The earnings miss is largely irrelevant for current shareholders who will receive $55/share in the pending acquisition. Monitor for shareholder vote and regulatory approvals — any delay or termination risk would reintroduce fundamental valuation based on standalone earnings power, which showed decelerating revenue growth and an EPS miss.
Price Chart
Executive Summary
CBIZ reported Q3 2026 adjusted diluted EPS of $1.21, missing the $1.26 consensus by 4.0%, on revenue of $702M (+1.2% YoY) that also fell short of the $722M estimate. The company is being acquired by Grant Thornton/New Mountain Capital for $55/share ($5.0B enterprise value) and has suspended guidance and the earnings call pending close in Q4 2026 — making the earnings miss largely moot for shareholders who will receive the fixed deal price.
Key Financial Metrics
Key Facts
- Adjusted diluted EPS of $1.21 vs consensus $1.26 (-4.0% miss)
- Revenue of $702M vs consensus $722M, up only 1.2% YoY
- GAAP EPS of $0.79, up 64.6% YoY on lower interest expense and acquisition-related gains
- Adjusted EBITDA of $132M, up 6.3% YoY; margin improved to 18.8% from 17.9%
- Operating cash flow YTD $147M vs $49M prior year; free cash flow $125M vs $34M
- Pending all-cash acquisition by Grant Thornton/New Mountain at $55/share ($5.0B enterprise value), expected to close Q4 2026
- No financial guidance provided and no earnings call held due to pending transaction
- Shares will be delisted from NYSE upon deal close
Financial Impact
EPS miss of $0.05 (-4.0%) on adjusted basis; revenue miss of ~$20M (-2.8%) vs consensus; both immaterial given fixed $55/share acquisition price
Risk Factors
- Transaction fails to close — stock would reprice on standalone fundamentals showing slowing revenue growth and an EPS miss
- Regulatory or shareholder approval delays push close beyond Q4 2026
- Integration costs and legal settlement ($7.2M) continue to pressure margins if deal collapses
Investment Themes
Documents Analyzed
This report is based on 1 press release from GlobeNewswire.
| Document | Accession Number |
|---|---|
| PRESS-RELEASE Data (Synthetic) | press-3383210 |
Filters
| Type | Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oct 22, 2026 4d ago | 8-K | $54.89 $54.94 | ▲ +0.09% | ▲ +0.61% | $54.85 (−0.07%) |
Oct 19, 2026 7d ago | 8-K | $54.78 $54.89 | ▲ +0.20% | ▼ −0.13% | $54.85 (+0.13%) |
Oct 19, 2026 7d ago | Press Release | $54.78 $54.89 | ▲ +0.20% | ▼ −0.13% | $54.85 (+0.13%) |
Aug 6, 2026 11w ago | S-3ASR | $54.49 $54.50 | ▲ +0.02% | ▼ −0.59% | $54.85 (+0.66%) |
Jul 31, 2026 12w ago | DEFA14A | $55.08 $55.07 | ▼ −0.02% | ▼ −1.44% | $54.85 (−0.42%) |
Jul 29, 2026 12w ago | DEFA14A | $55.25 $55.08 | ▼ −0.31% | ▼ −1.01% | $54.85 (−0.72%) |
Jul 29, 2026 12w ago | DEFA14A / 8-K | $54.90 $55.25 | ▲ +0.64% | ▼ −1.04% | $54.85 (−0.09%) |
Jul 29, 2026 12w ago | 8-K | $54.90 $55.25 | ▲ +0.64% | ▼ −1.04% | $54.85 (−0.09%) |
Apr 15, 2026 27w ago | Press Release | $30.35 | awaiting T+1 | — | $54.85 (+80.72%) |
Apr 14, 2026 27w ago | Press Release | $29.09 $30.35 | ▲ +4.33% | ▲ +3.56% | $54.85 (+88.55%) |
US Market Status
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