human Capital Management (HCM) Software: The global Human Capital Management (HCM) software market is projected to reach $34.3 billion in the next 12 months (from approximately March 2026). North America, particularly the United States, is a dominant region, with nearly 2 million companies in the U.S. expected to spend $13.3 billion on HCM software within the next 12 months, representing 38.9% of the total global HCM market. Other estimates place the global HCM software market at USD 58.7 billion in 2024, with a projection to reach USD 81.1 billion by 2029. * Financial Management Software: The global financial management software market is estimated to be approximately USD 12.36 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach USD 25.9 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 8.5%. Another report estimates the global Enterprise Financial Management (EFM) Market Size will reach USD 51.78 Billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 20.62% from 2022 to 2032. North America held a dominant position in the financial management software market in 2023, capturing over 38% of the global market share. * Planning Applications (Workday Adaptive Planning): While a specific global market size for "planning applications" or "Enterprise Performance Management (EPM)" was not explicitly found, Workday Adaptive Planning is a financial planning tool. The broader Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) market, which often includes financial and planning functionalities, was valued at USD 92.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD 281.58 billion by 2034 globally. Including finance applications and HCM, the total ERP ecosystem reached $147.7 billion globally in 2025. * Analytics and Reporting Software (Business Intelligence): The global Business Intelligence (BI) software market is projected to see companies spend $72.1 billion globally in the next 12 months (from approximately March 2026). Within the United States, nearly 2 million companies are expected to spend $27.3 billion on BI solutions in the next 12 months. North America held approximately 37.0% of the global business intelligence software market revenue share in 2025. Workday itself states it is addressing a total addressable market of $142 billion. Another source from September 2024 refers to Workday operating within a $160 billion total addressable market.

AI Analysis | Feedback

For the public company Workday (symbol: WDAY), the following are expected drivers of future revenue growth over the next 2-3 years:

  1. Innovation and Adoption of AI-driven Products and Agents: Workday is heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and integrating it into its core Human Capital Management (HCM) and Financial Management applications. The company anticipates accelerated growth from both organically developed and acquired AI agents, with new annual contract value (ACV) from emerging AI products already showing significant year-over-year growth. This focus on AI is considered a major new growth vector.
  2. Expansion within the Existing Customer Base: Workday considers expansions within its current customer base as its largest growth engine. The company is focused on cross-selling additional solutions, such as Financial Management to its HCM customers and planning applications, leveraging its strong customer retention rates (around 97%).
  3. New Customer Acquisition: Workday continues to attract new customers across diverse sectors, including professional and business services, financial services, healthcare, education, government, technology, media, retail, and hospitality. This ongoing customer acquisition strategy contributes to sustained subscription revenue growth.
  4. International Market Expansion: The company has identified significant long-term international market opportunities that are expected to become a more meaningful driver of growth over time. Workday has seen momentum in key international markets, such as the UK and Germany.
  5. Strategic Penetration of Mid-Market and SMB Segments: Initiatives like the launch of the Insperity HRScale solution demonstrate Workday's strategy to extend its reach into the small and mid-sized business (SMB) segment through a services-led model. This could complement Workday's existing enterprise focus and support expansion into the medium segment.

AI Analysis | Feedback

Share Repurchases

  • In fiscal year 2026, Workday repurchased approximately 12.8 million shares of Class A common stock for $2.9 billion.
  • Workday repurchased approximately 2.9 million shares of Class A common stock for $700 million in fiscal year 2025.
  • As of September 16, 2025, Workday's board authorized an additional $4 billion share buyback program, bringing the total planned repurchases to approximately $5 billion of Class A common stock through fiscal 2027.

Share Issuance

  • Workday's shares outstanding increased by 1.48% in fiscal year 2025 to 0.269 billion.
  • Shares outstanding declined by 0.4% in fiscal year 2026 to 0.268 billion, and further decreased by 2.15% year-over-year for the quarter ending January 31, 2026.
  • A share repurchase program approved in November 2022 was designed to reduce the impact of future share dilution from employee stock issuances.

Inbound Investments

  • Activist investor Elliott Investment Management disclosed a stake worth more than $2 billion in Workday on September 17, 2025, praising the company's leadership and strategy.
  • Jeff Bezos's investment vehicle, Bezos Expeditions, has invested in Workday.

Outbound Investments

  • Workday completed the acquisition of Sana, an AI company, for approximately $1.1 billion on November 4, 2025, following a definitive agreement signed on September 16, 2025.
  • In February 2023, Workday announced a $250 million expansion of its Workday Ventures fund, focusing investments on early-stage enterprise software startups, particularly in AI and Machine Learning technologies.
  • Workday committed a C$1 billion investment in Canada over the next five years to bolster local technological expertise and support Canadian clients.

Capital Expenditures

  • Workday plans $270 million in capital expenditures for fiscal year 2027.
  • The company expected approximately $200 million in capital expenditures for fiscal year 2026.
  • Workday maintains relatively low capital expenditures, which is typical for a software company, and free cash flow generation has consistently covered these outlays.

