SEI Investments beats Q3 2026 estimates on record-breaking sales

SEI Investments reported adjusted Q3 2026 EPS of $1.64, beating expectations, with revenue also coming in above expectations and growing year-over-year. The company has beaten estimates in every quarter going back to Q4 2024, with the gap widening over the past three quarters.

The headline number behind this quarter is year-to-date net sales of $157.4 million, which have already surpassed the highest full-year total in the company's history with one quarter still remaining. Net sales events of $46.8 million in Q3 alone ranked as the second-highest quarterly total on record, with alternative asset managers accounting for nearly 90% of new business in the Investment Managers segment.

Three of four reporting segments posted double-digit revenue growth, led by Investment Advisors at 26%, with Investment Managers and Private Banks also expanding and Institutional Investors the lone exception. Adjusted operating margin expanded 260 basis points year-over-year, and operating income grew on a reported basis.

The board added $800 million to the share repurchase authorization, lifting total available capacity and extending buyback room into 2027. During Q3, SEI repurchased 2.0 million shares, reducing the overall share count. Management expects repurchases to continue at a similar pace in Q4 2026.

CEO Ryan Hicke described the results as validating the company's strategy, saying the year-to-date sales figure has already surpassed the highest full-year total in SEI's history. The forward-looking commentary pointed to continued demand for outsourcing, enterprise transformation, and alternative investment solutions, while also flagging LSV net outflows of $5.3 billion during the quarter as an area where conditions are expected to improve.