Abstract

Gartner will report second-quarter 2026 results on August 04, 2026 Pre-Market; this preview summarizes last quarter’s performance, this quarter’s consensus forecasts for revenue, margins, and adjusted EPS, along with key segment dynamics and the balance of institutional opinions.

Market Forecast

Market expectations indicate revenue of 1.65 billion US dollars for the current quarter, with an estimated adjusted EPS of 3.75 and EBIT of 349.54 million US dollars; the year-over-year changes implied by estimates are a 1.45% revenue decline, a 0.98% EBIT decline, and a 13.56% adjusted EPS increase. Based on the company’s business mix, consensus assumes gross margin near the recent 71.59% level and net margin near the recent 14.71% level. The core business highlight remains the Research segment, which is the largest revenue contributor and provides recurring subscription economics that support margin resilience even through cyclical demand swings. The most promising growth vector is Conferences, which benefits from event calendar normalization; last quarter this line generated 78.33 million US dollars, and improvements in attendance and pricing are expected to lift year-over-year performance in the current period.

Last Quarter Review

Gartner’s prior quarter delivered revenue of 1.51 billion US dollars, a gross profit margin of 71.59%, GAAP net profit attributable to shareholders of 222.00 million US dollars, a net profit margin of 14.71%, and adjusted EPS of 3.32, with revenue down 1.51% year over year and adjusted EPS up 11.41% year over year. Sequentially, net profit declined by 8.18%, reflecting typical seasonality and phasing in operating spending. The main business profile showed Research at 1.29 billion US dollars, Consulting at 119.13 million US dollars, Conferences at 78.33 million US dollars, and Other at 19.39 million US dollars, reinforcing Research as the earnings anchor.

Current Quarter Outlook (with major analytical insights)

Research: subscription renewals and seat expansion drive revenue quality

The Research segment remains the determinant of near-term revenue and margin, given its roughly mid-80% share of revenue and high gross margin profile. Management emphasis on price realization and seat expansion among enterprise clients supports mid-single-digit annualized growth potential even when new logo additions slow. In the current quarter, consensus implies stability to slightly softer topline given macro prudence, yet the subscription model should help sustain gross margin near the low-70s as content delivery scales efficiently. Renewal rates and wallet expansion indicators will be the swing factors for upside or downside, with particular attention to large enterprise retention trends.

Conferences: calendar normalization and monetization of in-person demand

Conferences serve as a cyclical lever that can outgrow the corporate average when in-person engagement normalizes. The current quarter benefits from a fuller calendar and improving sponsorship and ticket yields, which can aid both revenue and incremental margins due to relatively fixed event overhead across scaled attendance. Watch for commentary on attendance vs. 2025 levels, regional mix, and sponsorship pipeline, which together inform the pace of recovery. If execution aligns with expectations, Conferences could contribute positive mix to EBIT despite being a smaller absolute revenue stream.

Consulting: project timing and backlog conversion

Consulting revenue is sensitive to project start timing and client budgeting cycles. With enterprises focusing on cost optimization and technology value capture, backlog conversion and utilization rates will dictate quarterly variance. While consensus is calibrated for modest growth, there is room for upside if large transformation or benchmarking engagements launch earlier than planned. Margin progression should largely track utilization; commentary on pricing and win rates will be essential to gauge second-half trajectory.

Stock-performance drivers: margins, cash deployment, and guidance cadence

Short-term share performance will pivot on evidence that gross margin levels remain anchored despite slower revenue growth, signaling operating leverage durability. Capital deployment, especially share repurchases, can amplify EPS growth beyond revenue trends, as implied by the step-up in estimated EPS year over year. Guidance commentary on Research contract value growth and Conferences momentum will shape the back-half setup; any indication of stabilizing demand or improving new business pipelines could reset expectations positively.

Analyst Opinions

Across recent institutional commentaries, the majority view is bullish, highlighting the resilience of subscription Research economics and a constructive setup for margin defense despite a slight revenue decline implied for the quarter. Analysts emphasize the ability to grow adjusted EPS through cost control and capital returns even as top-line growth moderates. Several well-followed sell-side voices point to sustained renewal health and pricing discipline as reasons to expect EPS to come in at, or slightly above, the 3.75 level, with upside skew if Conferences monetization trends continue. In this context, bullish analysts argue that downside risks from macro caution are largely reflected in revenue estimates, while operating efficiency and repurchases provide a buffer to consensus EPS. The preponderance of buy-leaning opinions frames the shares as positioned to benefit if management reiterates stable gross margin parameters and demonstrates steady Research contract value expansion on August 04, 2026 Pre-Market.