Better Bets vs. Workday (WDAY)

Peer Outperformance in Application Software

WDAY has outperformed 60% of its 121 Application Software peers over 5Y. Among the peers that beat it are FICO, AGYS and CDNS. Application Software ranks 11th of 12 industries in Information Technology by median 5Y return. The sector’s gains have largely come from elsewhere.
Share of Application Software constituents that WDAY has outperformed, by holding period. Peers without a full price history over a given window are excluded from that window.
1Y
59%
of 152 industry peers · -18.1% return
3Y
46%
of 139 industry peers · -25.0% return
5Y
60%
of 121 industry peers · -30.6% return
Application Software peers with revenue growth within 4pp of WDAY's that beat it on at least 2 of 3 windows, and by at least 20pp over 5Y. Growth is matched by construction, so the gap is largely a re-rating gap. The multiple column is the context for it.
Ticker Name Rev Growth 3Y Avg P/E 1Y3Y5Y 5Y Gap
WDAY Workday 14.8% 36.4x -18.1%-25.0%-30.6%
FICO Fair Isaac 17.7% 27.4x -38.3%10.7%118.3% +149pp
AGYS Agilysys 16.9% 68.5x -4.2%52.5%104.9% +135pp
CDNS Cadence Design Systems 15.5% 57.5x -18.4%22.4%73.4% +104pp
GWRE Guidewire Software 17.5% 74.3x -44.3%52.3%15.4% +46pp
PTC PTC 12.9% 12.3x -36.8%-6.7%4.1% +35pp
Price returns, excluding dividends. P/E shown for context only and not used for matching.
Median price return by industry across the Information Technology sector, ranked by 5Y. Application Software is WDAY's own industry. Use this to see which corners of the sector have carried the returns.
Industry Names 1Y med3Y med5Y med Top 3 by 5Y
Electronic Manufacturing Services 9 65.0%198.4%300.6% TTMI 832% · FLEX 769% · SANM 449%
Semiconductor Materials & Equipment 27 127.7%87.9%101.6% AEHR 837% · AXTI 602% · KLAC 441%
Technology Distributors 9 28.2%80.9%98.9% CLMB 340% · AVT 191% · SNX 142%
Electronic Components 26 41.0%58.3%71.2% CLS 3861% · BELFA 1346% · COHR 397%
Communications Equipment 36 16.6%87.8%71.0% AAOI 1318% · LITE 980% · FEIM 915%
Semiconductors 55 23.5%34.6%37.2% POET 1852% · MU 1261% · NVDA 875%
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals 21 38.3%86.3%22.7% DELL 1202% · STX 1048% · SMCI 996%
Internet Services & Infrastructure 6 18.2%40.8%18.4% DOCN 76% · VRSN 35% · GDDY 30%
Electronic Equipment & Instruments 27 -12.8%8.7%-9.9% PI 233% · ACFN 118% · OSIS 115%
IT Consulting & Other Services 28 -25.0%-15.0%-30.5% CHRN 499900% · APLD 1228% · TSSI 712%
Application Software ← 122 -26.4%-14.8%-45.6% VIDA 193536% · INLX 5416% · PLTR 536%
Systems Software 66 -19.1%-3.2%-59.1% QNC 450% · ZETA 336% · PANW 322%
Median of constituents with a full price history over each window. Top names are unfiltered by size in this render.

Latest Trefis Analyses

Recent Active Movers

Peer Comparisons

Peers to compare with:

Financials

WDAYORCLADPPAYCPCTYNOWMedian
NameWorkday Oracle Automati.Paycom S.PaylocityServiceN. 
Mkt Price185.70150.28268.26218.91141.66132.53167.99
Mkt Cap45.5-107.010.07.60.110.0
Rev LTM10,155-21,9482,1411,77114,73210,155
Op Inc LTM1,220-5,7796483861,6801,220
FCF LTM2,844-4,7765714284,5712,844
FCF 3Y Avg2,460-4,2544113593,8092,460
CFO LTM3,081-5,4418025335,3083,081
CFO 3Y Avg2,687-4,8466244454,6282,687

Growth & Margins

WDAYORCLADPPAYCPCTYNOWMedian
NameWorkday Oracle Automati.Paycom S.PaylocityServiceN. 
Rev Chg LTM13.3%-6.7%9.2%11.0%22.2%11.0%
Rev Chg 3Y Avg14.8%-6.8%11.2%14.7%22.5%14.7%
Rev Chg Q12.8%-6.8%9.8%11.0%24.0%11.0%
QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM3.1%-1.6%2.3%2.5%5.5%2.5%
Op Inc Chg LTM58.6%-6.8%17.7%27.0%4.9%17.7%
Op Inc Chg 3Y Avg290.6%-8.6%16.2%37.2%55.3%37.2%
Op Mgn LTM12.0%-26.3%30.3%21.8%11.4%21.8%
Op Mgn 3Y Avg8.4%-26.1%30.4%19.8%11.8%19.8%
QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM0.3%--0.2%2.0%0.5%-2.0%0.3%
CFO/Rev LTM30.3%-24.8%37.4%30.1%36.0%30.3%
CFO/Rev 3Y Avg29.9%-23.5%31.6%27.9%38.0%29.9%
FCF/Rev LTM28.0%-21.8%26.7%24.2%31.0%26.7%
FCF/Rev 3Y Avg27.3%-20.6%20.7%22.5%31.1%22.5%

Valuation

WDAYORCLADPPAYCPCTYNOWMedian
NameWorkday Oracle Automati.Paycom S.PaylocityServiceN. 
Mkt Cap45.5-107.010.07.60.110.0
P/S4.5-4.94.74.30.04.5
P/Op Inc37.3-18.515.519.60.118.5
P/EBIT32.6-17.314.319.60.117.3
P/E36.4-24.220.628.10.124.2
P/CFO14.8-19.712.514.20.014.2
Total Yield2.7%-6.6%5.6%3.6%1,221.8%5.6%
Dividend Yield0.0%-2.5%0.8%0.0%0.0%0.0%
FCF Yield 3Y Avg5.6%-4.2%5.5%5.1%2,084.2%5.5%
D/E0.1-0.00.10.061.80.1
Net D/E0.0-0.00.1-0.027.70.0

