Jan 27 (Reuters) - Roper Technologies forecast 2026 revenue and profit below Wall Street estimates on Tuesday, citing softer demand at its government contracting unit Deltek, sending shares of the company down 14.9%. The software firm forecast total revenue growth of about 8% for the year, compared with estimates of around 9%. The outlook reflected a "more appropriate and balanced" view after recent quarters disappointed amid uncertainty at Deltek, said CEO Neil Hunn. Future U.S. government shutdowns could impact the business further, with Deltek having recorded a slowdown in September after agencies halted activity ahead of the most recent shutdown. Roper also expects adjusted earnings between $21.30 and $21.55 per share in 2026, lower than analysts' estimates of $21.65 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. For the first quarter of the year, the company forecast adjusted earnings of $4.95 to $5.00 per share, below estimates of $5.18 per share. Roper had cut its 2025 profit forecast in October largely due to higher costs related to recent acquisitions. Meanwhile, the company reported revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter ended December 31, marginally missing analysts' estimates of $2.08 billion. Hunn said the results were weighed down by weaker perpetual license revenue, which led to lower organic growth in the application software segment. Adjusted earnings for the quarter stood at $5.21 per share, beating estimates of $5.14 per share. (Reporting by Arnav Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
