ACIW · ACI Worldwide, Inc.

ACI Worldwide delivered a strong first quarter in 2026, with total revenue of $426 million, up 8% year-over-year (6% in constant currency). The growth was driven by robust performance in the Payment Software segment, where Real Time Payments and Merchant each grew over 20% on a constant currency basis, and the Biller segment, which grew 10%. Recurring revenue increased 10% to $313 million, reflecting the company's shift toward SaaS and maintenance. GAAP net income was $38 million, down from $59 million in Q1 2025, which included a $22 million after-tax gain on sale of an equity investment. Adjusted EBITDA rose 12% to $105 million, with net adjusted EBITDA margin expanding to 38% from 36%, driven by operating leverage. Management highlighted strong new ARR bookings, up 39% to $12 million, and a growing pipeline for its cloud-native ACI Connetic platform. The company raised its full-year 2026 guidance: revenue now expected between $1.89 billion and $1.92 billion (up from $1.88-$1.91 billion), and adjusted EBITDA between $540 million and $555 million (up from $530-$550 million). For Q2 2026, revenue is guided to $420-$440 million and adjusted EBITDA to $85-$95 million. The company also repurchased 1.5 million shares for $65 million in Q1, with $391 million remaining on its buyback authorization, and expects to allocate 50-60% of operating cash flow to share repurchases for the full year. The strong start and raised guidance underscore ACI's momentum in payments modernization and its ability to execute ahead of expectations.