HC
Health Catalyst, Inc. (HCAT)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 revenue of $76.3M beat S&P Global consensus ($75.1M) and company guidance (
$75.0M), while adjusted EPS of $0.06 came in slightly below consensus $0.066; adjusted EBITDA of $12.0M exceeded guidance ($10.5M) and rose 64% y/y . S&P Global values marked with * below. - Mix continues to improve: Technology revenue grew 7% y/y to $52.1M, professional services fell 12% y/y as HCAT exits less-profitable TEMS contracts; adjusted gross margin expanded ~510 bps y/y to 53% on cost actions and mix shift .
- Guidance: FY25 reaffirmed (revenue
$310M, adj. EBITDA$13.4M) as cost measures flow through .$41M); Q4 guide implies sequential revenue step-down ($73.5M) on Q3 one-timers, with higher EBITDA ( - 2026 early view: revenue expected “a few points lower” versus 2025 on Ignite migration headwinds and services pruning; adjusted EBITDA expected to improve on restructuring, India scale and broader AI leverage—key narrative for stock reaction is profitability up while growth pauses near-term .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Beat on revenue and adjusted EBITDA; “pleased by our financial results…beating our quarterly guidance on each measure” and reaffirmed full-year guide .
- Technology strength: Tech revenue +7% y/y to $52.1M; adjusted technology gross margin reached 68%, with total adjusted gross margin up to 53% (+510 bps y/y; +310 bps q/q) .
- Clear ROI use cases resonating in a cost-constrained market; “solutions are delivering measurable improvements where health systems need them the most – cost control and operational efficiency” (e.g., $7.5M savings at Temple, $30M at Integris) .
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What Went Wrong
- GAAP net loss widened y/y to $(22.2)M due to $6.9M non-recurring lease impairment and $4.8M restructuring costs; professional services revenue declined 12% y/y as HCAT exited less-profitable contracts .
- Q4 outlook implies sequential revenue downtick on Q3 non-recurring items; management also guided slight q/q easing in adjusted tech GM due to duplicate Ignite hosting and vendor timing .
- 2026 top-line caution: management now anticipates revenue “a few points lower” vs. 2025 on lower DBR (low-90s), smaller net-new, Ignite migration downsell/churn, and additional TEMS restructuring .
Financial Results
Headline metrics and consensus
Notes:
- Q3 revenue beat and adjusted EBITDA outperformance vs company guidance; adjusted EPS slightly below consensus. S&P Global values marked with * [Values retrieved from S&P Global].
- YoY revenue flat (—%); adjusted EBITDA +64% y/y; adjusted gross margin +510 bps y/y .
Segment revenue
KPIs and margins
Non-GAAP adjustments of note (Q3): $6.9M non-recurring lease impairment; $4.8M restructuring costs .
Guidance Changes
Management also flagged Q4 mix shift toward Technology and slight q/q decline in adjusted tech GM due to duplicate Ignite hosting and vendor timing; adjusted OpEx expected down ~$2–$3M q/q .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Total revenue of $76.3 million and adjusted EBITDA of $12 million, exceeding our guidance on each metric… We are reaffirming our previous full-year guidance for revenue of $310 million and for adjusted EBITDA of $41 million.” — Dan Burton, CEO .
- “Our solutions are delivering measurable improvements where health systems need them the most – cost control and operational efficiency.” — Ben Albert, President & COO .
- “We anticipate revenue performance to be a few points lower in 2026 relative to 2025… At the same time, we expect to see improvement in adjusted EBITDA.” — Dan Burton .
- “Q3 adjusted technology gross margin was 68%… adjusted professional services gross margin was 19%… mainly driven by reduction in force and project-based revenue.” — Jason Alger, CFO .
- “We’ve adjusted our timeline and approach to be more client-centric, recognizing that some organizations prefer to remain on DOS… we expect this approach will improve… Dollar-Based Retention.” — Ben Albert .
Q&A Highlights
- Ignite migration pacing and client choice: Clients facing competing priorities may stay on DOS near-to-medium term; HCAT expects majority migrated by 1H26; flexibility aims to bolster retention even as tech gross margin progress slows slightly near term .
- Revenue mix dynamics: Tech growth at apps layer offset by platform downsell/churn from Ignite migrations; Q3 included ~$0.5–$1.0M tech one-timers not expected in Q4 .
- 2026 outlook: Revenue down a few points, driven by DBR in low-90s, lower net new platform client adds, migration headwinds, and services pruning; EBITDA to improve on cost actions and operating leverage (India, AI) .
- Commercial models and partnerships: Open to ROI-based risk-sharing on apps; early channel progress with Microsoft and Databricks, particularly for mid-market offerings .
- Margins & cost: Slight q/q decline expected in adjusted tech GM in Q4 due to duplicate hosting and vendor timing; adjusted OpEx down $2–$3M q/q .
Estimates Context
- Q3 performance vs S&P Global consensus: Revenue $76.3M vs $75.1M consensus (beat); adjusted/“Primary” EPS $0.06 vs $0.0656 consensus (slight miss). Adjusted EBITDA also exceeded company guidance (~$10.5M) with $12.0M delivered .
- Q4 consensus indicates revenue ~$73.97M and EPS ~$0.104; company guided ~$73.5M revenue and ~$13.4M adjusted EBITDA, implying revenue near consensus and stronger EBITDA than Q3 actual [GetEstimates; Values retrieved from S&P Global] .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Profitability-led execution is working: mix shift to high-margin technology and apps plus cost actions pushed adjusted GM to 53% and adjusted EBITDA to $12.0M; FY25 EBITDA guide intact despite macro headwinds .
- Near-term growth pause: Q4 revenue guide steps down on Q3 one-timers, and 2026 revenue is now telegraphed “a few points lower” as migration and services pruning remain headwinds .
- Migration strategy pivots to flexibility: allowing DOS carryover should stabilize client relationships and DBR while HCAT advances Ignite; expect modest near-term tech GM pressure from duplicate hosting .
- Applications-led cross-sell remains the growth engine: proven cost and ambulatory solutions with potential ROI-based pricing, plus Microsoft/Databricks channels, support medium-term reacceleration once migration headwind fades post mid-2026 .
- Watch Q4 prints for margin sustainability: management guided adjusted OpEx down and tech GM slightly lower q/q; confirms cost discipline and informs 2026 EBITDA trajectory .
- Compliance & trust posture strengthened: multiple HITRUST r2 certifications enhance commercial positioning with risk-sensitive providers .
- Setup: Expect estimate revisions skewed toward flat-to-down 2026 revenue and higher EBITDA; stock narrative hinges on durable margin expansion and FCF improvement against a cautious top-line backdrop .
S&P Global consensus data marked with * in tables above. Values retrieved from S&P Global.