KORN FERRY
For the period ended Oct 31, 2025. Filed Dec 9, 2025.
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Oct 31, 2025 · Filed Dec 9, 2025
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Notes to Condensed Consolidated Unaudited Financial Statements
October 31, 2025
- Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Nature of Business
Korn Ferry, a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) is a global consulting firm that powers performance. The Company helps unlock the potential in people and unleash transformation across organizations—synchronizing strategy, operations, and talent to accelerate performance, fuel growth, and inspire a legacy of change. Korn Ferry has expanded its capabilities and become a comprehensive partner for talent and organizational performance. The Company delivers a broad range of offerings across the talent lifecycle, combining deep expertise with scalable delivery models to meet the needs of organizations at every stage of growth.
Korn Ferry delivers its services through five Solution areas and together, these areas comprise eight reportable segments, supported by a centralized corporate function that drives consistency, innovation, and scale. These segments represent how the Company currently organizes and delivers work to the market, enabling Korn Ferry to deliver specialized expertise at scale while remaining agile in response to evolving client needs. Thefive Solution areas are the following:
Consulting helps clients design and implement the talent strategies, organizational structures, and workforce capabilities and rewards to drive growth. The consulting teams collaborate across Korn Ferry to deliver integrated solutions that support end-to-end transformation—from strategy through execution.
Digital leads the development, integration and commercialization of products in the Korn Ferry Talent Suite, as well as enabling technology across Korn Ferry's other Solution areas. Built on decades of proprietary data, intellectual property ("IP"), behavioral science, and talent intelligence, these tools empower data-driven decision-making and provide real-time access to benchmarks, assessments, talent development, rewards, and diagnostics across the talent lifecycle. They are leveraged in multiple ways: by consultants within service delivery, as embedded components of Integrated Solutions, or accessed directly by clients through subscription-and license-based models.
Executive Search delivers industry-leading executive recruitment across global markets, powered by decades of expertise and deep industry/sector specialization, and Korn Ferry’s own top-tier executive search professionals. The Company helps organizations recruit board-level, C-suite, and senior executive talent, using proprietary assessments, leadership benchmarks, and deep functional insight to identify leaders who align with strategy, culture, and long-term priorities. This solution is managed and reported on a geographic basis and represents four of the Company’s reportable segments (Executive Search North America, Executive Search Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”), Executive Search Asia Pacific ("APAC"), and Executive Search Latin America).
Professional Search & Interim focuses on scalable, high impact recruiting and interim talent solutions at the professional level that offer flexibility and speed in dynamic business environments. Korn Ferry helps clients rapidly place permanent professionals and senior/professional interim leaders across business-critical functions such as Finance and Accounting, IT, HR, and Operations.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing ("RPO")provides high-volume, outsourced hiring solutions that deliver end-to-end talent acquisition services for enterprise clients. These programs are delivered through global Talent Delivery Centers, using a technology enabled platform and are designed and managed to align with each client’s business objectives, leveraging Korn Ferry’s IP, data, science, and deep talent expertise. Advanced technology and AI-driven tools are used to enhance the platform to drive scale, efficiency, and quality, while offering an engaging experience for candidates throughout the hiring process.
Basis of Consolidation and Presentation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2025 for the Company and its wholly and majority owned/controlled domestic and international subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements conform with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and prevailing practice within the Company's different industries. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments consisting of normal recurring accruals and any other adjustments that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of the results for these periods. The results of operations for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year or any other period.
The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the condensed consolidated financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosures.
Use of Estimates and Uncertainties
The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could materially differ from these estimates, and changes in estimates are reported in current operations as new information is learned or upon the amounts becoming fixed or determinable.
Revenue Recognition
Substantially all fee revenue is derived from talent and organizational consulting services and digital sales, stand-alone or as part of a solution, fees for professional services related to executive and professional recruitment performed on a retained basis, interim services and RPO, either stand-alone or as part of a solution.
Revenue is recognized when control of the goods and services are transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods and services. Revenue contracts with customers are evaluated based on the five-step model outlined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606 (“ASC 606”), Revenue from Contracts with Customers: 1) identify the contract with a customer; 2) identify the performance obligation(s) in the contract; 3) determine the transaction price; 4) allocate the transaction price to the separate performance obligation(s); and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) each performance obligation is satisfied.
Consulting fee revenue is primarily recognized as services are rendered, measured by total hours incurred as a percentage of the total estimated hours at completion. It is possible that updated estimates for consulting engagements may vary from initial estimates with such updates being recognized in the period of determination. Depending on the timing of billings and services rendered, the Company accrues or defers revenue as appropriate.
Digital fee revenue is generated from IP based software products enabling large-scale talent programs for pay, talent development, engagement, and assessment and is consumed directly by an end user or indirectly through a consulting engagement. Revenue is recognized as services are delivered and the Company has a legally enforceable right to payment. Revenue also comes from the sale of the Company’s product subscriptions, which are considered symbolic IP due to the dynamic nature of the content. As a result, revenue is recognized over the term of the contract. Functional IP licenses grant customers the right to use IP content via the delivery of a flat file. Because the IP content license has significant stand-alone functionality, revenue is recognized upon delivery and when an enforceable right to payment exists. Revenue for tangible and digital products sold by the Company, such as books and digital files, is recognized when these products are shipped.
Fee revenue from executive and professional search activities is generally one-third of the estimated first-year cash compensation of the placed candidate, plus a percentage of the fee to cover indirect engagement-related expenses. In addition to the search retainer, an uptick fee is billed when the actual compensation awarded by the client for a placement is higher than the estimated compensation. In the aggregate, upticks have been a relatively consistent percentage of the original estimated fee; therefore, the Company estimates upticks using the expected value method based on historical data on a portfolio basis. In a standard search engagement, there isone performance obligation, which is the promise to undertake a search. The Company generally recognizes such revenue over the course of a search and when it is legally entitled to payment as outlined in the billing terms of the contract. Any revenues associated with services that are provided on a contingent basis are recognized once the contingency is resolved, as this is when control is transferred to the customer. These assumptions determine the timing of revenue recognition for the reported period. In addition to talent acquisition for permanent placement roles, the Professional Search & Interim segment also offers recruitment services for interim roles. Interim roles are short term in duration, generally less than 12 months. Generally, each interim role is a separate performance obligation. The Company recognizes fee revenue over the duration that the interim resources’ services are provided which also aligns to the contracted invoicing plan and enforceable right to payment.
