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Stride, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 27 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 1 lowered, 6 new, 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue and operating income rose: Revenue was $631.3 million, up 7.5%. Income from operations was $146.9 million, up 17.4%. Net income was $99.5 million, up 3.2%, compared with the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Six-month revenue and operating income up: Six-month revenue was $1,252.1 million, up 10.0%, and six-month income from operations was $215.8 million, up 25.2%, compared with the same period of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Career Learning revenue up 24.5%: Total Career Learning revenue was $289.9 million, up 24.5%, including Middle - High School revenue of $275.6 million, up 29.3%. Six-month Career Learning revenue was up 20.5%. Source
  • General Education revenue fell: General Education revenue was $341.4 million, down 3.6%, in the quarter. Six-month General Education revenue was $704.5 million, up 3.0%. Source
  • Cash and securities declined: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $676.0 million at December 31, 2025, compared with $1,011.4 million at June 30, 2025. Source
  • Operating cash flow negative for six months: Net cash used in operating activities was $103.9 million for six months, compared with $81.4 million provided a year earlier. Changes in accounts receivable used $317.6 million. Source

“Management believes that these additional measures provide useful information to investors relating to our financial performance.”

Stride, Inc., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFiscal year 2026$2.480 billion to $2.555 billionKept
Capital expenditures SourceFiscal year 2026$70 million to $80 millionKept
Effective tax rate SourceFiscal year 202624% to 25%Kept
Adjusted operating income SourceFiscal year 2026$485 million to $505 millionRaised from $475 million to $500 million
Income from operations (GAAP) SourceFiscal year 2026$437.0 million to $454.0 millionRaised from $427.0 million to $448.0 million
Stock-based compensation expense SourceFiscal year 2026$41.0 million to $43.0 millionLowered from $41.0 million to $44.0 million
Amortization of intangible assets SourceFiscal year 2026$7.0 million to $8.0 millionKept
Revenue SourceThird quarter of fiscal 2026$615 million to $645 millionNew
Capital expenditures SourceThird quarter of fiscal 2026$16 million to $21 millionNew
Adjusted operating income SourceThird quarter of fiscal 2026$130 million to $140 millionNew
Income from operations (GAAP) SourceThird quarter of fiscal 2026$118.5 million to $127.0 millionNew
Stock-based compensation expense SourceThird quarter of fiscal 2026$10.0 million to $11.0 millionNew
Amortization of intangible assets SourceThird quarter of fiscal 2026$1.5 million to $2.0 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year adjusted operating income range raised to $485 million to $505 million from $475 million to $500 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year income from operations range raised to $437.0 million to $454.0 million from $427.0 million to $448.0 million. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year stock-based compensation upper end lowered to $43.0 million from $44.0 million. Source
  • New guidance: Third-quarter fiscal 2026 forecasts given for revenue, capital expenditures, adjusted operating income, income from operations, stock-based compensation and amortization. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year revenue and capital expenditure ranges are unchanged from the prior release. Source
  • Ended: Second-quarter fiscal 2026 forecast from the prior release ended with this release, which reports actual second-quarter results.

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue and operating income rose: Revenue was $631.3 million, up 7.5%. Income from operations was $146.9 million, up 17.4%. Net income was $99.5 million, up 3.2%, compared with the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Six-month revenue and operating income up: Six-month revenue was $1,252.1 million, up 10.0%, and six-month income from operations was $215.8 million, up 25.2%, compared with the same period of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Per-share results rose: Diluted net income per share was $2.12, up 4.4%. Adjusted EPS was $2.50, up 5.5%. Six-month adjusted EPS was $3.95, compared with $3.50 a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 17.2%: Adjusted EBITDA was $188.1 million, up 17.2%, and EBITDA was $177.8 million, up 16.6%. Both are non-GAAP measures reconciled in the release. Source

Segments and revenue mix

  • Career Learning revenue up 24.5%: Total Career Learning revenue was $289.9 million, up 24.5%, including Middle - High School revenue of $275.6 million, up 29.3%. Six-month Career Learning revenue was up 20.5%. Source
  • General Education revenue fell: General Education revenue was $341.4 million, down 3.6%, in the quarter. Six-month General Education revenue was $704.5 million, up 3.0%. Source
  • Adult revenue declined sharply: Adult revenue was $14.3 million, down 28.0%, in the quarter, and $30.5 million, down 28.3%, for the six months. Source

“Core platform issues stabilized; enhancements ongoing Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Summary Financial Metrics Three Months Ended December 31”

Stride, Inc., press release

Costs, margins and other income

  • Instructional costs and gross margin rose: Instructional costs and services were $371.6 million, up from $347.4 million. Gross margin was $259.6 million, compared with $239.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Source
  • Selling and administrative costs eased: Selling, general, and administrative expenses were $112.8 million in the quarter, down from $114.8 million, and $285.9 million for six months, up from $283.3 million. Source
  • Other income turned to expense: Other income (expense), net was $(10.8) million in the quarter, compared with $7.3 million a year earlier. Income tax expense was $34.0 million, compared with $33.4 million. Source

Cash, receivables and buybacks

  • Cash and securities declined: Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $676.0 million at December 31, 2025, compared with $1,011.4 million at June 30, 2025. Source
  • Operating cash flow negative for six months: Net cash used in operating activities was $103.9 million for six months, compared with $81.4 million provided a year earlier. Changes in accounts receivable used $317.6 million. Source
  • Receivables rose from June: Accounts receivable, net, was $869.0 million at December 31, 2025, compared with $559.6 million at June 30, 2025. Source
  • Treasury stock purchases and withholding: Six-month purchases of treasury stock were $88.6 million, and repurchases of restricted stock for tax withholding were $32.2 million. Treasury shares rose to 6,607,533 from 5,334,743. Source
  • Deferred revenue fell: Deferred revenue was $5.1 million at December 31, 2025, compared with $27.0 million at June 30, 2025. Source

Investment and capitalized development

  • Quarterly capital spending detailed: Capital expenditures were $16.0 million, compared with $14.8 million a year earlier, comprised of $(0.2) million property and equipment, $11.0 million capitalized software and $5.2 million capitalized curriculum. Source
  • Six-month capitalized development rose: Six-month capitalized software development was $24.7 million, compared with $18.6 million, and capitalized curriculum development was $12.9 million, compared with $9.8 million. Source
  • Other investments increased: Other acquisitions, loans and investments, net of distributions, were $50.3 million for six months, compared with $950 thousand a year earlier. Source

Share count and adjusted earnings per share

  • Diluted share count lower: Diluted weighted average shares were 46,863,391 for the quarter, compared with 47,462,688 a year earlier. Basic weighted average shares were 43,074,993. Source
  • Capped call reduces adjusted share count: Adjusted diluted shares were 43,951,365 after a 2,912,026 share effect from capped call transactions, used in the adjusted EPS calculation. Source
  • Stock compensation expense up: Stock-based compensation expense was $10.3 million for the quarter, compared with $7.9 million, and is excluded from adjusted operating income, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS. Source

Coming up, as management said on 27 January 2026

  • Forecast periods end: The third-quarter forecast covers the period ending March 31, 2026, and the full-year forecast covers the year ending June 30, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total enrollments Source248.5K, up 7.8%
Career Learning enrollments Source111.5K, up 17.6%
Revenue per enrollment Source$2,437, up 1.8%
General Education revenue per enrollment Source$2,407, down 3.6%
Career Learning revenue per enrollment Source$2,473, up 10.0%

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.