Returns

WDAYORCLADPPAYCPCTYNOWMedian
NameWorkday Oracle Automati.Paycom S.PaylocityServiceN. 
1M Rtn5.9%-2.0%0.2%3.8%-2.8%6.1%2.0%
3M Rtn42.0%-18.1%19.3%63.0%30.2%29.7%29.9%
6M Rtn39.5%-2.4%30.5%74.9%29.5%16.6%30.0%
12M Rtn-18.1%-50.6%-6.9%-2.4%-17.6%-29.4%-17.8%
3Y Rtn-25.0%42.0%16.2%-21.0%-26.6%12.5%-4.3%
1M Excs Rtn7.1%-0.8%1.4%5.0%-1.6%7.3%3.2%
3M Excs Rtn38.7%-21.6%16.9%62.3%27.3%25.0%26.2%
6M Excs Rtn23.7%-19.7%17.5%58.9%13.4%2.6%15.4%
12M Excs Rtn-35.2%-70.9%-22.3%-17.2%-33.5%-45.5%-34.4%
3Y Excs Rtn-96.7%-46.3%-56.1%-94.9%-101.2%-60.8%-77.8%

Financials

Segment Financials

Revenue by Segment
$ Mil20262025202420232022
Subscription services8,8337,7186,6035,5674,546
Professional services719728656649593
Total9,5528,4467,2596,2165,139


Price Behavior

Price Behavior
Market Price$185.70 
Market Cap ($ Bil)45.5 
First Trading Date10/12/2012 
Distance from 52W High-25.0% 
   50 Days200 Days
DMA Price$171.52$159.75
DMA Trenddownup
Distance from DMA8.3%16.2%
 3M1YR
Volatility68.6%54.0%
Downside Capture3.9680.98
Upside Capture176.9442.40
Correlation (SPY)5.8%8.6%
WDAY Betas & Captures as of 8/31/2026

 1M2M3M6M1Y3Y
Beta3.350.540.17-0.220.310.82
Up Beta3.06-1.55-1.68-1.55-0.540.71
Down Beta2.65-1.400.500.160.590.92
Up Capture481%374%139%52%26%39%
Bmk +ve Days10213268138427
Stock +ve Days9233063121384
Down Capture177%-2%-10%-37%75%99%
Bmk -ve Days11213259113324
Stock -ve Days12193464130366

[1] Upside and downside betas calculated using positive and negative benchmark daily returns respectively
Based On 1-Year Data
Annualized
Return
Annualized
Volatility
Sharpe
Ratio
Correlation
with WDAY
WDAY-18.1%53.9%-0.18-
Sector ETF (XLK)39.7%26.3%1.24-3.2%
Equity (SPY)18.3%12.8%1.038.6%
Gold (GLD)19.0%29.2%0.59-11.8%
Commodities (DBC)50.4%20.6%1.88-9.2%
Real Estate (VNQ)7.6%13.6%0.298.2%
Bitcoin (BTCUSD)-32.6%43.8%-0.7811.4%

Smart multi-asset allocation framework can stack odds in your favor. Learn How
Based On 5-Year Data
Annualized
Return
Annualized
Volatility
Sharpe
Ratio
Correlation
with WDAY
WDAY-7.6%41.4%-0.08-
Sector ETF (XLK)19.7%25.9%0.6843.4%
Equity (SPY)12.5%17.2%0.5547.2%
Gold (GLD)18.7%18.8%0.810.2%
Commodities (DBC)11.7%19.5%0.475.5%
Real Estate (VNQ)0.7%18.9%-0.0734.3%
Bitcoin (BTCUSD)9.3%52.6%0.3622.9%

Smart multi-asset allocation framework can stack odds in your favor. Learn How
Based On 10-Year Data
Annualized
Return
Annualized
Volatility
Sharpe
Ratio
Correlation
with WDAY
WDAY8.0%40.0%0.32-
Sector ETF (XLK)24.4%25.0%0.8853.0%
Equity (SPY)15.2%17.9%0.7252.0%
Gold (GLD)12.3%16.3%0.623.2%
Commodities (DBC)8.9%18.1%0.4012.2%
Real Estate (VNQ)4.7%20.7%0.1936.6%
Bitcoin (BTCUSD)63.2%66.2%1.0316.1%

Smart multi-asset allocation framework can stack odds in your favor. Learn How

Short Interest

Short Interest: As Of Date8312026
Short Interest: Shares Quantity17.0 Mil
Short Interest: % Change Since 8152026-15.3%
Average Daily Volume4.6 Mil
Days-to-Cover Short Interest3.7 days
Basic Shares Quantity245.2 Mil
Short % of Basic Shares7.0%

