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Jacobs Solutions Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 20 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 4 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Adjusted EPS rose while GAAP EPS fell: Q4 adjusted EPS was $1.75, up 27.7% y/y. Q4 GAAP EPS was $1.05, down 55.9% y/y. Source
  • Fourth-quarter revenue grew on both measures: Q4 gross revenue was $3.2 billion, up 6.6% y/y. Adjusted net revenue, which excludes pass-through billings, was $2.2 billion, up 5.8%. Source
  • Five sectors drove I&AF revenue growth: Management named Life Sciences, Data Center, Water, Energy & Power and Transportation as the sectors behind I&AF revenue growth in fiscal 2025, and expects them to continue into fiscal 2026 and beyond. Source
  • Backlog reached a new record: Management said backlog reached a new record and grew 5.6% y/y, against 14.3% y/y in the third-quarter release. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin widened year over year: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 14.4% in Q4, against 13.6% a year earlier. For fiscal 2025 it was 13.9%, against 12.8%. Source
  • Record $1.1 billion returned to shareholders: Management said the company returned a record $1.1 billion to shareholders in fiscal 2025 through share repurchases and dividends. Source

“We grew revenue organically mid-single-digits year-over-year and expanded our operating margin meaningfully.”

Bob Pragada, Jacobs' Chair and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted net revenue growth SourceFiscal 20266% to 10%New
Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFiscal 202614.4% to 14.7%New
Adjusted EPS SourceFiscal 2026$6.90 to $7.30New
Free cash flow margin SourceFiscal 20267.0% to 8.0%New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fiscal 2026 figures were given for adjusted net revenue growth, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted EPS and free cash flow margin. The earlier release contained no fiscal 2026 figures. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Adjusted EPS rose while GAAP EPS fell: Q4 adjusted EPS was $1.75, up 27.7% y/y. Q4 GAAP EPS was $1.05, down 55.9% y/y. Source
  • Fourth-quarter revenue grew on both measures: Q4 gross revenue was $3.2 billion, up 6.6% y/y. Adjusted net revenue, which excludes pass-through billings, was $2.2 billion, up 5.8%. Source
  • Fiscal-year revenue and adjusted EPS grew: Fiscal 2025 gross revenue was $12.0 billion, up 4.6%. Adjusted net revenue was $8.7 billion, up 5.3%. Adjusted EPS was $6.12, up 15.9%. Source
  • GAAP net earnings fell on prior-year gain: Q4 GAAP net earnings were $138 million, down 55.4%. Management said the year-earlier quarter included mark-to-market gains on the former Amentum stake. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose in the quarter: Q4 adjusted EBITDA was $324 million, up 12.0% y/y. Fiscal 2025 adjusted EBITDA was $1.2 billion, up 13.9%. Source

Segments, sectors and backlog

  • Five sectors drove I&AF revenue growth: Management named Life Sciences, Data Center, Water, Energy & Power and Transportation as the sectors behind I&AF revenue growth in fiscal 2025, and expects them to continue into fiscal 2026 and beyond. Source
  • PA Consulting revenue growth accelerated: PA Consulting Q4 revenue was $318.5 million, against $289.4 million. Management said its growth accelerated through the fiscal year and contributed to consolidated results. Source
  • Segment operating profit rose in both: Q4 I&AF segment operating profit was $254.0 million, against $218.7 million. PA Consulting segment operating profit was $72.0 million, against $61.7 million. Source
  • Backlog reached a new record: Management said backlog reached a new record and grew 5.6% y/y, against 14.3% y/y in the third-quarter release. Source

“We are starting FY26 with a record backlog, and we anticipate growth in revenue, margins, EPS and free cash flow for the full fiscal year.”

Venk Nathamuni, Jacobs' CFO

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin widened year over year: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 14.4% in Q4, against 13.6% a year earlier. For fiscal 2025 it was 13.9%, against 12.8%. Source
  • Adjusted tax rate fell in the quarter: The adjusted effective tax rate was 22.7% in Q4, against 27.5% a year earlier, a decrease of 480 basis points. Source
  • Restructuring and amortization charges excluded: Restructuring, transaction and other charges were $74.9 million in Q4 and $162.9 million for fiscal 2025. Amortization of intangibles was $39.6 million in Q4 and $155.5 million for the year. Both sit outside adjusted results. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Record $1.1 billion returned to shareholders: Management said the company returned a record $1.1 billion to shareholders in fiscal 2025 through share repurchases and dividends. Source
  • Quarterly free cash flow rose; annual fell: Free cash flow was $353.5 million in Q4, against $158.2 million, and $607.5 million for fiscal 2025, against $933.6 million. Operating cash flow for the year was $686.7 million. Source
  • Buybacks and dividends paid in the year: Share repurchases were $100.9 million in Q4 and $754.1 million for fiscal 2025, against $402.7 million. Dividends paid were $153.0 million. These two lines sum to $907.1 million; the release does not reconcile them to the $1.1 billion figure. Source

“We enter FY26 with multiple secular tailwinds, clear line-of-sight to continued synergistic expansion with PA Consulting and a record backlog, positioning us for profitable growth.”

Bob Pragada, Jacobs' Chair and CEO

Strategy and investment

  • Capital expenditure fell year over year: Additions to property and equipment were $79.2 million for fiscal 2025, against $121.1 million, and $29.6 million in Q4. Source
  • No acquisitions in fiscal 2025: No acquisitions of businesses were recorded in fiscal 2025, against $14.0 million in fiscal 2024. Source
  • Long-term debt fell in the quarter: Long-term debt was $2.24 billion at September 26, 2025, against $2.51 billion at June 27, 2025 as reported in the third-quarter release. Source

People and leadership

  • Talent force reported at almost 43,000: The company gives its talent force as almost 43,000, against almost 45,000 in the third-quarter release. Source
  • Separation Transaction charges in Q4: Q4 included $11.7 million of restructuring and other charges tied to the Separation Transaction, mainly professional services and employee separation costs. Source
  • Subsidiary compensation charges recorded: Q4 also included $54.8 million of charges under certain subsidiary-level compensation-based agreements. Source

Items the documents dwell on

  • TSA income from Amentum excluded: Fiscal 2025 included $40.5 million of income under the transition services agreement with Amentum. The release removes this income from adjusted results. Source
  • Interest expense fell year over year: Interest expense was $145.8 million for fiscal 2025, against $169.1 million. Interest income was $35.8 million. Source
  • Equity-for-debt exchange discount and expenses: Fiscal 2025 included $20.5 million of discounts and expenses from the one-time exchange of Amentum shares for term loans. The release excludes these from adjusted results. Source

Coming up, as management said on 20 November 2025

  • Fiscal 2026 margin improvement forecast: Management said it forecasts further margin improvement in fiscal 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total backlog Source$23,064 million
I&AF backlog Source$22,649 million
PA Consulting backlog Source$415 million
Book-to-bill, Q4 and trailing twelve months Source1.1x and 1.1x

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: A reserve reduced I&AF revenue and operating profit after an interim ruling against a consolidated joint venture in which the company holds 50%. The noncontrolling partner's share sits in noncontrolling interests. Source
  • Financial: The company's investment in Amentum stock produced mark-to-market losses and related charges in fiscal 2025 that affect GAAP results. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said it met or exceeded all key metrics for fiscal 2025. Source
  • Met: The third-quarter release expected reported FCF conversion above 100%. The fourth-quarter release states conversion exceeded 100%.
  • Ahead: Management said fiscal 2025 closed above the high end of the annual margin expansion target set at the February Investor Day. 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.