EC
EGAIN Corp (EGAN)·Q1 2026 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Strong start to FY26: revenue at high end of guide ($23.5M, +8% y/y), non-GAAP EPS $0.17, and 21% EBITDA margin; AI Knowledge Hub ARR grew 23% y/y to $45.9M and now 60% of SaaS ARR .
- Broad-based beat vs S&P Global consensus: revenue $23.51M vs $23.22M (+1.2%); non-GAAP EPS $0.17 vs $0.105 (+$0.065); EBITDA above internal guide (21% vs 16–19% outlook); estimates from S&P Global marked with asterisks below (Values retrieved from S&P Global).*
- Margin expansion was the key driver: GAAP gross margin 75% (from 69% y/y) and non-GAAP 76% (from 70%) on product/cost efficiencies and mix shift toward SaaS; adjusted EBITDA $5.0M (21% margin) vs $1.4M (6%) y/y .
- FY26 guidance maintained on revenue and profitability ranges but EPS ranges trimmed by 1 cent on higher expected diluted shares (
28.8M vs prior 27.5M), while Q2 guide shows a sequential revenue dip from sunsetting the legacy messaging platform ($0.6M headwind) and government-shutdown-related PS delays .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- AI-led growth and mix: AI Knowledge Hub ARR +23% y/y to $45.9M; now 60% of SaaS ARR, supporting higher SaaS gross margins (81% vs 77% y/y) and total gross margin (76% vs 70%) .
- Profitability and cash: Adjusted EBITDA $5.0M (21% margin) vs $1.4M (6%) y/y; operating cash flow $10.4M (44% margin) with strong collections; cash rose to $70.9M despite $1.5M buybacks .
- New products and adoption: Launched three AI capabilities (AI Knowledge Method, AI Agent 2, and modular eGain Composer) with positive customer/partner interest; management emphasized “trusted knowledge + agentic AI” as differentiation .
- Quote: “We unveiled three new AI products… customers and partners are showing significant interest… drives superior CX operations at scale and delivers strong AI ROI.” — CEO Ashu Roy .
What Went Wrong
- Legacy drag and near-term headwinds: Q2 guide down sequentially (to $22.3–$22.8M) due to ~$(0.6)M messaging sunset impact and government shutdown delays on PS engagements .
- Professional services contraction: PS revenue declined y/y (Q1: $1.61M vs $1.98M), reflecting lower attach by design but still a topline headwind; services margins a continued focus to trend toward breakeven .
- Non-GAAP reliance and adjustments: Non-GAAP adds back warrant-related expense (press release reconciliation shows $1.35M “issuance of common stock warrant for services”) and SBC; investors should track recurring vs one-time adjustments .
Financial Results
Headline metrics (chronological: oldest → newest)
Note: Q4 2025 GAAP EPS includes a ~$29M tax benefit from releasing valuation allowance; non-GAAP EPS excludes it .
Revenue mix
KPIs and balance/cash
Actuals vs S&P Global Consensus (Q1 2026)
- Revenue: $23.51M actual vs $23.22M estimate (+$0.29M, +1.2%)* .
- EPS (Non-GAAP/Primary): $0.17 actual vs $0.105 estimate (+$0.065, ~+62%)* .
- EBITDA: Actual $5.02M; consensus not available.*
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Guidance Changes
Management attributed a ~1% FY26 EPS impact to higher shares (28.8M) and cited Q2 sequential revenue headwinds from messaging sunset ($0.6M) and U.S. government shutdown delays in PS .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- Strategic message: “We are off to a good start… ahead of consensus… AI knowledge ARR up 23%… we are firmly leading” — CEO Ashu Roy .
- Product vision: “AI Agent 2… combines hybrid AI with in-band expert assurance… to deliver nontrivial, compliance-oriented use cases” — CEO Ashu Roy .
- Developer platform: “Composer… modular AI knowledge platform… bring-your-own-model architecture… extensive APIs/SDKs/connectors” — CEO Ashu Roy .
- Margin drivers: “SaaS gross margin expansion… driven by product enhancements enabling cost-efficient deployments and operational efficiencies in cloud and support” — CFO Eric Smit .
- Capital allocation: “We’ll continue to look at buybacks… open to tuck-in M&A but not a primary focus” — CFO Eric Smit .
Q&A Highlights
- Sales & marketing cadence: Seasonal step-down in Q1 marketing; expect higher spend in current quarter; contemplating sales hiring in 2H FY26 alongside product-led motion .
- Differentiation vs generic “agents”: Proliferation of agents lacking trusted data often leads prospects back to eGain for knowledge-backed, compliance-grade solutions .
- Composer flexibility: API-first, BYOM architecture integrates with OpenAI/Azure Copilot and others; designed for enterprise AI teams to build atop trusted knowledge .
- JPMorgan rollout: Phase 1 live (earlier than plan); speed-to-value cited as interest barometer; next phases active .
- Q2 outlook clarity: Sequential revenue lower on planned messaging sunset (~$0.6M) and government PS delays; FY26 revenue/EITDA ranges unchanged; EPS impacted by higher shares (~28.8M) .
Estimates Context
- Q1 FY26 vs S&P Global consensus: Revenue $23.51M vs $23.22M estimate (+$0.29M, +1.2%); Primary/Non-GAAP EPS $0.17 vs $0.105 estimate (+$0.065, ~+62%); EBITDA actual $5.02M; consensus not available.*
- Implications: Estimate revisions likely bias positive on profitability (gross margin/EBITDA) given structural efficiency commentary and mix shift; revenue guide unchanged for FY26, but higher share count trims EPS ranges modestly .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- The beat was quality-driven: SaaS mix and structural cost efficiencies expanded gross margins to 76% non-GAAP and pushed EBITDA margin to 21% despite only +8% revenue growth .
- AI Knowledge Hub is scaling: ARR +23% and now 60% of SaaS ARR; NRR improving (knowledge 104%, all 102%), validating cross-sell and price/seat expansion dynamics .
- Product flywheel strengthening: Three new AI capabilities (Knowledge Method/Agent 2/Composer) deepen moat around “trusted knowledge + agentic AI” and open developer-led adoption vectors .
- Near-term caution on Q2 revenue: Expect sequential dip from messaging sunset and PS delays; this is transitory and aligned with the strategy to exit non-core .
- EPS optics: FY26 EPS ranges edged lower due to higher diluted shares (~28.8M); underlying EBITDA outlook unchanged; consider focusing on EBITDA/CFO as truer run-rate measures .
- Execution milestones: JPMorgan Phase 1 live; additional enterprise wins (large NY health insurer; multinational energy co.) support pipeline conversion narrative .
- Capital returns: Ongoing buybacks ($1.5M in Q1) with strong cash generation ($10.4M CFO) provide support while management prioritizes organic R&D; tuck-in M&A opportunistic .
Appendix: Source Documents
- Q1 FY26 8-K and Exhibit 99.1 (press release): results, guidance, reconciliations .
- Q1 FY26 press release (duplicate of Exhibit 99.1 content) .
- Q1 FY26 earnings call transcript: strategy, drivers, Q&A .
- Other relevant PR: OCCU selects eGain AI Knowledge Hub/Agent .
- Prior quarters for trend: Q4 FY25 press release and call ; Q3 FY25 press release/8-K/call .