RPO fee revenue is generated throughtwo distinct phases: 1) the implementation phase and 2) the post-implementation recruitment phase. The fees associated with the implementation phase are recognized over the period that the related implementation services are provided. The post-implementation recruitment phase represents end-to-end recruiting services to clients for which there are both fixed and variable fees, which are recognized over the period that the related recruiting services are performed.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
An allowance is established for doubtful accounts by taking a charge to general and administrative expenses. The Company’s expected credit loss allowance methodology for accounts receivable is developed using historical collection experience, current and future economic and market conditions and a review of the current status of customers’ trade accounts receivable. Due to the short-term nature of such receivables, the estimate of the amount of accounts receivable that may not be collected is primarily based on historical loss-rate experience. When required, the Company adjusts the loss-rate methodology to account for current conditions and reasonable and supportable expectations of future economic and market conditions. The Company generally assesses future economic conditions for a period of sixty to ninety days, which corresponds with the contractual life of its accounts receivables. After the Company exhausts its collection efforts, the amount of the allowance is reduced for balances written off as uncollectible.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, the Company’s investments in cash equivalents consisted of money market funds and as of April 30, 2025 also consisted of commercial paper with initial maturity of less than 90 days for which market prices are readily available. The Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents in bank accounts that exceed federally insured FDIC limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.
Marketable Securities
The Company currently has investments in marketable securities and mutual funds that are classified as either equity securities or available-for-sale debt securities. The classification of the investments in these marketable securities and mutual funds is assessed upon purchase and reassessed at each reporting period. These investments are recorded at fair value and are classified as marketable securities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The investments that the Company may sell within the next 12 months are carried as current assets.
The Company invests in mutual funds (for which market prices are readily available) that are held in trust to satisfy obligations under the Company’s deferred compensation plans. Such investments are classified as equity securities and mirror the employees’ investment elections in their deemed accounts in the Executive Capital Accumulation Plan and similar plans in Asia Pacific and Canada (collectively, “ECAP”) from a pre-determined set of securities. Realized gains (losses) on marketable securities are determined by specific identification. Interest is recognized on an accrual basis; dividends are recorded as earned on the ex-dividend date. Interest, dividend income and the changes in fair value in marketable securities are recorded in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income in other income, net.
The Company also invests cash in excess of its daily operating requirements and capital needs primarily in marketable fixed income (debt) securities in accordance with the Company’s investment policy, which restricts the type of investments that can be made. The Company’s investment portfolio includes commercial paper, corporate notes/bonds and U.S. Treasury and Agency securities. These marketable fixed income (debt) securities are classified as available-for-sale securities based on management’s decision, at the date such securities are acquired, not to hold these securities to maturity or actively trade them. The Company carries these marketable debt securities at fair value based on the market prices for these marketable debt securities or similar debt securities whose prices are readily available. The changes in fair values, net of applicable taxes, are recorded as unrealized gains or losses as a component of comprehensive income unless the change is due to credit loss. A credit loss is recorded in the condensed consolidated statements of income in other income, net; any amount in excess of the credit loss is recorded as unrealized losses as a component of comprehensive income. Generally, the amount of the loss is the difference between the cost or amortized cost and its then current fair value; a credit loss is the difference between the discounted expected future cash flows to be collected from the debt security and the cost or amortized cost of the debt security. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2025 and 2024, no amount was recognized as a credit loss for the Company’s available for sale debt securities.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair value is the price the Company would receive to sell an asset or transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants. For those assets and liabilities recorded or disclosed at fair value, the Company determines the fair value based upon the quoted market price, if available. If a quoted market price is not available for identical assets, the fair value is based upon the quoted market price of similar assets. The fair values are assigned a level within the fair value hierarchy as defined below:
Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.
Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions.
As of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, the Company held certain assets that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. These included cash equivalents, accounts receivable, marketable securities and foreign currency forward contracts. The carrying amount of cash equivalents and accounts receivable approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments. The fair values of marketable securities classified as equity securities are obtained from quoted market prices, and the fair values of marketable securities classified as available-for-sale and foreign currency forward contracts are obtained from a third party, which are based on quoted prices or market prices for similar assets and financial instruments.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of assets acquired. Goodwill is tested for impairment annually and more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired. Results of the annual qualitative test performed as of February 1, 2025, indicated that the fair value of each of the reporting units exceeded its carrying value and no indicators of impairment were identified. As a result, no impairment charge was recognized. As of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, there wereno indicators of potential impairment with respect to the Company’s goodwill that would require further testing for impairment.
Intangible assets primarily consist of customer lists, non-compete agreements, proprietary databases and IP. Intangible assets are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition and are amortized in a pattern in which the asset is consumed if that pattern can be reliably determined, or using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, which range fromone to 24 years. For intangible assets subject to amortization, an impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of the intangible assets is not recoverable and exceeds fair value. The carrying amount of the intangible assets is considered not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from use of the asset. The Company reviewed its intangible assets and didnot identify any indicators of impairment as of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025.
Earnings Per Share
The Company treats unvested share-based payment awards that have non-forfeitable rights to dividends prior to vesting as a separate class of securities in calculating earnings per share. The Company has granted and expects to continue to grant to certain employees under its restricted stock agreements, grants that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends. Such grants are considered participating securities. Therefore, the Company is required to apply the two-class method in calculating earnings per share. The two-class method of computing earnings per share is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for each class of common stock and participating security according to dividends declared (or accumulated) and participation rights in undistributed earnings. The dilutive effect of participating securities is calculated using the more dilutive of the treasury method or the two-class method.
Basic earnings per common share was computed using the two-class method by dividing basic net earnings attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per common share was computed using the two-class method by dividing diluted net earnings attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding plus dilutive common equivalent shares. Dilutive common equivalent shares include all in-the-money outstanding options or other contracts to issue common stock as if they were exercised or converted. Financial instruments that are not in the form of common stock, but when converted into common stock increase earnings per share, are anti-dilutive and are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share.
