greeksoup/ stock research

PubMatic, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 9 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 4 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue grew 17% to $79.6 million: Revenue was $79.6 million, up 17% from the third quarter of 2025, and the company reported this as its third consecutive quarter of accelerating growth. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled: Adjusted EBITDA was $26.0 million, a 33% margin, compared with $11.2 million and a 16% margin in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • CTV revenue grew over 30%: Americas CTV revenue grew over 40% year-over-year; global CTV revenue grew over 30% and was about 21% of total revenue. Source
  • AgenticOS campaigns passed 120: More than 120 fully autonomous, end-to-end agentic campaigns have run since the January 2026 launch, up from over 80, and include all five global agency holding companies. Source
  • Monetized impressions rose 15%: Infrastructure optimization and investment drove a 15% year-over-year rise in monetized impressions, while impressions processed fell 8%. Source
  • Activate buying grew over 8X: Buying activity from Activate grew more than 8X over the third quarter of 2025, as buyers and publishers prioritized performance, control and transparency. Source
  • Buyback authorization expanded: Management said repurchases under the expanded program will be funded from existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Source
  • Shift to sell-side decisioning: Management said AI is moving the market from sell-side targeting to sell-side decisioning, letting buyers act on richer intelligence closer to inventory. Source

“We delivered an outstanding third quarter, with revenue growth accelerating for the third consecutive quarter and adjusted EBITDA more than doubling year-over-year,”

Rajeev Goel, co-founder and CEO of PubMatic

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefourth quarter of 2026$91 million to $93 million, 15% year-over-year growth at midpointNew
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefourth quarter of 2026$31 million to $33 millionNew
Revenue Sourcefull year 2026$312 million to $314 million, 11% year-over-year growth at midpointNew
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$79 million to $81 million, 30% year-over-year increase at midpointNew
Share repurchases Sourcethrough December 31, 2028additional $150 million authorized; about $198 million allocated to repurchases through 2028Raised from $63.6 million available under the 2023 Repurchase Program at June 30, 2026

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Company gave fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA ranges; the second-quarter release gave only third-quarter ranges. Source
  • New: Sony Pictures Entertainment named PubMatic its preferred programmatic partner for LIVE TV on PS5. Source
  • New: Strategus named PubMatic its preferred live sports programmatic partner, combining PubMatic’s content intelligence and premium inventory access. Source
  • New: Campaign Insights Agent added to AgenticOS; it flags pacing, delivery, targeting and performance issues in campaigns daily. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue grew 17% to $79.6 million: Revenue was $79.6 million, up 17% from the third quarter of 2025, and the company reported this as its third consecutive quarter of accelerating growth. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled: Adjusted EBITDA was $26.0 million, a 33% margin, compared with $11.2 million and a 16% margin in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • GAAP net income turned positive: GAAP net income was $5.5 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $(6.5) million, or $(0.14) per share, a year earlier. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS reached $0.25: Non-GAAP net income was $12.6 million, or $0.25 per non-GAAP diluted share, compared with $1.6 million, or $0.03, in the third quarter of 2025. Source

Segments and regions

  • CTV revenue grew over 30%: Americas CTV revenue grew over 40% year-over-year; global CTV revenue grew over 30% and was about 21% of total revenue. Source
  • Mobile app revenue grew nearly 40%: Mobile app revenue grew nearly 40% year-over-year and was about 27% of total revenue in the quarter. Source
  • Emerging revenues more than doubled: Emerging revenues, which include Activate, Commerce Media, Connect and AI solutions, were about 18% of total revenue, including newly launched AI solutions. Source
  • CTV, mobile and emerging reached 64%: CTV, mobile app and emerging revenues together were about 64% of total revenue, up from about 60% in the second quarter. Source

“Our third quarter is the clearest evidence yet that the transformation of our business is working,”

Steve Pantelick, CFO at PubMatic

Products and customers

  • AgenticOS campaigns passed 120: More than 120 fully autonomous, end-to-end agentic campaigns have run since the January 2026 launch, up from over 80, and include all five global agency holding companies. Source
  • AI-powered deals passed 14,000: Over 14,000 AI-powered deals have been created on the platform to date, up from over 4,000 a quarter earlier. Source
  • Decision Fabric customer results: Customers using PubMatic models on Decision Fabric reported spend delivery increases of 76% for a quick service restaurant brand and 41% for an insurance provider. Source
  • Live sports targeting enhanced: The Live Sports Marketplace added verified, event-level content intelligence, letting advertisers target specific sports, leagues, teams and individual games as they air. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Monetized impressions rose 15%: Infrastructure optimization and investment drove a 15% year-over-year rise in monetized impressions, while impressions processed fell 8%. Source
  • Cost per million impressions fell 15%: Cost of revenue per million impressions processed decreased 15% on a trailing twelve-month basis compared with the prior period. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 70%: Gross profit was $55.6 million, a 70% margin, compared with a 63% gross margin in the third quarter of 2025. Source

“For the full year, we expect double-digit revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA margin expansion.”

Steve Pantelick, CFO at PubMatic

Demand and buying activity

  • Activate buying grew over 8X: Buying activity from Activate grew more than 8X over the third quarter of 2025, as buyers and publishers prioritized performance, control and transparency. Source
  • Mid-market DSP activity rose 40%: Activity from mid-market focused DSPs grew over 40% year-over-year in the third quarter, compared with over 25% growth in the second quarter. Source
  • Supply path optimization near 55%: Supply Path Optimization represented about 55% of total platform activity, compared with over 55% in the second quarter. Source

Capital, cash and returns

  • Free cash flow was $17.6 million: Free cash flow was $17.6 million, compared with $22.8 million a year earlier; operating cash flow was $30.8 million. Source
  • Cash and securities $144.5 million: Total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $144.5 million at quarter end, and the company reported no debt. Source
  • Buyback authorization expanded: Management said repurchases under the expanded program will be funded from existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Source
  • Repurchases to date: Through September 30, 2026, the company used $226.6 million to repurchase 16.5 million Class A shares, with $48.4 million left under the 2023 program. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Shift to sell-side decisioning: Management said AI is moving the market from sell-side targeting to sell-side decisioning, letting buyers act on richer intelligence closer to inventory. Source
  • Decision Fabric brings decisioning closer: Decision Fabric places decisioning at the point of supply, running PubMatic models alongside partner models natively on the platform. Source
  • Luxury watch campaign setup cut: AgenticOS cut setup time for a six-market Asia Pacific luxury watch campaign and delivered 9% more impressions than planned, with viewability up 17%. Source

Coming up, as management said on 9 November 2026

  • Form 10-Q for the quarter: The company said additional information will be set out in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Adjusted EBITDA guidance assumes a negative foreign currency impact, mainly from the Euro and Pound Sterling. Source
  • External: Guidance assumes general market conditions do not significantly deteriorate with respect to current macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions. Source
  • Regulatory: Litigation-related expenses of $1.2 million were excluded from adjusted EBITDA for a pending matter arising outside the ordinary course of business. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said third-quarter revenue and adjusted EBITDA were well ahead of guidance. Source
  • Not stated: Management restated its full-year expectation for double-digit revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA margin expansion. 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.