NIQ Global Intelligence (NYSE:NIQ) shares rose 4.6% in premarket trading Thursday after the company reported first-quarter results ahead of analyst expectations and reaffirmed its full-year 2026 guidance.
The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.15, topping consensus estimates by $0.05.
Revenue came in at $1.07 billion, exceeding analyst expectations of $1.05 billion.
Revenue Growth Supported by Americas Performance
NIQ reported revenue growth of 11.1% year-on-year, or 5.1% on an organic constant-currency basis.
The company said growth was primarily driven by strong performance in the Americas region, where revenue increased 9.3%.
Profitability Improves as Margins Expand
Net loss attributable to NIQ improved by $29.7 million year-on-year to -$90.1 million.
Adjusted net income turned positive at $43.4 million, representing an improvement of $47.9 million compared with the prior-year period.
Adjusted EBITDA rose 19.1% to $224.8 million, while adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 150 basis points to 21.0%.
CEO Highlights AI Investment and Cash Flow Progress
Executive chairman and chief executive Jim Peck said the company delivered a strong start to the year while continuing to invest in artificial intelligence initiatives.
“Q1 was a solid start to 2026, with growth, margin expansion and free cash flow improvement — all while we continued to accelerate our AI investments,” Peck said.
Second-Quarter Guidance Comes in Strong
For the second quarter, NIQ expects revenue between $1.103 billion and $1.107 billion.
The company said this would represent organic constant-currency growth of between 4.9% and 5.2%.
NIQ also forecast adjusted EBITDA of $242 million to $246 million, with margins expected between 22.0% and 22.2%.
Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter are projected to range from $0.19 to $0.21.
Full-Year Outlook Reaffirmed
The company maintained its guidance for full-year 2026.
NIQ continues to expect organic constant-currency revenue growth between 5.0% and 5.3%, alongside an adjusted EBITDA margin of 23.5% to 23.8%.
The company also reaffirmed its free cash flow forecast of $235 million to $250 million.