Recent Accounting Standards - Not Yet Adopted
In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an amendment to the accounting update for income taxes disclosures. The new amendment provides improvements to annual income tax disclosures by requiring specific categories in the rate reconciliation and disaggregated information for income taxes paid. The amendment of this update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, and should be applied on a prospective basis. The Company will adopt this guidance beginning in fiscal 2026 for its annual report for the year ending April 30, 2026. The adoption of this guidance is not anticipated to have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
In November 2024, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an accounting update that requires public companies to disclose, in the notes to financial statements, specified information about certain costs and expenses at each interim and annual reporting period. This update is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. The Company will adopt this guidance in fiscal 2028 and in the interim periods beginning in fiscal 2029. The adoption of this guidance is not anticipated to have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
In July 2025, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an amendment to the accounting update for measurement of credit losses for account receivable and contract assets. The amendment in this update provides an accounting policy election when estimating expected credit losses for current accounts receivable and current contract assets arising from transactions accounted for under ASC 606. The amendment will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2025, and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted in both interim and annual reporting periods in which the financial statements have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting guidance but does not anticipate that it will have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
In September 2025, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued an amendment to the accounting update for internal-use software. The new amendment removes all references to prescriptive and sequential software development stages and requires the Company to start capitalizing software costs when 1.) management has authorized and committed to funding the software project and 2.) it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used to perform the function intended. The amendment is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this accounting guidance on the condensed consolidated financial statements.
- Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share
The following table summarizes basic and diluted earnings per common share attributable to common stockholders:
| Three Months EndedOctober 31, | Six Months EndedOctober 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| (in thousands, except per share data) | ||||
| Net income attributable to Korn Ferry | $72,399 | $60,800 | $139,035 | $123,404 |
| Less: distributed and undistributed earnings to nonvested restricted stockholders | 876 | 766 | 1,729 | 1,770 |
| Basic net earnings attributable to common stockholders | 71,523 | 60,034 | 137,306 | 121,634 |
| Add: undistributed earnings to nonvested restricted stockholders | 574 | 518 | 1,042 | 1,174 |
| Less: reallocation of undistributed earnings to nonvested restricted stockholders | 565 | 510 | 1,024 | 1,154 |
| Diluted net earnings attributable to common stockholders | $71,532 | $60,042 | $137,324 | $121,654 |
| Weighted-average common shares outstanding: | ||||
| Basic weighted-average number of common shares outstanding | 51,745 | 51,957 | 51,606 | 51,953 |
| Effect of dilutive securities: | ||||
| Restricted stock | 766 | 790 | 943 | 909 |
| Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") | 6 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| Diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding | 52,517 | 52,750 | 52,557 | 52,864 |
| Net earnings per common share: | ||||
| Basic earnings per share | $1.38 | $1.16 | $2.66 | $2.34 |
| Diluted earnings per share | $1.36 | $1.14 | $2.61 | $2.30 |
During the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, restricted stock awards of 0.6 million shares and 0.6 million shares, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because they were anti-dilutive. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, restricted stock awards of 0.7 million shares and 0.7 million shares, respectively, were outstanding but not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because they were anti-dilutive.
- Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income is comprised of net income and all changes to stockholders’ equity, except those changes resulting from investments by stockholders (changes in paid in capital) and distributions to stockholders (dividends), and is reported in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of taxes, is recorded as a component of stockholders’ equity.
The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net were as follows:
| October 31,2025 | April 30,2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | ||
| Foreign currency translation adjustments | $(94,584) | $(93,904) |
| Deferred compensation and pension plan adjustments, net of tax | 7,579 | 7,604 |
| Marketable securities unrealized gain, net of tax | 45 | 57 |
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net | $(86,960) | $(86,243) |
The following table summarizes the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net for the three months ended October 31, 2025:
| ForeignCurrencyTranslation | DeferredCompensationand PensionPlan | Unrealized (Losses) Gains on Marketable Securities | AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveLoss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Balance as of July 31, 2025 | $(95,440) | $7,590 | $(1) | $(87,851) |
| Unrealized gains arising during the period | 856 | — | 46 | 902 |
| Reclassification of realized net gains to net income | — | (11) | — | (11) |
| Balance as of October 31, 2025 | $(94,584) | $7,579 | $45 | $(86,960) |
The following table summarizes the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net for the six months ended October 31, 2025:
| ForeignCurrencyTranslation | DeferredCompensationand PensionPlan | Unrealized Gainson Marketable Securities | AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveLoss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Balance as of April 30, 2025 | $(93,904) | $7,604 | $57 | $(86,243) |
| Unrealized losses arising during the period | (680) | — | (12) | (692) |
| Reclassification of realized net gains to net income | — | (25) | — | (25) |
| Balance as of October 31, 2025 | $(94,584) | $7,579 | $45 | $(86,960) |
The following table summarizes the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net for the three months ended October 31, 2024:
| ForeignCurrencyTranslation | DeferredCompensationand PensionPlan | Unrealized Gains on Marketable Securities | AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveLoss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Balance as of July 31, 2024 | $(113,207) | $8,320 | $27 | $(104,860) |
| Unrealized gains arising during the period | 4,426 | — | 30 | 4,456 |
| Reclassification of realized net gains to net income | — | (97) | — | (97) |
| Balance as of October 31, 2024 | $(108,781) | $8,223 | $57 | $(100,501) |
The following table summarizes the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive loss, net for the six months ended October 31, 2024:
| ForeignCurrencyTranslation | DeferredCompensationand PensionPlan | Unrealized (Losses) Gains on Marketable Securities | AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveLoss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Balance as of April 30, 2024 | $(116,004) | $8,370 | $(37) | $(107,671) |
| Unrealized gains arising during the period | 7,223 | — | 94 | 7,317 |
| Reclassification of realized net gains to net income | — | (147) | — | (147) |
| Balance as of October 31, 2024 | $(108,781) | $8,223 | $57 | $(100,501) |
- Employee Stock Plans
Stock-Based Compensation
The following table summarizes the components of stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of income for the periods indicated:
| Three Months EndedOctober 31, | Six Months EndedOctober 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Restricted stock | $12,303 | $11,151 | $23,093 | $21,712 |
| ESPP | 223 | 229 | 442 | 451 |
| Total stock-based compensation expense | $12,526 | $11,380 | $23,535 | $22,163 |
Common Stock
During the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, the Company repurchased (on the open market or through privately negotiated transactions)114,677 shares and 260,447 shares of the Company’s common stock for $8.1 million and $17.9 million, respectively. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, the Company repurchased (on the open market or through privately negotiated transactions)456,250 shares and 807,500 shares of the Company's common stock for $32.6 million and $56.1 million, respectively.
