Headquartered in Oakland, California, and founded in 2010, Marqeta provides its clients with a card-issuing platform that offers the infrastructure and tools necessary to offer digital, physical, and tokenized payment options without the need for a traditional bank... Show more
Marqeta's third-quarter report matters because it tests whether the modern card-issuing platform can keep growing at scale while converting that volume into expanding profit margins. The company has now strung together multiple consecutive quarters of GAAP profitability and rising adjusted EBITDA, making this print an important check on operating leverage. Investors were also watching for signs that diversified growth outside its largest customer relationships is offsetting the deceleration the company flagged heading into the period. With TPV crossing a $500 billion annualized run rate for the first time, the quarter offers a clearer read on Marqeta's ability to broaden its customer base while sustaining disciplined expense management in a competitive fintech landscape.
For the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Marqeta reported net revenue of $176 million, up 8% year over year and modestly ahead of the consensus estimate of roughly $176 million. Gross profit increased 7% to $122 million, matching the top end of the company's guidance range of 5% to 7% growth. Total processing volume rose 29% to a record $126 billion, marking the first quarter with TPV above $500 billion on an annualized basis.
Adjusted EBITDA grew 28% to $39 million, exceeding expectations, while adjusted EBITDA margin reached a record 22% of net revenue, up three percentage points from a year earlier. On a GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) basis, net income came in at $115 million, or $1.09 per diluted share, compared with a loss a year ago. That figure included a $107 million discrete, non-cash tax benefit from the release of valuation allowances on certain deferred tax assets, which management attributed to sustained profitability. Per-share results reflect the company's one-for-four reverse stock split completed in June 2026.
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Heading into the report, sentiment was measured as management had guided for a meaningful deceleration in gross profit growth due to the lapping of the TransactPay acquisition, a large customer renewal, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) comparisons. Marqeta delivered gross profit at the high end of that range while posting record margins, yet the stock's fuller post-earnings response was still developing, with shares closing near $17.80 on the day of the announcement. Investors are likely weighing the strong profitability against the expected step-down in growth, as full-year net revenue growth guidance was trimmed to 11% to 12% from a prior 12% to 13%.
For the fourth quarter, Marqeta guided to net revenue growth of 3% to 5%, gross profit growth of 5% to 7%, and adjusted EBITDA growth in the mid-20% range. For the full year, the company maintained gross profit growth guidance of 11% to 12% while raising adjusted EBITDA growth guidance to the low-to-mid 30% range.
Investors should monitor how quickly non-Block volume scales, since management noted that TPV outside its largest customer is growing at more than twice the rate of Block-related volume. Expense management and growth in high-margin verticals such as expense management and lending will also be important indicators of whether Marqeta can keep expanding margins while growth moderates.
Additional catalysts include the expansion of commercial payment capabilities, the partnership with Coinbase to broaden stablecoin infrastructure, and continued international momentum. Any change in the trajectory of customer renewals, BNPL volume, or take rate trends could influence the pace of revenue and gross profit growth in the quarters ahead.
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