FICO · Industrials(services-business services, nec) · 10 years of annual accounts filed with the SEC · latest fiscal year ended 2025-09-30
Signed in, this page also says what this company is inside your own portfolio: its weight, its share of your risk, and what buying or selling some of it would change. Sign in ›
Fair Isaac Corp reported revenue of $2.0 billion in fiscal 2025, after growing 9.5% a year over the previous 9 years. Its operating margin widened from 19.2% in 2016 to 46.5%, and it earned 57.4% on its invested capital in the latest year. Of the $4.1 billion its operations generated over 10 years, 140.4% went to buybacks; the share count fell 24.0%. On the accounting screens, it passes 7 of 9 Piotroski tests, its Altman Z'' of 10.26 is in the safe zone and its Beneish M-score is below the -1.78 line; 2 of the six cross-checks between its statements fire.
Revenue, fiscal 20252.0B+9.5% a year over 9 years
Operating margin46.5%gross margin 82.2%
Return on invested capital57.4%44.8% on average over 5 years
Free cash flow after stock pay613.2M30.8% of revenue
Net debt ÷ EBITDA3.1×net debt 2.9B
Piotroski F-score7/9tests of improvement passed
Is it growing?
Revenue and the operating income it turns into. Growth that does not reach operating income is growth bought with margin.
RevenueOperating income
0500.0M1.0B1.5B2.0B
2016Revenue 881.4MOperating income 169.6M
2017Revenue 935.0MOperating income 182.2M
2018Revenue 1.0BOperating income 175.4M
2019Revenue 1.2BOperating income 253.5M
2020Revenue 1.3BOperating income 296.0M
2021Revenue 1.3BOperating income 505.5M
2022Revenue 1.4BOperating income 542.4M
2023Revenue 1.5BOperating income 642.8M
2024Revenue 1.7BOperating income 733.6M
2025Revenue 2.0BOperating income 924.9M
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Compound growth a year
3 yrs
5 yrs
9 yrs
Revenue
+13.1%
+9.0%
+9.5%
Operating income
+19.5%
+25.6%
+20.7%
Net income
+20.4%
+22.5%
+21.9%
Earnings per share
+23.2%
+27.4%
+25.7%
Free cash flow per share
+17.9%
+22.3%
+20.6%
Shares
-2.3%
-3.9%
-3.0%
Falling shares are buybacks: each remaining share owns more of the company.
Does it earn more than its capital costs?
Margins say how much of each sale is kept; return on invested capital says how much the business earns on the money it needs to operate. Growth only creates value when that return is above the cost of the capital.
Return on invested capitalCost of capital today · 4.2%
0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%
2016Return on invested capital 12.2%
2017Return on invested capital 14.5%
2018Return on invested capital 13.4%
2019Return on invested capital 20.2%
2020Return on invested capital 23.4%
2021Return on invested capital 36.5%
2022Return on invested capital 40.9%
2023Return on invested capital 42.5%
2024Return on invested capital 47.0%
2025Return on invested capital 57.4%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Economic profit
Economic profit
0200.0M400.0M600.0M800.0M
2016Economic profit 84.2M
2017Economic profit 110.5M
2018Economic profit 97.2M
2019Economic profit 178.6M
2020Economic profit 223.3M
2021Economic profit 370.7M
2022Economic profit 385.7M
2023Economic profit 449.3M
2024Economic profit 533.6M
2025Economic profit 696.2M
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
(return on capital − cost of capital) × capital invested: the profit left after paying for the money used. Today's cost of capital is applied to every year, since a past one cannot be rebuilt honestly.
Return on equity
—
Return on assets
34.9%
Asset turnover
1.07×
Research & development
9.5% of revenue
Overheads (SG&A)
25.8% of revenue
Is the profit cash, and where does the cash go?
Net income is an accounting opinion; free cash flow is what was left in the bank after investing. Stock-based pay does not leave the bank — shareholders pay it through dilution — so it is shown taken off as well.
Net incomeFree cash flowAfter stock-based pay
0200.0M400.0M600.0M800.0M
2016Net income 109.4MFree cash flow 188.3MAfter stock-based pay 132.8M
2017Net income 133.4MFree cash flow 205.8MAfter stock-based pay 144.6M
2018Net income 126.5MFree cash flow 191.8MAfter stock-based pay 116.9M
2019Net income 192.1MFree cash flow 236.4MAfter stock-based pay 153.4M
2020Net income 236.4MFree cash flow 342.9MAfter stock-based pay 249.2M
2021Net income 392.1MFree cash flow 416.2MAfter stock-based pay 303.8M
2022Net income 373.5MFree cash flow 503.4MAfter stock-based pay 388.1M
2023Net income 429.4MFree cash flow 464.7MAfter stock-based pay 340.8M
2024Net income 512.8MFree cash flow 624.1MAfter stock-based pay 474.6M
2025Net income 651.9MFree cash flow 769.9MAfter stock-based pay 613.2M
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Where 10 years of operating cash went, 2016–2025
4.1B generated by the business. Each band is its share of that total.
