ICON returns to $122M profit in Q3 2026 earnings
ICON repurchased $400.0 million of stock in the quarter and expects full-year 2026 revenue of $8,100–$8,200 million.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
ICON plc reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $2,024.8 million, down 2.9% year over year, and net business wins of $3,150 million, producing a 1.56x book-to-bill. Backlog was $24.5 billion as of September 30, 2026, up 4.8% sequentially. GAAP net income was $122.1 million, compared with a net loss of $284.2 million in third-quarter 2025. Adjusted net income was $205.8 million; adjusted diluted EPS was $2.66, compared with $3.20 in third-quarter 2025. Adjusted EBITDA was $336.9 million, or 16.6% of revenue, down 13.1% year over year.
Free cash flow was $302.4 million, and ICON repurchased $400.0 million of stock at an average price of $170 per share; the board increased the total authorized share repurchase value to $750.0 million. In August 2026, ICON completed an investment grade bond issuance of $2.15 billion and applied net proceeds to repay the $900 million Senior Secured Term Loan, redeem the $750 million May 2027 Notes, and repay $500 million outstanding under the Bridge Secured Credit Facility. ICON expects full-year 2026 revenue of $8,100–$8,200 million and adjusted diluted EPS of $10.35–$10.65.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Positive
- Moderate pointGAAP net income was $122.1 million, versus a $284.2 million net loss in third-quarter 2025.
Negative
- Moderate pointAdjusted EBITDA declined 13.1% year over year to $336.9 million.
- Moderate pointAdjusted diluted EPS was $2.66, compared with $3.20 in third-quarter 2025.
Filing Explained
At September 30, 2026, ICON reported $2.6 billion in net debt and 74,916,724 ordinary shares outstanding.
This
ICON reported 74,916,724 ordinary shares issued and outstanding on
Key Figures
Key Terms
book-to-bill financial
backlog financial
free cash flow financial
adjusted EBITDA financial
constant currency financial
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What revenue and net business wins did ICLR report for Q3 2026?
What were ICLR's Q3 2026 GAAP and adjusted earnings?
What is ICLR's full-year 2026 guidance?
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
