TLDR
- Kyndryl stock crashed 55% to $10.59 Monday after CFO David Wyshner, General Counsel Edward Sebold, and Global Controller Vineet Khurana left their positions
- The company disclosed an SEC review of accounting practices and material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting
- Kyndryl cut fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to a 2-3% decline from previous 1% growth forecast and slashed free cash flow target to $350 million from $550 million
- Guggenheim Partners downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy and removed its price target, citing execution and credibility concerns
- Multiple firms downgraded Kyndryl including J.P. Morgan’s double-downgrade to Underweight and Oppenheimer’s cut to Perform
Kyndryl Holdings delivered investors a nightmare scenario Monday. The IT infrastructure company saw its stock collapse 55% to $10.59 as it announced the sudden departure of three top executives and an SEC accounting review.
CFO David Wyshner, General Counsel Edward Sebold, and Global Controller Vineet Khurana all left their positions. Khurana transitioned to senior vice president of business operations. The company provided no detailed explanation for the executive shuffle.
The executive exits came alongside an even more troubling disclosure. Kyndryl revealed it was reviewing accounting practices after receiving voluntary document requests from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company admitted to material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting. It promised a remediation plan but offered no specifics. Details will come in a delayed quarterly securities filing.
Guggenheim Partners analyst Jonathan Lee downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy. He withdrew the firm’s price target entirely. The announcements “draw more questions than answers,” Lee wrote in a research note.
Wall Street Loses Faith
The stock found some buyers Tuesday, rising 5% to $11.12. But shares remain down 58% year-to-date and 73% over the past 12 months. That modest recovery hasn’t convinced Wall Street analysts.
J.P. Morgan delivered a double-downgrade Monday, cutting Kyndryl to Underweight from Overweight. Oppenheimer slashed its rating to Perform from Outperform. The analyst consensus suggests staying far away.
Lee said investors likely expected weak third-quarter results. But nobody anticipated the exodus of top financial and legal executives. The SEC review creates a lasting problem for the stock.
“We expect investors to continue questioning execution and credibility until management provides an update on material weaknesses,” Lee wrote. That overhang could last months.
Financial Picture Deteriorates
Kyndryl’s updated guidance made matters worse. The company now expects fiscal 2026 revenue to decline 2% to 3%. That’s a sharp reversal from previous guidance of 1% growth.
Free cash flow guidance dropped to $350 million at the midpoint. The prior forecast stood at $550 million. That’s a 36% reduction in expected cash generation.
The revised numbers raise serious questions about Kyndryl’s 2028 target of $1 billion in adjusted free cash flow. Lee said investors need to see a credible management team executing a turnaround before believing in medium-term targets again.
Fiscal third-quarter results disappointed even beyond the guidance cuts. The company underperformed across key metrics. Revenue declined faster than expected. Profit margins compressed.
The IBM spinoff hasn’t gained traction since separating from its parent company. The business model struggles to generate growth. Cost-cutting measures haven’t translated to improved profitability.
Kyndryl’s client base consists largely of legacy IT infrastructure contracts. These agreements generate steady revenue but offer limited expansion opportunities. Competition from cloud providers adds pressure.
The company bet heavily on managed services and consulting. But winning new business has proven difficult. Many potential customers prefer building internal capabilities or working with established cloud platforms.
Management turnover compounds operational challenges. New executives will need time to assess the business and implement changes. That delay pushes any potential turnaround further into the future.
The SEC review timeline remains unclear. Kyndryl hasn’t specified when it expects to complete the accounting assessment. Investors face months of uncertainty about potential financial restatements.
Guggenheim’s Lee emphasized that credibility restoration requires concrete action. Words won’t be enough. Management needs to demonstrate tangible progress on multiple fronts simultaneously.
The analyst community now waits for Kyndryl’s delayed quarterly filing. That document should provide more details about the material weaknesses and remediation plans. Until then, uncertainty reigns supreme.
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