CI&T 2Q26 earnings: Revenue rises 21.9% while profit declines
CI&T reported 2Q26 revenue of US$142.8 million, up 21.9% year-over-year entirely through organic growth, driven by broad-based demand and improved AI-Builder productivity. However, profitability contracted significantly, with IFRS profit dropping to US$5.8 million and adjusted EBITDA and profit margins declining due to ongoing strategic investments in AI deployment. While management raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance, key risks include foreign-exchange sensitivity, margin pressure from investment spending, and the delayed conversion of AI monetization into bottom-line earnings growth.
CI&T (NYSE: CINT) reported 2Q26 revenue of US$142.8 million, up 21.9% from US$117.2 million a year earlier, while diluted EPS was US$0.05 and adjusted diluted EPS was US$0.07. IFRS profit fell to US$5.8 million from US$9.7 million, showing that rapid revenue growth did not translate into higher earnings. Growth was organic and broad-based, but adjusted profitability also weakened.
Core earnings results
Management characterized the revenue increase as entirely organic, with momentum spanning geographies, industries, and clients. Constant-currency revenue growth was 14.1%, about 7.8 percentage points below reported growth, indicating that currency movements contributed to the headline increase.
The main counterpoint was profitability. IFRS profit, adjusted profit, and adjusted EBITDA all declined despite the higher revenue base, while the adjusted EBITDA and adjusted profit margins contracted substantially.
| Metric | 2Q26 | 2Q25 | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | US$142.8 million | US$117.2 million | +21.9% |
| IFRS profit | US$5.8 million | US$9.7 million | About -40.2% |
| Adjusted EBITDA / margin | US$19.0 million / 13.3% | US$21.5 million / about 18.3% | -11.6%; margin about -5.0 pts |
| Adjusted profit / margin | US$8.7 million / 6.1% | US$12.2 million / about 10.4% | About -28.7%; margin about -4.3 pts |
| Diluted EPS | US$0.05 | Not provided | — |
| Adjusted diluted EPS | US$0.07 | Not provided | — |
Prior-year adjusted margins are approximate calculations based on the reported 2Q25 revenue and adjusted earnings figures.
AI deployment metrics indicate improving productivity
CI&T ended the quarter with 8,152 employees and averaged 6,752 AI-Builders, an increase of 11.7% year over year. Last-12-month revenue per AI-Builder rose 7.0% to US$80.1 thousand from US$74.9 thousand.
These operating measures indicate that revenue capacity increased through both a larger delivery workforce and higher revenue per AI-Builder. They also support management’s goal of scaling revenue faster than headcount, although the LTM productivity measure should not be treated as a direct decomposition of quarterly revenue growth.
The company described demand as broad-based rather than concentrated in one geography, industry, or client group. The provided release did not include numerical regional or industry results, so the contribution from each area cannot be quantified.
Revenue growth did not translate into profit growth
The central issue in 2Q26 was the divergence between top-line expansion and earnings. Revenue increased by more than one-fifth, but adjusted EBITDA declined and its margin fell by about five percentage points. Adjusted profit margin also decreased by approximately 4.3 percentage points.
CEO Cesar Gon said CI&T’s new AI-related commercial models were already expanding gross margin and described 2026 as a year for investing to capture the AI deployment opportunity at scale. However, the release excerpt did not provide gross-margin figures or a detailed expense bridge, making it impossible to determine how much of the earnings decline resulted from investment spending or other costs.
Management also said it raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance following the quarter’s momentum. The updated numerical range and its prior level were not included in the provided release, so the size of the revision cannot be assessed.
Risks investors need to watch
- Profit conversion: Continued revenue growth will have less impact on earnings if adjusted EBITDA and adjusted profit margins remain below their prior-year levels.
- Currency sensitivity: Constant-currency growth of 14.1% trailed reported growth of 21.9%, showing that foreign-exchange movements had a meaningful positive effect on the reported top line.
- AI commercialization execution: Management expects newer commercial models to improve gross margin over time, but the quarter’s lower adjusted profitability shows that this benefit had not yet translated into stronger overall earnings.
- Investment returns: CI&T is investing during 2026 to pursue growth in AI deployment. The financial outcome depends on those investments generating sufficient future revenue and margin improvement.
Summary
CI&T delivered record, entirely organic revenue in 2Q26, supported by broad-based demand, a larger AI-Builder workforce, and improved revenue productivity. The principal concern was the decline in IFRS profit and adjusted earnings despite that growth. Future results will depend on whether AI monetization and current investments can convert continued revenue momentum into better margins and profit growth.
This article may include AI-generated content that is human-reviewed, which is for reference and general information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
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