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Cushman & Wakefield (CWK)
NYSE:CWK

Cushman & Wakefield (CWK) AI Stock Analysis

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CWK

Cushman & Wakefield

(NYSE:CWK)

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Neutral 60 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:60Neutral
Price Target:
$14.00
▲(1.08% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/20/26
CWK scores as a moderate opportunity: improving fundamentals and upbeat guidance (including EPS growth targets and ongoing deleveraging) support the rating, and valuation is reasonable. The main drag is weak technical momentum (price below key moving averages with negative MACD) alongside still-thin and historically volatile profitability/cash-flow consistency.
Positive Factors
Balance sheet deleveraging
Substantial deleveraging and ample liquidity materially improve financial flexibility vs prior years. A lower leverage profile reduces refinancing risk, supports strategic hiring/investment, and gives the firm capacity to execute three‑year targets and withstand sector cyclicality.
Diversified fee revenue & leasing strength
Broad-based growth across services, leasing and capital markets demonstrates scale and diversified revenue streams. This mix reduces dependence on any single market, enhances cross‑sell opportunities, and supports more durable fee income through real estate cycles.
Improved cash generation
Strong free cash flow conversion in 2025 strengthens the firm's capacity to repay debt, fund organic investment and execute recruitment plans. Consistent cash generation is a durable enabler of deleveraging and strategic initiatives, even if near‑term conversion may normalize.
Negative Factors
Thin, volatile profitability
Very thin net margins make earnings highly sensitive to cost inflation, margin pressure and deal volatility. Profitability volatility limits retained earnings and ROE, constrains reinvestment, and raises execution risk for multi‑year EPS targets if margins fail to sustainably expand.
Greystone JV impairment
A material non‑cash impairment signals risks in investment and acquisition assumptions and reduces foreseeable EBITDA contribution. Such write‑downs complicate GAAP comparability, can impair capital allocation returns, and highlight execution risk in alternative‑asset ventures.
Mid‑market AI disintermediation risk
The firm’s concentration in mid‑market, standardized transactions exposes fee pools to automation and AI pricing tools. If AI compresses transactional fees, Cushman must drive higher cross‑sell or unique advisory value to preserve margins and client relationships long term.

Cushman & Wakefield (CWK) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Cushman & Wakefield Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionCushman & Wakefield plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial real estate services under the Cushman & Wakefield brand in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and Asia Pacific segments. It offers integrated facilities management, project and development, portfolio administration, transaction management, and strategic consulting services; property management services, including client accounting, engineering and operations, lease compliance administration, project and development, and sustainability services; and self-performed facilities services, which include janitorial, maintenance, critical environment management, landscaping, and office services. The company also provides owner representation and tenant representation leasing services; capital market services, including investment sales and equity, and debt and structured financing for real estate purchase and sales transactions; and appraisal management, investment management, valuation advisory, portfolio advisory, diligence advisory, dispute analysis and litigation support, financial reporting, and property and/or portfolio valuation services on real estate debt and equity decisions. Cushman & Wakefield has strategic partnerships with Vanke Service (Hong Kong) Co., Limited. It serves real estate owners and occupiers, such as tenants, investors, and multi-national corporations. Cushman & Wakefield plc was founded in 1784 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.
How the Company Makes MoneyCushman & Wakefield generates revenue through multiple key streams, primarily from service fees associated with property management, leasing commissions, and advisory services. The company earns a substantial portion of its income from transaction services, where it facilitates the buying, selling, and leasing of commercial properties, charging fees based on transaction value. Additionally, CWK derives revenue from asset management services, providing strategic advice and operational management to enhance the value of real estate investments. Significant partnerships with institutional investors and real estate owners also contribute to its earnings, as these relationships often lead to ongoing management contracts and advisory engagements. Furthermore, the company's focus on technology and data analytics enhances operational efficiency and client service, further supporting its revenue-generating capabilities.

