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Maximus, 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: 14 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 2.4% to $5.43 billion: Full-year revenue was $5.43 billion, up from $5.31 billion in the prior year. Source
  • Operating and EBITDA margins expanded: Full-year operating margin was 9.7% and adjusted EBITDA margin 12.9%, against 9.2% and 11.6% the prior year. Source
  • U.S. Federal Services grew 12.1%: Segment revenue reached $3.07 billion, up from $2.74 billion, all of it organic. Operating margin rose to 15.3% from 12.2%. Source
  • Q4 free cash flow was $641.8 million: Fourth-quarter operating cash flow was $649.4 million and free cash flow $641.8 million, against $131.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Signed awards reached $4.7 billion: Year-to-date signed awards were $4.7 billion. Contracts awarded but unsigned totaled $331 million at September 30. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow was $366 million: Operating cash flow was $429 million and free cash flow $366 million, against $515 million and $401 million a year earlier. Source
  • Leverage down to 1.5x: Leverage was 1.5x, against 2.1x at June 30. Cash was $222 million and gross debt $1.35 billion at September 30. Source

“ultimately delivered revenue growth and profitability well above our expectations at the beginning of the fiscal year”

Bruce Caswell, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFiscal year 2026$5.225 billion to $5.425 billionNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFiscal year 2026approximately 13.7%New
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFiscal year 2026$718 million to $740 millionNew
Operating income SourceFiscal year 2026$579 million to $601 millionNew
Diluted EPS SourceFiscal year 2026$6.87 to $7.17New
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFiscal year 2026$7.95 to $8.25 per shareNew
Cash flows from operating activities SourceFiscal year 2026$490 million to $540 millionNew
Purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software SourceFiscal year 2026$40 millionNew
Free cash flow SourceFiscal year 2026$450 million to $500 millionNew
Amortization of intangible assets SourceFiscal year 2026$81 millionNew
Depreciation and amortization SourceFiscal year 2026$58 millionNew
Interest expense SourceFiscal year 2026$69 millionNew
Effective income tax rate SourceFiscal year 2026approximately 25%New
Weighted average shares outstanding SourceFiscal year 2026about 55.5 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fiscal 2026 guidance was established for the first time, covering revenue, margins, EPS, cash flow and expense items. Source
  • New: Fiscal 2026 priorities named by the CEO: U.S. Federal expansion, readiness for recent Federal legislation, and AI-enabled automation. Source

Full-year results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 2.4% to $5.43 billion: Full-year revenue was $5.43 billion, up from $5.31 billion in the prior year. Source
  • Operating and EBITDA margins expanded: Full-year operating margin was 9.7% and adjusted EBITDA margin 12.9%, against 9.2% and 11.6% the prior year. Source
  • Operating profit led the EPS gain: Diluted EPS was $5.51, against $4.99, and adjusted diluted EPS was $7.36, against $6.11. Management said most of the gain came from operating profitability. Source

Segments and regions

  • U.S. Federal Services grew 12.1%: Segment revenue reached $3.07 billion, up from $2.74 billion, all of it organic. Operating margin rose to 15.3% from 12.2%. Source
  • Federal margin gain from volume and technology: Management attributed the margin gain to clinical volume improving segment operating leverage, and to productivity from technology initiatives. Source
  • Natural disaster support added to Federal: Natural disaster support activities contributed more to fiscal 2025 than to the prior year. Source
  • U.S. Services revenue fell on Medicaid comparison: Revenue fell 7.7% to $1.76 billion. Management attributed the decline to excess Medicaid-related volumes in the prior year, and margin fell to 9.7% from 12.9%. Source
  • Q4 severance charges hit U.S. Services: A meaningful portion of the company's $16 million of severance charges, booked in the fourth quarter, reduced U.S. Services operating income. Source
  • Outside the U.S. revenue fell on divestitures: Revenue fell 8.7% to $599.9 million after divestitures of employment services businesses, with organic growth of 4.1%. Source

“Our performance underscores the essential nature of the services we provide, and the trust customers place in us to deliver meaningful outcomes.”

