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Adobe Confronts $150 Million DOJ Settlement on Subscriptions as CEO Transition Hits Shares

The deal awaits court sign-off before penalties take effect with mandated disclosure and cancellation fixes.

Overview

  • Justice Department filed a proposed stipulated order that would resolve its case against Adobe and two executives, Maninder Sawhney and David Wadhwani, pending court approval.
  • The proposal includes a $75 million civil penalty and $75 million in free services plus requirements to disclose Early Termination Fees and their calculation before enrollment, send reminders for trials over seven days, and simplify cancellations.
  • Adobe denied wrongdoing, said it has already streamlined sign‑up and cancellation flows, and noted the agreement contains no admission of liability.
  • Adobe reported fiscal Q1 revenue of $6.40 billion and adjusted EPS of $6.06, both above estimates, reiterated full‑year guidance, and said subscriptions accounted for 97% of quarterly revenue.
  • CEO Shantanu Narayen will step down after a successor is named and remain board chair; shares fell more than 5% following the announcement as Citi trimmed its price target to $278.