Earnings Returns History

Updated 9/8/2026
Expand for More
 Forward Returns
Earnings Date1D Returns5D Returns21D Returns
8/27/20265.8%6.9% 
5/21/20265.2%20.0%-5.5%
2/24/20262.2%10.3%-2.4%
11/25/2025-7.9%-7.3%-7.2%
8/21/2025-2.8%0.4%6.6%
5/22/2025-12.5%-9.0%-12.1%
2/25/20256.2%-0.6%-1.7%
11/26/2024-6.2%-0.5%-1.5%
...
SUMMARY STATS   
# Positive131111
# Negative111312
Median Positive5.8%10.0%6.6%
Median Negative-5.6%-6.7%-8.3%
Max Positive17.2%20.0%17.1%
Max Negative-15.3%-19.0%-16.7%
Collapse to Preview
 Forward Returns
Earnings Date1D Returns5D Returns21D Returns
8/27/20265.8%6.9% 
5/21/20265.2%20.0%-5.5%
2/24/20262.2%10.3%-2.4%
11/25/2025-7.9%-7.3%-7.2%
8/21/2025-2.8%0.4%6.6%
5/22/2025-12.5%-9.0%-12.1%
2/25/20256.2%-0.6%-1.7%
11/26/2024-6.2%-0.5%-1.5%
8/22/202412.5%13.5%6.0%
5/23/2024-15.3%-19.0%-16.7%
2/26/2024-4.0%-11.1%-9.7%
11/28/202311.0%12.8%16.3%
8/24/20235.4%8.7%3.0%
5/25/202310.0%8.7%14.2%
2/27/20230.3%2.1%2.6%
11/29/202217.2%12.6%17.1%
8/25/20222.5%-0.8%-9.5%
5/26/2022-5.6%-3.6%-14.2%
2/28/20224.9%-2.0%7.5%
11/18/2021-4.2%-7.2%-9.8%
8/26/20219.1%10.0%6.9%
5/26/2021-3.3%-6.7%2.5%
2/25/2021-2.4%-8.3%-0.6%
11/19/2020-9.3%-3.0%5.0%
SUMMARY STATS   
# Positive131111
# Negative111312
Median Positive5.8%10.0%6.6%
Median Negative-5.6%-6.7%-8.3%
Max Positive17.2%20.0%17.1%
Max Negative-15.3%-19.0%-16.7%

SEC Filings

Expand for More
Report DateFiling DateFiling
07/31/202608/27/202610-Q
04/30/202605/22/202610-Q
01/31/202603/06/202610-K
10/31/202511/26/202510-Q
07/31/202508/22/202510-Q
04/30/202505/23/202510-Q
01/31/202503/11/202510-K
10/31/202412/05/202410-Q
07/31/202408/28/202410-Q
04/30/202405/29/202410-Q
01/31/202403/08/202410-K
10/31/202311/28/202310-Q
07/31/202308/24/202310-Q
04/30/202305/25/202310-Q
01/31/202302/27/202310-K
10/31/202211/29/202210-Q
Collapse to Preview
Report DateFiling DateFiling
07/31/202608/27/202610-Q
04/30/202605/22/202610-Q
01/31/202603/06/202610-K
10/31/202511/26/202510-Q
07/31/202508/22/202510-Q
04/30/202505/23/202510-Q
01/31/202503/11/202510-K
10/31/202412/05/202410-Q
07/31/202408/28/202410-Q
04/30/202405/29/202410-Q
01/31/202403/08/202410-K
10/31/202311/28/202310-Q
07/31/202308/24/202310-Q
04/30/202305/25/202310-Q
01/31/202302/27/202310-K
10/31/202211/29/202210-Q
07/31/202208/25/202210-Q
04/30/202205/26/202210-Q
01/31/202202/28/202210-K
10/31/202111/18/202110-Q
07/31/202108/26/202110-Q
04/30/202105/26/202110-Q
01/31/202103/02/202110-K
10/31/202011/20/202010-Q
07/31/202008/28/202010-Q
04/30/202005/28/202010-Q
01/31/202003/03/202010-K
10/31/201912/04/201910-Q

Recent Forward Guidance

Updated 8/28/2026

Latest: Q2 2027 Earnings Reported 8/27/2026

Forward GuidanceGuidance Change
MetricSourceLowMidHigh% Chg% DeltaChangePrior
Q3 2027 Subscription RevenuesReported 2.52 Bil    
Q3 2027 Non-GAAP Operating MarginReported 30.0%    
2027 Subscription RevenuesReported9.94 Bil9.95 Bil9.95 Bil0.1% RaisedGuidance: 9.94 Bil for 2027
2027 Non-GAAP Operating MarginReported 31.0%  0.5%RaisedGuidance: 30.5% for 2027


Prior: Q1 2027 Earnings Reported 5/21/2026

Forward GuidanceGuidance Change
MetricSourceLowMidHigh% Chg% DeltaChangePrior
Q2 2027 Subscription RevenueReported 2.46 Bil 5.1% Higher NewGuidance: 2.33 Bil for Q1 2027
Q2 2027 Non-GAAP Operating MarginReported 30.0%  -0.5%Lower NewGuidance: 30.5% for Q1 2027
2027 Subscription RevenueReported9.93 Bil9.94 Bil 0 AffirmedGuidance: 9.94 Bil for 2027
2027 Non-GAAP Operating MarginReported 30.5%  0.5%RaisedGuidance: 30.0% for 2027

Q4 2026 Earnings Reported 2/24/2026

Forward GuidanceGuidance Change
MetricSourceLowMidHigh% Chg% DeltaChangePrior
Q1 2027 Subscription RevenueReported 2.33 Bil -0.8% Lower NewGuidance: 2.35 Bil for Q4 2026
Q1 2027 Non-GAAP Operating MarginReported 30.5%  2.0%Higher NewGuidance: 28.5% for Q4 2026
2027 Subscription RevenueReported9.93 Bil9.94 Bil9.95 Bil12.6% Higher NewGuidance: 8.83 Bil for 2026
2027 Non-GAAP Operating MarginReported 30.0%  1.0%Higher NewGuidance: 29.0% for 2026

Q3 2026 Earnings Reported 11/25/2025

Forward GuidanceGuidance Change
MetricSourceLowMidHigh% Chg% DeltaChangePrior
Q4 2026 Subscription RevenueReported 2.35 Bil 5.4% Higher NewGuidance: 2.23 Bil for Q3 2026
Q4 2026 Non-GAAP Operating MarginReported28.5%28.5%  0.5%Higher NewGuidance: 28.0% for Q3 2026
2026 Subscription RevenueReported 8.83 Bil 0.1% RaisedGuidance: 8.81 Bil for 2026
2026 Non-GAAP Operating MarginReported 29.0%  0.0%AffirmedGuidance: 29.0% for 2026

