VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) delivered strong first-quarter 2026 results, posting revenue of $429 million, a 6.6% increase from the prior year.5735 Operating income climbed to $294 million, up from $271 million, while net income reached $215 million and diluted earnings per share hit $2.34, surpassing the previous year’s $2.10.57
Financial Performance
Executives highlighted steady growth during the earnings call. Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities stood at $556 million at quarter-end, down $24 million from year-end 2025. Operating cash flow generated $272 million, compared to $291 million last year. Deferred revenues rose to $1.43 billion, up $45 million.57
VeriSign repurchased 0.9 million shares for $214 million in Q1, leaving $863 million available under its ongoing program. The board approved a $0.81 per share dividend, payable May 27 to shareholders of record on May 19.57
Domain Registry Growth
The .com and .net domain base expanded to 176.1 million names, a 3.7% year-over-year increase and net addition of 2.54 million in the quarter. New registrations surged to 11.5 million from 10.1 million a year earlier. The Q4 2025 renewal rate improved to 75.0% from 74.0%.57
Jim Bidzos, Executive Chairman, President, and CEO, stated, “Through the first quarter of 2026 we continued to execute on our primary mission, extending into its 29th year our unparalleled record of providing 100% availability of our resolution service for the .com/.net domains. For the quarter, we delivered both steady growth in registrations and solid financial results.”57
Future Pricing and Outlook
VeriSign plans to raise the .com registry-level wholesale fee from $10.26 to $10.97 per domain, effective November 1, 2026. Financial results include both GAAP measures and non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, subject to risks outlined in SEC filings.57
The earnings conference call featured David Atchley, VP of Treasury and Investor Relations; Jim Bidzos; and John Calys, EVP and CFO, with questions from analysts at Robert W. Baird, Citigroup, and JPMorgan.46
