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Unisys Corp.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 raised, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue grew 2.5% year over year: Revenue was $471.5 million, up 2.5% year over year and up 0.6% in constant currency, compared with $460.2 million in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • Full-year revenue guidance raised: Management raised 2026 constant currency revenue growth guidance to (3.0)% to (1.5)% from (5.0)% to (3.5)%, and reaffirmed non-GAAP operating profit margin guidance of 9.0% to 11.0%. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin rose: Non-GAAP operating profit margin was 7.2%, up 180 bps from 5.4% a year earlier. Operating profit margin was 5.0%, compared with a loss margin of 7.3%. Source
  • DWS margin fell on client attrition: DWS gross profit margin was 9.5%, down 670 bps, mainly from known client attrition and higher implementation and delivery costs. Source
  • Gross margin rose 120 basis points: Gross profit margin was 26.7%, up 120 bps. Management cited a higher mix of software licenses relative to hardware in ClearPath renewals, partly offset by cost reduction charges. Source
  • New business TCV rose 78%: New business total contract value was $221 million, up 78% year over year and up 15% quarter over quarter, from $124 million. Source
  • Free cash flow was negative: Free cash flow was $(57.7) million in the quarter, against $19.9 million a year earlier. Year-to-date it was $(132.2) million, against $(303.4) million. Source
  • Pension reduction toward $600 million target: About $520 million of U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan liabilities have been reduced since July 2025, toward a target of about $600 million. Source

“The year continues to gain momentum, with the third quarter building on a solid first half,”

Michael Thomson, Unisys CEO and President

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue growth, constant currency SourceFull-year 2026(3.0)% to (1.5)%Raised from (5.0)% to (3.5)%
Revenue growth, reported SourceFull-year 2026(0.4)% to 1.1%Raised from (2.6)% to (1.1)%
TS&S constant currency revenue growth SourceFull-year 2026(3.0)% to (1.0)%Raised from (6.0)% to (4.0)%
ClearPath revenue SourceFull-year 2026approximately $425 millionKept
Non-GAAP operating profit margin SourceFull-year 20269.0% to 11.0%Kept
Pension liability reduction SourceTarget, no date givenapproximately $600 million
UK joint venture gross profit benefit SourceQuarterly and full-year 2026approximately $3 million quarterly and $12 million for full-year 2026Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 constant currency revenue growth guidance raised from (5.0)% to (3.5)% to (3.0)% to (1.5)%. Source
  • Guidance raised: TS&S constant currency revenue growth assumption raised from (6.0)% to (4.0)% to (3.0)% to (1.0)%. Source
  • New: The company bought a group annuity contract transferring about $200 million of projected U.S. pension liabilities to an insurer. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue grew 2.5% year over year: Revenue was $471.5 million, up 2.5% year over year and up 0.6% in constant currency, compared with $460.2 million in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • Full-year revenue guidance raised: Management raised 2026 constant currency revenue growth guidance to (3.0)% to (1.5)% from (5.0)% to (3.5)%, and reaffirmed non-GAAP operating profit margin guidance of 9.0% to 11.0%. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin rose: Non-GAAP operating profit margin was 7.2%, up 180 bps from 5.4% a year earlier. Operating profit margin was 5.0%, compared with a loss margin of 7.3%. Source
  • Net loss included pension settlement: Net loss attributable to Unisys was $201.0 million, compared with $308.9 million a year earlier. It included a non-cash pension settlement loss of $151 million, net of tax. Source
  • Diluted loss per share narrowed: Diluted loss per share was $2.76, compared with $4.33 in the third quarter of 2025. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose: Adjusted EBITDA was $59.7 million, or 12.7% of revenue, compared with $48.2 million, or 10.5%, in the prior-year quarter. Source

Segments and regions

  • DWS revenue grew on hardware: Digital Workplace Solutions revenue was $130.2 million, up 3.9% year over year, or 1.7% in constant currency, mainly from higher hardware revenue. Source
  • DWS margin fell on client attrition: DWS gross profit margin was 9.5%, down 670 bps, mainly from known client attrition and higher implementation and delivery costs. Source
  • CA&I margin rose on delivery: Cloud, Applications & Infrastructure Solutions revenue was $180.3 million, down 0.1% year over year. Gross margin was 20.6%, up 100 bps on delivery improvements. Source
  • ECS revenue grew on project work: Enterprise Computing Solutions revenue was $140.6 million, up 5.6% year over year, or 2.7% in constant currency, mainly on specialized project work in business processing. Source

“We are pleased with our third quarter results.”

