Korn Ferry Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year FY'26 Results of Operations

Fourth Quarter and Full Year Highlights

• Korn Ferry reports Q4 FY'26 fee revenue of $759.8 million, a year-over-year increase of 7% and 5% at constant currency. Full year FY'26 fee revenue of $2.9 billion, a year-over-year increase of 7% and 5% at constant currency.
• Estimated remaining fees under existing contracts at the end of the fourth quarter was $1.9 billion, up 10% year-over-year.
• Net income attributable to Korn Ferry for the fourth quarter was $73.1 million, with a margin of 9.6%, an increase of 60bps compared to the year-ago quarter, while net income attributable to Korn Ferry for the full year of FY'26 was $277.4 million, with a margin of 9.5%, an increase of 50bps compared to the year-ago period.
• Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $129.5 million with a margin of 17.0%, while Adjusted EBITDA for the full year of FY'26 was $497.8 million with a margin of 17.1%.
• Diluted and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.39 and $1.40 in Q4 FY'26, respectively, and $5.22 and $5.28 for the full year FY'26, respectively.
• The Company repurchased 1,240,458 shares of stock during the quarter for $78.8 million and paid dividends of $28.3 million.

Korn Ferry (NYSE:KFY), a global consulting firm, today announced fourth quarter and annual fee revenue of $759.8 million and $2.9 billion, respectively. In addition, fourth quarter diluted earnings per share was $1.39 and adjusted diluted earnings per share was $1.40, while full year diluted earnings per share was $5.22 and adjusted diluted earnings per share was $5.28.

"I am very pleased with our quarterly performance. This marks our fifth consecutive quarter of top-line growth, underscoring the strength of our strategy and the increasing relevance of our solutions – all amid an uneven economic environment," said Gary D. Burnison, CEO, Korn Ferry. "In addition to increased momentum across our broader offerings, I am particularly encouraged by double-digit growth in Professional Search & Interim, reflecting the depth and breadth of our solutions.

"As we conclude another fiscal year, I have never been more excited about the potential for Korn Ferry, the impact we have on clients and our We Are Korn Ferry mindset that is furthering collaboration across our firm. I am incredibly proud of our colleagues around the world. Their expertise and passion are the catalyst as we unlock potential in people and unleash transformation across organizations."

Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter Results

The Company reported fee revenue in Q4 FY'26 of $759.8 million, an increase of 7% year-over-year (up 5.0% at constant currency), led by Professional Search & Interim up 14%, followed by Executive Search and Consulting, both up 7% and RPO up 5%.

Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $73.1 million with a margin of 9.6% in Q4 FY'26, compared to Q4 FY'25 net income attributable to Korn Ferry of $64.2 million with a margin of 9.0%, an increase of 60bps. Adjusted EBITDA was $129.5 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $121.1 million in Q4 FY'25. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 17.0% in both Q4 FY'26 and Q4 FY'25. Increases in net income attributable to Korn Ferry and margin, as well as Adjusted EBITDA, were primarily due to an increase in fee revenue, partially offset by increases in compensation and benefits expenses and costs of services.

Fiscal 2026 Full Year Results

The Company reported fee revenue in FY'26 of $2,907.5 million, an increase of 7% year-over-year (up 5% at constant currency), led by Professional Search & Interim up 11%, Executive Search up 9%, and Consulting and RPO, both up approximately 4%.

Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $277.4 million with a margin of 9.5% in FY'26, compared to net income attributable to Korn Ferry of $246.1 million with a margin of 9.0% in FY'25, an increase of 50bps. Adjusted EBITDA was $497.8 million in FY'26 compared to $463.9 million in FY'25. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 17.1% in FY'26, essentially flat compared to the year-ago period. Increases in net income attributable to Korn Ferry and margin, as well as Adjusted EBITDA, were primarily due to an increase in fee revenue, partially offset by increases in compensation and benefits expenses and cost of services.

Results by Solution

Fee revenue was $181.9 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $169.4 million in Q4 FY'25, an increase of $12.5 million or 7% (up 5% on a constant currency basis). The year-over-year increase in Consulting fee revenue was primarily driven by higher fee revenue in leadership development, assessment & succession and organizational strategy offerings.

