IQVIA Holdings Inc. IQV has posted first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.90 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.83 by 2.5%. Revenues came in at $4.15 billion, topping the consensus mark of $4.08 billion by 1.6%.
Results improved year over year, with adjusted diluted earnings per share up 7.4% and revenues rising 8.4%. The quarter benefited from better-than-expected organic growth across the business, supported by strengthening demand indicators, including a $34.2-billion contracted backlog in the Research & Development Solutions business.
IQVIA Holdings Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
IQVIA Holdings Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | IQVIA Holdings Inc. Quote
IQV's Commercial Solutions Growth Leads the Quarter
Commercial Solutions delivered the sharpest top-line momentum in the quarter. Segmental revenues were $1.75 billion, increasing 11.6% on a reported basis and 8.5% at constant currency.
Management highlighted notable strength across patient solutions, analytics and consulting, and commercial engagement services. The company also pointed to growing traction in AI-enabled offerings, suggesting product innovation is contributing to sales performance alongside broader market demand.
IQVIA's R&D Franchise Shows Healthier Demand Signals
Research & Development Solutions revenues were $2.40 billion, up 6.2% on a reported basis and 4.2% at constant currency. Excluding reimbursed expenses, R&D Solutions revenues increased 6.6% reported, reflecting healthier underlying service growth.
Beyond reported revenues, the bookings picture remained constructive. Net new bookings were $2.5 billion, with a first-quarter book-to-bill ratio of 1.04X and a trailing-12-month ratio of 1.11X. The company also expects $8.9 billion of contracted work to convert into revenues over the next 12 months, indicating 7.6% year-over-year growth, offering a clearer line of sight into near-term demand.
IQV's Profit Engine Supports Cash Conversion
Profitability remained solid in the quarter, with adjusted EBITDA of $932 million, up 5.5% year over year. GAAP net income attributable to IQVIA was $274 million, reflecting continued earnings power alongside ongoing non-GAAP addbacks tied to restructuring and acquisition-related items.
Cash generation was a key positive. The operating cash flow rose 9% year over year to $618 million, while the free cash flow increased 15% to $491 million. Notably, the free cash flow equaled 100% of adjusted net income, underscoring strong conversion and disciplined working-capital management.
IQVIA's 2026 Outlook Mixes Stability With Upside
IQVIA reaffirmed its 2026 revenue guidance of $17.15-$17.35 billion and maintained its adjusted EBITDA outlook of $3.975-$4.025 billion, signaling confidence in the demand environment and delivery execution across both segments.
The company raised its full-year adjusted diluted earnings per share forecast to $12.65-$12.95, pointing to better operating performance than previously expected. The outlook assumes 150 basis points of acquisition contribution and an estimated 100 basis points of foreign-exchange tailwind, based on exchange rates as of May 4, 2026.
IQV's Balance Sheet & Capital Returns Stay in Focus
IQVIA ended the quarter with $1.95 billion in cash and cash equivalents, and total debt of $15.83 billion, translating to net debt of $13.89 billion. The net leverage ratio was 3.62X trailing 12-month adjusted EBITDA, providing context for financial flexibility as the company balances investment needs with shareholder returns.
Capital allocation remained active. IQVIA repurchased $552 million worth of common stock during the quarter and had $1.22 billion remaining under its authorization as of March 31, 2026, reinforcing management’s continued emphasis on returning capital while maintaining leverage within its targeted framework.
IQV carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Earnings Snapshot
Verisk Analytics, Inc. VRSK reported first-quarter 2026 diluted adjusted earnings per share of $1.82, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.76 by 3.4%. The figure increased 5.2% from the year-ago quarter.
Revenues came in at $782.6 million, topping the consensus mark of $775.9 million by 0.9% and rising 3.9% year over year. Organic constant-currency revenue growth was 4.7%, supported by continued momentum across the Insurance business.
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ADP posted third-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $3.37, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.28 by 2.7%. The metric increased 10.1% from the year-ago quarter.
Total revenues came in at $5.94 billion, topping the consensus mark of $5.86 billion by 1.4% and rising 7% year over year. Operationally, Employer Services client revenue retention and overall client satisfaction reached record highs for the third quarter.
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