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Stagwell Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 30 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 8% to $704 million: Revenue was $704 million, up from $652 million a year earlier. Acquisitions added $4.6 million and foreign currency added $7.1 million to net revenue. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose 31%: Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.17 against $0.13 a year earlier, a 31% increase. Adjusted EPS excludes amortization, stock-based compensation, deferred acquisition consideration and other items. Source
  • Digital Transformation net revenue up 9%: Digital Transformation net revenue was $96.5 million, up 9%, with organic growth of 5.6%. Management described the segment as accelerating on a two-year stack. Source
  • Pivot to agentic applications: The CEO said the company is pivoting to deliver agentic applications for the marketing industry, and cited this among the factors behind 2026. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 9%: Adjusted EBITDA was $90 million, up 9% from $82 million, a 15% margin on net revenue. The CFO attributed the increase to cost control. Source
  • Record net new business of $141 million: Net new business was $141 million in the quarter, up from $106 million in the fourth quarter, and $486 million on a last-twelve-month basis. Source
  • Operating cash outflow narrowed: Net cash used in operating activities was $26 million year to date, against $60 million a year earlier. The company reported a $34 million year-over-year increase in cash flow from operations. Source

“Stagwell continues to be on a path for a great 2026, bolstered by record new wins, its first government contracts, and its pivot to delivering agentic applications for the marketing industry”

Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total net revenue growth SourceFull year 20268% to 12%Kept
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$475 million to $525 millionKept
Free cash flow conversion SourceFull year 202650% to 60%Kept
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFull year 2026$0.98 - $1.12Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Management listed the company's first government contracts among the factors behind its 2026 path, alongside record new wins. Source
  • New: The CFO cited a positive ratings agency view of the company in the quarter, alongside a reduction in share count to under 250 million. Source
  • New: The free cash flow definition now excludes material nonrecurring capital purchases; the March 10 release defined it using normalized capital expenditures. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 8% to $704 million: Revenue was $704 million, up from $652 million a year earlier. Acquisitions added $4.6 million and foreign currency added $7.1 million to net revenue. Source
  • Net revenue rose 4%, organic 1.6%: Net revenue was $585 million, up 4%, with organic growth of 1.6%. Management described net revenue as in-line with budget. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose 31%: Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.17 against $0.13 a year earlier, a 31% increase. Adjusted EPS excludes amortization, stock-based compensation, deferred acquisition consideration and other items. Source
  • Net loss attributable to common holders: GAAP net loss attributable to Stagwell Inc. common shareholders was $13 million, against $3 million a year earlier. Diluted loss per share was $(0.05) versus $(0.04). Source

Segments and revenue change

  • Digital Transformation net revenue up 9%: Digital Transformation net revenue was $96.5 million, up 9%, with organic growth of 5.6%. Management described the segment as accelerating on a two-year stack. Source
  • Communications grew 6.4%: Communications net revenue was $96.8 million, up 6.4% in total, with organic growth of 5.3%. Source
  • Media & Commerce organic decline: Media & Commerce net revenue was $149.5 million, up 2.3% in total, with organic net revenue down 0.7% and acquisitions adding $2.0 million. Source
  • Marketing Services and Marketing Cloud: Marketing Services net revenue was $217.6 million, up 1.1%, with organic growth of 0.3%. The Marketing Cloud net revenue was $26.5 million, up 5.3%, with organic net revenue down 0.5%. Source

“On a two-year stack, our Digital Transformation segment is accelerating to 22% organic net revenue growth as we apply AI to drive industry-leading results for our clients.”

Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO

Digital Transformation and new offerings

  • Two-year Digital Transformation growth stack 26%: The two-year net revenue growth stack for Digital Transformation was 26%, and the two-year organic stack was 22%. Source
  • Pivot to agentic applications: The CEO said the company is pivoting to deliver agentic applications for the marketing industry, and cited this among the factors behind 2026. Source
  • First government contracts won: The CEO cited the company's first government contracts among the factors supporting 2026, alongside record new wins. Source

Costs, margins and operating income

  • Adjusted EBITDA up 9%: Adjusted EBITDA was $90 million, up 9% from $82 million, a 15% margin on net revenue. The CFO attributed the increase to cost control. Source
  • Operating income fell on higher costs: Operating income was $9.6 million versus $18.3 million. Cost of services rose to $459.5 million from $412.1 million, and depreciation and amortization rose to $44.3 million. Source
  • Foreign exchange swung to a loss: Foreign exchange, net was a $3.0 million loss against a $1.2 million gain a year earlier. Interest expense, net was $23.3 million, close to the prior year. Source
  • Tax benefit on the GAAP loss: The GAAP income tax benefit was $2.9 million at a 17.3% effective rate. The non-GAAP tax expense used for adjusted EPS was $15.6 million at 26.5%. Source

“We remain firmly on course to deliver our full-year and free cash flow conversion guidance.”

Ryan Greene, Chief Financial Officer

Demand and new business

  • Record net new business of $141 million: Net new business was $141 million in the quarter, up from $106 million in the fourth quarter, and $486 million on a last-twelve-month basis. Source
  • Net new business definition: Net new business is the estimate of annualized revenue for new wins, less annualized revenue for losses incurred in the period. Source
  • Advance billings rose in the quarter: Advance billings were $393 million at March 31, up from $330 million at December 31. Source

Operating cash flow and investment

  • Operating cash outflow narrowed: Net cash used in operating activities was $26 million year to date, against $60 million a year earlier. The company reported a $34 million year-over-year increase in cash flow from operations. Source
  • Capitalized software and capex rose: Capitalized software was $22.4 million, against $12.0 million, and capital expenditures were $10.7 million, against $5.8 million. Source

Debt, liquidity and buybacks

  • Shares repurchased $40.7 million: Shares repurchased and cancelled totaled $40.7 million, against $11.1 million a year earlier. Distributions to noncontrolling interests were $0.4 million. Source
  • Long-term debt rose $114 million: Long-term debt was $1,439.7 million at March 31, against $1,326.0 million at December 31. Revolver proceeds were $582.0 million and repayments were $469.0 million. Source
  • Cash balance rose to $115 million: Cash and cash equivalents were $114.9 million at March 31, up from $104.5 million at December 31. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net new business, quarter Source$141 million
Net new business, last twelve months Source$486 million
Digital Transformation two-year organic net revenue growth stack Source22%
Digital Transformation two-year net revenue growth stack Source26%

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said the company remains firmly on course to deliver its full-year and free cash flow conversion guidance. Source
  • On track: Net revenue growth was described by management as in-line with budget. 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.