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Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp (BAH)·Q1 2026 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q1 FY26 delivered as expected: revenue declined 0.6% YoY to $2.924B while adjusted EPS rose 7.2% YoY to $1.48 on resilient margins and lower share count; book-to-bill was 1.42x and backlog hit a Q1 record $38.3B .
  • Versus S&P Global consensus, BAH posted a small EPS beat and slight revenue miss: Adjusted EPS $1.48 vs $1.45*; Revenue $2.924B vs $2.947B* .
  • FY26 guidance was maintained on revenue ($12.0–$12.5B), adjusted EBITDA ($1.315–$1.370B), and adjusted EPS ($6.20–$6.55), while free cash flow was raised to $900–$1,000M (from $700–$800M) due to a ~$200M incremental federal cash tax benefit from new S174 rules under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” .
  • Defense and Intel were bright spots (Defense +7% YoY, Intel +6%) offsetting Civil (-13%) amid a slower funding/procurement environment; management expects Civil reset effects in Q2 and aims to re-accelerate in 2H .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Strong demand and quality of wins: quarterly book-to-bill of 1.42x; total backlog reached a Q1 record $38B, underscoring pipeline quality and positioning in advanced tech missions .
    • Market mix: Defense revenue +7% YoY and Intelligence +6% YoY, reflecting traction in mission-critical tech programs (e.g., TOC‑L $315M award, MDK deployment) .
    • Margin resilience and capital returns: Adjusted EBITDA +3% YoY to $311M, margin +30 bps to 10.6%; repurchased ~1.1% of shares and declared a $0.55 dividend .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Modest top-line pressure: Revenue -0.6% YoY driven primarily by lower billable expenses; Civil revenue declined 13% YoY amid a slower funding environment and post-transition reviews .
    • Funded backlog softness: Funded backlog ticked down even as total backlog rose; management cited slower funding flows and fewer contracting officers, with timing uncertainty as a near-term risk .
    • Near-term headcount/delivery friction: Customer staff headcount down 5% YoY (7% seq.) reflecting Civil restructuring and supply/demand matching; hiring to ramp as funding normalizes .

Financial Results

MetricQ1 FY25 (oldest)Q4 FY25Q1 FY26 (newest)
Revenue ($B)$2.942 $2.974 $2.924
Adjusted EBITDA ($M)$302 $316 $311
Adjusted EBITDA Margin on Revenue (%)10.3% 10.6% 10.6%
Net Income ($M)$165 $193 $271
Diluted EPS (GAAP) ($)$1.27 $1.52 $2.16
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)$1.38 $1.61 $1.48
Cash from Operations ($M)$52 $218 $119
Free Cash Flow ($M)$20 $194 $96

Versus S&P Global Consensus (Q1 FY26)

MetricConsensusActual
Revenue ($B)$2.947*$2.924
Adjusted EPS ($)$1.45*$1.48

Values marked with * retrieved from S&P Global.

Segment Revenue (Q1 FY26 vs Q1 FY25)

Customer Type ($M)Q1 FY25Q1 FY26
Defense$1,421 $1,517
Intelligence$457 $484
Civil$1,064 $923
Total$2,942 $2,924

KPIs and Mix

KPIQ1 FY25Q1 FY26
Book-to-Bill (x)1.76x 1.42x
Total Backlog ($B)$34.6 $38.3
Total Headcount35,100 33,400
Contract Type Mix – Cost Reimbursable56% 60%
Contract Type Mix – Time & Materials23% 22%
Contract Type Mix – Fixed Price21% 18%

Notes: GAAP net income and EPS benefited from a one-time $106M tax benefit related to an IRS agreement; Adjusted EPS excludes this effect .

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
RevenueFY26$12.0–$12.5B $12.0–$12.5B Maintained
Revenue GrowthFY260–4% 0–4% Maintained
Adjusted EBITDAFY26$1,315–$1,370M $1,315–$1,370M Maintained
Adjusted EBITDA Margin ~FY26~11% ~11% Maintained
Adjusted Diluted EPSFY26$6.20–$6.55 $6.20–$6.55 Maintained
Free Cash FlowFY26$700–$800M $900–$1,000M Raised
Adjusted Effective Tax Rate (assumption)FY2623–25% 23–25% Maintained
Avg. Diluted Shares (assumption)FY26123–125M 123–125M Maintained
Capex (assumption)FY26~$110M ~$110M Maintained
Cash tax – S174 assumptionFY26~$80M +$200M federal cash tax benefit vs initial guide Raised
DividendNext payable$0.55/sh declared (Q4 release) $0.55/sh payable Aug 29, 2025 Maintained

