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WEX Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 22 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 raised, 1 lowered, 5 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 14.2% to $753.5 million: Revenue of $753.5 million was up 14.2% from $659.6 million a year earlier. GAAP net income was $108.5 million, or $3.11 per diluted share. Source
  • Adjusted EPS up 35.4% year on year: Adjusted net income was $186.5 million, or $5.35 per diluted share, compared with $3.95 a year earlier. GAAP diluted EPS rose 57.1%. Source
  • Operating margins expanded year on year: GAAP operating income margin was 27.0%, up from 23.8%. Adjusted operating income margin was 39.6%, up from 36.8% a year earlier. Source
  • Mobility revenue rose 22.0%: Mobility revenue was $422.4 million. Segment adjusted operating income margin was 43.2%, up from 38.7% a year earlier. Source
  • Average fuel price rose sharply: The average U.S. fuel price was $4.70 per gallon in the second quarter, against $3.60 in the first quarter and $3.28 a year earlier. Source
  • Operating cash flow was negative: Net cash used for operating activities was $77.6 million, against $264.6 million provided a year earlier. The company attributed the difference mainly to higher domestic fuel prices on receivables. Source
  • Buybacks of about $93 million: About $60 million of repurchases were made in the second quarter and $33 million more through July 20, about $93 million from May through July 20. Source

“We are continuing to build momentum, exceeding our guidance ranges once again in the second quarter while advancing our strategic initiatives to accelerate our performance”

Melissa Smith, WEX’s Chief Executive Officer and President

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenue SourceQ3 2026$733 million to $753 millionNew
Adjusted net income and EPS SourceQ3 2026$189 million to $196 million, or $5.45 to $5.65 per diluted shareNew
Total revenue SourceFull year 2026$2.86 billion to $2.90 billionRaised from $2.82 billion to $2.88 billion
Adjusted net income and EPS SourceFull year 2026$689 million to $703 million, or $19.68 to $20.08 per diluted shareRaised from $667 million to $688 million, or $18.95 to $19.55 per diluted share
U.S. retail fuel price assumption SourceQ3 2026$3.90 per gallonNew
U.S. retail fuel price assumption SourceFull year 2026$3.91 per gallonRaised from $3.70 per gallon
Adjusted net income effective tax rate SourceQ3 2026 and full year 202625.0%Kept
Mobility credit losses SourceQ3 20268 to 13 basis pointsNew
Mobility credit losses SourceFull year 202612 to 17 basis pointsKept
Weighted average diluted shares SourceQ3 202634.7 millionNew
Weighted average diluted shares SourceFull year 202635.0 millionLowered from 35.2 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance and adjusted net income guidance raised. The prior release gave $2.82 billion to $2.88 billion and $18.95 to $19.55 per diluted share. Source
  • New guidance: Quarterly guidance for the third quarter of 2026 given for revenue and adjusted net income. Source
  • New: Capital allocation priority changed. The prior release directed incremental cash flow to deleveraging below 3.0x; this release directs most adjusted free cash flow to share repurchases. Source
  • New: The definition of other costs now names professional fees for the 2026 proxy contest. The prior release's description did not include them. Source
  • Guidance kept: Adjusted net income effective tax rate kept at 25.0% for the third quarter and full year. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 14.2% to $753.5 million: Revenue of $753.5 million was up 14.2% from $659.6 million a year earlier. GAAP net income was $108.5 million, or $3.11 per diluted share. Source
  • Fuel prices added most of the revenue gain: Fuel prices added a net $63.8 million to revenue and foreign exchange added $2.1 million, according to the company's impact table. Source
  • Adjusted EPS up 35.4% year on year: Adjusted net income was $186.5 million, or $5.35 per diluted share, compared with $3.95 a year earlier. GAAP diluted EPS rose 57.1%. Source
  • Operating margins expanded year on year: GAAP operating income margin was 27.0%, up from 23.8%. Adjusted operating income margin was 39.6%, up from 36.8% a year earlier. Source

Segments and regions

  • Mobility revenue rose 22.0%: Mobility revenue was $422.4 million. Segment adjusted operating income margin was 43.2%, up from 38.7% a year earlier. Source
  • Mobility fee revenue grew faster than fuel: Mobility finance fee revenue rose 26.9% to $101.6 million, and payment processing revenue rose 31.5% to $210.8 million. Source
  • Benefits revenue rose 5.6%: Benefits revenue was $206.0 million. Segment adjusted operating margin was 40.5%, down from 43.5%, and segment adjusted operating income was $83.5 million against $84.9 million. Source
  • Corporate Payments margin improved: Corporate Payments revenue was $125.1 million, up 5.8%. Segment adjusted operating margin was 46.7%, up from 41.9% a year earlier. Source

“We continue to see resilience and strong underlying results across each of our segments, with strong fuel prices driving the outperformance in the second quarter and the increase in our full year guidance”

