Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (BFAM) AI Stock Analysis

NYSE: BFAMAI research summary: business, growth, valuation, analysts, bull and bear case.

BFAM AI stock analysis summary

AI Research

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (BFAM) provides early education, child care, and back-up care services. Annual revenue grew to $2.93B in FY2025, supported by a 5-year revenue CAGR of 14.1%. However, the company holds net debt of $1.89B and its shares have declined 28.0% over the past year.

Market cap
$3.46B
Revenue (TTM)
$3.03B
P/E
22.5x
fwd 22.6x
1Y return
-28.0%
S&P 500 16.8%
Avg. target
$86.78
22.0% vs last close

Bull case

  • Free cash flow expanded to $256.4M in FY2025 from $163.8M in FY2021, supporting $225.4M in share buybacks during the year.
  • The company achieved a 14.1% 5-year revenue CAGR from FY2020 to FY2025, reaching $2.93B in annual revenue.
  • Wall Street analysts set a mean price target of $86.78, implying a 22.0% upside from the last closing price of $71.15.

Bear case

  • Net debt stood at $1.89B as of June 30, 2026, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18 and a current ratio of 0.48.
  • Quarterly earnings declined 17.0% year-over-year in the latest quarter ending June 30, 2026.
  • The stock trades at a forward P/E of 22.6x, above the median of 14.1x for its US-listed Consumer Cyclical peers.

What Bright Horizons Family Solutions does

Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. is a provider of early education, child care, back-up care, educational advisory, and workplace solutions for employers and families. Its operations are divided into three main segments: Full Service Center-Based Child Care, Back-Up Care, and Educational Advisory and Other Services. Full Service Center-Based Child Care offers traditional center-based care, early education, preschool, and elementary schooling. Back-Up Care provides center-based and in-home care for children and adult/elder dependents, camps, and tutoring. Educational Advisory and Other Services administers tuition assistance, student loan repayment programs, workforce education, and college admissions advisory services.

Growth and profitability

Bright Horizons expanded revenue from $1.76B in FY2021 to $2.93B in FY2025, representing a 5-year revenue CAGR of 14.1% from FY2020 to FY2025. Over the same period, net income rose from $70.5M in FY2021 to $193.1M in FY2025, with net margin improving from 4.0% to 6.6%. Diluted EPS increased from $2.01 in FY2021 to $4.56 in FY2025. In the trailing twelve months ending June 30, 2026, revenue stood at $3.03B with an operating margin of 12.7%. In the latest quarter ending June 30, 2026, revenue increased 6.5% year-over-year, while quarterly earnings declined 17.0%.

BFAM income statement →

Balance sheet and cash flow

As of June 30, 2026, Bright Horizons held $163.7M in cash and short-term investments alongside total debt of $2.05B, resulting in net debt of $1.89B. Total assets were $3.79B, while shareholders' equity stood at $943.5M, yielding a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18 and a current ratio of 0.48. In FY2025, the company generated $347.7M in operating cash flow and $256.4M in free cash flow, deploying $91.3M into capital expenditures and $225.4M toward share buybacks.

BFAM balance sheet →

Valuation and performance

Bright Horizons trades at a trailing P/E of 22.5x and a forward P/E of 22.6x, compared to medians of 18.0x and 14.1x for its US-listed Consumer Cyclical peers. The stock has an EV/EBITDA of 12.6x against the peer median of 11.1x, and a price-to-sales ratio of 1.1x versus the peer median of 0.7x. Over the past year, BFAM shares declined 28.0%, while the S&P 500 benchmark returned 16.8%. Over five years, the stock dropped 56.6%, compared to an 83.0% gain for the broader market index.

BFAM key metrics →

What analysts expect

Wall Street coverage comprises 3 Strong Buy, 2 Buy, 3 Hold, 0 Sell, and 1 Strong Sell recommendations. The mean price target is $86.78, representing 22.0% upside relative to the last close of $71.15. For FY2026, analysts estimate EPS of $5.11 on revenue of $3.10B. For FY2027, consensus estimates project EPS of $5.90 and revenue of $3.27B across 9 analysts. Bright Horizons beat EPS estimates in all 4 of its last 4 quarters and is scheduled to report earnings on October 29, 2026.

BFAM forecast and price target →

Key risks and what to watch

  • A current ratio of 0.48 indicates that short-term obligations exceed liquid assets as of June 30, 2026.
  • Carrying $2.05B in total debt against $163.7M in cash and short-term investments leaves the balance sheet leveraged.
  • A trailing twelve-month profit margin of 5.8% leaves bottom-line results sensitive to operational cost shifts.

AI-generated research summary. Written with AI from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 and checked so every figure matches that data. For information only, not investment advice. Disclaimer

About this BFAM AI stock analysis

This page is an AI-written research summary of Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. (BFAM). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

Related: BFAM income statement, BFAM balance sheet, BFAM key metrics, BFAM analyst forecast, BFAM chart. See the BFAM stock overview for the latest quote and news.

BFAM AI stock analysis FAQ

Does Bright Horizons Family Solutions pay a dividend?

No dividend information is reported for BFAM, and the company allocated $225.4M toward share buybacks in FY2025.

What are the revenue and earnings expectations for BFAM?

For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, analysts project revenue of $3.10B and EPS of $5.11, representing 12.4% EPS growth.

How has BFAM stock performed compared to the S&P 500?

Over the past year, BFAM shares fell 28.0% while the S&P 500 gained 16.8%, and over five years BFAM fell 56.6% compared to an 83.0% gain for the index.

What is Bright Horizons' current debt position?

As of June 30, 2026, the company held $163.7M in cash and short-term investments against $2.05B in total debt, resulting in net debt of $1.89B.

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