Fiserv, Inc. (FISV Quick QuoteFISV - Free Report) has reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.79 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.57 by 14%. Adjusted earnings declined 16.4% from the year-ago quarter.

Revenue performance was softer. Adjusted revenues were $4.68 billion, missing the consensus mark of $4.76 billion by 1.7% and decreasing 8.9% year over year. Still, Fiserv pointed to stable underlying account and volume trends, with Clover's annualized gross payment volume (GPV) of $324 billion and 12% growth excluding the previously disclosed gateway conversion.

FISV's Revenue Pressure Tied to Prior-Year Comparables

Fiserv’s reported GAAP revenues were $5.03 billion, down 2% from the prior-year period. A key mechanical driver behind the gap between GAAP and adjusted revenues remained postage reimbursements, which reduced revenues by $352 million in the quarter.

On an organic basis, revenues declined 4% year over year. Management noted that year-over-year revenue growth was impacted by prior-period comparables, while describing the broader operating environment as stable across both Merchant Solutions and Financial Solutions.

Fiserv's Merchant Business Holds Ground, Clover Adds Momentum

Merchant Solutions revenues were essentially flat year over year at $2.37 billion. Within the segment, Small Business revenues rose 1% to $1.61 billion and Enterprise revenues increased 2% to $512 million, while Processing revenues declined 9% to $252 million.

Clover remained a notable bright spot in activity metrics. The company reported annualized first-quarter Clover GPV of $324 billion, with overall GPV up 12%, excluding the gateway conversion (9% as reported). Value-added services (VAS) penetration was 27% and VAS revenues increased 18%. Management also cited 7% Small Business volume growth and 8% Enterprise transaction growth during the quarter, with April Clover volume trends consistent with first-quarter levels.

Softness in FISV Financial Solutions’ Weighs on Organic Results

Financial Solutions revenues fell 5% year over year to $2.30 billion. The pressure was broad-based. Digital Payments revenues decreased 5% to $947 million, Issuing revenues dropped 5% to $769 million and Banking revenues declined 4% to $586 million.

Operational indicators were steadier than revenue trends implied, suggesting a mix-and-timing headwind rather than a sharp deterioration in usage. Fiserv cited low-single-digit growth in debit processing transactions and global accounts on file in Issuing. Zelle transactions grew at a high-teen rate, while Finxact reported more than 70% growth in accounts and positions. CashFlow Central also continued to scale, with 19 wins in the quarter for a total of 174 since launch and 11 live clients.

Fiserv's Margin Compression Reflects Expense Mix & Programs

Profitability stepped down meaningfully from the prior year. The GAAP operating margin was 18.3% versus 27.2% in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a higher expense base even as revenues dipped. The segment-level GAAP operating margin also declined to 26.4% in Merchant Solutions from 34.2% a year ago and to 38.1% in Financial Solutions from 47.5%.

On an adjusted basis, the operating margin was 29.7% compared with 37.8% in the year-ago quarter. The quarter included costs tied to the company’s One Fiserv transformation program, severance, merger and integration activity, and acquisition-related intangible amortization, while benefiting from a net gain on the sale of assets tied to a sale-leaseback of certain facilities.

FISV's Cash Flow & Buybacks Stay Active

Fiserv generated $599 million in net cash from operating activities, down from $648 million in the prior-year quarter. The free cash flow was $259 million versus $371 million a year ago, reflecting lower operating cash generation and higher capital investment.

Capital expenditure totaled $458 million in the quarter, which management characterized as in line with expectations. The company also remained in repurchase mode, buying back 3.3 million shares for $200 million during the quarter. In the earnings presentation, management described the balance sheet as strong, with leverage tracking to plan.

Fiserv's 2026 Guidance Unchanged, With EPS Boost From Taxes

Fiserv reaffirmed its 2026 outlook, expecting organic revenue growth of 1-3% and adjusted earnings per share of $8.00-$8.30. The company also reiterated expectations for an adjusted operating margin of about 34% and a free cash flow conversion of roughly 90% of adjusted net income.

A notable feature of the quarter was a tax-driven lift to profitability. The first quarter included a net $254-million income tax benefit related to the release of various foreign valuation allowances, partially offset by $74 million of other discrete tax items, contributing to a lower effective tax rate.

In the earnings presentation, Fiserv quantified the discrete tax impact as a 17-cent benefit to adjusted earnings per share versus results calculated at the midpoint of its anticipated adjusted annual effective tax rate range.

FISV 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

Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP Quick QuoteADP - Free Report) 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.

S&P Global Inc. (SPGI Quick QuoteSPGI - Free Report) reported impressive first-quarter 2026 results.

SPGI’s adjusted earnings per share of $4.97 beat the consensus mark by 3.1% and rose 13.7% year over year. Total revenues came in at $4.2 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate by 2.6% and rising 10.4% from the year-ago quarter.