Zeta Global Exceeds Revenue Expectations and Raises 2026 Outlook

2026-02-25 companies

New York, Tuesday, 24 February 2026.
Delivering its 18th consecutive “beat and raise” quarter, Zeta Global reported $394.6 million in revenue. The AI-driven marketing firm achieved positive GAAP net income and increased its 2026 guidance.

Financial Performance and Profitability Milestones

On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ZETA) released its fourth-quarter financial results, delivering a performance that defied recent market skepticism regarding its valuation and growth trajectory [1][8]. The company reported quarterly revenue of $394.6 million, marking a significant year-over-year increase of 25.4% [7][8]. This figure comfortably surpassed Wall Street consensus estimates, which had projected revenue between $378.09 million and $379.3 million [3][6]. Beyond top-line growth, the company highlighted a pivotal shift in profitability, achieving a positive GAAP net income of $6.5 million for the quarter, representing a 1.7% margin [8]. This stands in contrast to the full-year net loss of $31.5 million reported for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025 [8].

Accelerating AI and Customer Acquisition

A central component of Zeta’s recent narrative has been the integration of artificial intelligence into its marketing cloud, a strategy investors viewed as a critical test for this quarter [1]. In January 2026, the company announced a strategic collaboration with OpenAI to power its “Athena” AI agents, a move CEO David Steinberg described as the most instrumental partnership in the company’s history [4]. This technology push appears to be yielding tangible results in customer acquisition. The count of “Super-Scaled” customers—those generating at least $1 million in trailing twelve-month revenue—grew to 184, an increase of 24% year-over-year [8].

Forward Guidance and Market Valuation

Looking ahead, Zeta Global raised its financial outlook for 2026, signaling confidence in its organic growth and M&A synergies. For the first quarter of 2026, the company projects revenue between $369 million and $371 million, exceeding the consensus estimate of $362.2 million [6]. For the full fiscal year 2026, management guided for revenue in the range of $1.749 billion to $1.762 billion, surpassing the analyst consensus of $1.73 billion [6]. Additionally, the company raised its Adjusted EBITDA guidance for 2026 to a range of $389.9 million to $392.1 million [8].

Sources

Artificial Intelligence Earnings