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Aaon, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 9 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 narrowed. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales rose 84.1% to record: Net sales reached a record $707.4 million, up from $384.2 million a year earlier. Management attributed growth to demand for both brands, higher throughput and use of expanded capacity. Source
  • Operating income and EPS more than doubled: Operating income rose 129.3% to $100.0 million. Gross profit rose 76.4% to $188.5 million, and GAAP diluted EPS was $0.83 compared with $0.37 a year earlier. Source
  • AAON Oklahoma margin fell on Memphis costs: AAON Oklahoma sales rose 18.7% to $283.5 million. Gross margin was 25.5% against 33.0%, with $20.7 million of Memphis facility overhead compared with $4.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • BASX-branded sales grew 218.3%: BASX-branded sales reached a record $397.2 million, reflecting data center demand, output gains and utilization of recently added capacity. BASX-branded backlog rose 51.1% year over year. Source
  • Gross margin down year over year: Gross margin was 26.7% against 27.8% a year earlier, with the year-over-year decline attributed mainly to more BASX revenue from less mature, lower-utilization facilities. Sequentially, margin rose 60 basis points. Source
  • Total backlog reached $1.9 billion: Total backlog was $1,854.5 million at September 30, up 40.5% from the prior year, and down 5.9% from June 30 as conversion into revenue accelerated. Source
  • Operating cash flow turned positive: Nine-month operating cash flow was $146.9 million, compared with a $18.8 million use of cash a year earlier. Management said earnings growth and disciplined execution drove the cash flow. Source
  • First-half figures restated upward: Restated first-half net sales rose $10.7 million and diluted EPS rose $0.09, with gross margin up 71 basis points, across the restated first and second quarters. Source

“Our third quarter results reflect strong execution and continued progress turning the investments we have made into stronger operating performance,”

Matt Tobolski, President and CEO of The Aaon Group

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales growth SourceFY202672%-75%Raised from 55%-60%
Gross profit margin SourceFY2026approximately 26%Narrowed, low end up from 25%-26%
SG&A as a percent of sales SourceFY2026about 13%
Depreciation and amortization SourceFY2026~$100M

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 net sales growth guidance raised to 72%-75% from 55%-60%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year gross margin guidance raised to approximately 26% from 25%-26%. Source
  • New: Restatement of previously issued first and second quarter 2026 financial statements. Source
  • New: Material weakness in internal control over financial reporting identified. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net sales rose 84.1% to record: Net sales reached a record $707.4 million, up from $384.2 million a year earlier. Management attributed growth to demand for both brands, higher throughput and use of expanded capacity. Source
  • Operating income and EPS more than doubled: Operating income rose 129.3% to $100.0 million. Gross profit rose 76.4% to $188.5 million, and GAAP diluted EPS was $0.83 compared with $0.37 a year earlier. Source
  • Higher throughput drove growth: Management cited higher throughput and utilization, better overhead absorption, pricing and sourcing actions, and continued operational improvement as showing up in results. Source
  • Adjusted EPS matched GAAP in quarter: Non-GAAP adjusted EPS equalled GAAP diluted EPS at $0.83 for the quarter. For the nine months, adjusted EPS was $2.08 against GAAP $2.06, after the Memphis incentive fee adjustment. Source

Segments and brands

  • AAON Oklahoma margin fell on Memphis costs: AAON Oklahoma sales rose 18.7% to $283.5 million. Gross margin was 25.5% against 33.0%, with $20.7 million of Memphis facility overhead compared with $4.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • AAON Coil Products sales rose 174.2%: AAON Coil Products sales reached $192.6 million, with gross margin of 25.8% against 11.0%. BASX-branded liquid cooling sales within the segment were $165.5 million, up 255.6%. Source
  • BASX segment sales more than tripled: BASX segment sales were $231.3 million, up 207.4%, with gross margin of 28.7% against 27.0%. Management cited backlog conversion and data center investment activity. Source

“We corrected those errors and determined that a material weakness existed in our internal control over financial reporting.”