Cushman & Wakefield Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 19, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 05, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed a strong positive operational and financial performance in 2025: robust top-line growth (7% revenue growth to $7.1B), double-digit adjusted EBITDA and EPS improvements (+11% EBITDA, +34% EPS), record leasing results, exceptional free cash flow conversion (103%), and meaningful deleveraging to 2.9x. Management presented confident 2026 and three-year targets and emphasized strategic AI and cross-selling initiatives. Key negatives include a sizable non-cash $177M Greystone JV impairment, some Q4 margin pressure driven by investment and healthcare costs, regional softness in APAC capital markets, and a guided reduction in expected free cash flow conversion for 2026 to 60–80%. Overall, the positives — historic revenues, strong EPS and free cash flow performance, balance sheet improvement, and clear growth/AI strategy — outweigh the limited set of challenges and one-time items.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Financial Performance and EPS Growth
Adjusted EPS of $1.22, up 34% year-over-year — the company highlighted this as the highest adjusted EPS growth for 2025 and at the high end of guidance.
Historic Revenue and Leasing Highs
Total fee revenue of $7.1 billion, up 7% versus 2024; highest total revenue and highest leasing revenue in company history. Fourth quarter revenue was $2.0 billion, up 7% year-over-year; Q4 leasing grew 5% and reached the company's highest quarterly leasing level ever.
Adjusted EBITDA Expansion
Full-year adjusted EBITDA grew 11% to $656 million and adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 46 basis points year-over-year despite continued strategic investments.
Exceptional Free Cash Flow and Cash Position
Generated $293 million (reported ~ $290M+) in free cash flow for 2025 representing 103% free cash flow conversion — a $126 million improvement versus 2024 — and ended the year with approximately $800 million in cash and $1.8 billion in total liquidity.
Improved Leverage and Balance Sheet Progress
Net leverage improved to 2.9x from 3.8x at the end of 2024 (after $300 million principal prepayment) — nearly a year ahead of expectations and a step toward the target of 2.0x by 2028.
Capital Markets and Leasing Momentum
Capital markets revenue showed strong momentum: Q4 global capital markets +15% and the firm cited ~33% growth for capital markets in 2025 overall; Americas capital markets grew 19% in the quarter. Industrial leasing in The Americas was up ~10%, and multi-market leasing showed positive growth across regions.
Services Growth and Moving Up the Value Chain
Services revenue (project/asset/property management) grew 6% in Q4 and the business moved from flat to ~6% organic growth for the year; project management showed strength particularly in the back half of 2025 with wins and pipeline expansion.
Clear 2026 and Three-Year Targets
Management set 2026 guidance of revenue growth 6–8% and adjusted EPS growth 15–20%; three-year targets include 15–20% annual adjusted EPS growth and a path to 2.0x leverage by 2028, indicating confidence in continued execution.
AI Strategy and Competitive Positioning
Company emphasized enterprise-wide AI initiatives (de-siloing data, proprietary data assets, workflows, OneAdvise and other platforms) and launched an AI-focused client webcast and an 'AI impact barometer' — positioning the firm to be an advisory-led AI winner.
Talent and Organic Investment
Continued hiring and investment plans across institutional capital markets and leasing, with an explicit recruiting budget for 2026 and emphasis on cross-selling and integrated client delivery.
Negative Updates
Greystone Joint Venture Impairment
Recorded a non-cash $177 million impairment to the Greystone JV in Q4 due to lower forward earnings expectations relative to acquisition assumptions. Greystone contributed $36 million of adjusted EBITDA in 2025 and management now models a lower run-rate contribution going forward.
Q4 Margin Pressure and Elevated Costs
Q4 adjusted EBITDA rose only 5% to $239 million as revenue growth was partially offset by a ramp in strategic investments and higher annual health care costs that were weighted to the quarter, producing some margin headwinds.
Regional Capital Markets Weakness in APAC
APAC capital markets declined 5% in the quarter (cited as due to a difficult prior-year comparison in Japan), indicating uneven regional performance despite global momentum.
One-Time and Non-Cash Items Affect Comparability
In addition to the Greystone impairment, the company recorded a roughly $27 million non-cash gain from an investment exit — both items are excluded from adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income but complicate GAAP comparability.
Lower Expected Free Cash Flow Conversion in 2026 vs 2025
Management guided to an anticipated 2026 free cash flow conversion of 60%–80%, materially lower than the 103% conversion achieved in 2025, implying steadier but reduced near-term cash conversion expectations.
Unquantified Risk: Mid-Market Exposure and AI Disruption
Analyst concerns noted that average transaction size skews lower than some peers, raising a potential risk that mid-market or smaller standardized transactions could face greater AI-driven disintermediation — management views this risk as overstated but it remains a thematic vulnerability.
Limited Margin Guidance and Capital Allocation Constraints
Management did not provide full-year margin guidance and emphasized a balanced capital allocation approach prioritizing organic investment and deleveraging; share buybacks are under consideration but secondary to debt reduction, which could restrain near-term shareholder returns.
Company Guidance
Cushman & Wakefield guided 2026 revenue growth of 6–8% and adjusted EPS growth of 15–20%, with anticipated free cash flow conversion of 60–80% and service‑line growth “similar to 2025,” while reiterating a three‑year goal of ~15–20% annual adjusted EPS growth and a target to reach ~2.0x net leverage by 2028 (exiting 2025 at 2.9x after $300M of principal prepayments). For context, 2025 results included $7.1B of revenue (+7%), $656M of adjusted EBITDA (+11%), adjusted EPS of $1.22 (+34%), $293M of free cash flow (103% conversion), roughly $800M of cash and $1.8B of total liquidity, with strong momentum in capital markets and leasing underpinning a balanced plan to invest organically while continuing deleveraging.

