GET DAILY SIGNALSClear Secure (YOU) Posts Strong Q3 2026 Results with 27.8% Revenue Growth
Key Takeaways
- Clear Secure reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $292.9 million, up 27.8% year over year, with total bookings of $323.5 million, up 24.4%.
- GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) reached $0.52, with net income of $75.3 million and a 25.7% net income margin.
- Adjusted EBITDA rose to $103.9 million, a 35.5% margin and roughly five percentage points of year-over-year expansion.
- Total CLEAR members grew 30.7% to 46.7 million, while active CLEAR+ members climbed 14.5% to 8.5 million.
- Free cash flow was negative $103.8 million, driven by a roughly $315 million annual settlement of partnership liabilities, a known and expected outflow.
- Management raised full-year 2026 free cash flow guidance to at least $490 million from at least $480 million.
- For more on Clear Secure's latest developments, explore its Major News, Today's Price Move, Price Targets, and Forecast pages.
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Why These Results Matter
Clear Secure runs the CLEAR identity platform, known primarily for biometric lanes at airports but now moving into areas like cybersecurity, government services, healthcare, and workforce verification. The third-quarter 2026 numbers provide a useful checkpoint on whether the company can sustain revenue and membership growth while improving margins at scale. They also shed light on how the business mix is shifting, with CLEAR1 and enterprise segments adding diversity beyond the core travel membership. For investors, the report highlights progress on profitability, cash generation, and demand for secure identity solutions.
Breaking Down the Reported Figures
Revenue came in at $292.9 million for the quarter, representing 27.8% growth from $229.2 million in the prior-year period, while total bookings reached $323.5 million, up 24.4%. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.52, with basic EPS at $0.53. Net income attributable to Clear Secure stood at $53.2 million, operating income at $82.9 million, and adjusted EBITDA at $103.9 million for a 35.5% margin that expanded about five points year over year. I also checked this using Tickeron’s AI Screener to see how the stock compares to others in the industry.
Membership metrics stood out, with total CLEAR members rising 30.7% to 46.7 million and active CLEAR+ members increasing 14.5% to 8.5 million. Free cash flow came in negative at $103.8 million due to an expected $315 million annual settlement of partnership liabilities tied to merchant credit card benefits. The company closed the quarter with $633 million in cash and marketable securities. Management described the cash outflow as scheduled and not reflective of underlying operations.
Market Reaction and Sentiment
Investor sentiment heading into the release had been generally positive, backed by ongoing membership gains and margin improvement. The results largely aligned with expectations, as EPS beat consensus while revenue tracked closely with projections. The negative free cash flow drew attention but was viewed mainly as a timing item rather than a fundamental concern, especially after management lifted its full-year outlook. Key areas to watch remain travel demand patterns, pricing sensitivity among consumers, and the pace of new enterprise wins.
Guidance and What to Watch Next
For the fourth quarter, management guided to revenue of $299 million to $302 million and bookings of $335 million to $340 million, equating to roughly 24.8% and 17.6% growth at the midpoint. This outlook does not include potential large CLEAR1 contracts. Full-year free cash flow guidance was raised to at least $490 million, pointing to at least 42.8% growth. Starting in the first quarter of 2027, quarterly payments under a renewed credit card agreement should lead to more stable and positive free cash flow.
Going forward, I’m watching active CLEAR+ member growth and retention, ARPU trends, and expansion of the CLEAR1 platform into government, healthcare, and workforce verification. Recent wins, including a renewed partnership with CMS and a VA pilot, underscore the push into public-sector identity services. Margin trends, share repurchase activity, and updates on larger enterprise deals will also provide important signals.
Using Tickeron Tools in My Research Process
When analyzing earnings like these, I often turn to Tickeron’s AI-powered tools to cross-check patterns and compare performance across similar names. The AI Screener helps surface relevant ideas quickly by filtering on fundamentals, technicals, and industry signals, which adds efficiency to the review process without replacing core due diligence.
Disclaimer
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Contributor
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
YOU in upward trend: 10-day moving average moved above 50-day moving average on October 16, 2026
The 10-day moving average for YOU crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 16, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 14 of 16 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 88%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on September 30, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on YOU as a result. In 68 of 78 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 87%.
YOU moved above its 50-day moving average on October 14, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
Following a +3.42% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where YOU advanced for three days, in 261 of 313 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 83%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 189 of 224 cases where YOU Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 84%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator has been in the overbought zone for 1 day. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 22 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where YOU declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 77%.
YOU broke above its upper Bollinger Band on November 02, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 7 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 15 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 45 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. YOU’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 72 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. YOU’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 94, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 94 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (23.831) is normal, around the industry mean (-1.902). P/E Ratio (31.840) is within average values for comparable stocks, (15.583). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (13.000) is also within normal values, averaging (2.824). Dividend Yield (0.013) settles around the average of (0.072) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (4.097) is also within normal values, averaging (70.854).
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