Jagtar Narula, WEX’s Chief Financial Officer

Products and customers

  • Mobility net payment rate was lower: The Mobility net payment processing rate was 1.23%, against 1.31% in the second quarter of 2025 and 1.23% in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Late fee revenue rose, late fee rate fell: Mobility late fee revenue was $82.6 million, up from $65.9 million a year earlier, while the net late fee rate was 0.48%, down from 0.54%. Source
  • SaaS accounts fell from first quarter: Average SaaS accounts were 21.7 million, down from 22.4 million in the first quarter of 2026 and up 2.2% year on year. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Credit loss provision rose: Provision for credit losses was $33.0 million against $21.5 million a year earlier. The six-month provision was $62.3 million against $37.4 million. Source
  • General and sales costs increased: General and administrative expense was $104.3 million against $86.3 million. Sales and marketing expense was $112.7 million against $97.7 million. Source
  • Stock-based compensation excluded from adjusted results: Stock-based compensation of $37.4 million, against $32.4 million a year earlier, is excluded from adjusted net income. Other costs were $10.6 million against $4.5 million. Source
  • Financing interest expense declined: Financing interest expense, net of financial instruments, was $52.2 million against $65.0 million a year earlier. Six-month expense was $105.8 million. Source

“We have been redeploying incremental cash flows thoughtfully to reduce leverage and strengthen our balance sheet in the first half of the year.”

Jagtar Narula, WEX’s Chief Financial Officer

Demand and volumes

  • Total volume rose 15.7%: Total volume across all three segments was $68.9 billion, up 15.7%. The release does not split this total into segment-level drivers. Source
  • Corporate Payments purchase volume fell: Corporate Payments purchase volume fell 3.6%, while total volume processed, including volume without interchange revenue, rose 4.5%. Source
  • Average fuel price rose sharply: The average U.S. fuel price was $4.70 per gallon in the second quarter, against $3.60 in the first quarter and $3.28 a year earlier. Source

Capital, cash and returns

  • Operating cash flow was negative: Net cash used for operating activities was $77.6 million, against $264.6 million provided a year earlier. The company attributed the difference mainly to higher domestic fuel prices on receivables. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow increased: Adjusted free cash flow was $219.0 million against $194.3 million. Six-month adjusted free cash flow was $268.5 million against $210.5 million. Source
  • Leverage ratio fell to 2.9x: The leverage ratio under the Credit Agreement was 2.9x at June 30, 2026, down from 3.1x at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025. Source
  • Buybacks of about $93 million: About $60 million of repurchases were made in the second quarter and $33 million more through July 20, about $93 million from May through July 20. Source
  • Receivables rose with fuel prices: Accounts receivable rose to $4,761.0 million from $3,362.6 million at December 31, 2025. The company linked higher receivable balances to domestic fuel prices. Source

Strategy, leadership and governance

  • Investment aimed at highest-return initiatives: Smith said investment decisions aim at the highest-return initiatives, to amplify the core business and expand into new markets where the company has a clear right to win. Source
  • Streamlining initiatives costs excluded: Costs for certain initiatives, including restructuring and technology work, are excluded from other costs. The stated aim is scale, efficiency, synergies and globalization of operations. Source
  • Acquired intangible amortization eased: Acquisition-related intangible amortization was $45.7 million, against $49.3 million, and is excluded from adjusted net income. Other acquisition items were $1.8 million. Source
  • Smith title changed in release: The second-quarter release gives Smith's title as Chief Executive Officer and President. The first-quarter release also listed Chair. The documents do not explain the change. Source

Coming up, as management said on 22 July 2026

  • Most free cash flow to buybacks: Management expects the vast majority of adjusted free cash flow to go to share repurchases, subject to market conditions in the near term. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Payment processing transactions (Mobility) Source139.3 million
Average SaaS accounts (Benefits) Source21.7 million
Average HSA custodial cash assets Source$5.2 billion
Corporate Payments purchase volume Source$19.8 billion
Total volume across segments Source$68.9 billion
Payment processing gallons of fuel (Mobility) Source3,595.9 million gallons

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Operating cash flow was lower because higher domestic fuel prices raised receivable balances, according to management. Source
  • External: Fuel price guidance excludes possible future effects of European fuel spreads. Source
  • External: Management attributed the second-quarter outperformance and the full-year guidance increase mainly to fuel prices, so results depend on fuel price levels. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said second-quarter results exceeded guidance ranges once again, after the first-quarter release reported exceeding the high end of ranges. Source
  • Not stated: The first-quarter release said incremental fuel-related cash would go to deleveraging below 3.0x. The leverage ratio was 2.9x at June 30, 2026; management did not say the target was met.
  • Not stated: The first-quarter release expected a return to historical fuel price sensitivity as conditions normalized. The second-quarter release does not say whether this occurred.

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.