A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Broadridge Financial Solutions (BR). Shares have added about 9% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Broadridge Financial due for a pullback? Well, first let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
Broadridge Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates
Broadridge Financial Solutions reported impressive fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with both earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
BR's adjusted earnings of $3.82 per share topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.75 by 1.9% and increased 7.6% from the year-ago quarter's actual.
Total revenues of $2.22 billion surpassed the consensus mark of $2.17 billion by 2.1% and rose 7.5% year over year. Recurring revenues increased 8% to $1.54 billion, while closed sales jumped 39% to $158.3 million.
BR's Recurring Revenue Momentum
Recurring revenue growth was 8% on both a reported and constant-currency basis. Organic growth contributed 7 percentage points, including 5 points from closed sales, partly offset by a 2-point drag from client losses. Acquisitions added 1 point.
Event-driven revenues declined 10% to $71.1 million, primarily due to lower mutual fund proxy revenues. Distribution revenues advanced 8% to $606.5 million, driven mainly by about $32 million of postage-rate increases.
Broadridge's ICS Segment Advances
Investor Communication Solutions revenues rose 8% to $1.73 billion. Recurring revenues increased 10% to $1.05 billion, reflecting 6 points of internal growth, 3 points from net new business and 1 point from acquisitions.
Regulatory recurring revenues grew 14%, aided by 14% equity revenue position growth and 7% mutual fund and ETF position growth. Data-driven fund solutions rose 7%, issuer revenues increased 8% and customer communications gained 1%.
BR's GTO Profitability Improves
Global Technology and Operations (GTO) recurring revenues increased 5% to $487.5 million. Capital Markets revenues rose 8% to $307.1 million, supported by organic growth and the CQG acquisition. Wealth and Investment Management revenues edged up 1% to $180.5 million.
GTO earnings before income taxes nearly doubled to $67.5 million from $33.9 million. Its pre-tax margin expanded to 13.8% from 7.3%, as higher revenues and lower expenses more than offset the impact of ongoing investments.
Broadridge's Margins & Earnings Rise
Operating income increased 10% to $546.2 million, while the operating margin expanded 50 basis points to 24.6%. Adjusted operating income rose 7% to $598 million.
The adjusted operating margin slipped 10 basis points to 26.9%. Net earnings increased 6% to $398 million, while adjusted net earnings rose 5% to $442 million. The effective tax rate increased to 23.7% from 20.6% because of lower discrete tax benefits.
BR's Operating Metrics Stay Firm
Equity position growth was 17% in the quarter, while equity revenue position growth came in at 14%. Mutual fund and ETF position growth was 7%, underscoring solid activity across Broadridge's governance network.
Internal trade growth was 15%, reflecting higher daily trade volumes among clients whose contracts are linked to activity levels. The metric exceeded the company's 10-year average of 9%.
Broadridge's Cash Flow Supports Capital Returns
Broadridge ended fiscal 2026 with cash and cash equivalents of $402.9 million, down from $561.5 million a year earlier. Long-term debt was $3.25 billion compared with $2.75 billion at the end of fiscal 2025.
For fiscal 2026, operating cash flow was $1.35 billion. Free cash flow totaled $1.23 billion, representing 110% conversion of adjusted net earnings. The company returned more than $1 billion to shareholders through dividends and net share repurchases during the year.
BR Sets Fiscal 2027 Targets
For fiscal 2027, Broadridge expects recurring revenue growth of 6-8% on a constant-currency basis. Adjusted operating margin is projected at about 21%, while adjusted earnings per share growth is anticipated in the 8-12% range.
Free cash flow conversion is expected to exceed 100% and closed sales are projected between $290 million and $330 million. The board approved a 12% increase in the annual dividend to $4.36 per share and authorized a new $1.5 billion share-repurchase program.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates review.
The consensus estimate has shifted -10.85% due to these changes.
VGM Scores
Currently, Broadridge Financial has a average Growth Score of C, however its Momentum Score is doing a bit better with a B. Following the exact same course, the stock has a score of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Broadridge Financial has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry Player
Broadridge Financial belongs to the Zacks Internet - Software industry. Another stock from the same industry, CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. (CCC), has gained 11.2% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended June 2026.
CCC Intelligent Solutions reported revenues of $285.93 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +9.8%. EPS of $0.10 for the same period compares with $0.09 a year ago.
For the current quarter, CCC Intelligent Solutions is expected to post earnings of $0.11 per share, indicating a change of +22.2% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
The overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions translate into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for CCC Intelligent Solutions. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of B.
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Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (BR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
