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SEI Investments Co.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 22 April 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue, operating income and EPS grew: Revenue rose 13% to $622.2 million, operating income 21% to $189.5 million, and GAAP diluted EPS 20% to $1.40, each against the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Sales events set record levels: Net sales events were $67.2 million, of which $57.1 million was recurring; management said both totals were record levels for SEI. Source
  • Private Banks operating profit up 40%: Revenue rose 11% to $152.3 million and operating profit 40% to $32.2 million; margin rose to 21% from 17%. Source
  • Assets under administration rose 4%: Management said administration growth was driven primarily by strong client win momentum. Source
  • Assets under management flat: Ending assets under management were flat from Q4, and Advisors net inflows were healthy. Source
  • Shares repurchased for $208.3 million: The company repurchased 2.6 million shares at an average price of $81.55 per share. Source

“We began 2026 with a defining quarter for SEI, validating our strategy, execution, and the scalability of our operating model.”

CEO Ryan Hicke

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Investment Advisors now includes a full quarter of Stratos results, following the Stratos close in December 2025. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue, operating income and EPS grew: Revenue rose 13% to $622.2 million, operating income 21% to $189.5 million, and GAAP diluted EPS 20% to $1.40, each against the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Adjusted EPS and operating income rose: Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.44, up 21%, and adjusted operating income was $198.7 million, up 24%. Source
  • Sales events set record levels: Net sales events were $67.2 million, of which $57.1 million was recurring; management said both totals were record levels for SEI. Source

Segment results

  • Investment Managers revenue and profit grew: Revenue rose 15% to $220.7 million and operating profit 16% to $86.9 million; margin was flat at 39%. Management tied the growth to sales momentum. Source
  • Private Banks operating profit up 40%: Revenue rose 11% to $152.3 million and operating profit 40% to $32.2 million; margin rose to 21% from 17%. Source
  • Investment Advisors revenue up 24%: Revenue rose 24% to $169.7 million and operating profit 12% to $72.0 million. Source
  • Institutional Investors grew single digits: Revenue rose 4% to $71.5 million and operating profit 5% to $34.4 million, which management attributed to market appreciation and cost discipline. Source
  • New Businesses operating loss narrowed: Revenue fell 52% to $8.0 million and expenses fell 50% to $9.2 million, narrowing the operating loss to $1.2 million from $2.0 million. Source

“We believe SEI is well positioned to deliver sustained value for our clients, employees, and shareholders.”

CEO Ryan Hicke

Client sales and wins

  • Investment Managers won first-time outsourcers: Net sales events were $50.5 million, driven by enterprise-level mandates with first-time outsourcers, with contributions from the IMS traditional and alternatives businesses. Source
  • Advisors sales led by ETFs and SMAs: Net sales events were $7.0 million, driven by ETFs, SMAs and custody-only solutions, which management said showed continued progress in its asset management offering. Source
  • Private Banks sales reflected broad demand: Net sales events were $6.5 million, reflecting demand across professional services, implementation services and the SEI Wealth Platform. Source
  • New Businesses sales partly with Private Banking: Of the $4.0 million of net sales events in Investments in New Businesses, $1.4 million were won in partnership with Private Banking. Source

Costs and expenses

  • Compensation costs rose: Compensation, benefits and other personnel costs were $206.3 million, up from $190.8 million; stock-based compensation was $14.5 million. Source
  • Amortization expense rose: Amortization was $18.4 million, up from $10.7 million a year earlier. Source
  • Corporate overhead rose: Corporate overhead expenses were $36.1 million, up from $35.5 million, while total expenses rose 11% to $396.6 million. Source
  • Workforce reduced 4% in late 2025: Management said the 4% workforce reduction in Q4 2025 was a company-wide initiative not expected to recur frequently. Source

Margins and pricing

  • Operating margin rose two points: Operating margin was 30%, against 28%, and adjusted operating margin was 32%, against 29%; operating profit rose in every segment. Source
  • Investment Managers margin dipped: Segment margin was 39%, against 41% in Q4 2025. Management said the decline was expected and reflected the Q4 accrual true-up not recurring. Source
  • Stratos amortization in adjusted EPS: Adjusted EPS adds back Stratos amortization net of the 42.5% NCI adjustment, while the adjusted operating margin does not apply that NCI portion. Source

Demand and assets

  • Assets under administration rose 4%: Management said administration growth was driven primarily by strong client win momentum. Source
  • Assets under management flat: Ending assets under management were flat from Q4, and Advisors net inflows were healthy. Source
  • Integrated cash program contributed: The integrated cash program contributed $20.4 million, consistent with Q3 and Q4 2025. Source

Capital and returns to shareholders

  • Shares repurchased for $208.3 million: The company repurchased 2.6 million shares at an average price of $81.55 per share. Source
  • Cash balance declined: Cash and cash equivalents were $363.1 million, down from $399.8 million at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Goodwill and intangibles increased: Goodwill was $388.4 million, up from $355.0 million; intangible assets, net, were $479.5 million, up from $368.3 million. Source
  • Non-controlling interests in net income: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests was $2.3 million, with net income attributable to SEI at $174.5 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Stratos footprint described: Stratos provides financial services to $39.9 billion of client assets across business models and affiliation structures, as of Feb. 28, 2026. Source
  • Ongoing AI and automation investment: CEO Ryan Hicke said the company's ongoing investment in AI and automation strengthens its foundation as a more nimble, innovative, scalable, and resilient enterprise. Source
  • Demand for outsourcing and services: Management said client demand for outsourcing, technology and administrative excellence, and professional services continues to accelerate. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total assets under management Source$554,072 million
Client assets under administration Source$1,293,924 million
Net sales events Source$67.2 million

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Management said Stratos contributed $3.1 million to operating profit after $6.0 million of expense from acquired intangible asset amortization. Source
  • Demand: Management attributed negative Institutional Investors sales to a large defined benefit client annuitizing its plan. Source
  • External: Management said market depreciation in March offset healthy Advisors net inflows, leaving ending AUM flat from Q4. 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.