Korn Ferry (KFY) Q1 2027 Earnings Report
MX:KFY Q1 2027 EPS Results
- Actual EPS
- MXN 26.87
- Consensus EPS
- MXN 25.59
- Beat/Miss
- Beat by +MXN 1.28
- One Year Ago EPS
- MXN 24.62
MX:KFY Q1 2027 Revenue Results
- Actual Revenue
- MXN 14.37B
- Expected Revenue
- MXN 13.86B
- Beat/Miss
- Beat by +MXN 506.65M
- YoY Revenue Growth
- +6.86%
Earnings Announcement Details
- Quarter
- Q1 2027
- Date
- 09/09/2026
- Time
- Before Open
- Conference Call
- Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Korn Ferry's next earnings date is estimated for December 9, 2026, based on past reporting schedules.
Q1 2027 Earnings Call Audio
Q1 2027 Earnings Slide Deck
Q1 2027 Earnings Call Summary
The call was strongly positive, with broad-based revenue and new-business growth, a sixth consecutive quarter of top-line growth, higher adjusted EBITDA and EPS, growing backlog and referrals, and significant strategic and cross-selling opportunities from the completed AMS combination. Management was highly confident about achieving AMS EBITDA objectives and future growth. The primary challenges discussed were the difficult macroeconomic environment, Middle East-related pressure on EMEA, historical weakness in APAC and China, seasonal softness in the third quarter, and the time required to complete systems integration.
For the second quarter of fiscal 27, assuming no further changes in worldwide geopolitical conditions, economic conditions, financial markets and foreign exchange rates, and including the addition of AMS for 2 months, September and October, fee revenue is expected to range from $860 million to $878 million, adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to range from 16.8% to 17.2%, and adjusted diluted earnings per share are expected to range from $1.30 to $1.40 per share, including the net after tax impact of 2 months of incremental intangible asset amortization, incremental interest net interest expense and incremental shares issued in connection with the acquisition of AMS; historically, the firm’s growth rate is probably gonna be around 10%-11%, 12%, something like that, with the prior 60% organic and 40% inorganic mix changing to more like 50-50 with AMS; AMS is expected to reach $140 million of run rate EBITDA within 1 year of the date of close, with the incremental 40 expected faster than that, and the company is targeting a May 1, 2027 date for moving everybody onto a common platform.
- Sixth Consecutive Quarter of Top-Line GrowthKorn Ferry reported that all regions were up in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of top-line growth.
- AMS Combination CompletedThe company completed its combination with AMS, bringing together two iconic brands and creating a global leader in talent and organizational consulting. The combined firm has nearly 17 thousand colleagues in more than 130 offices, with complementary geographic, industry, and solution capabilities.
- Expanded Client and Solution CapabilitiesTogether with AMS, Korn Ferry said it can serve clients across the entire talent spectrum, including search, workforce solutions, and talent and organizational solutions. The company cited engagements supporting a global energy company across 60 thousand roles and 200 business units, and a global consumer products company with more than 100 thousand employees.
- Strong TalentSuite AdoptionMore than 90% of Korn Ferry's Marquee and Diamond accounts have an active TalentSuite subscription.
- Backlog and Contract Visibility IncreasedEstimated remaining fees under existing contracts grew 14% year over year to $1.92 billion. Approximately 56%, or $1.1 billion, is expected to be recognized within the next four quarters, with the remaining 44%, or $835 million, recognized beyond the next year.
- Higher Referrals and Strategic Account ContributionThe internal business referral rate increased to 29.4% of consolidated fee revenue, up about 300 basis points year over year. Marquee and Diamond accounts remained steady at about 40% of consolidated fee revenue.
- Broad-Based New Business and Productivity GrowthConsolidated new business grew 12% year over year, with fee revenue growth in all regions and all industry groups. New business per average fee earner, annualized, grew year over year in all regions.
- Consolidated Revenue and Earnings GrowthConsolidated fee revenue grew 7% year over year to $756 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased $8 million, or 7%, year over year to $128 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 17%, flat year over year, while adjusted diluted earnings per share increased $0.12, or 9%, year over year to $1.43.
- Americas and EMEA GrowthAmericas fee revenue grew 9% year over year to $442 million, led by search and workforce solutions. EMEA fee revenue grew 4% year over year to $228 million, with strength across all solution groups.
