Pitney Bowes' third quarter was marked by revenue falling short of Wall Street expectations, largely due to persistent forecasting difficulties rather than operational setbacks. CEO Kurt Wolf acknowledged these challenges, noting, "We are still tripping up on past mistakes, but are aggressively attacking and fixing issues as they arise." The company cited positive operational progress, particularly in its Presort and SendTech segments, but admitted that outdated forecasting processes led to a disconnect between internal performance and reported results. Management's candor about the root causes of underperformance set a more cautious tone for the quarter.

Is now the time to buy PBI? Find out in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).

While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention.

Our Top 5 Analyst Questions From Pitney Bowes’s Q3 Earnings Call

• Kartik Mehta (Northcoast Research) asked about SendTech’s revenue trajectory post-IMI migration. CEO Kurt Wolf said the segment should see decelerating declines as difficult comps are lapped and highlighted new leadership focused on profitable growth.
• Anthony Lebiedzinski (Sidoti) questioned the timing of Presort’s return to sales growth. CFO Paul Evans responded that volume recovery will take time but noted optimism about regaining lost clients and improving competitive positioning.
• Matthew Swope (Baird) probed the margin impact of lost Presort volume. Evans explained that the segment’s high fixed costs mean volume changes have a significant effect on profitability, and efforts are underway to win back share using the company’s low-cost advantage.
• Aaron Kimson (Citizens) inquired about leadership stability and organizational restructuring. Wolf expressed confidence in the current executive team, noting that recent cost cuts were management-driven to improve business alignment and efficiency.
• Justin Dopierala (Domo Capital Management) asked if 2025’s free cash flow included one-time items. Wolf clarified that tax asset benefits are recurring for the next few years, and working capital headwinds actually restrained free cash flow, suggesting future improvement is possible.

Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters

In the coming quarters, our analyst team will closely watch (1) the effectiveness of cost reduction efforts and whether operating margins improve as planned, (2) the pace at which Presort volumes recover and the success of any targeted acquisitions, and (3) progress in slowing revenue declines in mailing through streamlined processes and leadership changes. The resolution of forecasting issues and ongoing leadership stability will also be important markers of execution.

Pitney Bowes currently trades at $9.58, down from $11.21 just before the earnings. In the wake of this quarter, is it a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).

The Best Stocks for High-Quality Investors

Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.