Insider Activity

Updated 9/9/2026
Expand for More
#OwnerTitleHoldingActionFiling DatePriceSharesTransacted
Value
Value of
Held Shares
Form
1Duffield, David ADirectSell9092026198.1490,61517,954,36820,814,306Form
2Duffield, David ADirectSell9032026199.2994,96118,924,54420,934,956Form
3Garfield, Mark SChief Accounting OfficerDirectSell7142026142.19918130,53010,481,962Form
4Duffield, David ADirectSell7132026136.74107,50014,699,05714,363,919Form
5Kazmaier, Gerrit SPresident, Prod. and Tech.DirectSell7072026143.622,728391,78538,257,679Form
Collapse to Preview
#OwnerTitleHoldingActionFiling DatePriceSharesTransacted
Value
Value of
Held Shares
Form
1Duffield, David ADirectSell9092026198.1490,61517,954,36820,814,306Form
2Duffield, David ADirectSell9032026199.2994,96118,924,54420,934,956Form
3Garfield, Mark SChief Accounting OfficerDirectSell7142026142.19918130,53010,481,962Form
4Duffield, David ADirectSell7132026136.74107,50014,699,05714,363,919Form
5Kazmaier, Gerrit SPresident, Prod. and Tech.DirectSell7072026143.622,728391,78538,257,679Form
6Rowe, ZaneChief Financial OfficerDirectSell7072026143.706,000862,20341,451,833Form
7Duffield, David ADirectSell7072026135.24107,50014,538,26714,206,795Form
8Enslin, RobertPresident, CCODirectSell7072026134.905,374724,97232,305,218Form
9Duffield, David ADirectSell7012026122.04107,50013,119,16612,820,049Form
10Duffield, David ADirectSell6292026115.60107,50012,426,60612,143,280Form
11Duffield, David ADirectSell6242026114.25107,50012,281,95712,001,929Form
12Duffield, David ADirectSell6172026124.99107,50013,436,12213,129,778Form
13Duffield, David ADirectSell6162026128.52107,50013,815,41813,500,427Form
14Duffield, David ADirectSell6112026138.32107,50014,869,71514,530,685Form
15Duffield, David ADirectSell6042026149.56107,50016,077,37115,710,807Form
16Duffield, David ADirectSell6032026156.64107,50016,838,80316,454,878Form
17Duffield, David ADirectSell4132026112.33107,50012,075,83911,800,510Form
18Kazmaier, Gerrit SPresident, Prod. and Tech.DirectSell4072026128.399,3561,201,21721,193,851Form
19Rowe, ZaneChief Financial OfficerDirectSell4072026128.226,000769,31427,942,784Form
20Enslin, RobertPresident, CCODirectSell4072026129.415,373695,33921,406,809Form
21Duffield, David ADirectSell4072026129.60107,50013,932,08913,614,437Form
22Duffield, David ADirectSell4022026129.76107,50013,949,21513,631,173Form
23Duffield, David ADirectSell3302026128.35107,50013,797,43013,482,848Form
24Duffield, David ADirectSell3252026136.82107,50014,708,65114,373,294Form
25Duffield, David ADirectSell3202026132.58107,50014,252,00913,927,063Form
26Duffield, David ADirectSell3172026132.67107,50014,262,35013,937,168Form
27Duffield, David ADirectSell3122026142.18107,50015,284,22714,935,747Form
28Duffield, David ADirectSell3062026147.16107,50015,819,24415,458,565Form
29Duffield, David ADirectSell3042026134.40107,50014,447,90014,118,488Form
30Kazmaier, Gerrit SPresident, Prod. and Tech.DirectSell1072026208.733,759784,62621,951,782Form
31Rowe, ZaneChief Financial OfficerDirectSell1072026208.756,0001,252,49233,224,019Form
32Sauer, Richard HarryChief Legal Officer & SectyDirectSell1072026210.001,130237,30017,933,580Form
33Enslin, RobertPresident, CCODirectSell1072026210.1722,1854,662,71322,347,816Form
34Eschenbach, Carl MCEOEschenbach Family Trust dtd 4/15/2014, Carl Eschenbach Jr and Ana Eschenbach TTEESell1072026210.003,125656,2503,590,370Form
35Duffield, David ADirectSell1062026205.2981,47916,727,04221,565,790Form
36Duffield, David ADirectSell12292025215.0480,27917,262,99222,589,470Form
37Kazmaier, Gerrit SPresident, Prod. and Tech.DirectSell12232025218.776,5471,432,25824,360,201Form
38Duffield, David ADirectSell12182025215.9881,43417,588,33422,688,766Form
39Duffield, David ADirectSell12042025212.1982,02517,404,80022,290,238Form
40McNamara, Michael M DirectSell10142025235.165,3931,268,2015,662,109Form
41Garfield, Mark SChief Accounting OfficerDirectSell10142025238.961,915457,6018,925,246Form
42Duffield, David ADirectSell10102025236.3475,05317,738,40124,342,826Form
43Sauer, Richard HarryChief Legal Officer & SectyDirectSell10072025235.872,320547,22021,246,540Form
44Rowe, ZaneChief Financial OfficerDirectSell10072025232.626,0001,395,71739,188,944Form
45Eschenbach, Carl MCEOEschenbach Family Trust dtd 4/15/2014, Carl Eschenbach Jr and Ana Eschenbach TTEESell10032025237.526,2501,484,5044,803,143Form
46Duffield, David ADirectSell10032025235.0972,69617,090,27724,213,812Form
47Duffield, David ADirectSell9252025241.5772,11817,421,40124,880,780Form
48Sauer, Richard HarryChief Legal Officer & SectyDirectSell9192025235.411,160273,07622,541,920Form
49Duffield, David ADirectSell9162025220.1278,56417,293,60322,671,825Form
50Duffield, David ADave and Cheryl Duffield FoundationSell9162025222.2315,0003,333,5163,333,516Form
51Sauer, Richard HarryChief Legal Officer & SectyDirectSell9152025226.631,160262,89121,964,073Form
52Duffield, David ADirectSell9042025228.1675,81717,298,26723,499,606Form