Cash Dividends
The following table shows the Company's cash dividend declared per share for the periods indicated:
| Three Months EndedOctober 31, | Six Months EndedOctober 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| Cash dividends declared per share | $0.48 | $0.37 | $0.96 | $0.74 |
- Financial Instruments
The following tables show the Company’s financial instruments and balance sheet classification as of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025:
| October 31, 2025 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Value Measurement · Balance Sheet Classification | ||||||||
| Cost | UnrealizedGains | UnrealizedLosses | FairValue | Cash andCashEquivalents | MarketableSecurities,Current | MarketableSecurities,Non-current | Other Accrued Liabilities | |
| (in thousands) | ||||||||
| Changes in Fair Value Recorded in | ||||||||
| Other Comprehensive Income | ||||||||
| Level 2: | ||||||||
| Commercial paper | $1,967 | $— | $— | $1,967 | $— | $1,967 | $— | $— |
| Corporate notes/bonds | 37,147 | 68 | (11) | 37,204 | — | 22,900 | 14,304 | — |
| U.S. Treasury and Agency Securities | 2,402 | 3 | (1) | 2,404 | — | — | 2,404 | — |
| Total debt investments | $41,516 | $71 | $(12) | $41,575 | $— | $24,867 | $16,708 | $— |
| Changes in Fair Value Recorded in | ||||||||
| Net Income | ||||||||
| Level 1: | ||||||||
| Mutual funds (1) | $235,161 | $— | $14,642 | $220,519 | $— | |||
| Total equity investments | $235,161 | $— | $14,642 | $220,519 | $— | |||
| Cash | $598,067 | $598,067 | $— | $— | $— | |||
| Money market funds | 163,512 | 163,512 | — | — | — | |||
| Level 2: | ||||||||
| Foreign currency forward contracts | (700) | — | — | — | (700) | |||
| Total | $1,037,615 | $761,579 | $39,509 | $237,227 | $(700) | |||
| April 30, 2025 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Value Measurement · Balance Sheet Classification | ||||||||
| Cost | UnrealizedGains | UnrealizedLosses | FairValue | Cash andCashEquivalents | MarketableSecurities,Current | MarketableSecurities,Non-current | Income Taxes & Other Receivables | |
| (in thousands) | ||||||||
| Changes in Fair Value Recorded in | ||||||||
| Other Comprehensive Income | ||||||||
| Level 2: | ||||||||
| Commercial paper | $3,842 | $— | $(1) | $3,841 | $500 | $3,341 | $— | $— |
| Corporate notes/bonds | 32,747 | 83 | (10) | 32,820 | — | 18,709 | 14,111 | — |
| U.S. Treasury and Agency Securities | 3,497 | 4 | — | 3,501 | — | 1,995 | 1,506 | — |
| Total debt investments | $40,086 | $87 | $(11) | $40,162 | $500 | $24,045 | $15,617 | $— |
| Changes in Fair Value Recorded in | ||||||||
| Net Income | ||||||||
| Level 1: | ||||||||
| Mutual funds (1) | $230,352 | $— | $12,343 | $218,009 | $— | |||
| Total equity investments | $230,352 | $— | $12,343 | $218,009 | $— | |||
| Cash | $704,091 | $704,091 | $— | $— | $— | |||
| Money market funds | 302,373 | 302,373 | — | — | — | |||
| Level 2: | ||||||||
| Foreign currency forward contracts | 891 | — | — | — | 891 | |||
| Total | $1,277,869 | $1,006,964 | $36,388 | $233,626 | $891 | |||
| (1) | These investments are held in trust for settlement of the Company’s vested obligations of $217.7 million and $205.3 million as of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, respectively, under the ECAP (see Note 6 — Deferred Compensation and Retirement Plans). Unvested obligations under the deferred compensation plans totaled $18.3 million and $19.5 million as of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, respectively. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, the fair value of the investments increased; therefore, the Company recognized a gain of $6.7 million and $19.0 million, respectively, which was recorded in other income, net. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, the fair value of the investments increased; therefore, the Company recognized a gain of $4.7 million and $18.9 million, respectively, which was recorded in other income, net. |
As of October 31, 2025, available-for-sale marketable securities had remaining maturities ranging from less than 1 month to 24 months. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, there were $6.6 million and $15.4 million in sales/maturities of available-for-sale marketable securities, respectively. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, there were $9.9 million and $16.8 million in sales/maturities of available-for-sale marketable securities, respectively. Investments in marketable securities that are held in trust for settlement of the Company’s vested obligations under the ECAP are equity securities and are based upon the investment selections the employee elects from a pre-determined set of securities in the ECAP and the Company invests in equity securities to mirror these elections. As of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, the Company’s investments in equity securities consisted of mutual funds for which market prices are readily available. Unrealized gains recorded for the period that relate to equity securities still held as of October 31, 2025 and 2024 were $13.6 million and $14.6 million, respectively.
Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Not Designated as Hedges
The fair value of derivatives not designated as hedge instruments are as follows:
| October 31,2025 | April 30,2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | ||
| Derivative assets: | ||
| Foreign currency forward contracts | $97 | $2,486 |
| Derivative liabilities: | ||
| Foreign currency forward contracts | $797 | $1,595 |
As of October 31, 2025, the total notional amounts of the forward contracts purchased and sold were $83.4 million and $24.4 million, respectively. As of April 30, 2025, the total notional amounts of the forward contracts purchased and sold were $74.7 million and $42.6 million, respectively. The Company recognizes forward contracts as a net asset or net liability on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as such contracts are covered by master netting agreements. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, the Company incurred losses of $1.6 million and $2.7 million, respectively, related to forward contracts which are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, the Company incurred losses of $0.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively, related to forward contracts which are recorded in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. These foreign currency losses related to forward contracts offset foreign currency gains that result from transactions denominated in a currency other than the Company’s functional currency. The cash flows related to foreign currency forward contracts are included in cash flows from operating activities.