Matt Tobolski, President and CEO of The Aaon Group

Products and customers

  • AAON-branded sales reached a record: AAON-branded sales rose 19.6% to a record $310.2 million, which management tied to a healthy backlog and continued throughput gains. AAON-branded backlog rose 18.0% year over year. Source
  • BASX-branded sales grew 218.3%: BASX-branded sales reached a record $397.2 million, reflecting data center demand, output gains and utilization of recently added capacity. BASX-branded backlog rose 51.1% year over year. Source
  • BASX customer engagement and pipeline: Management reported continued customer engagement at BASX, a healthy pipeline, and a stronger position with strategic data center customers. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin down year over year: Gross margin was 26.7% against 27.8% a year earlier, with the year-over-year decline attributed mainly to more BASX revenue from less mature, lower-utilization facilities. Sequentially, margin rose 60 basis points. Source
  • SG&A ratio fell 400 basis points: SG&A was 12.5% of sales, down 400 basis points, as revenue growth outpaced overhead investment. Management cited operating leverage and disciplined cost management. Source
  • Repricing offsets price-cost pressure: Management said repricing existing backlog mitigated inflationary and other price-cost headwinds at AAON Coil Products. Labor efficiency, overhead absorption and higher volume also helped that segment. Source
  • AAON Oklahoma margin improved sequentially: Excluding Memphis overhead costs, AAON Oklahoma adjusted gross margin rose 160 basis points sequentially, on improving price-cost and higher capacity utilization. Source

“Our balance sheet continued to strengthen during the third quarter as robust earnings growth and disciplined execution drove another period of exceptional cash flow generation.”

Andy Cheung, CFO and Treasurer

Demand and order backlog

  • Total backlog reached $1.9 billion: Total backlog was $1,854.5 million at September 30, up 40.5% from the prior year, and down 5.9% from June 30 as conversion into revenue accelerated. Source
  • Sequential backlog decline explained: Management attributed the 5.9% sequential decline mainly to accelerated conversion into record revenue and to timing variability in large BASX project awards. Source
  • AAON-branded backlog fell on production: AAON-branded backlog was $499.3 million, down 7.6% from June 30 as higher production reduced elevated lead times, and up 18.0% year over year. Source

Cash, capital and returns

  • Operating cash flow turned positive: Nine-month operating cash flow was $146.9 million, compared with a $18.8 million use of cash a year earlier. Management said earnings growth and disciplined execution drove the cash flow. Source
  • Revolver balance down from June: At September 30, cash and restricted cash totaled $3.7 million and the revolving credit facility balance was $386.7 million, down from $435.0 million at June 30. Source
  • No open-market buybacks; dividends paid: No open-market repurchases were made in the first nine months of 2026, against $30.0 million a year earlier. Dividends paid were $24.6 million, and LTIP repurchases were $4.6 million. Source

Strategy and capacity

  • Capex rose to $138.1 million: Nine-month capital expenditures were $138.1 million, against $128.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Investments converting into earnings: Management said investments in capacity and capabilities are increasingly converting into revenue, earnings and cash flow, and that continuing improvement work remains. Source
  • Memphis and footprint ramp continue: Management cited the continued ramp of the manufacturing footprint, including the Memphis facility, as supporting BASX production capacity and backlog conversion. Source

Restatement and internal controls

  • First-half figures restated upward: Restated first-half net sales rose $10.7 million and diluted EPS rose $0.09, with gross margin up 71 basis points, across the restated first and second quarters. Source
  • Errors in revenue and software accounting: Management identified errors in revenue recognition and in accounting for software subscriptions during the third-quarter reporting process. Source
  • Material weakness and remediation: The company identified a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting and says corrective actions are implemented, with further measures under way. Source
  • No fraud found in review: Management said it found no evidence of fraud or misconduct and that the identified errors do not change the underlying business. Source

Coming up, as management said on 9 November 2026

  • Order strength expected to continue: Management expects order strength to continue in the fourth quarter and into 2027. Source
  • Continued material weakness remediation: Management said it is continuing remediation efforts for the material weakness; no completion date was given. Source
  • Further margin progress in fourth quarter: Management said it expects continued progress in the fourth quarter and cited long-term earnings power and cash generation potential. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total backlog Source$1.9 billion at September 30, 2026
AAON-branded backlog Source$499.3 million
BASX-branded backlog Source$1,355.2 million
AAON-branded net sales Source$310.2 million
BASX-branded net sales Source$397.2 million

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Management said the material weakness is being remediated with urgency and that the control environment needs further strengthening. Source
  • Operational: Memphis facility overhead weighed on AAON Oklahoma profitability in the quarter, against a smaller amount a year earlier. Source
  • Demand: Management said AAON is gaining share despite softer conditions in the broader commercial HVAC market. Source
  • Demand: Timing of large BASX project awards can vary, which management cited for part of the sequential backlog decline. Source
  • External: Management cited inflationary and other price-cost headwinds, which it said are being mitigated through repricing of existing backlog. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The second-quarter release expected sequential margin improvement in the second half. The third-quarter release reports gross margin up 60 basis points sequentially.
  • Not stated: The second-quarter release said pricing and sourcing benefits were not yet fully reflected and would build through the second half.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.