Splunk : Announces Fiscal First Quarter 2014 Financial Results

Non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations

To supplement Splunk's consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ('GAAP'), Splunk provides investors with certain non-GAAP financial measures, including non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP net income (loss) per share (collectively the 'non-GAAP financial measures'). These non-GAAP financial measures exclude all or a combination of the following (as reflected in the following reconciliation table): stock-based compensation expense, employer payroll tax expense related to employee stock plans, amortization of acquired intangible assets, ground lease expense related to a build-to-suit lease obligation, impairment of a long-lived asset, acquisition-related costs and the partial release of the valuation allowance due to acquisition. In addition, non-GAAP financial measures include free cash flow, which represents cash from operations less purchases of property and equipment. The presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Splunk uses these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making purposes and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. Splunk believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about Splunk's operating results, enhance the overall understanding of past financial performance and future prospects and allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision making. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures facilitate comparisons to competitors' operating results.

Splunk excludes stock-based compensation expense because it is non-cash in nature and excluding this expense provides meaningful supplemental information regarding Splunk's operational performance. In particular, because of varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of award types that companies can use under FASB ASC Topic 718, Splunk believes that providing non-GAAP financial measures that exclude this expense allows investors the ability to make more meaningful comparisons between Splunk's operating results and those of other companies. Splunk excludes employer payroll tax expense related to employee stock plans in order for investors to see the full effect that excluding that stock-based compensation expense had on Splunk's operating results. These expenses are tied to the exercise or vesting of underlying equity awards and the price of Splunk's common stock at the time of vesting or exercise, which may vary from period to period independent of the operating performance of Splunk's business. Splunk also excludes the non-cash charge for previously capitalized Storm research and development expense (reflected as an impairment of a long-lived asset) as a result of its strategic decision to start making its Storm product available at no cost to customers, a decision that Splunk expects to be infrequent in nature. Splunk also excludes acquisition-related costs, amortization of acquired intangible assets and ground lease expense related to its build-to-suit lease obligation from its non-GAAP financial measures because these are considered by management to be outside of Splunk's core operating results. Splunk further excludes the partial release of the valuation allowance due to acquisition from non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP net income (loss) per share because it is also considered by management to be outside Splunk's core operating results. Accordingly, Splunk believes that excluding these expenses provides investors and management with greater visibility to the underlying performance of its business operations, facilitates comparison of its results with other periods and may also facilitate comparison with the results of other companies in its industry. Splunk considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business that can be used for strategic opportunities, including investing in its business, making strategic acquisitions and strengthening its balance sheet.

There are limitations in using non-GAAP financial measures because the non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by Splunk's competitors and exclude expenses that may have a material impact upon Splunk's reported financial results. Further, stock-based compensation expense has been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in Splunk's business and an important part of the compensation provided to Splunk's employees. The non-GAAP financial measures are meant to supplement and be viewed in conjunction with GAAP financial measures.

The following table reconciles Splunk's non-GAAP results to Splunk's GAAP results included in this press release.