LH
LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (RAMP)·Q1 2026 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 FY26 delivered a clean beat on revenue and non-GAAP EPS, with double‑digit top-line growth and record first‑quarter margins; revenue was $194.8M (+11% YoY) vs S&P Global consensus ~$191.1M*, and non‑GAAP EPS was $0.44 vs ~$0.42*, driven by strong subscription usage and disciplined cost control .
- Management raised FY26 revenue guidance to $798–$818M (from $787–$817M prior) and reiterated non‑GAAP operating income of $178–$182M; Q2 guide calls for $197M revenue and ~$39M non‑GAAP operating income .
- KPIs were constructive: CRPO +14% YoY to $451M, subscription net retention 104%, and a growing base of $1M+ customers (127, +12 YoY), despite a temporary downtick tied to Oracle’s ad tech exit .
- Stock-reaction catalysts: a credible growth narrative around Cross Media Intelligence, CTV, and commerce media networks; margin expansion accompanied by a 21% YoY decline expected in stock‑based comp; and an improved FCF outlook aided by tax legislation .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Broad-based strength with six consecutive quarters of double‑digit revenue growth; non‑GAAP operating income +34% YoY and record Q1 operating margins (non‑GAAP 18%) .
- Product momentum: Cross Media Intelligence launched with marquee adopters (largest social media platform, leading CPG, a top consumer/enterprise software company, major financial software provider), while CTV integrations (e.g., Netflix) scaled to dozens of brands in four months .
- Management tone on growth initiatives and pricing: “Our new pricing model…standardizing pricing with fungible tokens across all products…lower upfront costs…scaling pricing directly with customer usage” .
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What Went Wrong
- Data Marketplace growth ran a few points below expectations due to a one‑off integration feature issue (now resolved); Q1 subscription usage growth (~+40% YoY) benefited from easy comps and some one‑time items, with management guiding usage flat YoY for the remaining quarters .
- A slight sequential downtick in $1M+ customers was driven by atypical churn (notably Oracle’s ad tech exit), though management expects a rebound on recent multimillion-dollar deals .
- GAAP gross margin compressed 100 bps YoY (70.1%) due to temporarily higher cloud hosting expenses during platform modernization, with normalization expected in 2H .
Financial Results
Actual vs S&P Global consensus (Q1 FY26):
Values with asterisks (*) retrieved from S&P Global.
Segment revenue mix (oldest → newest):
KPIs and Customer Metrics:
Guidance Changes
Note: The May 21 FY26 outlook in the Q4 release showed a GAAP operating loss range; management now guides to positive GAAP operating income of $81–$85M, with CFO reiterating non‑GAAP operating income of $178–$182M .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- Strategic focus and momentum: “We delivered strong financial results in Q1, beating on the top and bottom line…We also increased our revenue and free cash flow outlook for the year” .
- Product traction: “Cross media intelligence…has already attracted several high profile customers…This strong start signals continued momentum” .
- Pricing model: “Standardizing pricing with fungible tokens…lower upfront costs…scale pricing directly with customer usage” .
- AI stance: “We are not an AI company…we’re an AI enabler…our clean rooms can be configured to go right into AI” .
- Margin/discipline: “Operating margin…record first quarter highs…driven in part by our more disciplined approach to stock based compensation” .
Q&A Highlights
- Near‑term growth cadence: Subscription usage up ~40% YoY in Q1 on timing/one‑time items; guided flat YoY for remaining quarters; raised FY26 revenue outlook on stronger usage and sales momentum .
- Commerce media and CTV flywheel: Expanding across verticals (retail, payments, travel); Netflix integration scaling; expect back‑half uplift as budgets shift to accountable CTV .
- Customer metrics: $1M+ customer downtick tied to Oracle ad tech exit; expected to rebound on new multimillion‑dollar signings .
- Pricing pilot: Positive seller/customer reception; lowers friction for new logos and expands usage via tokens; no upside assumed in FY26 guide yet .
