Fiserv earnings: third quarter 2026

Fiserv, which runs payment and banking systems for shops and banks, had sales of $5.20 billion in the third quarter of 2026, down 1% from a year ago and flat once currency and deals are stripped out. Its own adjusted earnings per share fell to $1.75 from $2.04. On the reported measure it lost $11.17 a share because of a $6.45 billion write-down of the value of past acquisitions. That charge uses no cash and was triggered by the fall in the company's market value. Fiserv kept its forecasts for the year. ¹

Against what analysts expected

Fiserv's adjusted earnings per share of $1.75 were about 2% above the analysts' average forecast of $1.72 (Nasdaq's earnings calendar), close enough to count as in line. ¹²

The strong points

• The banking side is turning: Financial Solutions grew again, and banks leaving Fiserv as clients are down more than 25% so far this year. ¹
• Fiserv is paying down debt, with long-term debt down to $25.8 billion at the end of September from $27.8 billion at the end of December. ¹

The weak points

• The profit from running the business shrank much faster than sales, with the company's adjusted operating profit falling to $1,512 million from $1,822 million. ¹
• The company's own adjusted earnings per share, which leaves out the write-down, fell about 14% to $1.75. ¹
• Cash coming in from running the business fell about a quarter over the first nine months, to $3.09 billion. ¹

What the company expects

• Fiserv kept its forecast for 2026 adjusted earnings per share at $7.20 to $7.40, the same range as in its previous results, and kept its sales forecast of down 1% to flat once currency and deals are stripped out. ¹
• The company expects sales growth to speed up in the fourth quarter, though it gives no figure for it. ¹

Our verdict on the quarter

A mixed report. Fiserv kept its forecasts for the year and earned about what analysts expected, with signs the banking side is mending, but sales slipped, profit and cash fell sharply, and the year now rests on a stronger last quarter.

The results as published

• The results release itself
• The filing it came with (SEC)
• The previous results, for what it forecast then

Notes

1. Fiserv's results release, 3 November 2026: sec.gov. ↩
2. Nasdaq's earnings calendar, 3 November 2026. ↩