NIQ Global Intelligence (NYSE:NIQ) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.07 EPS

NIQ Global Intelligence (NYSE:NIQ) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $1.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.11 billion. NIQ Global Intelligence had a positive return on equity of 14.84% and a negative net margin of 8.01%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. NIQ Global Intelligence updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.160-1.200 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance to 0.430-0.470 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from NIQ Global Intelligence’s conference call:

• NIQ beat expectations and raised its 2026 outlook. Q3 organic constant-currency revenue grew 5.8%, adjusted EBITDA rose 17.8%, and the company reported positive GAAP earnings for the first time since its IPO.
• AI is beginning to create new growth opportunities. NIQ said AI-native offerings could contribute 0.25–0.5 percentage points of growth in 2027, with 10 charter commitments and a pipeline of about 100 opportunities; its Google partnership includes licensing NIQ product data for Google’s Shopping Graph.
• Cash generation and leverage improved, enabling a measured return of capital. Year-to-date levered free cash flow reached $132 million, up $187 million year over year, and net leverage fell to 2.9x; NIQ authorized $150 million in share repurchases while saying debt reduction remains a priority.
• Growth remains uneven across regions, and some near-term revenue is harder to predict. EMEA’s ad hoc demand was affected by conflict-related uncertainty, APAC growth was nearly flat, and NIQ said Q4 will lap a large retailer collaboration while activation work is seasonally concentrated and less predictable.

NIQ Global Intelligence Price Performance

Shares of NIQ stock traded down $1.84 on Thursday, reaching $19.21. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,459,457 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,126,462. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.01. NIQ Global Intelligence has a 12-month low of $7.93 and a 12-month high of $21.51. The company has a market capitalization of $5.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.69 and a beta of -0.27. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $18.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.43.

Key Stories Impacting NIQ Global Intelligence

These are some of the NIQ stories that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 adjusted EPS was $0.30, topping consensus of $0.23, while revenue of $1.12 billion exceeded estimates of $1.11 billion and grew 6.3% year over year. Zacks Q3 earnings article
• Positive Sentiment: NIQ raised its FY2026 EPS guidance to $1.16–$1.20, above the $1.04 consensus. Its Q4 EPS outlook of $0.43–$0.47 also topped the $0.42 estimate. NIQ raises FY2026 guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year revenue guidance of $4.5 billion and Q4 revenue guidance of $1.2 billion were in line with consensus, so the raised outlook was driven more by earnings than by a revenue surprise. The supplied figures also show a negative net margin, a potential concern alongside the earnings beat.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NIQ has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded NIQ Global Intelligence from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on NIQ Global Intelligence from $17.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Deutsche Bank upped their price target on NIQ Global Intelligence from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $21.00 price objective on shares of NIQ Global Intelligence in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of NIQ Global Intelligence from $13.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $19.17.

NIQ Global Intelligence Company Profile

NIQ Global Intelligence, Inc. (NYSE: NIQ), also known as NielsenIQ, provides consumer and retail intelligence to manufacturers and retailers. Its services include retail measurement, consumer and shopper insights, market research, and data analytics designed to help clients understand purchasing behavior, track product performance, and inform business decisions. The company combines information from retail sales, consumer panels, and other sources to deliver analysis across product categories and markets.