Investor Activity (13F)

Updated Sep 12, 2026
13F holdings as of Mar 31, 2026 (Q1 2026)

Active managers (13F portfolio over $250M, at least 3 holdings) with a position over $5M that is either over 10% of their portfolio or held in a concentrated book of 50 or fewer total positions. Index/ETF, sovereign, bank, community-bank and charitable/donor-advised filers are excluded.

Active ManagerValue% of PortfolioTotal PositionsQoQFiling
Lead Edge Capital Management, LLC$80.0 Mil19.6%12New13F
Keenan Capital, LLC$43.8 Mil9.2%9ADD +5.6%13F
Fernbridge Capital Management LP$143.3 Mil9.2%17TRIM -21.6%13F
Meritage Group LP$210.9 Mil8.0%13Hold13F
Generation Investment Management LLP$543.3 Mil4.9%29Hold13F
Allen Operations LLC$14.6 Mil2.2%36Hold13F
No Street GP LP$26.0 Mil1.7%31New13F
Optimus Prime Fund Management Co., Ltd.$13.6 Mil1.3%27Hold13F
Comprehensive Financial Management LLC$12.5 Mil0.4%38Hold13F
Skye Global Management LP$6.8 Mil0.1%44New13F
Active ManagerValue% of PortfolioTotal PositionsQoQFiling
Lead Edge Capital Management, LLC$80.0 Mil19.6%12New13F
No Street GP LP$26.0 Mil1.7%31New13F
Skye Global Management LP$6.8 Mil0.1%44New13F
Keenan Capital, LLC$43.8 Mil9.2%9ADD +5.6%13F
Active ManagerValue% of PortfolioTotal PositionsQoQAs OfFiling
Newlands Management Operations LLC$292.9 Mil1.5%17ExitedDec 31, 202513F
Petrus Trust Company, LTA$29.0 Mil2.9%26ExitedDec 31, 202513F
Hyperion Asset Management Ltd$26.6 Mil0.7%18ExitedDec 31, 202513F
Deepwater Asset Management, LLC$9.3 Mil2.7%46ExitedDec 31, 202513F
Hound Partners, LLC$7.0 Mil1.0%36ExitedDec 31, 202513F
Fernbridge Capital Management LP$143.3 Mil9.2%17TRIM -21.6%Mar 31, 202613F
Active ManagerValue% of PortfolioTotal PositionsQoQFiling
Generation Investment Management LLP$543.3 Mil4.9%29Hold13F
Meritage Group LP$210.9 Mil8.0%13Hold13F
Fernbridge Capital Management LP$143.3 Mil9.2%17TRIM -21.6%13F
Lead Edge Capital Management, LLC$80.0 Mil19.6%12New13F
Keenan Capital, LLC$43.8 Mil9.2%9ADD +5.6%13F
No Street GP LP$26.0 Mil1.7%31New13F
Allen Operations LLC$14.6 Mil2.2%36Hold13F
Optimus Prime Fund Management Co., Ltd.$13.6 Mil1.3%27Hold13F
Comprehensive Financial Management LLC$12.5 Mil0.4%38Hold13F
Skye Global Management LP$6.8 Mil0.1%44New13F

WDAY Trade Sentinel


Stock Conviction

Constructive

CONVICTION RATIONALE

Conviction is constructive. The company is successfully executing a pivot to AI, evidenced by AI products driving over 25% of new contract value. While the core business is maturing, this new growth vector is real, substantial, and margin-accretive.

STOCK ARCHETYPE
Enterprise SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)

New Customer Acquisition + Net Revenue Retention (upselling/cross-selling more modules and AI capabilities to the existing customer base). Operating leverage from scaling high-margin subscription and consumption revenue over a relatively fixed cost base, particularly in R&D and G&A.

Looking for high-conviction positions with a better risk/reward profile? See what's currently in the Trefis High Quality Portfolio.
INVESTMENT THESIS
Can the AI product cycle re-accelerate growth?

Evidence suggests a successful pivot is underway, with new AI offerings driving a significant and growing share of new business.

Mechanism: AI products now contribute nearly $600 million in recurring revenue and drove over 25% of new annual contract value last quarter. This new, higher-growth layer is offsetting the maturation of the core business and expanding margins.
Supporting Evidence:
  • AI products drove more than $100 million of new ACV in Q2.
  • AI-related annual recurring revenue is nearly $600 million, up over 200% year-over-year.
  • Expansion deals that included AI were over 50% larger on average in Q1.
  • Gross revenue retention remains strong at 97%.
PRIMARY RISK
Core deceleration and AI execution.

The core business is slowing, with forward backlog growth guided to 11-12%. The new AI business relies on an unproven consumption model and faces threats from generic AI solutions that could limit its ultimate potential.