- Deferred Compensation and Retirement Plans
The Company has several deferred compensation and retirement plans for eligible consultants and vice presidents that provide defined benefits to participants based on the deferral of current compensation or contributions made by the Company subject to vesting and retirement or termination provisions. Among these plans is a defined benefit pension plan for certain employees in the U.S. The assets of this plan are held separately from the assets of the sponsor in self-administered funds. All other defined benefit obligations from other plans are unfunded.
The components of net periodic benefit costs are as follows:
| Three Months EndedOctober 31, | Six Months EndedOctober 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Service cost | $12,790 | $11,825 | $24,463 | $22,480 |
| Interest cost | 3,939 | 4,513 | 7,823 | 8,964 |
| Amortization of actuarial loss | 127 | 32 | 254 | 64 |
| Expected return on plan assets (1) | (278) | (266) | (556) | (532) |
| Net periodic service credit amortization | (101) | (102) | (202) | (203) |
| Net periodic benefit costs (2) | $16,477 | $16,002 | $31,782 | $30,773 |
| (1) | The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets was 6.25% and 6.00% for October 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. |
| (2) | The service cost, interest cost and the other components of net periodic benefit costs are included in compensation and benefits expense, interest expense, net and other income, net, respectively, on the condensed consolidated statements of income. |
The Company purchased company-owned life insurance ("COLI") contracts insuring the lives of certain employees eligible to participate in the deferred compensation and pension plans as a means of setting aside funds to cover such plans. The gross cash surrender value ("CSV") of these contracts of $343.8 million and $325.5 million as of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, respectively, was offset by outstanding policy loans of $72.8 million in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as of both October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025. The CSV value of the underlying COLI investments increased by $2.5 million and $5.1 million during the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, respectively, and was recorded as a decrease in compensation and benefits expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income. The CSV value of the underlying COLI investment increased by $2.5 million and $4.8 million during the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, respectively, and was recorded as a decrease in compensation and benefits expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income.
The Company’s ECAP is intended to provide certain employees an opportunity to defer their salary and/or bonus on a pre-tax basis. In addition, the Company, as part of its compensation philosophy, makes discretionary contributions into the ECAP and such contributions may be granted to key employees annually based on the employee’s performance. Certain key members of management may also receive Company ECAP contributions upon commencement of employment. The Company amortizes these contributions on a straight-line basis over the service period, generally afive-year period. Participants have the ability to allocate their deferrals among a number of investment options and may receive their benefits at termination, retirement or ‘in service’ either in a lump sum or in quarterly installments overone-to-15 years. The ECAP amounts that are expected to be paid to employees over the next 12 months are classified as a current liability included in compensation and benefits payable on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
The ECAP is accounted for whereby the changes in the fair value of the vested amounts owed to the participants are adjusted with a corresponding charge (or credit) to compensation and benefits costs. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, deferred compensation liability increased; therefore, the Company recognized an increase in compensation expense of $6.4 million and $18.4 million, respectively. Offsetting the increases in compensation and benefits expense was an increase in the fair value of marketable securities (held in trust to satisfy obligations of the ECAP liabilities) of $6.7 million and $19.0 million during the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, recorded in other income, net on the condensed consolidated statements of income. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, deferred compensation liability increased; therefore, the Company recognized an increase in compensation expense of $4.7 million and $18.2 million, respectively. Offsetting the increases in compensation and benefits expense was an increase in the fair value of marketable securities (held in trust to satisfy obligations of the ECAP liabilities) of $4.7 million and $18.9 million during the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, recorded in other income, net on the condensed consolidated statements of income (see Note 5—Financial Instruments).
- Fee Revenue
Contract Balances
A contract asset (unbilled receivables) is recorded when the Company transfers control of products or services before there is an unconditional right to payment. A contract liability (deferred revenue) is recorded when cash is received in advance of performance of the obligation. Deferred revenue represents the future performance obligations to transfer control of products or services for which the Company has already received consideration. Deferred revenue is presented in other accrued liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
The following table outlines the Company’s contract asset and liability balances as of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025:
| October 31, 2025 | April 30, 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | ||
| Contract assets-unbilled receivables | $131,212 | $113,743 |
| Contract liabilities-deferred revenue | $220,899 | $245,379 |
During the six months ended October 31, 2025, the Company recognized revenue of $164.0 million that was included in the contract liabilities balance at the beginning of the period.
Performance Obligations
The Company has elected to apply the practical expedient to exclude the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with a duration of one year or less, which applies to all executive search, professional search and to most of the fee revenue from the interim business. As of October 31, 2025, the aggregate transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied for contracts with an expected duration of greater than one year at inception was $1,291.0 million. Of the $1,291.0 million of remaining performance obligations, the Company expects to recognize approximately $333.8 million in the remainder of fiscal 2026, $496.1 million in fiscal 2027, $269.6 million in fiscal 2028 and the remaining $191.5 million in fiscal 2029 and thereafter. However, this amount should not be considered an indication of the Company’s future revenue as contracts with an initial term of one year or less are not included. Further, the Company's contract terms and conditions allow for clients to increase or decrease the scope of services and such changes do not increase or decrease a performance obligation until the Company has an enforceable right to payment.
Disaggregation of Revenue
The Company disaggregates its revenue by Solution area and further by region for Executive Search. This information is presented in Note 10—Segments.