Adjusted EBITDA was $30.9 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $29.1 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 17.0% in Q4 FY'26, essentially flat compared to the year-ago quarter. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily from higher fee revenue, partially offset by an increase in compensation and benefits expenses.

Fee revenue was $89.3 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $91.6 million in Q4 FY'25, a decrease of $2.3 million or 3% (down 6% on a constant currency basis).

Adjusted EBITDA was $27.7 million in Q4 FY'26, compared to $28.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 31.0%, relatively unchanged from the year-ago quarter.

Fee revenue was $242.0 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $227.0 million in Q4 FY'25, an increase of $15.0 million or 7% (up 5% at constant currency). The year-over-year increase in fee revenue was driven by an increase in the weighted-average fees billed per engagement, resulting from more search work at higher levels. The Company experienced fee revenue growth in all regions.

Adjusted EBITDA was $64.0 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $54.2 million in the year-ago quarter, an increase of $9.8 million or 18% year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 26.4%, compared to 23.9% in the year-ago quarter. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin was primarily due to an increase in fee revenue combined with lower general and administrative expenses, partially offset by an increase in compensation and benefits expenses.

Fee revenue was $149.1 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $130.7 million in Q4 FY'25, an increase of $18.4 million or 14% (up 12% at constant currency). Fee revenue increased due to higher fee revenues in both Permanent Placement and Interim. The year-over-year increase in Interim fee revenue was primarily due to a 15% increase in average bill rate. The year-over-year increase in Permanent Placement fee revenue was driven by an increase in the weighted-average fee billed per engagement.

Adjusted EBITDA was $33.9 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $27.4 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 22.7% in Q4 FY'26 compared to 21.0% in the year-ago quarter. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin was due to an increase in fee revenue, partially offset by increases in compensation and benefits expenses and cost of services.

Fee revenue was $97.6 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $93.3 million in Q4 FY'25, an increase of $4.3 million or 5% (up 3% at constant currency). RPO fee revenue increased primarily due to new logo client wins in North America.

Adjusted EBITDA was $15.5 million in Q4 FY'26 compared to $14.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 15.8% in Q4 FY'26, compared to 15.5% in Q4 FY'25.

Outlook

Assuming no material negative impact from the recent Middle East conflict and that other worldwide geopolitical conditions, economic conditions, financial markets and foreign exchange rates remain steady, on a consolidated basis:

• Q1 FY’27 fee revenue is expected to be in the range of $725 million and $745 million; and
• Q1 FY’27 diluted earnings per share is expected to range between $1.32 to $1.38.

Earnings Conference Call Webcast

The earnings conference call will be held today at 12:00 PM (EDT) and hosted by CEO Gary Burnison, CFO Robert Rozek, SVP Business Development & Analytics Gregg Kvochak and VP Investor Relations Tiffany Louder. The conference call will be webcast and available online at ir.kornferry.com. We will also post to the investor relations section of our website earnings slides, which will accompany our webcast, and other important information, and encourage you to review the information that we make available on our website.

