Analyst Ratings February 20, 2026

RBC Lowers Five9 Price Target, Cites Valuation; Company Posts Strong Q4 Metrics and AI Traction

Analyst trims target to $25 while maintaining Outperform as Five9 shows revenue and margin beats, enterprise AI growth, and a planned CEO transition

By Nina Shah FIVN
RBC Lowers Five9 Price Target, Cites Valuation; Company Posts Strong Q4 Metrics and AI Traction
FIVN

RBC Capital reduced its price target on Five9 Inc. (FIVN) to $25 from $35 but retained an Outperform rating after the company reported robust fourth-quarter results. Five9 delivered revenue and margin outperformance, reaccelerating subscription growth and showing notable momentum in its Enterprise AI business, even as several other brokerages adjusted targets amid valuation and growth concerns. The company also announced a CEO handover and expanded its Google Cloud partnership.

Key Points

  • RBC Capital cut Five9's price target to $25 from $35 but kept an Outperform rating, reflecting valuation concerns despite solid operating results - sectors impacted include software, cloud services, and enterprise IT.
  • Five9's Q4 results beat consensus: revenue rose 7.8% year-over-year, adjusted EBITDA margin was 25.7%, and non-GAAP EPS was $0.80; subscription revenue growth reaccelerated to 12% and free cash flow reached 22% of revenue - impacting investor sentiment in enterprise software and SaaS markets.
  • Enterprise AI momentum: Enterprise AI ARR exceeded $100 million and revenue growth for that segment accelerated to 50% year-over-year, underscoring demand for AI-infused customer experience solutions across large enterprise customers.

Analyst move and rationale

RBC Capital trimmed its price objective on Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVN) to $25 from $35 while keeping an Outperform rating on the shares. The adjustment reflects the firm ddressing valuation considerations despite acknowledgment of solid operating results.

Quarterly performance highlights

Five9 reported fourth-quarter results that beat consensus across several metrics. Revenue rose 7.8% year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA margin reached 25.7%, and non-GAAP earnings per share were $0.80 - all items that exceeded street expectations. Following the announcement, shares rose roughly 1% after the market close to $17.83; nonetheless, the stock remains materially lower over longer horizons, down 59% over the past year and down 33% in the last six months.

Business trends and AI momentum

Core contact-center-as-a-service (CCaaS) revenue grew 8% year-over-year, with company management flagging an acceleration in growth and healthy seat trends. Enterprise AI annual recurring revenue surpassed $100 million, and Enterprise AI revenue growth accelerated to 50% year-over-year compared with 41% in the prior quarter, indicating continued traction for Five9 cross its AI offerings.

Valuation context and third-party data

InvestingPro data cited in coverage suggests the stock may be undervalued at current levels, pointing to a PEG ratio of 0.25 that indicates an attractive trade-off between price and growth on that metric. The data reference is presented as a valuation signal alongside the analyst adjustments.

Other analyst responses

RBC Capital nalyst Rishi Jaluria executed the price-target change on Thursday. Other brokers have also revised targets following the quarter: Evercore ISI lowered its target to $24 from $40, citing concerns about Five9's growth outlook; Cantor Fitzgerald cut its target to $26 from $32 while maintaining an Overweight rating; and Needham reiterated a Buy rating with a $40 price target.

Additional financial detail from the quarter

Five9's fourth-quarter 2025 disclosure noted stronger-than-expected margins and free cash flow equal to 22% of revenue. Subscription revenue growth reaccelerated to 12% in the quarter, driven primarily by subscription upside according to the company representations in the report.

Leadership and strategic partnerships

The company announced a CEO transition: Michael Burkland will hand over the role to Amit Mathradas by February 2026. The Board of Directors approved an Amended and Restated Employment Transition Agreement to govern the leadership change. Separately, Five9 expanded its collaboration with Google Cloud to introduce a new Enterprise CX AI solution, which combines Five9's AI-Infused Intelligent CX Platform with Google's advanced AI technologies to target enhancements in customer experience for large enterprises.


This report summarizes analyst adjustments, company-reported financial results and strategic developments as disclosed by Five9 and analyst teams. It is intended to convey the factual record of those announcements and related market reactions.

Risks

  • Valuation and growth outlook risk: Multiple brokerages adjusted price targets downward, with some citing growth concerns - this creates uncertainty for equity valuations and investor expectations in the software and cloud sectors.
  • Share price volatility: Despite positive quarter metrics, the stock has fallen 59% over the past year and 33% over six months, indicating market sensitivity to guidance and valuation - relevant to equity investors and index/sector funds.
  • Leadership transition execution: The planned CEO handover to Amit Mathradas by February 2026 introduces execution risk tied to strategic continuity and integration of AI initiatives - this affects operational stability in the enterprise software and technology services sectors.

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