Nayax Ltd is an end-to-end retail technology platform for unattended commerce... Show more
Nayax Ltd., a global commerce enablement and payments platform serving automated self-service and retail merchants, reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026. The report arrives at a pivotal moment, as investors weigh the company's strong profitability expansion against a decelerating top line. Recurring revenue — the higher-margin engine driving the business — represented roughly 73% of total revenue, underscoring the company's shift toward software and payment processing. Following a second quarter marked by a sizable unadjusted loss tied to stock-based compensation, this quarter's record gross margin and return to positive free cash flow signaled that management's cost and operational discipline is taking hold.
Total revenue grew 23% to $128.04 million, up from $104.28 million in the prior-year quarter, though it fell about 4.5% short of the $134.1 million consensus. Recurring revenue rose 21% year over year, while hardware revenue increased 27% to $34.5 million. On an IFRS basis, the company reported a net loss of $1.1 million, or $(0.028) per share, compared with net income of $3.5 million a year earlier, driven by higher stock-based compensation and financial expenses.
On an adjusted basis, the picture was considerably stronger. Adjusted net income reached $14.1 million versus $10.2 million a year ago, and adjusted earnings per share of $0.34 exceeded the $0.15 consensus estimate by more than 100%. Adjusted EBITDA grew 33% to $24.2 million, and gross margin climbed to a record 49.6%. Free cash flow turned positive at $10 million, a sharp improvement from negative $13.1 million in the second quarter.
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Investor sentiment around the report was split between enthusiasm over profitability and caution over slowing growth. The adjusted earnings beat, record gross margin, and positive free cash flow validated management's efficiency push, while the revenue miss and continued deceleration in organic growth left the growth narrative contested. Recurring revenue growth slowed to 21% from 24% in the second quarter, and average revenue per unit (ARPU) growth eased to 11%. The stock's reaction reflected this tension, with the market rewarding the margin and cash-flow inflection while remaining wary of the top-line trajectory.
Management raised full-year revenue guidance to $530–$540 million and adjusted EBITDA guidance to $90–$95 million, though part of the increase reflects the acquisition of IPS Group, completed on October 1, 2026, which expands Nayax into the smart-parking market across more than 250,000 parking spaces.
Looking ahead, investors should monitor the integration of IPS and whether its payment volume migrates onto Nayax's processing platform as planned. Management also signaled a strategic shift from investing toward delivering, targeting an adjusted EBITDA margin of 26% to 28% in 2027 on the path to a 30% target in 2028.
Other factors to watch include the pace of recurring revenue growth, hardware margin sustainability following the VPOS Media product improvements, and the conversion of recent distribution partnerships into recurring revenue. Expansion in EV charging, amusement, and car wash verticals, alongside the rollout of Nayax Capital's financing services, will also shape the trajectory. A fourth-quarter acceleration against tougher comparisons will be a key test of the company's ability to rebalance growth and profitability.
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Industry ComputerCommunications