greeksoup/ stock research

Deluxe Corp.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 1 narrowed, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 2.5% reported: Revenue was $553.9 million against $540.2 million. Excluding the business exit, comparable adjusted revenue rose 9.1% from $507.9 million. Source
  • GAAP and adjusted EPS moved differently: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.28 against $0.74. Comparable adjusted diluted EPS was $1.06 against $1.04, up 1.9%. Source
  • Merchant Services revenue and margin higher: Revenue was $135.1 million against $98.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $32.1 million against $20.4 million, a 23.8% margin against 20.8%. Source
  • Data Solutions margin fell year on year: Revenue was $102.9 million against $89.2 million, but adjusted EBITDA was $27.6 million against $29.1 million. The margin was 26.8% against 32.6%. Source
  • Amortization and deal costs rose: Depreciation and amortization was $45.4 million against $32.3 million, including acquisition amortization of $20.4 million against $10.6 million. Acquisition transaction costs were $9.8 million. Source
  • Free cash flow up 40.7%: Free cash flow was $134.9 million for the nine months against $95.9 million, after purchases of capital assets of $81.0 million. Source

“Revenue across our combined Payments and Data businesses expanded by over 21%, as the addition of Celero mid-quarter further accelerated our growth and mix shift progress”

Barry McCarthy, President and CEO of Deluxe

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefull year 2026$2.13 to $2.15 billionRaised from $2.095 to $2.12 billion
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$470 to $480 millionRaised from $455 to $475 million
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefull year 2026$3.80 to $4.00Narrowed, low end up from $3.60 to $4.00
Free cash flow Sourcefull year 2026approximately $200 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance raised to $2.13 to $2.15 billion from $2.095 to $2.12 billion. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance raised to $470 to $480 million from $455 to $475 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance raised to $3.80 to $4.00 from $3.60 to $4.00. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 free cash flow guidance of approximately $200 million was affirmed. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 2.5% reported: Revenue was $553.9 million against $540.2 million. Excluding the business exit, comparable adjusted revenue rose 9.1% from $507.9 million. Source
  • Comparable adjusted EBITDA margin up: Comparable adjusted EBITDA was $127.1 million, up 9.6% from $116.0 million. The margin was 22.9%, up 10 basis points from the prior year. Source
  • GAAP and adjusted EPS moved differently: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.28 against $0.74. Comparable adjusted diluted EPS was $1.06 against $1.04, up 1.9%. Source

Segments and regions

  • Merchant Services revenue and margin higher: Revenue was $135.1 million against $98.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $32.1 million against $20.4 million, a 23.8% margin against 20.8%. Source
  • B2B Payments margin rose to 29.1%: Revenue was $77.3 million against $73.1 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $22.5 million against $16.8 million, a margin of 29.1% against 23.0%. Source
  • Data Solutions margin fell year on year: Revenue was $102.9 million against $89.2 million, but adjusted EBITDA was $27.6 million against $29.1 million. The margin was 26.8% against 32.6%. Source
  • Print revenue declined: Print revenue was $238.6 million against $279.9 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $84.3 million against $93.5 million, a margin of 35.3% against 33.4%. Source

“Continued expansion of our comparable adjusted EBITDA and year-to-date free cash flow results through the third quarter reflect our focused execution and the ability to expand our margins as revenue scales across our growth segments”

Chip Zint, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Deluxe

Costs, margins and interest

  • Cost of revenue and SG&A increased: Cost of revenue was $266.3 million against $249.1 million. SG&A was $226.2 million against $212.4 million. Restructuring and integration expense was $8.7 million against $2.9 million. Source
  • Amortization and deal costs rose: Depreciation and amortization was $45.4 million against $32.3 million, including acquisition amortization of $20.4 million against $10.6 million. Acquisition transaction costs were $9.8 million. Source
  • Interest expense increased: Interest expense was $35.0 million against $30.5 million in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • Corporate costs eased slightly: Corporate costs within adjusted EBITDA were $39.4 million against $40.9 million in the prior-year quarter. Source

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Operating cash flow up 28.1%: Cash from operating activities was $215.9 million for the nine months, up from $168.5 million. Source
  • Free cash flow up 40.7%: Free cash flow was $134.9 million for the nine months against $95.9 million, after purchases of capital assets of $81.0 million. Source
  • Acquisition payments of $642.9 million: Payments for acquisitions were $642.9 million for the nine months, against $12.1 million a year earlier. Total investing outflows were $675.8 million. Source
  • Debt and net debt rose: Total debt was $2,004.1 million and cash was $74.9 million at September 30, 2026. Net debt was $1,929.2 million, against $1,392.5 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Capital allocation and shares

  • Quarterly dividend unchanged at $0.30: The Board approved a regular quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, the same amount as in the previous quarter's release. Source
  • Dividends paid rose: Dividends paid were $43.0 million for the nine months against $41.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Shares outstanding increased: Shares outstanding were 45.9 million at September 30, 2026, against 45.0 million at December 31, 2025. Weighted diluted shares for the quarter were 46.5 million against 45.6 million. Source

Celero integration and mix

  • Celero closed July 31: The previous quarter's release said the Celero transaction closed as of July 31, and reflected it in full-year 2026 guidance.
  • Celero synergy targets in progress: Management said it is executing well on the Celero integration synergy targets while continuing to expand profit margins and cash flows across the enterprise. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Dividend payable December 1: The $0.30 dividend is payable December 1, 2026, to shareholders of record at market close on November 17, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Annual payment volume processed Sourcemore than $2 trillion

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management said the updated guidance remains subject to macroeconomic conditions, global instability including tariffs, labor supply challenges, inflation, and other portfolio changes. Source
  • Financial: Net income declined to $13.0 million, with acquisition-related costs and higher interest expense offsetting the increase in operating profit. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The previous quarter's release committed to near-term synergy capture after Celero joined. This release says the company is executing well on the synergy targets, without a status.

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.