Reinvested in the business 4%154.7M
Acquisitions 1%21.5M
Dividends 0%3.7M
Share buybacks 140%5.8B
More than it generated: funded with cash or new debt -45%-1.8B
Over the same years it paid 1.0B in stock. The share count fell 24.0%. 4.7B of the buybacks went beyond offsetting that dilution.
Per share
Earnings per shareFree cash flow per shareDividend per share
$0.00$10.00$20.00$30.00$40.00
2016Earnings per share $3.39Free cash flow per share $5.83Dividend per share $0.08
2017Earnings per share $4.14Free cash flow per share $6.38Dividend per share $0.04
2018Earnings per share $4.06Free cash flow per share $6.15Dividend per share $0.00
2019Earnings per share $6.34Free cash flow per share $7.80Dividend per share $0.00
2020Earnings per share $7.90Free cash flow per share $11.46
2021Earnings per share $13.40Free cash flow per share $14.23
2022Earnings per share $14.18Free cash flow per share $19.11
2023Earnings per share $16.93Free cash flow per share $18.32
2024Earnings per share $20.45Free cash flow per share $24.88
2025Earnings per share $26.54Free cash flow per share $31.35
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Shares outstanding
Diluted shares
24.0M26.0M28.0M30.0M32.0M34.0M
2016Diluted shares 32.3M
2017Diluted shares 32.2M
2018Diluted shares 31.2M
2019Diluted shares 30.3M
2020Diluted shares 29.9M
2021Diluted shares 29.3M
2022Diluted shares 26.3M
2023Diluted shares 25.4M
2024Diluted shares 25.1M
2025Diluted shares 24.6M
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
How strong is the balance sheet?
Debt is not bad in itself; debt the business cannot service in a bad year is. Net debt is debt minus cash, and below zero the company holds more cash than it owes.
Net debt
01.0B2.0B3.0B
2016Net debt 494.7M
2017Net debt 499.2M
2018Net debt 673.9M
2019Net debt 718.4M
2020Net debt 677.0M
2021Net debt 1.1B
2022Net debt 1.7B
2023Net debt 1.7B
2024Net debt 2.1B
2025Net debt 2.9B
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Net debt ÷ EBITDA
3.1×
Interest coverage
7× operating income ÷ interest
Current ratio
0.83 current assets ÷ current liabilities
Cash conversion cycle
— collects in 97d
Three classic screens of the accounts
Each asks a different question of the same statements — is it improving, does it look like a company heading for distress, do the accounts resemble ones that were manipulated. None is a verdict; each shows what moves it.
Piotroski F-score
Is the business improving? Nine yes-or-no tests, this year against last.
7of 9 tests passed
✓ProfitableReturn on assets above zeropassed
✓Cash from operationsOperating cash flow above zeropassed
✓Profitability improvedReturn on assets higher than a year beforepassed
✓Profit backed by cashOperating cash flow above net income (low accruals)passed
✕Less long-term debtLong-term debt as a share of assets fellfailed
✕More liquidCurrent ratio higher than a year beforefailed
✓No new sharesShare count did not growpassed
✓Better gross marginGross margin higher than a year beforepassed
✓Sells more per assetAsset turnover higher than a year beforepassed
Where it misleads: it measures change, not level. An excellent business that stood still for a year scores low; a poor one recovering from a disaster scores high.
Altman Z''-score
Does the balance sheet look like those of companies that went bankrupt?
10.26safe zone
1.12.6
Working capital ÷ assets -0.08 × 6.56-0.51
Retained earnings ÷ assets 2.44 × 3.26+7.94
Operating income ÷ assets 0.50 × 6.72+3.33
Equity ÷ liabilities -0.48 × 1.05-0.51
Where it misleads: buybacks. A company that returns so much cash that its equity turns small or negative sinks the last two ratios without being anywhere near bankruptcy. Banks and insurers do not fit the model at all.
Beneish M-score
Do the accounts resemble those of companies that manipulated their earnings?
-2.65below the -1.78 line
-1.78
Receivables vs sales 1.07+0.98
Gross margin slipping 0.97+0.51
Soft assets 0.95+0.38
Sales growth 1.16+1.03
Slower depreciation 1.46+0.17
Overheads vs sales 0.96-0.16
Profit not in cash -0.07-0.32
Leverage rising 1.25-0.41
Where it misleads: fast growth and acquisitions. Sales growth carries a heavy weight, so a company growing 50% a year scores like a suspect without having done anything. It is a screen from a 1999 study, not an accusation.
Where the statements disagree
Cross-checks between the income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow for the latest year, each with the benign reading and the worrying one.
Capital spending (9M) is well below depreciation (15M).
Benign
Mature assets, or a business that has become less capital-intensive.
Worrying
Under-investing: today's profit is being held up by consuming tomorrow's capacity.
Net debt is 3.1 times EBITDA.
Benign
A stable sector with predictable cash flows and comfortable maturities.
Worrying
Little room if earnings fall; the maturity schedule is what to check.
What is it worth, under which assumptions?
A company is worth the cash it will generate, brought back to today. This model projects revenue with growth that fades over the years, applies a free cash flow margin, and discounts the result at the cost of capital. Every assumption says where it came from, and all of them can be changed.