Bruce Caswell, President and Chief Executive Officer

Fourth-quarter results

  • Q4 revenue and operating income: Fourth-quarter revenue was $1.32 billion, against $1.32 billion a year earlier. Operating income was $122.9 million, against $111.8 million. Source
  • Q4 free cash flow was $641.8 million: Fourth-quarter operating cash flow was $649.4 million and free cash flow $641.8 million, against $131.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Q4 EPS and adjusted EPS rose: Fourth-quarter diluted EPS was $1.32 and adjusted diluted EPS $1.62, against $1.19 and $1.46 a year earlier. Source
  • Q4 adjusted EBITDA margin rose: Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA margin was 12.2%, against 11.0%, and adjusted EBITDA was $160.2 million. Source

Costs, margins and divestitures

  • Q4 selling and admin costs rose: Fourth-quarter selling, general and administrative expenses were $187.7 million, against $166.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Divestiture charges of $39.5 million: Full-year divestiture-related charges were $39.5 million, against $1.0 million, and are excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Outside the U.S. margin rose to 3.7%: Segment operating margin was 3.7%, against 1.2%, and management said it sits within the 3% to 7% target range as volatile elements were divested. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Signed awards reached $4.7 billion: Year-to-date signed awards were $4.7 billion. Contracts awarded but unsigned totaled $331 million at September 30. Source
  • Book-to-bill ratio at 0.9x: On a trailing twelve-month basis, the book-to-bill ratio was 0.9x at September 30. Source
  • Pipeline reached $51.3 billion: The sales pipeline was $51.3 billion, with U.S. Federal Services accounting for about 66% and new work about 64%. Source
  • Clinical demand lifted organic growth: Organic growth was 3.9%, driven by high demand for clinical services within U.S. Federal Services. Source

Cash, debt and capital returns

  • Full-year free cash flow was $366 million: Operating cash flow was $429 million and free cash flow $366 million, against $515 million and $401 million a year earlier. Source
  • Leverage down to 1.5x: Leverage was 1.5x, against 2.1x at June 30. Cash was $222 million and gross debt $1.35 billion at September 30. Source
  • Days sales outstanding fell to 62: Days sales outstanding was 62 at September 30, against 96 at June 30, as collections improved. Source
  • Full-year buybacks of $456.6 million: Management bought 5.8 million shares in fiscal 2025 for $456.6 million, and a further 0.4 million shares for $30.7 million after year end. Source
  • About $250 million left on authorization: After subsequent purchases, about $250 million remains on the $400 million authorization granted in September 2025. Source

Strategy and priorities

  • Clinical focus and tech-enabled delivery: Management said the margin results show the benefit of focusing on clinical programs and tech-enabled service delivery. Source
  • Fiscal 2026 priorities named by CEO: For fiscal 2026 the company is prioritizing U.S. Federal expansion, preparing for recent Federal legislation, and deploying AI-enabled automation. Source
  • Outside the U.S. margin goal: Management said its goal is to move the Outside the U.S. Segment higher within its target margin range in future periods. Source

Coming up, as management said on 20 November 2025

  • Quarterly dividend payable December 1: The $0.30 dividend is payable December 1, 2025, to holders of record on November 14, 2025. Source
  • Non-GAAP detail in forthcoming 10-K: Calculations of the non-GAAP measures will appear in the earnings presentation and the forthcoming Form 10-K. Source
  • Growth acceleration expected from 2027: Management said it believes the productivity work will enable growth acceleration in 2027 and beyond. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Year-to-date signed contract awards Source$4.7 billion
Contracts pending (awarded but unsigned) Source$331 million
Book-to-bill ratio (trailing twelve months) Source0.9x
Total sales pipeline Source$51.3 billion
New work share of sales pipeline Sourceapproximately 64%
U.S. Federal Services share of sales pipeline Sourceapproximately 66%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management described the prior-year Medicaid volume benefit as temporary, which affects comparisons with U.S. Services. Source
  • External: Management cited shifting priorities during fiscal 2025, which the teams had to navigate during the year. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said fiscal 2025 revenue and profitability were above the expectations set at the start of the fiscal year. 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.