F5 (FFIV) stock
Information Technology · Communications Equipment
F5 (FFIV) is a Communications Equipment company in the Information Technology sector, headquartered in Seattle, Washington. As of October 23, 2026, FFIV closed at $455.42, a market capitalization of $25.79 billion, the 355th largest company in the S&P 500. Over the last twelve months it generated $3.31 billion in revenue (+11% year over year) and $969.60 million in free cash flow. The stock trades at 36.3x trailing earnings and 25.2x forward earnings.
- 1-year total return: +50.9% (dividends reinvested)
- 5-year return: +16.9% a year
- 52-week range: $223.76 – $483.30
- Gross margin 81.9%, operating margin 24.6%
- FI Handbook report card: B across 10 metrics
- 61st largest of 75 Information Technology stocks in the S&P 500
FFIV price chart
1Y price change: +50.9% (price only; total returns below include dividends)
| Total return | 1M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | MAX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFIV | -0.1% | +78.4% | +50.9% | +46.0% | +16.9% | +14.5% | +16.2% |
Dividends reinvested. 3Y and longer are annualized; MAX is annualized since 1999.
FFIV key statistics
- Market cap
- $25.8B
- #355 in S&P 500
- P/E (TTM)
- 36.3x
- Forward P/E
- 25.2x
- EPS (TTM)
- $12.55
- Revenue (TTM)
- $3.3B
- +11%
- Free cash flow
- $969.6M
- Gross margin
- 81.9%
- Operating margin
- 24.6%
- Return on equity
- 19.8%
- Dividend yield
- None
- 52-week range
- $223.76 – $483.30
- Beta
- 1.03
- Price / sales
- 7.8x
- EV / EBITDA
- 26.5x
- Debt / equity
- 0.07x
- Employees
- 6,512
FFIV report card
BTen fundamentals graded A to F against fixed thresholds. Not a buy or sell rating.
- Revenue growth10.9%B
- Gross margin81.9%A
- Operating margin24.6%B
- FCF margin29.3%A
- Return on equity19.8%B
- Net debt / EBITDA-1.5xA
- Forward P/E25.2xC
- PEG ratio1.6xC
- Shareholder yield1.9%C
- Share count change / yr-0.9%B
F5 financials
Revenue went from $2.0B in fiscal 2016 to $3.1B in fiscal 2025, growing 5.0% a year.
| Fiscal year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $2.0B | $2.1B | $2.2B | $2.2B | $2.4B | $2.6B | $2.7B | $2.8B | $2.8B | $3.1B |
| Gross profit | $1.7B | $1.7B | $1.8B | $1.9B | $1.9B | $2.1B | $2.2B | $2.2B | $2.3B | $2.5B |
| Operating income | $547.4M | $564.0M | $590.9M | $518.5M | $392.3M | $394.0M | $403.8M | $472.6M | $658.6M | $765.9M |
| Net income | $365.9M | $420.8M | $453.7M | $427.7M | $307.4M | $331.2M | $322.2M | $394.9M | $566.8M | $692.4M |
| EPS (diluted) | $5.38 | $6.50 | $7.32 | $7.08 | $5.01 | $5.34 | $5.27 | $6.55 | $9.55 | $11.80 |
| Free cash flow | $648.0M | $701.6M | $707.6M | $644.3M | $601.0M | $614.5M | $409.0M | $599.2M | $762.0M | $906.4M |
| Buybacks | $700.1M | $600.1M | $600.1M | $201.0M | $100.0M | $500.0M | $500.0M | $350.0M | $500.6M | $502.1M |
| Diluted shares | 68.0M | 64.8M | 62.0M | 60.5M | 61.4M | 62.1M | 61.1M | 60.3M | 59.4M | 58.7M |
Source: SEC filings (10-K XBRL). EPS and share counts are split-adjusted.
What's priced into FFIV?
