Korn Ferry, a global consulting firm, has announced its first quarter fiscal 2026 results. The company reported a fee revenue of $708.6 million, marking a 5% year-over-year increase. Notably, fee revenue grew year-over-year in each solution, with professional search & interim leading the way with a 10% actual increase, followed by executive search with an 8% actual increase.
Net income attributable to Korn Ferry was $66.6 million, up 6% year-over-year, with a margin of 9.4%, a 10bps increase from the previous year. Adjusted EBITDA was $120.4 million, representing an 8% increase year-over-year, with a margin of 17.0%, up 50bps from the previous year. Diluted and adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.26 and $1.31 in Q1 FY'26, up 8% and 11% year-over-year, respectively.
The company repurchased 145,770 shares of stock during the quarter for $9.9 million. In terms of specific business segments, the company experienced growth in fee revenue across various solutions. For instance, in the executive search segment, fee revenue increased by 8% to $224.3 million, while in the professional search & interim segment, fee revenue grew by 10% to $133.9 million.
Looking ahead, assuming steady worldwide geopolitical and economic conditions, Korn Ferry expects its Q2 FY’26 fee revenue to range between $690 million and $710 million, with diluted earnings per share expected to range between $1.10 and $1.16. On a consolidated adjusted basis, Q2 FY’26 adjusted diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $1.23 to $1.33.
The market has reacted to these announcements by moving the company's shares 2.33% to a price of $74.20. For more information, read the company's full 8-K submission here.