Cushman & Wakefield Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Financials show a recovery but not yet high quality: revenue returned to modest growth and profitability improved versus the 2023 loss, the balance sheet looks less leveraged in 2025, and free cash flow strengthened. Offsetting this, margins remain thin/volatile and cash flows have been uneven across the cycle, reducing earnings durability.
Income Statement
56
Neutral
Revenue has been broadly stable with a return to modest growth in 2025 (+2.8%) after a soft 2023–2024. Profitability has been volatile: net income swung from a loss in 2023 to modest profitability in 2024–2025, but 2025 net margin remains thin (~0.9%) and down versus 2024. Operating profitability also compressed versus earlier years (2021–2022), signaling a weaker pricing/cost environment and less earnings resilience.
Balance Sheet
62
Positive
Leverage appears meaningfully improved in 2025 with debt-to-equity around 0.19 versus roughly ~1.9–2.5+ in 2021–2024, which reduces balance-sheet risk and improves flexibility. Equity has also grown versus 2020–2021 levels, supporting stability. The key watch-out is consistency: prior years carried elevated leverage, so sustaining the lower debt profile and maintaining returns (ROE fell to ~4.5% in 2025 from stronger levels in 2021–2022) will matter.
Cash Flow
58
Neutral
Cash generation improved in 2024–2025, with 2025 free cash flow at $340M and strong year-over-year growth, and free cash flow roughly matching reported earnings. However, cash flow has been choppy over the cycle (including negative operating cash flow and free cash flow in 2020 and negative free cash flow in 2022), and operating cash flow remains a relatively small share of revenue, indicating working-capital/transaction-driven volatility.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue10.29B9.45B9.49B10.11B9.39B
Gross Profit1.67B1.73B1.65B1.95B1.94B
EBITDA434.60M510.70M494.50M780.20M795.70M
Net Income88.20M131.30M-35.40M196.40M250.00M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets7.68B7.55B7.77B7.95B7.89B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments784.20M793.30M767.70M644.50M770.70M
Total Debt3.24B3.31B3.57B3.60B3.66B
Total Liabilities5.72B5.79B6.10B6.29B6.44B
Stockholders Equity1.96B1.75B1.68B1.66B1.45B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow293.00M167.00M101.20M-1.60M495.70M
Operating Cash Flow340.40M208.00M152.20M49.10M549.50M
Investing Cash Flow-21.10M81.20M48.90M-120.70M-749.50M
Financing Cash Flow-350.50M-253.40M-120.80M-79.30M-65.80M