Mechanism: A failure to convert AI bookings into accelerating revenue, reflected in cRPO growth remaining at or below the 11-12% guided rate.
Supporting Evidence:
  • 12-month backlog (cRPO) growth slowed to 14.2% from 15.8% two quarters prior.
  • Management guided Q3 cRPO growth to 11% to 12%.
  • The company has 'limited experience' with its new Flex Credits pricing model.
  • A key risk is competition from 'non-specialist solutions relying on generic large language models'.
Key KPI Watchlist
KPI Status Rationale
12-Month Subscription Revenue Backlog (cRPO) Growth14.2% year-over-year growth for the quarter ended July 31, 2026 - DeceleratingThe growth of Workday's 12-month backlog has been decelerating over the last three quarters. Management guidance reinforces this trend, projecting Q3 cRPO growth of 11% to 12%. The company noted that the Q3 comparison laps the Paradox acquisition, which added over a point to the prior year's growth, partially explaining the anticipated slowdown.
AI-Related Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)Nearly $600 million in ARR from AI SKUs as of Q2 FY27 - AcceleratingAI-related ARR is growing rapidly, adding approximately $100 million sequentially in each of the last two quarters. Management stated that AI products drove over $100 million of new Annual Contract Value (ACV) in the latest quarter, accounting for more than 25% of all new ACV closed. This highlights AI as the company's primary new growth engine.
Customers using organic AI agents (Q2 FY2027)Indicates the adoption rate of the company's internally developed AI capabilities, which is a key leading indicator for future consumption revenue.
Gross Revenue Retention97% (Q2 FY2027)Measures the percentage of recurring revenue retained from existing customers, indicating high customer satisfaction and the mission-critical nature of the platform.
New ACV from AI ProductsOver $100 million, representing more than 25% of all new ACV (Q2 FY2027)Shows the direct contribution of the new AI strategy to new business growth, highlighting its importance as a primary growth driver.
Core Investment Debate

AI acceleration vs. core maturation.

BULL VIEW

The AI business, growing over 200% and comprising over 25% of new contracts, will successfully re-accelerate the company's overall growth profile and expand profitability.

CORE TENSION

Can AI ARR growth (nearly $600M) offset decelerating cRPO growth (guided to 11-12%), which the market rewarded with a 7% stock gain?


PREVAILING SENTIMENT
CAUTIOUSLY BULLISH

The latest evidence favors the bulls. The market looked past the cRPO guide to reward the strong AI traction and raised full-year revenue and margin outlooks.

BEAR VIEW

The AI tailwind is not strong enough to offset the structural slowdown in the core business, whose forward-looking backlog growth is guided to just 11-12%.

Next 6 months: Risks and Catalysts
Timeline Event & Metric To Watch
October 13, 2026
AI Monetization And Adoption Update
Watch: Updates on Flex Credits adoption, Sana Enterprise traction, and any change to the FY28 growth outlook.
October 13, 2026
Financial Analyst Day
Watch: Workday will host its annual financial analyst day in Las Vegas.
10/27/2026
Competitive AI Product Announcements
Watch: Peer commentary on competitive wins against Workday in AI-centric deals or announcements of new generative AI capabilities.
11/3/2026
Peer Paycom Earnings
Watch: Peer Paycom Software (PAYC) is scheduled to report earnings.
11/23/2026
Decelerating Revenue Growth
Watch: Q3 revenue growth rate and management's guidance for Q4. Any further deceleration could pressure the stock.
11/23/2026
Next Earnings Report
Watch: Workday is scheduled to report its next quarterly earnings.
12/8/2026
Peer Oracle Earnings
Watch: Peer Oracle (ORCL) is scheduled to report earnings.
Key Events in Last 6 Months
Date Event Stock Impact
2026-08-27
Q2 Earnings Beat and Raise
Details: The company reported strong Q2 results, with AI products driving over $100 million in new ACV. Full-year 2027 guidance for subscription revenue and operating margin was raised.
+7.3%
$190.75 -> $204.72
2026-08-14
Go-Private Discussions Reported
Details: Press reports in August indicated Workday held discussions with a private equity firm in recent months regarding a potential acquisition, with the company valued at about $43 billion.
-7.4%
$206.45 -> $191.18
2026-07-23
FedRAMP Authorization Achieved
Details: Workday Adaptive Planning achieved FedRAMP Authorization at the Moderate level, a milestone to support federal agencies in workforce and budget planning within a secure system.
+2.2%
$132.42 -> $135.34
2026-06-02
New Developer AI Tools Launched
Details: At its DevCon event, Workday launched new tools for developers, including a Developer Agent for building AI apps with natural language and Agent Passport for verifying AI agents.
-6.6%
$157.23 -> $146.90
2026-05-21
Q1 Earnings Reported
Details: The company reported Q1 results, with management noting it was the "best first quarter of new ACV growth in 5 years." The stock reaction was 1.0%.
+1.2%
$126.61 -> $128.14
2026-03-17
Sana AI Platform Introduced
Details: Workday introduced Sana, a new conversational AI experience, with a Self-Service Agent launching with over 300 skills to handle HR and finance tasks for customers.
-1.0%
$133.63 -> $132.29
Risk Management
Position Sizing

4% - 6%

NORMAL POSITION

Sizing is volatility-based: WDAY trades at roughly 48% annualized options-implied volatility versus about 13% for the S&P 500 (3.6x the market), around the 56th percentile of its own trailing year. A 4% - 6% position keeps a single-name swing of that size within a diversified portfolio's risk budget.

Diversification Alternatives
ORCL - Oracle
Established enterprise exposure

Oracle offers a more mature, diversified business with higher operating margins of 33.3% and a large infrastructure cloud segment, providing a different risk profile than Workday's pure-play application focus.

