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Verisign (VRSN)
NASDAQ:VRSN
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Verisign (VRSN) AI Stock Analysis

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VRSN

Verisign

(NASDAQ:VRSN)

Rating:66Neutral
Price Target:
$291.00
▲(6.89% Upside)
Verisign's overall stock score is driven by its strong financial performance and positive earnings call sentiment. The company's robust profitability and cash flow generation are significant strengths, although high leverage and negative equity pose risks. Technical indicators suggest neutral momentum, while valuation metrics indicate potential overvaluation. The positive earnings call highlights growth in domain registrations and shareholder returns, offsetting some concerns about market volatility.
Positive Factors
Domain Growth
Verisign's domains have seen a seventh consecutive month-over-month increase, signaling robust underlying fundamentals.
Earnings Guidance
The domain name base is already approaching the high end of FY25 guidance, and some level of guidance raise is likely at earnings.
Negative Factors
Domain Challenges
.net domains remain softer, which poses a challenge to Verisign's domain name base growth.
Domain Decline
.net domain names have declined month-over-month for six straight months.

Verisign (VRSN) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Verisign Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionVerisign, Inc. (VRSN) is a global leader in domain name registry services and internet infrastructure. The company operates a diverse range of services across the internet ecosystem, primarily focusing on the management of the authoritative registry for .com, .net, and other top-level domains (TLDs). Verisign provides various security services and solutions, including DNS services, DDoS protection, and other cybersecurity offerings, which are essential for the reliable operation of online businesses and services.
How the Company Makes MoneyVerisign generates revenue primarily through domain name registration and renewal fees, focusing on the .com and .net TLDs, which constitute its core revenue stream. The company earns recurring revenue as domain names are registered and renewed, with most registrations occurring on an annual basis. Additionally, Verisign offers various internet security services, including Managed DNS and DDoS mitigation services, which contribute to its revenue. The company benefits from exclusive contracts with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to manage these TLDs, ensuring a steady demand for its services. Partnerships with registrars and resellers further enhance its distribution and market reach, allowing Verisign to capture a significant share of the domain registration market.

Verisign Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Domain Name Registrations
Domain Name Registrations
Measures the total number of domain names registered, reflecting the company's market share in the domain registry industry and its ability to attract and retain customers.
Chart InsightsVerisign's domain name registrations have been declining since mid-2022, with a notable drop in 2024, driven by decreases in the US and China. Despite this, the company is optimistic about reversing the trend with new marketing strategies and improved registrar engagement, as evidenced by an uptick in new registrations in the last quarter of 2024. This strategic focus could stabilize the domain base, even as the company faces challenges in key markets like China, which now has a diminished impact on overall volumes.
Data provided by:Main Street Data

Verisign Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jul 24, 2025
(Q2-2025)
|
% Change Since: -4.76%|
Next Earnings Date:Oct 23, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call reflected a positive sentiment with strong financial performance, increased domain registrations and renewal rates, and substantial returns to shareholders. However, caution was noted due to economic uncertainties and historical volatility in key markets like China.
Q2-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Domain Name Base Growth
The domain name base for .com and .net totaled 170.5 million domain names, up 660,000 from the previous quarter. New registrations for the second quarter were 10.4 million, an increase from 10.1 million the previous quarter.
Increased Renewal Rates
The renewal rate for the second quarter of 2025 is expected to be 75.5%, up from 72.7% a year ago, indicating improved customer retention.
Strong Financial Performance
Revenue for the quarter was $410 million, a 5.9% increase from the same quarter a year ago. Net income for the second quarter was $207 million compared to $199 million both last quarter and a year ago.
Significant Shareholder Returns
During the second quarter, $235 million was returned to shareholders, including $72 million through dividend payments and $163 million through share repurchases. The share repurchase program was increased by $913 million, totaling $1.5 billion available.
Negative Updates
Ongoing Economic and Geopolitical Uncertainty
Despite improvements, guidance reflects conservatism due to economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
Volatility in China
While there is growth in Asia-Pac, including China, the region has historically shown volatility, leading to cautious outlooks.
Company Guidance
During VeriSign's Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Call, the company reported significant improvements in key metrics, reflecting a positive momentum in their business model. The domain name base for .com and .net reached 170.5 million, an increase of 660,000 from the previous quarter, with new registrations totaling 10.4 million compared to 10.1 million in the same quarter last year. The renewal rate also improved to 75.5% from 72.7% a year ago. Financially, VeriSign reported $410 million in revenue, marking a 5.9% increase from the previous year, with net income reaching $207 million. The company returned $235 million to shareholders and announced a cash dividend of $0.77 per share. VeriSign's updated guidance for 2025 anticipates revenue between $1.645 billion and $1.655 billion, with operating income projected between $1.117 billion and $1.127 billion. Despite economic uncertainties, VeriSign remains optimistic due to the broad-based improvements across all regions, particularly in Asia-Pacific, and plans further engagement with their registrar channel to enhance marketing programs for 2026.

