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Factset Research Systems Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 31 March 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 7.1 percent: GAAP revenues were $611.0 million, up 7.1%, and organic revenues rose 6.8% to $606.2 million. Acquisitions contributed $3.4 million of revenue in the quarter. Source
  • Organic ASV reached $2.45 billion: Organic ASV was $2,449.1 million, up 6.7% from the prior year, an increase of $152.9 million year over year. Source
  • Organic ASV added $38.0 million: Organic ASV increased $38.0 million over the last three months, compared with $6.6 million in the prior quarter. Source
  • GAAP operating margin fell about 220 bps: GAAP operating margin was 30.3% against 32.5%, on higher compensation, technology and intangible amortization costs, partly offset by revenue growth and lower acquisition fees. Source
  • Free cash flow rose 23.6%: Free cash flow was $185.7 million, up 23.6%, from operating cash flow of $211.7 million, up 21.7%, less $26.0 million of capital purchases. Source

“FactSet delivered another quarter of accelerating growth, driven by the strength of our data, the depth of our workflow integration, and the trust our clients place in us to run their most critical processes,”

Sanoke Viswanathan, CEO of FactSet

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Organic ASV growth Sourcefiscal 2026$130 million to $160 million (approximately 5.4% to 6.7%)Raised from $100 million to $150 million
GAAP revenues Sourcefiscal 2026$2,450 million to $2,470 millionRaised from $2,423 million to $2,448 million
GAAP operating margin Sourcefiscal 202629.5% to 31.0%Kept
Adjusted operating margin Sourcefiscal 202634.0% to 35.5%Kept
Effective tax rate Sourcefiscal 202618.0% to 19.0%Kept
GAAP diluted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026$14.85 to $15.35Raised from $14.55 to $15.25
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefiscal 2026$17.25 to $17.75Raised from $16.90 to $17.60
Non-GAAP reconciling items Sourcefiscal 2026Intangible asset amortization $75 million; CEO compensation $25 million; discrete items $10 million to $12 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Organic ASV growth expectation raised to $130 million to $160 million, from $100 million to $150 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: GAAP revenue range raised to $2,450 million to $2,470 million, from $2,423 million to $2,448 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: GAAP diluted EPS range raised to $14.85 to $15.35, from $14.55 to $15.25. Source
  • Guidance raised: Adjusted diluted EPS range raised to $17.25 to $17.75, from $16.90 to $17.60. Source
  • Guidance kept: GAAP and adjusted operating margin ranges and the 18.0% to 19.0% effective tax rate range are unchanged. Source
  • New: Multi-year strategic agreement with Barclays for FactSet financial data, analytics and technology, supporting Barclays' long-term market data strategy. Source
  • New: After the quarter, Kate Stepp was appointed Chief AI Officer and Bob Stolte was appointed Chief Technology Officer. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 7.1 percent: GAAP revenues were $611.0 million, up 7.1%, and organic revenues rose 6.8% to $606.2 million. Acquisitions contributed $3.4 million of revenue in the quarter. Source
  • Organic ASV reached $2.45 billion: Organic ASV was $2,449.1 million, up 6.7% from the prior year, an increase of $152.9 million year over year. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose on lower share count: Adjusted diluted EPS rose 4.2% to $4.46, with revenue growth and a lower share count offset by a higher tax rate. Diluted weighted shares were 37,063 thousand, down from 38,510 thousand. Source

Segments and regions

  • Americas organic ASV grew 7.0%: Americas organic ASV reached $1,605.8 million. Americas revenue was $399.7 million against $369.7 million, with organic revenue growth of 7.4%. Source
  • EMEA organic ASV grew 4.3%: EMEA organic ASV rose 4.3% to $594.2 million. EMEA revenue was $149.1 million against $143.4 million, with organic revenue growth of 4.0%. Source
  • Asia Pacific had highest regional growth: Asia Pacific organic ASV rose 10.0% to $249.1 million. Asia Pacific revenue was $62.2 million against $57.6 million, with organic revenue growth of 9.7%. Source

“We are encouraged by early AI contributions - both in new client engagement and operational benefits - positioning us well for sustained growth for the fiscal year.”

Helen Shan, CFO of FactSet

Products, customers and demand

  • Client count rose by 98: Client count was 9,101 at February 28, 2026, a net increase of 98 in the quarter, driven by corporate and wealth management clients. Source
  • User count rose by 1,489: Users reached 241,352, a net increase of 1,489 in the quarter, driven by wealth management and dealmakers users. Source
  • Retention stayed above 95%: Annual ASV retention was greater than 95%. Measured as a percentage of clients, annual retention was 91%. Source
  • Organic ASV added $38.0 million: Organic ASV increased $38.0 million over the last three months, compared with $6.6 million in the prior quarter. Source
  • Buy-side and wealth management drove growth: Growth in GAAP and organic revenues came from institutional buy-side and wealth management clients. Source

Costs, margins and tax

  • GAAP operating margin fell about 220 bps: GAAP operating margin was 30.3% against 32.5%, on higher compensation, technology and intangible amortization costs, partly offset by revenue growth and lower acquisition fees. Source
  • Adjusted margin fell about 230 bps: Adjusted operating margin was 35.0% against 37.3%, mainly on higher compensation, technology-related expenses and professional fees. Source

Cash, buybacks and dividend

  • Free cash flow rose 23.6%: Free cash flow was $185.7 million, up 23.6%, from operating cash flow of $211.7 million, up 21.7%, less $26.0 million of capital purchases. Source
  • Repurchases of 651,750 shares: The company repurchased 651,750 shares for $163.0 million at an average price of $250.14 during the quarter. Source
  • $697.1 million left on program: $697.1 million remained under the repurchase program at February 28, 2026, against $260.1 million at November 30, 2025, before the December increase of $600 million. Source
  • Quarterly dividend of $1.10 paid: A quarterly dividend of $40.3 million, or $1.10 per share, was paid on March 19, 2026. Source

Strategy and AI investment

  • Kepler research added to platform: Kepler Cheuvreux Aftermarket Research became available on the FactSet platform, expanding European equity research coverage across more than 1,000 stocks. Source
  • AI Doc Ingest launched for Cobalt: AI Doc Ingest lets private capital clients extract and structure portfolio company data from unstructured documents in the Cobalt Portfolio Monitoring platform. Source
  • Financial crime risk tools added after quarter: After the quarter, AI-driven financial crime risk capabilities were integrated into the Workstation with ComplyAdvantage for corporate banking clients. Source

People and leadership

  • Headcount rose 1.9% over year: Headcount was 12,840 at February 28, 2026, up 1.9% over twelve months, mainly in content and technology. Source
  • CEO make-whole awards expensed: The quarter includes $3.9 million of CEO compensation costs for one-time make-whole cash and equity awards, with most recognized over service periods. Source
  • Centers of excellence hold 68% of staff: Centers of excellence account for approximately 68% of employees, unchanged from the prior quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 31 March 2026

  • Next update at quarterly results: The company does not plan to update its forward-looking statements before its next quarterly results announcement. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Annual Subscription Value (ASV) Source$2,450.2 million at February 28, 2026
Annual ASV retention Sourcegreater than 95%; 91% of clients
Client count Source9,101
User count Source241,352

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: The effective tax rate rose to 17.4% on limits to executive compensation deductibility and lower stock-based excess tax benefits, partly offset by a favorable US tax resolution. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Fiscal 2026 expectations are presented relative to the most recent previous guidance, with the ranges updated in this release. Source

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.