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q-2: Q3 FY25; Q-1: Q4 FY25)Current Period (Q1 FY26)Trend
AI/Advanced Tech posture“Advanced technology company driving speed to outcomes” ; continued VoLT-driven tech execution Tech-first differentiation; AI-assisted coding; MDK deployment; TOC‑L award; partnerships with hyperscalers and model providers Accelerating
Procurement/Funding environmentStrong growth but variability in bookings-to-revenue conversion noted intra-FY25 Environment “stabilized” but still below historical speed; fewer contracting officers; funded backlog lagging; expecting normalization Improving but still slow
Outcome-based/fixed-price contractsEmphasis on outcomes and efficiency Explicit push to outcome-based (e.g., ThunderDome) and fixed-price constructs viewed as win-win Increasing adoption
Civil segmentFY25: Civil flat in Q4 Civil -13% YoY; restructuring largely completed; prepare to return to growth Reset in Q1; recovery planned
Defense/Intel momentumBroad-based growth across markets Defense +7% YoY; Intel +6% YoY; large-scale battlefield systems awards (TOC‑L) Strengthening
Ventures/Tech ecosystemActive investments; Shield AI highlighted in FY25 Venture commitment tripled to $300M; portfolio performance top decile; strategic co-creation with startups Expanded
Regulatory/Policy (FAR/EOs)FAR rewrite and AI executive orders expected to streamline and accelerate tech deployment Supportive policy backdrop

Management Commentary

  • “Our first quarter performance played out as we expected… Top and bottom line performance matched our expectations, with the brightest spots being book to bill and the resulting record backlog.” — Horacio Rozanski .
  • “We are reimagining how we deliver our work to prepare for a shift to outcome-based opportunities… ThunderDome is our proven zero-trust solution… an ideal candidate because it has clearly defined mission outcomes.” — Horacio Rozanski .
  • “We achieved an excellent quarterly book-to-bill of 1.42 times, and total backlog hit an all-time Q1 record of $38 billion.” — Matt Calderone .
  • “Adjusted diluted EPS increased 7% year over year… benefited from overall profitability, a reduction in share count, and an unrealized gain from one of our venture investments.” — Matt Calderone .
  • On the funding outlook: “The procurement environment has improved, but is still operating below historical speeds.” — Management .

Q&A Highlights

  • Funding cadence and funded backlog: Management acknowledged funded backlog softness amid slower processing and fewer contracting officers; normalization timing remains the swing factor for FY26 .
  • Outcome-based/fixed-price contracting: Company expects increased use; called it a “win-win,” aligned with tech-enabled delivery (e.g., ThunderDome) .
  • Civil trajectory and hiring: Civil reset largely complete; confident in medium-term growth; hiring paced to demand and clearances with AI-enabled talent matching .
  • Key programs and competitive positioning: Highlighted $315M TOC‑L award and MDK deployments; partners view BAH as the integrator that makes commercial tech work in mission environments .
  • Cash tax and IRS agreement: ~+$200M FY26 federal cash tax benefit from S174 rules; ~$170M refund expected next fiscal year from IRS agreement; noted small recurring benefit thereafter .

Estimates Context

  • Q1 FY26 results vs S&P Global consensus: Revenue $2.924B vs $2.947B* (slight miss), Adjusted EPS $1.48 vs $1.45* (small beat). 12 estimates for each metric* .
  • Drivers: Revenue pressure tied to lower billable expenses and Civil softness; Adjusted EPS helped by margin discipline, share count reduction, and an unrealized venture gain (Adjusted EPS excludes the $106M one-time tax benefit) .
  • Implications: Street may modestly raise FCF estimates on the updated $900–$1,000M guide and incorporate the tax-driven cash tailwind; near-term revenue estimates likely reflect a cautious Q2 (Civil reset) and 2H recovery contingent on funding normalization .

Values marked with * retrieved from S&P Global.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Execution quality intact: Despite a slight revenue decline, BAH delivered margin resilience, an Adjusted EPS beat, and record Q1 backlog — reinforcing durable demand for its tech-led offering .
  • Mix matters: Defense and Intel growth offset Civil headwinds; exposure to high-priority mission tech (AI, cyber, battle networks) underpins medium-term growth .
  • Cash flow upgraded: FY26 FCF guide lifted by $200M on tax legislation; balance sheet remains strong with 2.5x net leverage, supporting continued repurchases/dividends and venture investments .
  • Near-term watch items: Q2 expected to reflect Civil reset; monitor funded backlog trend and procurement speed as catalysts for 2H re-acceleration .
  • Strategic catalysts: Outcome-based contracting, FAR rewrite/AI EOs, and ecosystem partnerships (ventures + hyperscalers) are tailwinds for margin/velocity over time .
  • Capital deployment: 1.1% of shares repurchased YTD and $0.55 dividend declared; expect opportunistic buybacks alongside venture deployment to 20–25 new companies over five years .
  • Risk/Reward framing: The key variable is funding normalization timing; if the “log jam” breaks into FY2H, backlog conversion should improve, supporting trajectory toward FY26 targets .

Additional Relevant Press Releases (Q1 FY26 window)

  • Booz Allen Triples Venture Capital Commitment to $300M (expands capacity to co-create and deploy emerging tech across missions) .
  • Q1 FY26 Earnings Press Release (headline results, dividend declaration, operating metrics) .