Yext Earnings Jump 160% in Fiscal Q2

Key Points

• Earnings and revenue exceeded company forecasts, aided by recent acquisitions.

• Annual recurring revenue (ARR) and net retention rates improved.

• No forward guidance was provided because of a pending CEO take-private proposal; no conference call was held.

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Yext (NYSE:YEXT), a software company that helps businesses manage their digital presence and customer interactions, released results for its fiscal second quarter on September 8, 2025. The standout news was a significant jump in both revenue and earnings, driven mainly by the recent integration of Hearsay Systems and Places Scout. The company posted solid improvement in customer retention metrics. However, underlying growth was largely acquisition-fueled rather than organic, and transparency was limited, as no conference call was held and no forward financial guidance was issued due to a pending CEO-led go-private proposal.

What Yext Does and Where It Is Focused

Yext is known for its software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that helps businesses control, organize, and distribute their public-facing information across the web. The platform includes business listings, websites, search functionality, reviews, and analytics to allow enterprises to manage how their brand appears on hundreds of digital services and search engines.

Recently, Yext has focused on expanding its publisher network, integrating more artificial intelligence (AI) features, growing its advanced analytics, and deepening its platform’s integration with other software. Key success factors for the firm are the breadth of its publisher connections, the accuracy and quality of the information distributed, the value of its AI and analytics modules, and its ability to win large direct customer contracts, especially outside the United States.

Quarter in Detail: Surging Headline Results, Acquisition Boosts, and Strategic Uncertainty

The second quarter featured a clear beat on both revenue and profitability targets. Results included the acquisitions of Hearsay Systems and Places Scout. Excluding these acquisitions, the company did not disclose underlying organic growth.

Net income swung to a $26.8 million profit in Q2 FY2026, compared with a loss in the same period last year. Operating expenses fell from $83.2 million in Q2 FY2025 to $55.4 million. Some of this drop came from a nonrecurring $23.354 million reversal of acquisition-related costs, which made general and administrative expenses negative.

Free cash flow for the quarter turned positive, reversing a negative result from the prior year. On the balance sheet, cash declined versus last year due largely to outflows for acquisitions, share repurchases, and a new $98.3 million in long-term debt. Yext bought back $45.2 million worth of its shares year-to-date, with $36.7 million remaining on its authorization as of July 31, 2025.

The dollar-based net retention rate—which measures how much existing customers spend over time, including any upsells or churn—was 95% as of July 31, 2025, up from 91% a year earlier. While this is progress, a 95% dollar-based net retention rate for direct customers lags behind the 100%+ usually seen in software companies that consistently expand within existing customer accounts. Most of the ARR growth came from the Direct Customer segment (up 18%), while the Reseller channel (typically smaller partners who resell Yext’s platform) was flat with just 1% expansion.

Despite attention on major themes like the publisher network, AI-powered features (such as natural language processing to boost search quality), and international growth, statements about AI capabilities and publisher expansion were limited to the boilerplate "About Yext" section. No new product launches, customer case studies, or adoption metrics were mentioned, reflecting either a pause in reporting or caution linked to the ongoing take-private process. There were no one-time special dividend actions; the company does not pay a dividend.

Looking Forward: A Pause in Transparency

Management did not provide any forward guidance for future quarters or the remainder of fiscal 2026. The company cited the pending CEO-led proposal to take Yext private at $9 per share as the reason for this lack of outlook. In addition, no investor conference call was held to address results, integration questions, or strategic plans.

Investors and analysts will need to watch for more detail on the underlying drivers of growth. Important areas include continued expansion of the publisher network, as well as the sustainable health of the direct and reseller channels. While integrations from recent acquisitions have provided a clear boost, the absence of detailed guidance and the switch to a quieter communication mode signal a period of uncertainty and reduced visibility ahead for public shareholders.

YEXT does not currently pay a dividend.

Revenue and net income presented using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) unless otherwise noted.

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