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Bentley Systems Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 7 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly revenue and subscriptions grew: Total revenues rose 11.9% to $391.6 million, or 9.7% in constant currency. Subscriptions revenues rose 13.0% to $356.6 million, or 10.8% in constant currency. Source
  • Free cash flow rose to $136.2 million: Quarterly operating cash flow was $141.6 million, against $81.6 million. Full-year free cash flow was $520.2 million, against $421.2 million. Source
  • ARR grew 11.5% in constant currency: ARR was $1,462.1 million at December 31, 2025, up from $1,283.3 million a year earlier, with 11.5% constant currency growth. Source
  • Full-year AOI less SBC margin 28.6%: Full-year operating margin was 24.1%, against 22.3%, and AOI less SBC margin was 28.6%, against 27.5%. Source
  • Net debt leverage at 2.1 times: CFO said net debt leverage was 2.1 times at year end, a four-year low, going into 2026. Source
  • Asset Analytics reached critical mass: Executive Chair said the Pointivo and Talon acquisitions brought Asset Analytics to the critical mass the company had long anticipated. Source

“Our 2025 results reflect a year of disciplined execution where we delivered on our commitments across the board.”

CFO Werner Andre

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenues Sourcefull year 2026$1,685 million to $1,715 million, or 11% to 13% growth in constant currencyNew
Subscriptions revenues growth Sourcefull year 202611% to 13% in constant currencyNew
Perpetual licenses revenues growth Sourcefull year 2026approximately flat in constant currencyNew
Services revenues growth Sourcefull year 202615% to 20% in constant currencyNew
Constant currency ARR growth Sourcefull year 202610.5% to 12.5%Kept
AOI less Operating SBC Sourcefull year 2026$495 million to $510 million, representing annual margin improvement of approximately 100 bps in constant currencyNew
Effective tax rate Sourcefull year 2026approximately 21%New
Free cash flows Sourcefull year 2026$500 million to $570 millionNew
Programmatic acquisitions capacity Sourceannuallyup to $400 million

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The release gives numeric full-year 2026 ranges. The Q3 2025 release in the documents provided gave no 2026 figures. Source
  • Guidance kept: Management said the 2026 ARR growth range of 10.5% to 12.5% is unchanged from its earlier range. Source
  • Ended: The 2026 convertible notes were repaid at maturity in January 2026, with $678 million principal and accrued interest funded by cash and $610 million of revolver draws. Source
  • New: Talon Aerolytics and Pointivo technology acquisitions were announced January 5, 2026 and closed in December 2025. Source
  • New: AOI less Operating SBC will replace AOI less SBC as the primary performance measure in future periods. Source

Fourth quarter and full-year results

  • Quarterly revenue and subscriptions grew: Total revenues rose 11.9% to $391.6 million, or 9.7% in constant currency. Subscriptions revenues rose 13.0% to $356.6 million, or 10.8% in constant currency. Source
  • Full-year revenue grew 11.0%: Full-year 2025 revenues were $1,501.8 million, up 11.0%, or 10.1% in constant currency. Full-year subscriptions revenues were $1,376.7 million, up 12.5%. Source
  • Diluted and adjusted EPS both rose: Quarterly diluted EPS was $0.18, against $0.16, and adjusted EPS $0.27, against $0.21. Full-year diluted EPS was $0.85 and adjusted EPS $1.21. Source
  • Free cash flow rose to $136.2 million: Quarterly operating cash flow was $141.6 million, against $81.6 million. Full-year free cash flow was $520.2 million, against $421.2 million. Source

Products, customers and Seequent

  • Seequent growth widens addressable market: Management said Seequent's growth is expanding the addressable market into critical resources. Source
  • Asset Analytics gaining commercial traction: CEO Nicholas Cumins cited growing commercial traction for Bentley Asset Analytics in operations as AI builds momentum. Source
  • AI in design a long-term push: CEO said the company is building the AI-in-design market to secure long-term leadership in a foundational area. Source
  • AI automation raises consumption value: Executive Chair said AI-agentic automation can raise the value of modeling and simulation, captured through API consumption. Source