- APAC Returned to GrowthAPAC fee revenue reached $87 million, up 1% year over year, led by search.
- Workforce Solutions and Search MomentumManagement described workforce solutions and search as outstanding performers, with growth rates of 10% to 11%. Investments in workforce solutions, including interim and RPO, were said to be paying dividends.
- RPO New Business WinsRPO new wins were approximately $160 million in the quarter, with 50% coming from new logos. Management characterized RPO wins as recurring wins, while noting that outsourcing wins can be lumpy.
- AMS Backlog and Client DurabilityFollowing the AMS combination, management said the combined backlog is approximately $3 billion to $3.5 billion. AMS brings a substantial backlog and long-tenured client relationships; the average tenure of its top 10 client relationships is 14 years, and approximately 40% of its backlog is recognized within the first year while 60% is recognized over the next four years.
- AMS EBITDA Synergy Target Expected Ahead of ScheduleKorn Ferry reiterated its target to increase AMS run-rate EBITDA from $100 million to $140 million within one year of closing and said it expects to achieve the incremental $40 million much faster than one year.
- Significant Cross-Selling and New Offering OpportunitiesManagement identified opportunities from AMS in RPO, contingent workforce solutions, early careers and campus recruiting, technology consulting and integration, and reskilling. Korn Ferry said contingent workforce solutions could be multi-hundred-million and could be multi-billion dollars, and that the offering can save clients 600, 700, 800, or 900 basis points on temporary-workforce spend.
- AI Increased Demand for Proprietary Data and ExpertiseManagement said AI is increasing demand for Korn Ferry's proprietary data and intellectual property because candidates increasingly have what clients perceive as perfect resumes. Korn Ferry has compensation data on 30 million people and 30 thousand companies, 113 million executive assessments, and upwards of 15 thousand success profiles. Overall pricing across the platform has increased over time.
- Disciplined Capital AllocationDuring the quarter, Korn Ferry paid $30 million of dividends and invested $15 million in capital expenditures. Management said it remains focused on a disciplined, balanced approach to capital allocation.
- Second-Quarter Fiscal 2027 GuidanceAssuming no further changes in worldwide geopolitical conditions, economic conditions, financial markets, or foreign exchange rates, and including AMS for only September and October, second-quarter fee revenue is expected to range from $860 million to $878 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to range from 16.8% to 17.2%, and adjusted diluted EPS is expected to range from $1.30 to $1.40.
- Cross-Referral Momentum and Salesforce ExpansionThe internal referral rate has increased from 18% when measurement began to almost 30% today. Following the AMS transaction, Korn Ferry expects to have approximately 2,000 frontline consultants, with productivity currently viewed as approximately $2 million per consultant and described as having significant room for expansion.
- AMS Platform and Go-to-Market Synchronization PlanKorn Ferry has begun synchronizing go-to-market activities, mapping the top 100 customers, assigning teams, and holding client meetings. The company is targeting May 1, 2027, to move employees onto common systems, including SAP and a common CRM.
MX:KFY Earnings History
| Report Date | Fiscal Quarter | Forecast / EPS | Last Year's EPS | EPS YoY Change | Press Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 09, 2026 | 2027 (Q2) | 25.61- | 24.99 | ― | ― |
| Sep 09, 2026 | 2027 (Q1) | 25.5926.87 | 24.62 | 9.16% (+2.26) | |
| Jun 23, 2026 | 2026 (Q4) | 25.9326.31 | 24.81 | 6.06% (+1.50) | |
| Mar 09, 2026 | 2026 (Q3) | 23.2124.05 | 22.36 | 7.56% (+1.69) | |
| Dec 09, 2025 | 2026 (Q2) | 24.6624.99 | 22.74 | 9.92% (+2.26) | |
| Sep 09, 2025 | 2026 (Q1) | 23.2324.62 | 22.17 | 11.02% (+2.44) | |
| Jun 18, 2025 | 2025 (Q4) | 23.6824.81 | 23.68 | 4.76% (+1.13) | |
| Mar 11, 2025 | 2025 (Q3) | 21.2222.36 | 20.11 | 11.21% (+2.26) | |
| Dec 05, 2024 | 2025 (Q2) | 22.7922.74 | 18.23 | 24.74% (+4.51) | |
| Sep 05, 2024 | 2025 (Q1) | 21.0122.17 | 18.6 | 19.19% (+3.57) |
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.