Core Thesis: Leveraging its massive installed base and infrastructure cloud to capture enterprise AI workloads is its primary objective.
NOW - ServiceNow, Inc.
High-growth platform exposure

ServiceNow offers faster revenue growth of 22.2% by focusing on a different enterprise function (IT service management) but with a similar platform-based AI strategy and strong customer loyalty.

Core Thesis: Consolidating enterprise workflows onto a single platform continues to drive high growth and customer retention.
How Is The Market Pricing WDAY?

An established enterprise SaaS leader for HR/Finance successfully leveraging its unified data platform to pivot into a higher-growth, consumption-based AI agent business.

Workday provides the mission-critical systems of record for HR and finance. Its core structural advantage is a single, unified data model that provides the 'deterministic rails' necessary for enterprise-grade AI. The company is now aggressively layering AI 'agents' on top of this platform to automate work, monetized via a new consumption model. This AI pivot is already re-accelerating new business growth and is positioned as the company's primary long-term growth engine.

What will confirm the thesis

Continued rapid growth in AI-related ARR and new ACV, widespread customer adoption of the 'Flex Credits' consumption model, and evidence of AI driving market share gains against legacy competitors.

What will damage the thesis

A slowdown in AI product adoption, customer resistance to the consumption model, or evidence that competitors are successfully offering comparable AI capabilities on top of their fragmented, legacy systems.

Noise: Real but irrelevant to thesis

Short-term fluctuations in quarterly revenue growth rates as the company transitions to a hybrid consumption model; general market commentary on AI that ignores the specific challenges of enterprise-grade deployment.

Repricing Catalyst

The upcoming Financial Analyst Day on October 13, 2026, is a key catalyst, where management is expected to provide a deeper look at its platform innovation and long-term strategy. Continued strong quarterly results demonstrating AI-driven growth acceleration would also serve as a catalyst.

What WDAY Makes & Who Pays
TTM figures based on the twelve months through fiscal Q1 2027
Subscription Services
$9.1B TTM (93% of Total)
What It Is

Sells cloud-based software for Human Capital Management (HCM), Financial Management, Spend Management, and Planning to a global customer base of emerging, medium-sized, and large organizations across numerous industries.

Who Pays & How

Enterprises pay recurring fees to access a unified platform for managing their people and money. They choose Workday for its modern cloud architecture and integrated data model, which provides a trusted foundation for deploying AI agents to automate complex business processes.

Primarily multi-year subscription contracts, with pricing often based on the customer's employee headcount. A new consumption-based 'Flex Credits' model is being rolled out for AI and platform capabilities.
Competition
Oracle and SAP
Legacy competitors have long-standing relationships with customers who may be hesitant to switch vendors.
Workday's unified data model, true cloud architecture, and business process framework provide 'deterministic rails' for deploying AI agents safely and accurately, which legacy competitors with multiple, fragmented application versions cannot easily replicate.
Professional Services
$726M TTM (7% of Total)
What It Is

Sells deployment, training, and support services to customers implementing Workday's subscription software. These services can be performed by Workday's own staff or by a network of partners.

Who Pays & How

Customers pay for these services to ensure the successful and timely implementation of Workday's applications and to facilitate the adoption of new capabilities over the life of their subscription.

Service-based fees, likely on a project or time-and-materials basis.
Competition
A network of partners and system integrators also provide deployment services for Workday's platform.
Workday's own staff possess deep product expertise, though the company strategically relies on its partner network to scale service delivery globally.
WDAY Evolution: Price Return by Era
Started in 2005 · Chapter 1 & 2: Cloud Disruption and Hyper-Growth
Workday was founded to transform enterprise software by moving HR and finance to the cloud, disrupting legacy on-premise vendors. This was followed by a period of hyper-growth, establishing the company as a product and technology leader.
Started in 2023 · Chapter 3: Operational Excellence
+63%
As the company grew into a Fortune 500 global entity, the focus shifted to operational excellence, rigor, and discipline to manage its increased scale.
Current · Chapter 4: The AI Pivot
Described as a 'refounding moment,' this chapter is focused on innovation and transforming the enterprise again by reimagining HR and finance with AI agents. This involves a strategic shift to a hybrid subscription/consumption business model.
Market Is In Wait-and-See Mode
Price structure is strongly bullish. The regime, trend, and proximity to highs all point towards intact institutional trend. Relative to SPY: Strong 63D outperformance but 'relative strength' momentum is fading, indicating that money rotation may be maturing. Volume and momentum show mild distribution. The selling pressure is present but not overwhelming. Earnings history is mildly cautionary. The reaction or drift are negative, and the market is beginning to push back on the thesis.
① Structure
+4
Structural pillar score (-4 to +4). Driven by trend regime, SMA cross events, proximity to 52W high, and relative strength vs SPY.
② Volume / Momentum
-1
Volume/Momentum pillar score (-4 to +4). Driven by institutional footprint score, OBV divergence, and momentum character.
③ Catalyst
-1
Catalyst pillar score (-4 to +4). Driven by earnings day reaction, 20D post-earnings drift, and post-earnings volume character.
Combined Score
2 / 12
1 Price Structure & Trend Trending Up · Golden Cross
2 Momentum Pausing
3 Relative Strength vs. SPY Facing Relative Strength
4 Institutional Footprint & Volume Mild Accumulation
5 Volatility Normal
6 Key Price Levels Range · Vol Falling
7 Earnings Reaction History Diminishing Reward
8 How the Verdict Is Derived Three Pillars
Core Cache Last Updated: 9/11/2026