86% of the value comes from after year 10: this valuation rests mostly on the long run, which is exactly what is least known.
Value per share, with these assumptions$1,439.22discounted at 4.2% a year · 86% of it from after year 10
Type a share price on the left to ask the reverse questions: what growth, what margin or what discount rate that price implies.
What the value implies, in the usual multiples
At this model's value
Price ÷ earnings
54.2×
Enterprise value ÷ EBITDA
40.7×
Enterprise value ÷ revenue
19.2×
Free cash flow yield
1.7%
From cash flows to a value per share
10 years of cash flow, today5.4B
Everything after, today32.9B
The whole business38.3B
Minus net debt-2.9B
What belongs to shareholders35.3B
Divided among 24.6M shares: <strong>$1,439.22</strong> each.
The projection next to its history
Reported free cash flow after stock pay, then the model's. A projection that looks nothing like the past needs a reason.
ReportedProjected
0250.0M500.0M750.0M1.0B
2016Reported 132.8M
2017Reported 144.6M
2018Reported 116.9M
2019Reported 153.4M
2020Reported 249.2M
2021Reported 303.8M
2022Reported 388.1M
2023Reported 340.8M
2024Reported 474.6M
2025Reported 613.2M
2026Projected 513.4M
2027Projected 555.9M
2028Projected 597.9M
2029Projected 638.8M
2030Projected 677.8M
2031Projected 714.4M
2032Projected 747.7M
2033Projected 777.2M
2034Projected 802.2M
2035Projected 822.3M
2016201820202022202420262028203020322034
Year by year
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
Revenue
2.2B
2.3B
2.5B
2.7B
2.9B
3.0B
3.2B
3.3B
3.4B
3.5B
Growth
9.0%
8.3%
7.6%
6.8%
6.1%
5.4%
4.7%
3.9%
3.2%
2.5%
Cash margin
23.7%
23.7%
23.7%
23.7%
23.7%
23.7%
23.7%
23.7%
23.7%
23.7%
Free cash flow
513.4M
555.9M
597.9M
638.8M
677.8M
714.4M
747.7M
777.2M
802.2M
822.3M
Worth today
492.7M
512.0M
528.5M
541.9M
551.8M
558.1M
560.6M
559.2M
554.0M
545.0M
If the least-known inputs move
Value per share as two inputs change at a time. Neighbouring cells that differ a lot are the conclusion: the value depends on numbers nobody knows to a point.
The discount rate and growth forever
discount ↓ · forever →
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
3.2%
1,500
2,139
3,691
13,003
—
3.7%
1,127
1,469
2,096
3,618
12,748
4.2%
892
1,104
1,439
2,054
3,548
4.7%
731
873
1,081
1,410
2,012
5.2%
613
715
855
1,059
1,381
Year-one growth and the final margin
margin ↓ · growth →
5.0%
7.0%
9.0%
11.0%
13.0%
18.9%
938
1,038
1,147
1,265
1,392
21.3%
1,058
1,171
1,293
1,425
1,567
23.7%
1,180
1,304
1,439
1,585
1,743
26.0%
1,301
1,438
1,586
1,745
1,918
28.4%
1,422
1,571
1,731
1,905
2,093
All the inputs moving at once
3,748 valuations, each with growth, final margin, discount rate and growth forever drawn at random around the values on the left (spreads of 3.0%, 3.5%, 1.0% and 0.5%). Not a probability — the spreads are assumptions too — but an honest picture of how wide the answer is.
10th percentile$644.12
Median$1,180.07
90th percentile$2,110.53
$1,000.00$2,000.00$3,000.00
Half of the simulations land between <b>$849.42</b> and <b>$1,628.55</b>; one in ten below $644.12, one in ten above $2,110.53.
Does the long run make sense?
30.2×The terminal value prices the business in year 10 at 30.2 times that year's EBITDA.
7%To grow 2.5% forever while reinvesting 37% of its after-tax operating profit, the business must earn 7% on the new capital — it has earned 45% on average over the last five years.
86%of the value comes from after year 10. The more of it, the more the answer depends on the part nobody can see.
Every Form 4 filed in the last twelve months, read line by line: 6 filings by 6 people. Open-market purchases and sales are counted apart from awards, option exercises and shares withheld for taxes.
Bought on the open market—none in the period
Sold on the open market$1.4M1 sale(s) by 1 insider(s)
Under pre-arranged plans100%of the sales followed a 10b5-1 plan set months earlier
A Form 4 says what happened, when, how many shares and at what price. It does not say why: a sale can be diversification, a tax bill or a plan fixed months earlier, and an award is pay, not a purchase. Nothing here is a reason to buy or sell anything.
Which large funds report holding it
From the Form 13F of the 28 institutions followed on this site, as of the end of their last reported quarter. A 13F is filed up to 45 days later and shows only long positions in US-listed shares.
Accounts from the company's own SEC filings; lines some companies do not report are shown as a dash rather than estimated. The risk-free rate is the 10-year US Treasury yield. A DCF is a way of making assumptions explicit, not a forecast: it states what the company would be worth if the assumptions held. The scores are screens that point where to look, not verdicts. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.