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Appian Corp (APPN)
NASDAQ:APPN

Appian (APPN) AI Stock Analysis

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Appian

(NASDAQ:APPN)

Rating:59Neutral
Price Target:
$33.00
▲(2.55%Upside)
Appian's overall stock score is driven by strong revenue growth and cash flow improvements but is hindered by profitability challenges and financial instability. Positive technical trends and strategic executive changes provide some support, while valuation concerns persist due to negative earnings.
Positive Factors
AI Monetization
Appian is experiencing nice demand for its new AI solutions, with AI usage growing by 7.9 times, and nearly half of new customers are adopting the company’s premium AI SKUs at their initial purchase.
Earnings
Appian reported solid first-quarter results that outperformed consensus on most key metrics.
Revenue Growth
Appian delivered a 2% revenue beat translating to 11% overall growth driven by 15% cloud growth and 14% growth in subscription revenue.
Negative Factors
Billing and Growth Concerns
Billings miss and NRR contraction are seen as indications of growth or macroeconomic headwinds.
Customer Retention
Cloud NRR declined attributed to prior quarter impacts, indicating potential challenges in maintaining customer retention rates.
Market Risks
Risks to the outlook include the rate of market adoption for low-code solutions, a delayed payment from the PEGA lawsuit, and competition from larger software providers.

Appian (APPN) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Appian Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionAppian Corporation is a software company specializing in low-code automation platforms that enable organizations to develop applications rapidly. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Appian operates within the technology and software sectors, providing solutions that streamline business operations and enhance productivity. The company's core products and services include process automation, case management, and application development solutions, catering to industries such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and government.
How the Company Makes MoneyAppian generates revenue primarily through the sale of subscriptions to its low-code automation platform. These subscriptions are offered on a recurring basis, providing customers with access to its cloud-based services and software updates. Additionally, Appian earns revenue from professional services, which include consulting, training, and support services that help clients implement and optimize their use of the platform. The company also occasionally derives income from perpetual license sales, though this is a smaller part of its overall revenue model. Appian's strategic partnerships with other technology firms and system integrators further enhance its market presence and contribute to its revenue streams.

Appian Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Segment
Revenue by Segment
Chart InsightsAppian's subscription revenue continues to show robust growth, driven by strong cloud adoption and AI integration, with a notable 15% year-over-year increase. However, professional services revenue remains stagnant, reflecting challenges in this segment. The latest earnings call highlights a decline in cloud subscription retention rates and cautious Q2 guidance, suggesting potential headwinds. Despite these challenges, strategic advancements in AI and federal bookings growth provide a positive outlook, underscoring Appian's focus on innovation and efficiency improvements in sales and marketing.
Data provided by:Main Street Data

Appian Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:May 08, 2025
(Q1-2025)
|
% Change Since: 5.82%|
Next Earnings Date:Jul 31, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call reflected a strong performance in terms of revenue growth and AI integration, with significant improvements in sales and marketing efficiency. However, challenges such as a decline in the cloud subscription revenue retention rate and stagnant professional services revenue were noted. The guidance for Q2 suggests caution in expectations, but the overall sentiment leans positively due to the ongoing growth and strategic advancements.
Q1-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Cloud Subscription Revenue Growth
Appian's cloud subscription revenue grew 15% year-over-year to $99.8 million.
Adjusted EBITDA Performance
Adjusted EBITDA was $16.8 million, a strong follow-up to the prior quarter's adjusted EBITDA of $21.2 million.
AI Integration Success
70% of Appian's cloud customers have adopted AI, with year-over-year production AI usage increasing by 7.9 times in Q1 compared to all of 2024.
Federal Government Bookings Growth
Federal Government bookings, including both net new software and services, grew 59% compared to the same period last year.
AI Monetization
Revenue from AI-inclusive tiers more than doubled in Q1 relative to Q4, rising to $9 million.
Sales and Marketing Efficiency
Net new bookings per sales rep rose more than 30% compared to the same period last year.
Strong Cash Flow
Cash provided by operations was $45 million compared to $18.9 million for the same period last year.
Negative Updates
Cloud Subscription Revenue Retention Rate Decline
The cloud subscription revenue retention rate decreased to 112% as of March 31, 2025, from 120% a year ago.
Professional Services Revenue Stagnation
Professional services revenue was $32.1 million, showing flat growth compared to the first quarter of 2024.
Q2 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance
Expected adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2025 is between negative $5 million and negative $2 million.
Company Guidance
During Appian's Q1 2025 earnings call, the company provided several key financial metrics and guidance. Cloud subscription revenue increased by 15% year-over-year to $99.8 million, while total subscription revenue grew by 14% to $134.4 million. The company reported a cloud subscription revenue retention rate of 112% as of March 31. Adjusted EBITDA was $16.8 million, a solid follow-up from the previous quarter's $21.2 million. Appian's weighted rule of 40 score was 27 for the quarter, and they noted a 30% increase in net new bookings per sales rep. For Q2 2025, Appian anticipates cloud subscription revenue between $101 million and $103 million, with total revenue ranging from $158 million to $162 million. For the full year 2025, the company expects cloud subscription revenue between $419 million and $423 million and total revenue between $680 million and $688 million. Adjusted EBITDA for the year is projected to range between $40 million and $46 million.