Deb McCann, Unisys Chief Financial Officer

Products and customers

  • ClearPath revenue rose 1.7%: ClearPath revenue was $84.4 million, up 1.7% year over year. Year-to-date ClearPath revenue was $219.6 million, down 9.1%. Source
  • TS&S revenue grew 2.6%: Technology Solutions & Services revenue was $387.1 million, up 2.6% year over year, or 0.9% in constant currency, from $377.2 million. Source
  • ClearPath gross margin rose: ClearPath gross profit percentage was 73.1%, against 56.6% a year earlier. Year-to-date it was 64.2%, against 62.3%. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin rose 120 basis points: Gross profit margin was 26.7%, up 120 bps. Management cited a higher mix of software licenses relative to hardware in ClearPath renewals, partly offset by cost reduction charges. Source
  • TS&S margin fell on cost charges: TS&S gross profit margin was 16.6%, down 200 bps, mainly from higher cost reduction charges. Source
  • UK joint venture lifted margins: A first-quarter transaction in the UK business process outsourcing joint venture added about 50 bps to gross margin and 70 bps to TS&S gross margin in the third quarter. Source
  • ECS gross margin rose 930 bps: ECS gross profit margin was 55.5%, up 930 bps year over year, from 46.2% in the prior-year quarter. Source

“Together with our fourth quarter visibility, this supports the increase to our full-year revenue guidance and our reaffirmed profitability guidance.”

Deb McCann, Unisys Chief Financial Officer

Demand and the order book

  • New business TCV rose 78%: New business total contract value was $221 million, up 78% year over year and up 15% quarter over quarter, from $124 million. Source
  • Year-to-date new business rose 61%: Year-to-date new business TCV was $571 million, up 61% from $355 million in the prior-year period. Source
  • Renewal TCV rose in both: TS&S renewals TCV was $275 million, up 20% year over year. ClearPath renewals TCV was $98 million, up 61%. Source
  • Backlog rose to $2.92 billion: Backlog was $2.92 billion at the end of the third quarter, compared with $2.83 billion a year earlier. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Free cash flow was negative: Free cash flow was $(57.7) million in the quarter, against $19.9 million a year earlier. Year-to-date it was $(132.2) million, against $(303.4) million. Source
  • Interest payment timing affected cash: Management said operating cash use in the quarter was impacted by the timing of a cash interest payment on the 10.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2031. Source
  • Pension funding fell year to date: Pension and postretirement funding was $89.0 million year to date, against $318.2 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash balance lower than year-end: Cash and cash equivalents were $264.2 million at September 30, 2026, against $413.9 million at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Debt and pension liabilities on balance sheet: Long-term debt was $719.1 million and long-term pension and postretirement liabilities were $492.1 million at September 30, 2026. Source

Strategy and investment

  • AI-First execution opens new markets: Management said AI-First execution is transforming delivery and opening markets in agentic services, AI infrastructure and the ClearPath ecosystem. Source
  • Pension annuity transfers liabilities: The company bought a group annuity contract to transfer about $200 million of projected U.S. defined benefit pension liabilities to an insurer, funded with plan assets. Source
  • Pension reduction toward $600 million target: About $520 million of U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan liabilities have been reduced since July 2025, toward a target of about $600 million. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Additional pension settlement expected: Management expects an additional pension settlement in the first half of 2027 to substantially achieve the pension reduction objective. Source
  • UK joint venture impact by year end: The financial impact of the UK joint venture transaction will be fully recognized by year end. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: ClearPath bookings depend on the timing and terms of software license renewals, which can cause fluctuation from period to period. Source
  • External: Revenue is affected by U.S. dollar movements against major international currencies, which the company addresses by reporting constant currency growth. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said the third quarter non-GAAP operating profit margin was above the level it had guided. 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.