The following table provides further disaggregation of fee revenue by industry:
| Three Months Ended October 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Dollars | % | Dollars | % | |
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||
| Industrial | $234,045 | 32.4% | $208,012 | 30.9% |
| Financial Services | 135,915 | 18.8 | 126,110 | 18.7 |
| Life Sciences/Healthcare | 119,114 | 16.5 | 112,598 | 16.7 |
| Technology | 104,473 | 14.5 | 96,017 | 14.2 |
| Consumer Goods | 84,953 | 11.8 | 88,498 | 13.1 |
| Education/Non–Profit/General | 43,199 | 6.0 | 43,130 | 6.4 |
| Fee Revenue | $721,699 | 100.0% | $674,365 | 100.0% |
| Six Months Ended October 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Dollars | % | Dollars | % | |
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||
| Industrial | $452,883 | 31.7% | $406,784 | 30.1% |
| Financial Services | 272,354 | 19.0 | 251,247 | 18.6 |
| Life Sciences/Healthcare | 236,558 | 16.5 | 231,588 | 17.2 |
| Technology | 209,805 | 14.7 | 193,937 | 14.4 |
| Consumer Goods | 169,334 | 11.8 | 173,645 | 12.9 |
| Education/Non–Profit/General | 89,378 | 6.3 | 92,110 | 6.8 |
| Fee Revenue | $1,430,312 | 100.0% | $1,349,311 | 100.0% |
- Credit Losses
The activity in the allowance for credit losses on the Company’s trade receivables is as follows:
| (in thousands) | |
|---|---|
| Balance at April 30, 2025 | $40,461 |
| Provision for credit losses | 9,185 |
| Write-offs | (6,533) |
| Recoveries of amounts previously written off | 52 |
| Foreign currency translation | 253 |
| Balance at October 31, 2025 | $43,418 |
The fair value and unrealized losses on available for sale debt securities, aggregated by investment category and the length of time the security has been in an unrealized loss position as October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, are as follows:
| Less Than 12 Months · 12 Months or longer · Balance Sheet Classification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Value | Unrealized Losses | Fair Value | Unrealized Losses | Cash and CashEquivalent | Marketable Securities,Current | MarketableSecurities, Non-Current | |
| (in thousands) | |||||||
| Corporate notes/bonds | $8,213 | $9 | $2,095 | $2 | $— | $4,927 | $5,381 |
| U.S. Treasury and Agency Securities | $799 | $1 | $— | $— | $— | $— | $799 |
| Commercial paper | $3,841 | $1 | $— | $— | $500 | $3,341 | $— |
| Corporate notes/bonds | $7,803 | $10 | $— | $— | $— | $4,630 | $3,173 |
The Company only purchases high grade bonds that have a maturity from the date of purchase of no more thantwo years. The Company monitors the creditworthiness of its investments on a quarterly basis. The Company does not intend to sell the investments and does not believe it will be required to sell the investments before the investments mature and therefore recover the amortized cost basis.
- Income Taxes
The provision for income tax was $26.6 million and $51.9 million in the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, with an effective tax rate of 26.6% and 26.9%, respectively, compared to $24.9 million and $47.3 million in the three and six months ended October 31, 2024, with an effective tax rate of 28.5% and 27.2%, respectively. The Company's effective tax rate is primarily impacted by U.S. state income taxes and jurisdictional mix of earnings, which generally create variability in the effective tax rate over time.
On July 4, 2025, House Resolution 1, commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the "Act") was enacted into law. Key provisions of the Act include the extension and modification of certain provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, changes to bonus depreciation, adjustments to business interest expense limitations, and modifications to the treatment of research and development expenditures. The Act has multiple effective dates, with certain provisions effective in the Company's fiscal 2026 and others becoming effective in fiscal 2027. In accordance with ASC 740, the effect of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances are recognized in the period when the legislation is enacted. The Company has reflected the effect on the Act within the provision for income taxes and the deferred tax balances as of October 31, 2025. The Act did not materially impact the Company's effective tax rate.
- Segments
The Company haseight reportable segments: Consulting, Digital, Executive Search North America, Executive Search EMEA, Executive Search APAC, Executive Search Latin America, Professional Search & Interim and RPO.
The Company's chief executive officer is the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), who evaluates performance and allocates resources based on the review of the Company's 1) fee revenue and 2) adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”). To the extent that such costs or charges occur, Adjusted EBITDA excludes restructuring charges, integration/acquisition costs, certain separation costs and certain non-cash charges (goodwill, intangible asset, gain on modification of office lease and other impairment charges). The CODM is not provided asset information by reportable segment, because asset information is not used for purposes of evaluating segment performance or allocating resources among segments.
Financial highlights by reportable segments are as follows:
| Three Months Ended October 31, 2025 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Search | |||||||||||
| Consulting · Digital · North America · EMEA · Asia Pacific · Latin America · Professional Search & Interim · RPO · Corporate · Consolidated | |||||||||||
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Fee revenue | $172,841 | $91,029 | $142,105 | $51,900 | $24,131 | $7,815 | $141,099 | $90,779 | $— | $721,699 | |
| Total revenue | $175,930 | $91,237 | $143,566 | $52,212 | $24,264 | $7,819 | $142,505 | $92,267 | $— | $729,800 | |
| Less | |||||||||||
| Compensation and benefits(1) | $118,494 | $45,133 | $96,689 | $38,684 | $16,549 | $5,225 | $50,806 | $68,387 | $20,742 | ||
| General and administrative expenses(2) | 13,303 | 10,467 | 7,142 | 4,358 | 2,204 | 937 | 4,785 | 4,781 | 16,180 | ||
| Cost of services | 11,710 | 7,165 | 907 | 160 | 171 | 34 | 55,587 | 3,353 | — | ||
| Other segment items(3) | 2,159 | (260) | (3,126) | 239 | 21 | (111) | 1,126 | 1,526 | (548) | ||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 30,264 | 28,732 | 41,954 | 8,771 | 5,319 | 1,734 | 30,201 | 14,220 | (36,374) | 124,821 | |
| Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 31,573 | ||||||||||
| Gain on modification of office lease | (13,907) | ||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 5,763 | ||||||||||
| Integration/acquisition costs | 1,325 | ||||||||||
| Income tax provision | 26,645 | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest | 1,023 | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Korn Ferry | $72,399 | ||||||||||
(1)Includes salaries and payroll taxes, employee insurance benefits, commissions, annual performance-related bonus expense, amortization of unearned compensation, stock-based compensation awards, changes in deferred compensation and pension plan liabilities and changes in CSV of COLI contracts. Excludes integration/acquisition costs as they are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
(2)Mainly includes premise and office expense, marketing and business development expense, bad debts, legal and other professional fees and foreign exchange gains/losses. Excludes Gain on modification of office lease as it is excluded from adjusted EBITDA.