Appian Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Appian has demonstrated consistent revenue growth, indicating a strong upward trajectory. However, profitability remains elusive due to persistent negative net income and high operating expenses. The balance sheet raises concerns with negative equity reflecting potential financial instability, despite a healthy cash position. The improvement in cash flow, turning positive, suggests better financial management.
Income Statement
65
Positive
Appian's revenue has shown consistent growth over the past years, increasing from $260.4M in 2019 to $617.0M in 2024. This reflects a strong upward trajectory. However, profitability remains a challenge, as evidenced by persistent negative net income and EBIT margins. Despite an improving gross profit margin, the net profit margin remains negative due to high operating expenses.
Balance Sheet
50
Neutral
Appian's balance sheet shows a concerning trend with negative stockholders' equity in the latest year, indicating potential financial instability. The debt-to-equity ratio is not meaningful due to negative equity, reflecting high leverage risks. However, the company has maintained a healthy cash position, which could provide some buffer against its liabilities.
Cash Flow
70
Positive
Appian has demonstrated significant improvement in cash flow, with positive free cash flow in the latest year, a remarkable turnaround from previous periods of negative cash flow. The operating cash flow to net income ratio indicates the company's ability to convert its operations into cash, suggesting better cash management despite ongoing net losses.
Breakdown
Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income StatementTotal Revenue
617.02M545.36M467.99M369.26M304.57M
Gross Profit
466.84M402.04M334.69M265.17M215.81M
EBIT
-60.85M-107.97M-145.01M-83.91M-37.90M
EBITDA
-57.60M-80.90M-141.26M-81.75M-26.27M
Net Income Common Stockholders
-92.26M-111.44M-150.92M-88.64M-33.48M
Balance SheetCash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
159.86M159.00M196.00M155.97M222.29M
Total Assets
621.04M627.50M594.21M504.52M512.52M
Total Debt
314.99M277.35M184.03M56.89M58.12M
Net Debt
196.44M128.00M35.89M-43.90M-54.34M
Total Liabilities
653.68M575.16M448.51M270.60M215.92M
Stockholders Equity
-32.64M52.34M145.70M233.92M296.61M
Cash FlowFree Cash Flow
3.08M-120.08M-115.65M-59.98M-8.87M
Operating Cash Flow
6.88M-110.44M-106.55M-53.92M-7.62M
Investing Cash Flow
-35.39M28.59M10.26M41.94M-153.36M
Financing Cash Flow
-258.00K79.17M142.87M2.79M110.47M

Appian Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price32.18
Price Trends
50DMA
30.09
Positive
100DMA
31.41
Positive
200DMA
33.02
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
0.31
Positive
RSI
57.59
Neutral
STOCH
65.56
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For APPN, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 32.18 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 31.87, above the 50-day MA of 30.09, and below the 200-day MA of 33.02, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.31 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 57.59 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 65.56 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for APPN.

Appian Risk Analysis

Appian disclosed 57 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Appian reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Appian Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
77
Outperform
$8.35B31.9330.28%27.39%115.40%
ZSZS
74
Outperform
$46.85B-2.68%25.46%49.20%
68
Neutral
$9.40B-4.73%33.95%87.03%
SS
64
Neutral
$6.02B-26.98%32.25%20.56%
62
Neutral
$11.80B10.37-7.29%2.91%7.39%-7.96%
60
Neutral
$8.29B-34.18%24.11%21.87%
59
Neutral
$2.39B-936.62%13.15%43.36%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
APPN
Appian
32.18
4.35
15.63%
ZS
Zscaler
303.03
119.12
64.77%
FOUR
Shift4 Payments
94.40
21.16
28.89%
CFLT
Confluent
24.36
-1.71
-6.56%
S
SentinelOne
18.36
0.67
3.79%
KVYO
Klaviyo, Inc. Class A
34.06
11.51
51.04%

Appian Corporate Events

Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Appian Holds Virtual Annual Stockholders Meeting
Neutral
Jun 5, 2025

On June 4, 2025, Appian held its virtual annual meeting of stockholders with a quorum of approximately 92.72% voting power present. During the meeting, stockholders elected seven directors, ratified the appointment of BDO USA, P.C. as the independent auditor for 2025, and approved the executive compensation on an advisory basis.

The most recent analyst rating on (APPN) stock is a Sell with a $37.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Appian stock, see the APPN Stock Forecast page.

Stock Buyback
Appian Announces $10M Share Repurchase Program
Neutral
May 28, 2025

Appian Corporation’s Board of Directors has approved a Share Repurchase Program to buy back up to $10 million of its common stock from May 2025 to December 31, 2025. This initiative aims to offset shares issued to employees as part of a new compensation program, with the flexibility to repurchase shares through various methods depending on market conditions.

The most recent analyst rating on (APPN) stock is a Buy with a $41.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Appian stock, see the APPN Stock Forecast page.

Executive/Board Changes
Appian Appoints New CFO Serge Tanjga
Positive
Apr 21, 2025

On April 21, 2025, Appian Corporation announced the appointment of Serge Tanjga as Chief Financial Officer, effective May 27, 2025. Tanjga, who brings over 20 years of financial experience, including roles at MongoDB and Emerging Sovereign Group, will succeed Mark Lynch and report directly to CEO Matt Calkins. His appointment is expected to strengthen Appian’s financial leadership and strategic planning capabilities, potentially impacting its market positioning positively.

Glossary
OutperformA stock rated as "Outperform" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider this stock a good buying opportunity.
NeutralA stock rated as "Neutral" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly attractive nor unattractive for investment. Investors may consider holding onto the stock, as it is not expected to either significantly outperform or underperform the market.
UnderperformA stock rated as "Underperform" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock may deliver lower returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider selling the stock or avoiding it as an investment.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.