A reverse DCF asks what growth the current price requires. With an enterprise value of $24.4B and $969.6M of trailing free cash flow, F5 needs to grow free cash flow about 16.4% a year for ten years (fading to 3.0% terminal growth) to earn a 10% annual return. For context, free cash flow grew 8.6% a year over the last five years.
P/E ratio history
Current 38.6x vs. median 28.7x (10th–90th percentile 20.5x–45.7x).
A model, not a forecast or advice. Small changes in assumptions move the answer a lot.
FFIV analyst price targets
10 analysts' average 12-month target is $437.80 (-4% vs. $455.42). Targets range from $300.00 to $525.00. 38% rate it a buy.
FFIV earnings
Next report: October 27, 2026. F5 has beaten EPS estimates 8 quarters in a row. Last quarter's revenue was $865.1M (+11% year over year).
| Report date | EPS estimate | EPS actual | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2026 | $4.00 | $4.73 | +18.3% |
| Apr 28, 2026 | $3.46 | $3.90 | +12.9% |
| Jan 27, 2026 | $3.65 | $4.45 | +21.9% |
| Oct 27, 2025 | $3.97 | $4.39 | +10.6% |
| Jul 30, 2025 | $3.49 | $4.16 | +19.2% |
| Apr 28, 2025 | $3.09 | $3.42 | +10.5% |
| Jan 28, 2025 | $3.38 | $3.84 | +13.7% |
| Oct 28, 2024 | $3.45 | $3.67 | +6.4% |
Stocks like FFIV
| Name | Today | 1Y | Mkt cap | P/E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CSCO Cisco Systems | +1.53% | +54% | $419.9B | 32.0x | Compare |
 ANET Arista Networks | +0.76% | +13% | $217.4B | 58.6x | Compare |
 MSI Motorola Solutions | +0.84% | +10% | $79.7B | 37.9x | Compare |
 LITE Lumentum | +0.48% | +349% | $68.5B | — | Compare |
 CIEN Ciena | -0.74% | +86% | $45.4B | 71.6x | Compare |
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 AAPL Apple | -0.14% | +34% | $5.1T | 39.9x | Compare |
 MSFT Microsoft | +0.66% | +2% | $3.9T | 29.2x | Compare |
FFIV news
- F5 to Report Q4 Earnings: What's in the Cards for the Stock? · Oct 23, 2026
- Should FFIV Stock's New High Stop You From Buying? · Oct 13, 2026
- F5 to Report Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Results · Oct 8, 2026
- 2 Cash-Producing Stocks with Exciting Potential and 1 We Avoid · Oct 8, 2026
- F5 Cloud-Native Network Functions Target Kubernetes Efficiency for Service Providers · Oct 7, 2026
FFIV stock FAQ
What is FFIV's market cap?
F5's market capitalization is $25.79 billion as of October 23, 2026, ranking 355th in the S&P 500.
What is FFIV's P/E ratio?
FFIV trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 36.3x and a forward P/E of 25.2x. Its median P/E over the period we track is 28.7x.
Does FFIV pay a dividend?
No. F5 does not currently pay a regular cash dividend.
How much has FFIV stock returned?
Including reinvested dividends, FFIV returned +50.9% over one year, +16.9% a year over five years, +14.5% a year over ten years through October 23, 2026.
Is FFIV stock overvalued?
At today's price, a reverse discounted cash flow model (10% discount rate, 3% terminal growth) implies F5 must grow free cash flow about 16% a year for the next decade. Its free cash flow grew 9% a year over the last five years. Whether that is achievable decides if the stock is cheap or expensive. This is a model, not advice.
What is the FFIV price target?
10 analysts cover FFIV with an average 12-month price target of $437.80, -4% from the current price. 38% of them rate it a buy.
When does FFIV report earnings?
F5 is expected to report earnings on October 27, 2026. It has beaten EPS estimates 8 quarters in a row.
How many employees does F5 have?
F5 has about 6,512 full-time employees, or $508,190 of revenue per employee.
Sources: SEC EDGAR filings, Yahoo Finance market data (delayed), FI Handbook calculations. Last close October 23, 2026. Methodology