Bright Horizons earnings date
Bright Horizons (BFAM) Q3 2026 Earnings Report
MX:BFAM Q3 2026 EPS Results
- Actual EPS
- MXN 33.83
- Consensus EPS
- MXN 33.04
- Beat/Miss
- Beat by +MXN 0.79
- One Year Ago EPS
- MXN 29.50
MX:BFAM Q3 2026 Revenue Results
- Actual Revenue
- MXN 15.81B
- Expected Revenue
- MXN 15.84B
- Beat/Miss
- Missed by -MXN 22.93M
- YoY Revenue Growth
- +4.82%
Earnings Announcement Details
- Quarter
- Q3 2026
- Date
- 10/29/2026
- Time
- After Close
- Conference Call
- Thursday, October 29, 2026
Bright Horizons's next earnings date is estimated for February 18, 2027, based on past reporting schedules.
Q3 2026 Earnings Call Audio
Q3 2026 Earnings Slide Deck
No slide deck is available for this earnings event.
Q3 2026 Earnings Call Summary
The call was positive on third-quarter execution, particularly the 5% revenue growth, 15% adjusted EPS growth, strong Back-Up Care performance, cash generation, and long-term utilization opportunity. However, the tone was tempered by softer Full Service enrollment, the U.K. safeguarding review, challenging Australian market conditions and impairment charges, higher interest expense, and a revised full-year outlook. The highlights modestly outweigh the lowlights because core financial results and Back-Up Care momentum remained strong, while management described the principal pressures and corrective actions in detail.
Bright Horizons now expects 2026 revenue to approximate $3.07 billion and adjusted EPS to be in the range of $4.98 to $5.03 a share; Full Service reported revenue is expected to grow approximately 2%, Back-Up Care growth is expected to be approximately 13%, and ed advisory revenue is expected to be approximately flat with 2025. The outlook includes $61 million to $62 million of interest expense, an adjusted effective tax rate of 28.25%, and weighted average diluted shares of 51 million; Q4 revenue is expected in the range of $730 million to $740 million and adjusted EPS in the range of $1.14 to $1.19 per share. Full-year Back-Up Care operating margins are expected in the range of 28% to 30%, Full Service margins are expected to be broadly flat with 2025, up roughly 70 basis points or so ex Australia, Q4 Full Service margins are expected to be more of a down 75 bps and flat excluding Australia, and ed advising Q4 margin is expected to be similar to last year. For next year’s Full Service tuition pricing, the company would estimate the lower end of its historical range of 3% to 4% on average; it has another, call it somewhere around 20 probably to close through the rest of this year.
- Solid Third-Quarter Financial PerformanceThird-quarter revenue grew 5% to $841 million, adjusted operating income increased 5% to $130 million, adjusted EBITDA increased 5% to $163 million, and adjusted EPS grew 15% to $1.80. Adjusted operating margin was 15.5% and adjusted EBITDA margin was 19.4%, both consistent with the prior-year quarter.
- Strong Back-Up Care GrowthBack-Up Care revenue grew 13% to $286 million, in line with expectations and on top of strong third-quarter growth in each of the last four years. Growth was primarily driven by more employees using the benefit and higher use per user, with strongest demand in care for school-aged children during summer break.
- Back-Up Care Capacity and Fulfillment InvestmentsAhead of the summer peak, Bright Horizons expanded its vetted provider network, added new and exclusive camp-center and in-home-care partners, increased capacity in high-demand geographies, and entered new markets. The preparation resulted in a high fulfillment rate throughout the peak demand period.
- Back-Up Care Platform and Personalization InitiativesMarketing and technology teams continued advancing personalization initiatives and the booking experience. The company is also developing Care Advising for complex neurodiversity and senior-care needs, a conversational AI-supported consumer navigation experience, and a more connected experience across services through One Bright Horizons.
- Long-Term Back-Up Care RunwayPenetration of the eligible employee base remains below 5%, and management said there is continued opportunity to extend participation and broaden use cases. The company continues to target long-term growth of 11% to 13% and reported strong growth even among mature clients.
- Full Service Revenue Growth and Operational EfficiencyFull Service revenue grew 1.3% to $522 million, driven primarily by tuition increases. Excluding Australia, Full Service operating margin increased 40 basis points, supported by tuition increases ahead of wage growth and improved operational efficiency.
- Improvement in Lower-Occupancy Center CohortsCenters below 40% occupancy improved to 9% of the portfolio from 12% in the prior year, reflecting enrollment progress in centers moving up the occupancy curve and the impact of exiting underperforming centers. The top-performing cohort, centers above 70% occupancy, represented 42% of centers.
- Stable Family RetentionRetention of enrolled families remained steady, and management said the company continues to see strong retention of families in its programs.
- Educational Advisory Growth in College CoachWithin Educational Advisory, continued growth in College Coach partially offset lower participant use in EdAssist.
- Strong Cash Generation and Share RepurchasesThrough September, the company generated $208 million in cash from operations, made $69 million of net fixed-asset investments, and repurchased $560 million of stock. It ended the third quarter with $119 million of cash and trailing net leverage of 2.4x net debt to adjusted EBITDA.
- Additional Safeguarding MeasuresBright Horizons is rolling out cameras in centers in the U.S. and U.K., partnering with a leading safeguarding firm for an outside-in review, and strengthening technology controls in classrooms. Management reiterated that safeguarding is the company's number-one priority.
- Adapting Marketing to AI and LLM SearchThe company is making its organization and centers more discoverable through LLMs by increasing the use of videos and other responsive content. It is also focusing on tour availability as consumers increasingly use agents to research and schedule childcare.
- Employer-Partner Network as a Competitive AdvantageManagement highlighted that two-thirds of U.S. centers are client-based centers and said employer relationships provide an opportunity to capture prospects and differentiate Bright Horizons in the market.
- 40th Anniversary and Long-Term MissionThe company celebrated its 40th anniversary and highlighted its history of adapting through economic cycles, the global pandemic, and changing family and employer needs while continuing to support children, families, learners, and employers.
MX:BFAM Earnings History
| Report Date | Fiscal Quarter | Forecast / EPS | Last Year's EPS | EPS YoY Change | Press Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18, 2027 | 2026 (Q4) | 21.86- | 21.61 | ― | ― |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 2026 (Q3) | 33.0433.83 | 29.5 | 14.65% (+4.32) | |
| Jul 30, 2026 | 2026 (Q2) | 22.5724.05 | 20.11 | 19.63% (+3.95) | |
| May 05, 2026 | 2026 (Q1) | 15.0015.41 | 14.47 | 6.49% (+0.94) | |
| Feb 12, 2026 | 2025 (Q4) | 21.0821.61 | 18.42 | 17.35% (+3.19) | |
| Oct 30, 2025 | 2025 (Q3) | 24.8229.50 | 20.86 | 41.44% (+8.64) | |
| Jul 31, 2025 | 2025 (Q2) | 19.0020.11 | 16.54 | 21.59% (+3.57) | |
| May 05, 2025 | 2025 (Q1) | 12.1414.47 | 9.58 | 50.98% (+4.89) | |
| Feb 13, 2025 | 2024 (Q4) | 17.0418.42 | 15.6 | 18.07% (+2.82) | |
| Nov 04, 2024 | 2024 (Q3) | 19.9820.86 | 16.54 | 26.14% (+4.32) |
The table shows recent earnings report dates and whether the forecast was beat or missed. See the change in forecast and EPS from the previous year.
