Huron Consulting Group (NASDAQ:HURN) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.15 EPS

Key Points

• Huron beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $1.73 (vs. $1.58) and revenue of $451.8M (up 12.1% YoY), and management affirmed FY‑2026 guidance of RBR $1.78B–$1.86B and adjusted EPS $8.35–$9.15 citing strength in Healthcare, Education and Commercial.
• Margins expanded as adjusted EBITDA rose to $50.6M (11.4% of RBR) from $41.5M (10.5%) a year ago, driven by operating‑margin improvements in the Education and Commercial segments.
• Cash‑flow and leverage are a concern: Q1 free cash flow was roughly -$174M after $155.5M of buybacks, net debt increased to $829.5M and leverage hit 3.1x adjusted EBITDA (management says this is seasonal and targets ~2.0–2.5x by year‑end).

Huron Consulting Group (NASDAQ:HURN - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The business services provider reported $1.73 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.15, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $451.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $437.12 million. Huron Consulting Group had a net margin of 6.18% and a return on equity of 28.20%. The firm's revenue was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.68 EPS. Huron Consulting Group updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.350-9.150 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Huron Consulting Group's conference call:

• Huron reported RBR of $443.7M, up 12.1% year-over-year, driven by strength across Healthcare (Healthcare RBR $225.2M, +13.5%), Education, and Commercial segments.
• Management affirmed full-year targets: RBR $1.78B–$1.86B, adjusted EBITDA 14.5%–15% of RBR, and adjusted EPS $8.35–$9.15, citing strong pipeline and backlog.
• Margins expanded as adjusted EBITDA rose to $50.6M (11.4% of RBR) versus $41.5M (10.5%) a year ago, with operating-margin improvements in Education and Commercial segments.
• Cash flow and leverage pressures: Q1 free cash flow was negative ~$174M after $155.5M of share repurchases, net debt increased to $829.5M and leverage climbed to 3.1x adjusted EBITDA (management says this is seasonal and targets ~2.0x–2.5x by year-end).
• Huron is increasing investment in AI (organic hiring, partnerships like Hippocratic AI) and expects AI to be a material driver of future growth, margin expansion, and shareholder value.

Huron Consulting Group Stock Up 0.1%

HURN stock traded up $0.12 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $132.22. 226,044 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 218,252. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.60 and a beta of 0.15. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $130.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $153.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. Huron Consulting Group has a 1 year low of $116.12 and a 1 year high of $186.77.

Insider Transactions at Huron Consulting Group

In related news, Director John Mccartney sold 500 shares of Huron Consulting Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.68, for a total transaction of $63,840.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 40,817 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,211,514.56. This trade represents a 1.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 796 shares of company stock worth $101,411 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 2.07% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in shares of Huron Consulting Group by 321.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,986 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $273,000 after acquiring an additional 1,515 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Huron Consulting Group by 23.1% during the 2nd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 1,960 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $270,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in shares of Huron Consulting Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $267,000. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Huron Consulting Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $264,000. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Huron Consulting Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $237,000. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on HURN. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Huron Consulting Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Huron Consulting Group from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wedbush assumed coverage on shares of Huron Consulting Group in a report on Thursday, April 9th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $160.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barrington Research lifted their price objective on shares of Huron Consulting Group from $190.00 to $207.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $205.50.

Key Stories Impacting Huron Consulting Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Huron Consulting Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 financial beats — Huron reported revenue of about $451.8M (≈+12% YoY) and an adjusted EPS that topped Street estimates; management highlighted margin expansion and strength across Healthcare, Education and Commercial segments. Huron Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Affirms Full Year 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and EPS consensus beats picked up broad media coverage and the earnings call transcript provides management commentary supporting continued execution. Huron (HURN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: FY26 guidance affirmed but conservative — Huron reiterated EPS guidance of $8.35–$9.15 and revenue guidance of $1.8B–$1.9B; the EPS range overlaps consensus (~$8.78) but the midpoint is slightly below, leaving room for investor interpretation. MarketBeat HURN summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and metric checks — coverage (Zacks, Stamford Advocate) is digging into key metrics vs. estimates; investors should watch margins, segment mix and the upcoming cadence of billable work. Huron Consulting (HURN) Q1 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed/weak cash-flow and reporting discrepancies — a third‑party report flagged a lower GAAP EPS figure, negative operating cash flow (≈-$162M), rising liabilities, and heavy insider selling in recent months, which could weigh on sentiment despite the revenue beat. Huron Consulting Group Inc. (HURN) Releases Q1 2026 Earnings: Revenue Growth but EPS Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Ownership & technicals — recent large institutional reductions and the stock trading below its 200‑day average (200‑day > 50‑day) may cap near‑term upside until fundamentals or flows change. QuiverQuant institutional and insider data

About Huron Consulting Group

Huron Consulting Group NASDAQ: HURN is a global professional services firm that advises organizations across a range of industries on strategy, operations and technology. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Chicago, the company helps clients address complex business challenges such as performance improvement, digital transformation and organizational change. Huron's consultants work alongside executive leadership teams to develop and implement tailored solutions that drive growth, increase efficiency and manage risk.

Huron's service offerings encompass business and financial advisory, healthcare performance improvement, life sciences consulting, higher education and research lifecycle support, as well as legal and regulatory consulting.

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