HubSpot Q2 Earnings Beat: Can AI Growth Offset Slower Buying Cycles?

HubSpot, Inc. HUBS delivered a second-quarter earnings beat, with revenues and earnings topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenue increased 20% year over year, while AI adoption continued across its agent portfolio. However, management also pointed to longer sales cycles, larger buying committees and greater scrutiny of AI spending. The earnings beat supports the growth case, but investors must determine whether AI monetization can offset slower purchase decisions.

HUBS Beats on Revenue and Earnings

HubSpot reported second-quarter revenues of $911.7 million, up 20% year over year and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $897.8 million. Subscription revenues increased 20% to $894 million, supported by customer additions, expansion within the installed base and adoption of AI-powered offerings.

Non-GAAP earnings came in at $3.26 per share, up from $2.19 per share a year earlier and above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.02. Non-GAAP operating income increased 44% to $185.3 million, while the operating margin expanded to 20.3% from 17.0%.

HubSpot also added more than 6,900 net customers, bringing its total customer count to 306,446, up 14% year over year. Average subscription revenue per customer increased 4% to $11,800. These figures indicate that the earnings beat was supported by both customer growth and operating leverage.

HubSpot, Inc. Price and Consensus

HubSpot, Inc. price-consensus-chart | HubSpot, Inc. Quote

HubSpot Raises the AI Adoption Story

AI adoption remained a central growth driver in the second quarter. Data Agent had more than 16,000 activated customers, up 80% sequentially, while Prospecting Agent had almost 17,000 activated customers and Customer Agent exceeded 10,000.

AEO adoption also expanded. About 32% of Marketing Hub Pro+ customers had activated AEO, while nearly 16,000 customers started a standalone AEO trial during the quarter. HubSpot said customers are seeing measurable outcomes from its agents, while management expects AI seats and credit usage to become incremental long-term revenue drivers. Upmarket adoption provides another indication of demand for the platform. Deals above $120,000 in annual recurring revenue increased 38% year over year, and 64% of new Pro+ customers landed with multiple hubs, up 3 percentage points year over year.

HubSpot faces competition from software companies also increasing their AI investments, including Adobe Inc. ADBE and Datadog, Inc. DDOG. As businesses seek automation and productivity gains, competitive pressure could require HubSpot to maintain a high pace of product innovation and AI investment. Its integrated customer platform, AI agents and Smart CRM could help differentiate the offering as customers look to consolidate software and workflows.

HUBS Maintains Its 2026 Growth Outlook

HubSpot maintained its 2026 revenue outlook at $3.678 billion to $3.686 billion, representing 18% reported growth. Management expects full-year non-GAAP operating income of $762 million to $766 million, implying a 21% operating margin.

The outlook indicates that HubSpot expects the pricing and go-to-market transition to affect the timing of growth rather than eliminate its longer-term expansion opportunity. For the third quarter, the company expects revenues of $924 million to $925 million, up 14% year over year, with non-GAAP operating income of $187 million to $188 million.

Cash generation also provides support for the outlook. Second-quarter operating cash flow increased 36% year over year to $222.8 million, while non-GAAP free cash flow rose 44% to $167.9 million. HubSpot expects about $750 million of free cash flow in 2026 and authorized an additional share repurchase program of up to $1 billion.

HubSpot Confronts Longer Sales Cycles

The earnings beat did not remove the demand concerns highlighted by management. Customers are taking longer to approve AI investments as they seek greater confidence in potential returns and more predictable costs. Buying committees have become larger, while more deals require C-suite and Board approval.

HubSpot also introduced trials, lowered entry price points and expanded outcome-based pricing for several agents. These changes are intended to lower barriers to AI adoption, but management acknowledged that allowing customers to test products before purchasing can extend the buying process.

Net revenue retention was 102% in the second quarter, down one percentage point year over year. Management expects net upgrade rates to remain pressured in the second half of 2026 as existing customers optimize budgets. This could constrain subscription expansion and make near-term revenue growth less predictable.

HUBS Rank Frames the Earnings Reaction

HubSpot currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), with a Value Score of C, Growth Score of A, Momentum Score of A and VGM Score of A. The Zacks Style Scores complement the Zacks Rank by assessing value, growth, momentum and their combined characteristics. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The A Growth Score and A Momentum Score provide constructive signals, but the C Value Score indicates that valuation characteristics are less favorable. The Style Score Education material also emphasizes that the Zacks Rank remains the first step in stock selection because earnings estimate revisions are the most important factor affecting stock prices.

For HUBS, the earnings beat confirms that revenue growth, customer additions and AI adoption remain intact. Still, longer sales cycles, pressured upgrades, competitive investment and the pricing transition could limit near-term visibility. The outlook remains balanced as the AI opportunity is substantial, but investors may need further evidence that growing AI adoption will translate into durable incremental revenue.

Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"

From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.

This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research