| Three Months Ended October 31, 2024 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Search | |||||||||||
| Consulting · Digital · North America · EMEA · Asia Pacific · Latin America · Professional Search & Interim · RPO · Corporate · Consolidated | |||||||||||
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Fee revenue | $166,771 | $92,893 | $129,891 | $46,788 | $21,464 | $7,856 | $121,107 | $87,595 | $— | $674,365 | |
| Total revenue | $169,384 | $93,038 | $131,419 | $47,132 | $21,540 | $7,859 | $121,988 | $89,600 | $— | $681,960 | |
| Less | |||||||||||
| Compensation and benefits(1) | $113,754 | $45,632 | $86,800 | $35,068 | $15,675 | $4,811 | $48,422 | $67,688 | $18,247 | ||
| General and administrative expenses(2) | 13,506 | 10,404 | 8,284 | 4,194 | 1,421 | 666 | 4,038 | 4,550 | 14,912 | ||
| Cost of services | 11,162 | 8,061 | 1,093 | 120 | 54 | 89 | 41,591 | 2,487 | — | ||
| Other segment items(3) | 1,856 | (247) | (1,665) | 263 | (42) | (259) | 734 | 1,976 | (412) | ||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 29,106 | 29,188 | 36,907 | 7,487 | 4,432 | 2,552 | 27,203 | 12,899 | (32,747) | 117,027 | |
| Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 19,688 | ||||||||||
| Restructuring charges, net | 576 | ||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 5,626 | ||||||||||
| Integration/acquisition costs | 3,896 | ||||||||||
| Income tax provision | 24,898 | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest | 1,543 | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Korn Ferry | $60,800 | ||||||||||
(1)Includes salaries and payroll taxes, employee insurance benefits, commissions, annual performance-related bonus expense, amortization of unearned compensation, stock-based compensation awards, changes in deferred compensation and pension plan liabilities and changes in CSV of COLI contracts. Excludes integration/acquisition costs as they are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
(2)Mainly includes premise and office expense, marketing and business development expense, bad debts, legal and other professional fees and foreign exchange gains/losses. Excludes integration/acquisition costs as they are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
| Six Months Ended October 31, 2025 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Search | |||||||||||
| Consulting · Digital · North America · EMEA · Asia Pacific · Latin America · Professional Search & Interim · RPO · Corporate · Consolidated | |||||||||||
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Fee revenue | $342,803 | $180,227 | $281,759 | $105,681 | $48,832 | $13,932 | $275,000 | $182,078 | $— | $1,430,312 | |
| Total revenue | $348,629 | $180,482 | $284,781 | $106,293 | $49,103 | $13,958 | $277,646 | $184,451 | $— | $1,445,343 | |
| Less | |||||||||||
| Compensation and benefits(1) | $235,683 | $89,638 | $196,178 | $78,870 | $33,660 | $8,956 | $99,389 | $137,730 | $40,508 | ||
| General and administrative expenses(2) | 26,285 | 20,441 | 14,092 | 8,778 | 4,300 | 1,869 | 9,911 | 9,228 | 33,127 | ||
| Cost of services | 24,117 | 15,038 | 1,767 | 289 | 338 | 94 | 108,084 | 6,554 | — | ||
| Other segment items(3) | 3,471 | (974) | (10,450) | 442 | (49) | (235) | 2,034 | 2,377 | (1,412) | ||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 59,073 | 56,339 | 83,194 | 17,914 | 10,854 | 3,274 | 58,228 | 28,562 | (72,223) | 245,215 | |
| Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 54,259 | ||||||||||
| Gain on modification of office lease | (13,907) | ||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 9,279 | ||||||||||
| Integration/acquisition costs | 2,833 | ||||||||||
| Income tax provision | 51,895 | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest | 1,821 | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Korn Ferry | $139,035 | ||||||||||
(1)Includes salaries and payroll taxes, employee insurance benefits, commissions, annual performance-related bonus expense, amortization of unearned compensation, stock-based compensation awards, changes in deferred compensation and pension plan liabilities and changes in CSV of COLI contracts. Excludes integration/acquisition costs as they are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
(2)Mainly includes premise and office expense, marketing and business development expense, bad debts, legal and other professional fees and foreign exchange gains/losses. Excludes Gain on modification of office lease as it is excluded from adjusted EBITDA.
| Six Months Ended October 31, 2024 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Search | |||||||||||
| Consulting · Digital · North America · EMEA · Asia Pacific · Latin America · Professional Search & Interim · RPO · Corporate · Consolidated | |||||||||||
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||
| Fee revenue | $334,641 | $181,073 | $264,643 | $92,769 | $42,043 | $15,179 | $242,848 | $176,115 | $— | $1,349,311 | |
| Total revenue | $340,151 | $181,249 | $267,506 | $93,408 | $42,244 | $15,185 | $244,718 | $180,260 | $— | $1,364,721 | |
| Less | |||||||||||
| Compensation and benefits(1) | $228,418 | $90,906 | $187,991 | $69,654 | $30,067 | $9,227 | $96,558 | $136,336 | $37,639 | ||
| General and administrative expenses(2) | 26,366 | 19,539 | 15,930 | 8,305 | 3,579 | 829 | 9,251 | 9,215 | 28,960 | ||
| Cost of services | 23,679 | 15,969 | 2,152 | 220 | 208 | 143 | 84,646 | 5,184 | — | ||
| Other segment items(3) | 3,288 | (976) | (10,572) | 477 | (260) | (364) | 1,354 | 4,132 | (1,565) | ||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 58,400 | 55,811 | 72,005 | 14,752 | 8,650 | 5,350 | 52,909 | 25,393 | (65,034) | 228,236 | |
| Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 39,266 | ||||||||||
| Restructuring charges, net | 576 | ||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 9,571 | ||||||||||
| Integration/acquisition costs | 4,972 | ||||||||||
| Income tax provision | 47,252 | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest | 3,195 | ||||||||||
| Net income attributable to Korn Ferry | $123,404 | ||||||||||
(1)Includes salaries and payroll taxes, employee insurance benefits, commissions, annual performance-related bonus expense, amortization of unearned compensation, stock-based compensation awards, changes in deferred compensation and pension plan liabilities and changes in CSV of COLI contracts. Excludes integration/acquisition costs as they are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
(2)Mainly includes premise and office expense, marketing and business development expense, bad debts, legal and other professional fees and foreign exchange gains/losses. Excludes integration/acquisition costs as they are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
Depreciation and amortization by reportable segments are as follows:
| Three Months EndedOctober 31, | Six Months EndedOctober 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Consulting | $3,514 | $4,120 | $7,159 | $8,336 |
| Digital | 20,620 | 8,455 | 32,208 | 16,555 |
| Executive Search: | ||||
| North America | 358 | 345 | 723 | 760 |
| EMEA | 511 | 461 | 1,067 | 954 |
| Asia Pacific | 237 | 233 | 478 | 449 |
| Latin America | 313 | 240 | 580 | 496 |
| Professional Search & Interim | 2,923 | 2,916 | 5,898 | 5,969 |
| RPO | 1,000 | 830 | 1,964 | 1,607 |
| Corporate | 2,097 | 2,088 | 4,182 | 4,140 |
| Total depreciation and amortization | $31,573 | $19,688 | $54,259 | $39,266 |
- Long-Term Debt
4.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2027
Long-term debt, net at amortized cost, consisted of the following:
| In thousands | October 31,2025 | April 30,2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Unsecured Notes | $400,000 | $400,000 |
| Less: Unamortized discount and issuance costs | (1,855) | (2,264) |
| Long-term borrowings, net of unamortized discount and debt issuance costs | $398,145 | $397,736 |
Credit Facilities
The Company was party to a credit agreement dated as of December 16, 2019 (as amended, amended and restated or otherwise modified, the “Prior Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, National Association as administrative agent and other lenders party thereto. The Prior Credit Agreement provided for a $650.0 million five-year senior secured revolving credit facility maturing June 24, 2027 (the “Prior Facility”).
