Aci Lifts 2026 Guidance as Software Demand Stays Positive
Aci Worldwide raised full-year revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance after first-half results and pipeline strength, as demand and outlook comments stayed mostly positive.
Aci Worldwide (ACIW) said it is increasing its full-year 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance based on first-half performance and the strength of its pipeline, a lift that sits against a software group whose demand and outlook commentary stayed mostly positive.
The company said demand for payment modernization is growing in the U.S. banking market, citing two new ACI Connetic customers, and that large customer expansions drove strong growth in Issuing and Acquiring revenue. It expects full-year 2026 growth for both new ARR and new license and services bookings. ACV Auctions (ACVA) said results were driven by market share gains in dealer wholesale and strong adoption of Marketplace Services.
Pricing power was a smaller, more mixed thread. Fair Isaac (FICO) said B2B Scores revenue grew mainly because mortgage origination score unit prices were higher, and EVERTEC (EVTC) said merchant acquiring benefited from an improvement in spread. EVERTEC also said Business Solutions revenue contracted mainly after a 10% customer discount took effect. Bumble (BMBL) said average revenue per paying user increased slightly overall, with results differing between apps.
Input costs and hiring showed more dispersion. Certara (CERT) said workforce reductions and other operational steps are expected to streamline costs, with a run-rate savings of approximately $13 million, and Cass Information Systems (CASS) said personnel expenses decreased 2.4% versus the second quarter of 2025. Advantage Solutions (ADV) said Retailer Services results were affected by higher execution costs on a merchandising project. Advantage said it is expanding capacity and improving labor readiness, while C3.ai (AI) said it restructured sales and introduced rigorous expense control.
Capital spending stayed tilted toward investment. Aci Worldwide said it continued to invest in ACI Connetic to support long-term organic growth, and ACV Auctions said it is investing in its go-to-market team and new growth initiatives. Agilysys (AGYS) said its full-year adjusted EBITDA expectation remains at 24% of revenue, with room for possible additional strategic investment.
Consumer behavior was mostly positive. Duolingo (DUOL) said user retention reached a record high, supported by product improvements. CarGurus (CARG) said dealer and consumer initiatives have been driving deeper engagement. Aci Worldwide said Biller revenue, excluding interchange fees, declined against a strong prior-year comparison, while its full-year growth expectation was unchanged, and that second-half revenue is expected to be weighted toward Q4 because of the timing of high-margin Payment Software license renewals.