“We enter 2026 from a position of financial strength, having reduced our net debt leverage to a healthy 2.1 times, a four-year low”

CFO Werner Andre

Recurring base and retention

  • ARR grew 11.5% in constant currency: ARR was $1,462.1 million at December 31, 2025, up from $1,283.3 million a year earlier, with 11.5% constant currency growth. Source
  • Acquisitions added under half a percent: CFO said less than half a percent of the 11.5% constant-currency ARR growth came from acquisitions. Source
  • Net retention fell to 109%: Last-twelve-month dollar-based net retention was 109%, against 110% a year earlier. Source

Costs, margins and expense lines

  • Full-year AOI less SBC margin 28.6%: Full-year operating margin was 24.1%, against 22.3%, and AOI less SBC margin was 28.6%, against 27.5%. Source
  • Quarterly operating margin widened: Quarterly operating margin was 20.0%, against 17.6%, and AOI less SBC margin was 24.1%, against 21.5%. Source
  • Operating expense lines rose: Quarterly R&D rose to $81.0 million from $77.1 million, selling and marketing to $84.5 million from $78.7 million, and G&A to $66.4 million from $57.7 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose in both periods: Adjusted EBITDA was $118.6 million in the quarter, against $97.9 million, and $525.8 million for the full year, against $465.4 million. Source

“A tremendous incremental opportunity for us has already been opened by AI, for continuous optimization of infrastructure operations and maintenance.”

Executive Chair Greg Bentley

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Net debt leverage at 2.1 times: CFO said net debt leverage was 2.1 times at year end, a four-year low, going into 2026. Source
  • Convertible retirement cut share count: The January 2026 retirement of the 2026 convertible notes reduced fully diluted share count by about 3%. Source
  • Repurchases of Class B stock rose: Full-year 2025 repurchases of Class B common stock under the approved program were $125.1 million, against $64.4 million in 2024. Source
  • Capex and acquisition spend in 2025: Full-year purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software were $18.3 million, and acquisitions net of cash acquired were $93.3 million. Source

Acquisitions and Asset Analytics

  • Asset Analytics reached critical mass: Executive Chair said the Pointivo and Talon acquisitions brought Asset Analytics to the critical mass the company had long anticipated. Source
  • Asset consumption extends to the grid: Executive Chair said the platform positions the company for asset consumption leadership, moving from roadways and towers toward the grid. Source
  • Platform applies digital twins and AI: The Asset Analytics portfolio applies digital twins and AI to help owner-operators improve asset performance and resilience across infrastructure sectors. Source

Coming up, as management said on 26 February 2026

  • Dividend payable March 19, 2026: The $0.07 per share first-quarter 2026 dividend, declared February 23, 2026, is payable to holders of record on March 10, 2026. Source
  • 2027 convertible notes still outstanding: $575 million of 0.375% convertible senior notes remain outstanding and are due in mid-2027. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Annualized recurring revenues (ARR) Source$1,462.1 million at December 31, 2025, against $1,283.3 million a year earlier
Dollar-based net retention rate (last twelve months) Source109%, against 110% a year earlier
Subscriptions revenues Source$1,376.7 million for full year 2025, up 12.5%; $356.6 million in the quarter, up 13.0%
Cloud Services Subscription deposits Source$463.3 million at December 31, 2025, against $366.9 million a year earlier

Risks management discussed

  • External: Executive Chair cited crosscurrents of change in infrastructure engineering, while saying the consumption model has held in aggregate. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: CFO said the 28.6% AOI less SBC margin achieved the year-over-year target of 100 basis points in constant currency. Source
  • Ahead: CFO said 2025 free cash flow of $520 million exceeded the raised guidance, citing collections and working capital management. Source
  • Not stated: The Q3 release cited addressing maturing convertible debt; the Q4 release reports the 2026 notes repaid at maturity in January 2026.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.