- Cost leverage: Offshoring and automation driving low‑double‑digit millions in savings; supports margin expansion and reinvestment .
Estimates Context
- Q1 FY26 vs Street: Revenue $194.8M beat ~$191.1M*; non‑GAAP EPS $0.44 beat ~$0.42* .
- Q2 FY26 guide vs Street: Company guides ~$197M revenue and ~$39M non‑GAAP operating income; Street for revenue ~$197.3M* (near in‑line) .
- FY26 guide vs Street: Company $798–$818M revenue vs Street ~$812.3M*; non‑GAAP op income reiterated at $178–$182M .
Values with asterisks (*) retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Quality beat with record Q1 margins, underpinned by usage strength and cost discipline; margin expansion durable as SBC falls and offshoring scales .
- Growth vectors (CMI, CTV, commerce media) are early but scaling with blue‑chip adopters; recent integrations (e.g., Netflix) and retail media wins are credible demand signals .
- FY26 revenue guide raised; non‑GAAP operating income reiterated at a robust +33% YoY growth at the midpoint, despite normalization of usage later in the year .
- Temporary headwinds (Data Marketplace integration hiccup; Oracle churn) appear idiosyncratic and resolving; CRPO +14% and net retention 104–105% support forward visibility .
- Tactical setup: In‑line Q2 revenue guide with a cleaner 2H setup (gross margin normalization post‑migration and budget seasonality), plus enhanced FCF outlook from tax legislation and buybacks ($30M in Q1; $226M remaining authorization) .
- Medium‑term thesis: Tokenized pricing and AI‑enabled clean‑room workflows can compress sales cycles and expand use cases, reinforcing network effects and operating leverage .
Appendix: Source Documents
- Q1 FY26 8‑K/Press Release (8‑K Item 2.02): **[733269_0000733269-25-000040_a2026q1pressrelease.htm:0]** **[733269_0000733269-25-000040_a2026q1pressrelease.htm:1]** **[733269_0000733269-25-000040_a2026q1pressrelease.htm:5]** **[733269_0000733269-25-000040_a2026q1pressrelease.htm:6]** **[733269_0000733269-25-000040_a2026q1pressrelease.htm:7]** **[733269_0000733269-25-000040_a2026q1pressrelease.htm:9]** **[733269_0000733269-25-000040_a2026q1pressrelease.htm:10]** **[733269_0000733269-25-000040_a2026q1pressrelease.htm:15]**
- Q1 FY26 Earnings Call Transcript: **[733269_2060304_1]** **[733269_2060304_2]** **[733269_2060304_5]** **[733269_2060304_6]** **[733269_2060304_9]** **[733269_2060304_10]** **[733269_2060304_11]** **[733269_2060304_13]** **[733269_2060304_14]**
- Q4 FY25 Press Release (prior quarter): **[733269_2d933dc2684048b48f4befa0936bf7ff_0]** **[733269_2d933dc2684048b48f4befa0936bf7ff_3]** **[733269_2d933dc2684048b48f4befa0936bf7ff_4]** **[733269_2d933dc2684048b48f4befa0936bf7ff_9]** **[733269_2d933dc2684048b48f4befa0936bf7ff_11]** **[733269_2d933dc2684048b48f4befa0936bf7ff_12]** **[733269_2d933dc2684048b48f4befa0936bf7ff_13]** **[733269_2d933dc2684048b48f4befa0936bf7ff_16]**
- Q3 FY25 Press Release (two quarters back): **[733269_82b39365f98a41fc9c8d858902cc9cf3_0]** **[733269_82b39365f98a41fc9c8d858902cc9cf3_2]** **[733269_82b39365f98a41fc9c8d858902cc9cf3_8]** **[733269_82b39365f98a41fc9c8d858902cc9cf3_10]** **[733269_82b39365f98a41fc9c8d858902cc9cf3_11]**