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global consulting firm that powers performance. We unlock the potential in your people and unleash transformation across your business—synchronizing strategy, operations, and talent to accelerate performance, fuel growth, and inspire a legacy of change. That’s why the world’s most forward-thinking companies across every major industry turn to us—for a shared commitment to lasting impact and the bold ambition to Be More Than.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release and our conference call that relate to our outlook, projections, goals, strategies, future plans and expectations, including statements relating to expected labor market conditions, expected demand for and relevance of our products and services, expected results of our business diversification strategy, impact of global events on our business, and other statements of future events or conditions are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "goals", "estimates", "guidance", "may", "should", "could", "will" or "likely", and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Such statements are based on current expectations; actual results in future periods may differ materially from those currently expected or desired because of a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the control of Korn Ferry. The potential risks and uncertainties include those relating to global and local political and or economic developments in or affecting countries where we have operations, such as inflation, trade wars, interest rates, labor market conditions, global slowdowns, or recessions, competition, geopolitical tensions, including the recent Middle East conflict, shifts in global trade patterns, changes in demand for our services as a result of automation, dependence on and costs of attracting and retaining qualified and experienced consultants, impact of inflationary pressures on our profitability, our ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retaining key employees, maintaining our brand name and professional reputation, potential legal liability and regulatory developments, portability of client relationships, consolidation of or within the industries we serve, changes and developments in government laws and regulations, evolving investor and customer expectations with regard to corporate responsibility matters, currency fluctuations in our international operations, risks related to growth, alignment of our cost structure, including as a result of recent workforce, real estate, and other restructuring initiatives, restrictions imposed by off-limits agreements, reliance on information processing systems, cyber security vulnerabilities or events, changes to data security, data privacy, and data protection laws, dependence on third parties for the execution of critical functions, limited protection of our intellectual property, our ability to enhance, develop and respond to new technology, including artificial intelligence, our ability to successfully recover from a disaster or other business continuity problems, employment liability risk, an impairment in the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets, treaties, or regulations on our business and our Company, deferred tax assets that we may not be able to use, our ability to develop new products and services, changes in our accounting estimates and assumptions, the utilization and billing rates of our consultants, seasonality, the use of social media platforms, the ability to effect acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses, resulting organizational changes, our indebtedness, and those relating to the ultimate magnitude and duration of any pandemic or outbreaks. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties that could cause differences from our expectations, please refer to Korn Ferry’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Korn Ferry disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial information calculated other than in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). In particular, it includes:

• Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry, adjusted to exclude accelerated depreciation on our Digital platform, management separation charges, integration/acquisition costs, restructuring charges, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right-of-use assets and gain on modification of an office lease, net of income tax effect;
• Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share, adjusted to exclude cost associated with accelerated depreciation on our Digital platform, management separation charges, integration/acquisition costs, restructuring charges, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right-of-use assets and gain on modification of an office lease, net of income tax effect;
• Constant currency (calculated using a quarterly average) percentages that represent the percentage change that would have resulted had exchange rates in the prior period been the same as those in effect in the current period; and
• Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA, which is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, further adjusted to exclude management separation charges, integration/acquisition costs, restructuring charges, impairment of fixed assets, impairment of right-of-use assets and gain on modification of an office lease, net when applicable, and Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA margin.

This non-GAAP disclosure has limitations as an analytical tool, should not be viewed as a substitute for financial information determined in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP, nor is it necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

Management believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures in this press release provides meaningful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry’s performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of Korn Ferry’s ongoing operating results. These non-GAAP financial measures are performance measures and are not indicative of the liquidity of Korn Ferry. These items, which are described in the footnotes in the attached reconciliations, represent 1) costs associated with previous acquisitions, such as legal and professional fees, retention awards and on-going integration expenses, 2) gain on modification of an office lease where the Company received lease incentives to shorten the lease term, 3) restructuring charges, net to align workforce to eliminate excess capacity resulting from challenging macroeconomic business environment, 4) accelerated depreciation associated with the decision to sunset our Digital platform, 5) impairment of fixed assets primarily due to software impairment charge in our Digital segment, 6) impairment of right-of-use assets due to the decision to terminate and sublease some of our offices and 7) management separation charges due to contractual obligations due upon executive's death. The use of non-GAAP financial measures facilitates comparisons to Korn Ferry’s historical performance. Korn Ferry includes non-GAAP financial measures because management believes they are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry’s ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making. Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry, adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share and Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA, exclude certain charges that management does not consider on-going in nature and allows management and investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s operating results. Management further believes that Consolidated and Executive Search Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it is frequently used by investors and other interested parties to measure operating performance among companies with different capital structures, effective tax rates and tax attributes and capitalized asset values, all of which can vary substantially from company to company. In the case of constant currency percentages, management believes the presentation of such information provides useful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry's performance as excluding the impact of exchange rate changes on Korn Ferry's financial performance allows investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company’s operating results, to better identify operating trends that may otherwise be masked or distorted by exchange rate changes and to perform related trend analysis, and provides a higher degree of transparency of information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry's ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making.