Cushman & Wakefield Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Neutral
Last Price13.85
Price Trends
50DMA
15.63
Negative
100DMA
15.71
Negative
200DMA
14.30
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.73
Positive
RSI
44.25
Neutral
STOCH
66.65
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CWK, the sentiment is Neutral. The current price of 13.85 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 14.47, below the 50-day MA of 15.63, and below the 200-day MA of 14.30, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.73 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 44.25 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 66.65 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Neutral sentiment for CWK.

Cushman & Wakefield Risk Analysis

Cushman & Wakefield disclosed 32 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Cushman & Wakefield reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Cushman & Wakefield Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (65)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
68
Neutral
$43.14B38.2313.38%14.61%30.19%
68
Neutral
$14.57B19.2911.10%12.51%32.34%
65
Neutral
$2.17B12.193.79%4.94%3.15%1.96%
61
Neutral
$1.01B-534.84-1.09%1.80%20.74%78.92%
60
Neutral
$3.15B36.6112.21%6.77%150.72%
56
Neutral
$2.66B25.468.49%0.68%22.22%94.52%
54
Neutral
$20.83B2,985.330.09%14.61%-87.93%
* Real Estate Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CWK
Cushman & Wakefield
13.85
1.96
16.48%
CBRE
CBRE Group
150.00
8.06
5.68%
CSGP
CoStar Group
45.00
-31.25
-40.98%
JLL
Jones Lang Lasalle
322.73
50.84
18.70%
MMI
Marcus & Millichap
26.58
-11.33
-29.88%
NMRK
Newmark Group
14.89
0.31
2.13%

Cushman & Wakefield Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Cushman & Wakefield Posts Record 2025 Revenue, Strengthens Balance Sheet
Positive
Feb 19, 2026

Cushman & Wakefield reported on February 19, 2026 that it achieved the highest fourth-quarter and full-year revenue in its history for 2025, with total revenue up 11% in the quarter and 9% for the year, driven by broad-based growth in services, leasing, capital markets and valuation. Despite posting a fourth-quarter net loss of $22.4 million due to a $177 million impairment on its Greystone JV investment, the firm delivered a 34% rise in adjusted earnings per share, stronger adjusted EBITDA, significantly improved cash generation and $300 million of debt prepayment, underscoring healthier commercial real estate markets and a bolstered balance sheet for 2026.

For the fourth quarter of 2025, service line fee revenue rose 9% to $2.0 billion, with services up 8%, leasing up 6%, capital markets up 17% and valuation and other up 15%, reflecting solid demand across asset classes and regions. For the full year, service line fee revenue increased 7% to $7.1 billion, while operating cash flow climbed by $132.4 million to $340.4 million and free cash flow grew by $126 million to $293 million, leaving the company with $1.8 billion of liquidity at year-end and marking its fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit capital markets revenue growth.

The most recent analyst rating on (CWK) stock is a Buy with a $19.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cushman & Wakefield stock, see the CWK Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Cushman & Wakefield Sets Ambitious 2026-2028 Targets
Positive
Dec 4, 2025

Cushman & Wakefield announced its financial targets for 2026-2028 during an investor day scheduled for December 4, 2025. The company aims for significant growth, including a 15-20% annual increase in adjusted earnings per share and a 6-8% rise in organic fee revenue. By 2028, it targets a 200% increase in cross-sell fee revenue and a 96% client retention rate. The company also plans to improve its net debt leverage to 2x by the end of 2028, with a strong free cash flow conversion expected to result in approximately $800 million in cumulative free cash flow starting in 2026. These strategic goals are part of Cushman & Wakefield’s broader effort to enhance client relationships and transform its platform for better productivity and revenue generation.

The most recent analyst rating on (CWK) stock is a Hold with a $18.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cushman & Wakefield stock, see the CWK Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Feb 20, 2026