Verisign Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Verisign exhibits robust profitability with high margins and strong cash flow generation, but the balance sheet is highly leveraged with negative equity, which poses financial risks. Strong cash flow supports operations and debt obligations despite these risks.
Income Statement
82
Very Positive
Verisign demonstrates strong profitability with a robust gross profit margin of 87.9% and a net profit margin of 50.0% in the TTM. The company shows healthy revenue growth, with a 2.6% increase from the previous year, and maintains solid EBIT and EBITDA margins of 67.9% and 70.9%, respectively. These metrics indicate a well-managed cost structure and efficient operations, although the net income has slightly fluctuated over recent years.
Balance Sheet
45
Neutral
Verisign's balance sheet reflects high leverage with a negative stockholders' equity, leading to a challenging debt-to-equity ratio scenario. The equity ratio is negative due to the company's significant liabilities surpassing its assets, posing potential financial risk. However, the company has managed to maintain stable total assets and cash reserves over the years, indicating some balance sheet resilience despite the high debt levels.
Cash Flow
78
Positive
The company exhibits strong cash flow generation, with a 8.6% growth in free cash flow in the TTM. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is favorable at 1.22, indicating efficient conversion of profits into cash. Additionally, the free cash flow to net income ratio of 1.19 demonstrates robust cash flow management. These metrics highlight Verisign's ability to generate substantial cash flows to support its operations and debt obligations.
BreakdownDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.56B1.49B1.42B1.33B1.27B
Gross Profit1.37B1.30B1.22B1.14B1.08B
EBITDA1.13B1.10B1.00B913.41M886.74M
Net Income785.70M817.60M673.80M784.80M814.89M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets1.41B1.75B1.73B1.98B1.77B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments599.90M926.40M980.40M1.21B1.17B
Total Debt1.80B1.80B1.79B1.79B1.79B
Total Liabilities3.36B3.33B3.30B3.24B3.16B
Stockholders Equity-1.09B-1.58B-1.56B-1.26B-1.39B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow874.50M808.00M803.70M754.12M686.79M
Operating Cash Flow902.60M853.80M831.10M807.15M730.18M
Investing Cash Flow286.30M-97.40M355.70M-269.25M-72.26M
Financing Cash Flow-1.22B-889.80M-1.04B-719.13M-764.88M

Verisign Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price272.24
Price Trends
50DMA
279.00
Negative
100DMA
272.60
Negative
200DMA
241.60
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-3.03
Negative
RSI
48.75
Neutral
STOCH
70.52
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For VRSN, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 272.24 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 272.39, below the 50-day MA of 279.00, and above the 200-day MA of 241.60, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -3.03 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 48.75 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 70.52 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for VRSN.

Verisign Risk Analysis

Verisign disclosed 22 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Verisign reported the most risks in the "Tech & Innovation" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Verisign Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (57)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
76
Outperform
$20.37B24.6730.30%6.27%7.14%
73
Outperform
$19.40B32.8827.54%1.59%10.34%0.68%
73
Outperform
$42.80B-2.68%25.46%49.20%
72
Outperform
$10.97B26.979.21%3.98%-31.18%
70
Neutral
$21.75B1,777.39-10.35%39.45%-982.51%
66
Neutral
$25.15B32.13-72.04%0.57%4.59%0.26%
57
Neutral
HK$14.80B10.64-0.76%4.27%6.99%-31.80%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
VRSN
Verisign
272.24
93.92
52.67%
AKAM
Akamai
76.32
-25.51
-25.05%
CHKP
Check Point
188.41
-1.90
-1.00%
GEN
Gen Digital
31.19
5.91
23.38%
CYBR
CyberArk Software
435.12
155.24
55.47%
ZS
Zscaler
270.35
70.92
35.56%

Verisign Corporate Events

Private Placements and FinancingRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Verisign Enters Stock Sale Agreement with Berkshire Hathaway
Neutral
Jul 30, 2025

On July 28, 2025, VeriSign, Inc. entered into an underwriting agreement with Berkshire Hathaway Consolidated Pension Plan Master Trust and Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC Master Retirement Trust for the sale of 4,300,000 shares of common stock at $285.00 per share. The offering aims to reduce Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s ownership below the ten percent regulatory threshold, with the closing expected on July 30, 2025. VeriSign will not receive any proceeds from this transaction, and Berkshire Hathaway has agreed to a 365-day lock-up on remaining shares.

Stock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Verisign Expands Share Repurchase Program by $913.1 Million
Positive
Jul 24, 2025

On July 24, 2025, Verisign‘s Board of Directors approved an additional $913.1 million for the company’s share repurchase program, bringing the total authorization to $1.5 billion. The company reported a 5.9% increase in revenue for the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with net income rising to $207 million. Verisign also declared a quarterly dividend and highlighted its 28-year record of 100% availability for its .com and .net domain name resolution system. The company ended the quarter with 170.5 million domain name registrations and processed 10.4 million new registrations, reflecting its strong market position.

Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Verisign Stockholders Approve Key Amendments at Annual Meeting
Neutral
May 22, 2025

At the annual meeting on May 22, 2025, Verisign stockholders approved an amendment to the company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, limiting the liability of certain officers under Delaware law. Additionally, stockholders elected directors, approved executive compensation, ratified KPMG LLP as the independent auditor, and voted against a proposal for stockholder action by written consent.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

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.Date of analysis: Aug 20, 2025