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Shutterstock, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue fell 17 percent: Revenue was $221.8 million, down $45.2 million or 17% from the second quarter of 2025. Year-to-date revenue was $421.0 million, down about 17%. Source
  • Net loss reflects goodwill charge: Net loss was $155.9 million, or $4.25 per diluted share. The loss includes a $173.7 million non-cash goodwill impairment tied to the terminated merger agreement. Source
  • Data licensing revenue fell 16 percent: Data, Distribution, and Services revenue fell $11.1 million, or 16%, to $56.1 million, 25% of revenue. Management said data revenue timing can vary by quarter. Source
  • Subscribers down to 951,000: Subscribers at quarter end were 951,000 against 1,073,000 a year earlier. Subscriber revenue was $99.8 million against $108.0 million. Source
  • Over $70 million cuts achieved: Management said cost actions over the past 18 months equate to over $70 million of annualized run-rate operating expense reductions. Source
  • Operating cash flow near zero: Net cash provided by operating activities was $0.6 million, after a $35.0 million payment to settle the FTC civil investigative demand on subscription practices. Source
  • Proposed merger terminated: The proposed merger has been terminated. Management said it moved quickly to strengthen the balance sheet, reduce costs and sharpen focus. Source
  • Call cancelled amid strategic update: The call originally set for August 6, 2026 will not be held because of a pending strategic update. Source

“we have moved quickly to strengthen our balance sheet, reduce our cost structure, and sharpen our focus on the areas with the greatest potential”

Rik Powell, the Company’s Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Operating expenses SourceBy end of 2026$60 million annualized run-rateNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance withdrawn: No guidance will be issued for the remainder of 2026, and the conference call originally scheduled for August 6, 2026 will not be held. Source
  • Ended: The proposed merger, described in the prior release as with Getty Images, has been terminated. Source
  • New: Rik Powell is Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, replacing Paul Hennessy as the release's CEO speaker. Source
  • New: Management is refining its long-term strategy and plans to discuss the next phase of growth. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue fell 17 percent: Revenue was $221.8 million, down $45.2 million or 17% from the second quarter of 2025. Year-to-date revenue was $421.0 million, down about 17%. Source
  • Net loss reflects goodwill charge: Net loss was $155.9 million, or $4.25 per diluted share. The loss includes a $173.7 million non-cash goodwill impairment tied to the terminated merger agreement. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA down 21 percent: Adjusted EBITDA was $65.1 million, down $17.1 million, with a margin of 29.3% against 30.8%. Management attributed the decline primarily to lower revenue. Source
  • Adjusted earnings per share lower: Adjusted net income was $30.0 million and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.82, against $1.19. Management attributed the decline primarily to the revenue decline. Source

Segments and product offerings

  • Content revenue fell 17 percent: Content revenue fell $34.1 million, or 17%, to $165.7 million, 75% of revenue. Management said the decline was driven primarily by weakness in new customer acquisition. Source
  • Data licensing revenue fell 16 percent: Data, Distribution, and Services revenue fell $11.1 million, or 16%, to $56.1 million, 25% of revenue. Management said data revenue timing can vary by quarter. Source

“While we recognize the challenges in front of us, Shutterstock remains a company with meaningful strategic assets”

Rik Powell, the Company’s Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Customers and usage metrics

  • Subscribers down to 951,000: Subscribers at quarter end were 951,000 against 1,073,000 a year earlier. Subscriber revenue was $99.8 million against $108.0 million. Source
  • Paid downloads fell 12 percent: Paid downloads were 98.7 million in the quarter, against 112.6 million a year earlier. Six-month paid downloads were 202.8 million against 233.5 million. Source
  • Revenue per customer rose: Average revenue per customer over the last twelve months was $292, against $266 a year earlier. Source

Costs and cost reduction

  • Over $70 million cuts achieved: Management said cost actions over the past 18 months equate to over $70 million of annualized run-rate operating expense reductions. Source
  • Operating costs lagged revenue decline: Management said revenue declined further while operating costs did not decline at a similar rate, which contributed to the net loss. Source
  • Quarter included specific charges: The quarter included $3.0 million of unrealized losses on the Meitu investment, $3.7 million of merger costs, $5.0 million of legal contingency expense and $3.0 million of workforce optimization expense. Source

Cash flow and liquidity

  • Operating cash flow near zero: Net cash provided by operating activities was $0.6 million, after a $35.0 million payment to settle the FTC civil investigative demand on subscription practices. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow rose: Adjusted free cash flow was $28.5 million, up $11.0 million from the second quarter of 2025. The measure adds back the FTC payment and merger costs. Source
  • Cash balance declined: Cash and cash equivalents were $133.2 million at June 30, 2026, down from $162.5 million at March 31, 2026. Capital expenditures were $10.1 million in the quarter. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Dividend payments continued: Management reported $13.2 million paid as the quarterly cash dividend, and $4.5 million paid to settle employee tax withholding on stock awards. Source
  • Credit facility repaid in part: The company repaid $0.8 million of its credit facility in the quarter. Source
  • Capital allocation options cited: Management said the cost actions will give it greater optionality in its capital allocation strategy. Source

Strategy and merger termination

  • Proposed merger terminated: The proposed merger has been terminated. Management said it moved quickly to strengthen the balance sheet, reduce costs and sharpen focus. Source
  • Call cancelled amid strategic update: The call originally set for August 6, 2026 will not be held because of a pending strategic update. Source
  • Long-term strategy under review: Management said it is refining its long-term strategy and cited a globally recognized brand, a content library, Data and AI Services, GIPHY and cash generation as assets. Source

Leadership change

  • Interim CEO and CFO named: Rik Powell is Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer and gave the company's commentary on the quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • Strategic update in coming weeks: Management said it will discuss the next phase of growth and the refined long-term strategy in the coming weeks. Source
  • Cost reduction target by year-end: Management is targeting an additional $60 million of annualized run-rate operating expense reductions by the end of 2026. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Content revenue declined, which management attributed to weakness in new customer acquisition. Source
  • Operational: Data licensing revenue can vary from quarter to quarter depending on the delivery timing of metadata licenses. Source
  • Regulatory: A $35.0 million FTC settlement was paid over subscription disclosure and cancellation practices. Source
  • Financial: The net loss includes a non-cash, after-tax goodwill impairment charge of $163.4 million. Source
  • External: The terminated merger and the pending strategic update leave the company's next steps unresolved in these documents. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior release said the company remained committed to the proposed merger. The current release reports the merger as terminated.
  • Not stated: The call originally scheduled for August 6, 2026 will not be held because of the pending strategic update. 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.