Software Development Stocks Surge 36.3% on Average After Strong Q1 Earnings

Progress Software reported third-quarter results on September 30, 2026, showing revenue down 2% to $246 million while non-GAAP earnings per share rose 13% to $1.69, as expenses fell about 6% and operating margin expanded to 43% from 40% a year earlier. Adjusted free cash flow grew 17% to $87 million, with days sales outstanding dropping to 42 from 73 at the end of fiscal 2025, funding $170 million of debt paydown this year and $17 million of buybacks in the quarter. The company closed the largest acquisition in its history, paying $400 million for Domo, or 1.4 times revenue and 3.5 times pro forma EBITDA, and management expects Domo to add well over $100 million in annual EBITDA once integration finishes by the end of fiscal 2027. Progress drew $390 million on its revolver, leaving total debt near $1.24 billion and net leverage around 2.7 times, and management warned Domo will run slightly below a 30% operating margin while synergies ramp, pulling overall margin to 36% to 37% from its usual 38% to 39% with roughly $21 million of added interest expense. Annual recurring revenue rose only about 1% on a pro forma basis with net retention at 99%, hedge fund holders fell to 23 from 29 in the prior quarter, and short sellers hold 16.69% of the float against a forward P/E of 6.47 as of October 2.

S&P Dow Jones Indices announced that Workiva will join the S&P SmallCap 600, replacing Formfactor Inc. in the index prior to the opening of trading on Tuesday, October 6, as part of a series of component shifts across multiple benchmarks. Shares of the cloud reporting platform jumped 3.3% in the morning session on the news, then cooled to $71.74, up 3% from the previous close. Index additions frequently generate positive market sentiment because investment funds that track the benchmark must adjust their portfolios to include the newly designated member. Workiva's shares are very volatile and have had 23 moves greater than 5% over the last year, and the stock is down 13.5% since the beginning of the year. At $71.74 per share, it trades 23.1% below its 52-week high of $93.31 from November 2025.

Workday announced on Thursday that it has launched in the United Arab Emirates. Angelique De Vries-Schipperijn, President, EMEA, Workday, said in a statement that the UAE is a key market in Workday's growth strategy, with organizations pursuing transformation against some of the world's most ambitious national agendas, and that they need technology that helps them move faster, adopt new ways of working, and show clear results while maintaining the trust and control large, regulated organizations require. Workday shares slipped more than 3% in midday trading, in-line with a broader market sell-off.