On July 1, 2025, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association as administrative agent and other lender parties thereto. The Credit Agreement provides for an $850.0 million five-year senior secured revolving credit facility and other revolving commitments, as specified in the Credit Agreement (the “Facility”). The obligations under the Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and those of its subsidiaries that are guarantors under the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement replaced the Prior Credit Agreement, and the Company repaid all outstanding obligations under the Prior Credit Agreement, and expenses and fees in connection therewith. Since the borrowing capacity under the new arrangement increased, the previously incurred unamortized and current debt issuance costs will be amortized over the life of the new arrangement.
The principal balance of the Facility, if any, is due at maturity. The Credit Agreement matures on July 1, 2030 and any unpaid principal balance is payable on this date. The Facility may also be prepaid and terminated early by the Company at any time without premium or penalty (subject to customary breakage fees).
Amounts outstanding under the Credit Agreement will bear interest at a rate equal to, at the Company’s election, either Term SOFR plus an interest rate margin between 1.125% per annum and 2.00% per annum, depending on the Company’s consolidated net leverage ratio, or base rate plus an interest rate margin between 0.125% per annum and 1.00% per annum, depending on the Company’s consolidated net leverage ratio. In addition, the Company will be required to pay to the lenders a quarterly commitment fee ranging from 0.175% to 0.30% per annum on the actual daily unused amount of the Facility based upon the Company’s consolidated net leverage ratio at such time, and fees relating to the issuance of letters of credit.
As of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, there wereno borrowings outstanding under the Facility or Prior Facility, respectively, and the Company was in compliance with its debt covenants. The unamortized debt issuance costs associated with the Credit Agreement were $4.0 million as of October 31, 2025 and $2.2 million under the Prior Credit Agreement as of April 30, 2025. The Company had a total of $845.6 million available under the Facility after $4.4 million of standby letters of credit were issued as of October 31, 2025. The Company had $645.6 million available under the Prior Credit Agreement after $4.4 million of standby letters of credit were issued as of April 30, 2025. The Company had a total of $13.9 million and $13.1 million of standby letters with other financial institutions as of October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2025, respectively. The standby letters of credit were generally issued in connection with the entry into certain office premise leases.
- Leases
The Company’s lease portfolio is comprised of operating leases for office space and equipment and finance leases for equipment. Equipment leases are comprised of vehicles and office equipment. During the three and six months ended October 31, 2025, at the request of a landlord, the Company modified an office lease to shorten the lease term and in return the landlord agreed to pay the Company a fixed cash incentive. As a result of the office lease modification the Company recorded a $13.9 million gain during the three and six months ended October 31, 2025 included in general and administrative expenses in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income.
The components of lease expense were as follows:
| Three Months EndedOctober 31, | Six Months EndedOctober 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| (in thousands) | ||||
| Finance lease cost | ||||
| Amortization of ROU assets | $437 | $362 | $836 | $741 |
| Interest on lease liabilities | 51 | 45 | 95 | 94 |
| 488 | 407 | 931 | 835 | |
| Operating lease cost | 12,334 | 12,096 | 24,719 | 24,091 |
| Short-term lease cost | 210 | 202 | 431 | 428 |
| Variable lease cost | 2,891 | 3,027 | 5,498 | 5,368 |
| Gain on modification of office lease | (13,907) | — | (13,907) | — |
| Sublease income | (1,545) | (1,206) | (3,178) | (2,359) |
| Total lease cost | $471 | $14,526 | $14,494 | $28,363 |
.
Supplemental cash flow information related to leases was as follows:
| Six Months EndedOctober 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| (in thousands) | ||
| Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities: | ||
| Operating cash flows from operating leases | $21,835 | $24,597 |
| Financing cash flows from finance leases | $989 | $815 |
| ROU assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations: | ||
| Operating leases | $6,690 | $18,565 |
| Finance leases | $1,581 | $217 |
Maturities of lease liabilities were as follows:
| Year Ending April 30, | Operating | Financing |
|---|---|---|
| (in thousands) | ||
| 2026 (excluding the six months ended October 31, 2025) | $21,484 | $947 |
| 2027 | 33,202 | 1,560 |
| 2028 | 27,620 | 1,246 |
| 2029 | 21,303 | 276 |
| 2030 | 16,037 | 102 |
| Thereafter | 72,049 | 9 |
| Total lease payments | 191,695 | 4,140 |
| Less: imputed interest | 40,136 | 277 |
| Total | $151,559 | $3,863 |
- Subsequent Events
Quarterly Dividend Declaration
On December 8, 2025, the Board of Directors of the Company declared a cash dividend of $0.48 per share with a payment date of January 15, 2026 to holders of the Company’s common stock of record at the close of business on December 19, 2025. The declaration and payment of future dividends under the quarterly dividend policy will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including the Company’s earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, the terms of the Company’s indebtedness and other factors that the Board of Directors may deem to be relevant. The Board of Directors may amend, revoke, or suspend the dividend policy at any time and for any reason.
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