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DFIN · Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc.

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$48.99 -0.63 (-1.27%) At close · Aug 14
Market Cap
$1.20B
Shares
24.59M
All earnings calls

Earnings call · FY2026 Q1

Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. Q1 FY2026 Earnings Call

Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. Q1 FY2026 Earnings Call

Concluded May 5, 2026 Audio replay
May 5, 2026 46:44 29 turns
Period
FY2026 Q1
Runtime
46:44
Sources
4 artifacts

Executive readout · one minute

What matters this quarter

Donnelley Financial Solutions reported Q1 2026 net sales of $205.5 million, up 2.2% year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA of $70.6 million (up 3.5%) and adjusted EBITDA margin of 34.4%, expanded ~50 bps, driven by 8.4% growth in software solutions (now 44.6% of net sales) and 21% growth in ActiveDisclosure.

Software Solutions Growth and Mix Shift 83 Venue / Data Rooms 40 ActiveDisclosure and ActiveIntelligence (AI) 32 Print and Distribution Secular Decline 19 ArcFlex and Private Investments 15 8-K Filings / Capital Markets Activity Softness 14

Management tone

Confident

Net tone +55 · moderate hedging

Grounding quotes
  • “delivering consolidated net sales growth, year-over-year growth in adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin expansion, and improvements in both operating cash flow and free cash flow”
  • “Our first quarter results are further proof points to the progress of our transformation and demonstrate the resiliency of our operating model across various market conditions”
  • “I am encouraged by the continued growth in our software solutions offerings, where we delivered year-over-year net sales growth of 8.4%”
  • “the upgraded product continues to resonate with both current and prospective clients for its speed and simplicity”

Forward guidance

3 guided metrics

Management's latest ranges and targets are included below.

Research coverage

4 live sources

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Revenue $205.50M +2.2% YoY
Diluted EPS $1.27 +21% YoY
Net income $33.50M +8.1% YoY

Research materials

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Key takeaways

What improved, and what deserves a closer read.

Constructive signals

  • Software solutions net sales grew 8.4% year-over-year to $91.7 million, reaching 44.6% of total net sales (up ~250 bps).
  • ActiveDisclosure posted approximately 21% sales growth, its sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
  • Venue delivered approximately 7% year-over-year sales growth, driven by resilient data room demand and the new Venue product.
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded approximately 50 basis points to 34.4%, with gross margin up ~40 bps.
  • Operating cash flow improved $32.1 million and free cash flow improved $35.0 million year-over-year.
  • Board authorized a new $150 million share repurchase program (through Dec 31, 2027); 594,782 shares repurchased in Q1 at an average $47.58.

Risks & pressure points

  • 8-K compliance filings showed softness in Q1, attributed to carry-on effects from lower transactional activity in the broader market.
  • Heightened market volatility and rising geopolitical conflicts dampened deal activity in March.
  • Long-term secular decline in print demand expected at 5%-6% annually remains a headwind.
  • Q1 operating cash flow was negative $5.6 million and free cash flow was negative $16.0 million.

Key moments

Jump directly to management's words in the synchronized transcript.

“We started 2026 by building on the positive momentum in our performance from the fourth quarter of last year, delivering consolidated net sales growth, year-over-year growth in adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin expansion, and improvements in both operating cash flow and free cash flow.” Daniel Leib, CEO
“This continued positive mix shift positions us well to achieve our long-term target of deriving approximately 60% of total net sales from Software Solutions by 2028.” Daniel Leib, CEO

Forward guidance

From the 8-K filed May 5, 2026.

Metric Guided
Total Net Sales table
Second-Quarter Guidance
$215M – $225M
Adjusted EBITDA margin table
Second-Quarter Guidance
34% – 36%
Capital markets transactional net sales table
Second-Quarter Guidance
$40M – $45M

Quarter detail

How the reported period landed and where the business moved.

Revenue · segments

Capital Markets Compliance and Communications Management$82.80M -1.3% YoY
Capital Markets Software Solutions$58.60M +12.9% YoY
Investment Companies Software Solutions$33.10M +1.2% YoY
Investment Companies Compliance And Communications Management$31.00M -4.9% YoY

Capital returned

Buybacks
$40.90M
Shares repurchased
594,782
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