Application security provider F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) will be reporting results this Monday after the bell. Here’s what to look for.

F5 beat analysts’ revenue expectations by 3.6% last quarter, reporting revenues of $780.4 million, up 12.2% year on year. It was an exceptional quarter for the company, with an impressive beat of analysts’ billings estimates and full-year revenue guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Is F5 a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it’s free for active Edge members.

This quarter, analysts are expecting F5’s revenue to grow 6.4% year on year to $794.1 million, in line with the 5.6% increase it recorded in the same quarter last year. Adjusted earnings are expected to come in at $3.97 per share.

Analysts covering the company have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days, suggesting they anticipate the business to stay the course heading into earnings. F5 has only missed Wall Street’s revenue estimates once over the last two years, exceeding top-line expectations by 2.2% on average.

With F5 being the first among its peers to report earnings this season, we don’t have anywhere else to look to get a hint at how this quarter will unravel for software development stocks. However, investors in the segment have had steady hands going into earnings, with share prices flat over the last month. F5 is down 8% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $333 (compared to the current share price of $299).

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