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A.K.A. Brands Holding Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 new, 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 16%: Adjusted EBITDA was $8.7 million, or 5.5% of net sales, against $7.5 million, or 4.7%, a year earlier. Management linked the growth to distribution, operations and financial discipline. Source
  • Australia & New Zealand sales fell 13%: Australia & New Zealand net sales were $39.8 million, down 13.0%, the only region to decline in the quarter. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 61.1%: Gross margin was 61.1%, against 57.5%. Management attributed the increase to lower tariff rates and improved full-price selling on the streetwear brands. Source
  • Selling expenses rose to 29.9%: Selling expenses were $47.8 million, or 29.9% of net sales, against 28.3% a year earlier. The increase was attributed to store selling costs as the retail footprint expands. Source
  • Quarter-to-date sales growth accelerated: Management said quarter-to-date momentum accelerated in all regions, with overall net sales growth in the high-single-digits. Source
  • Debt reduced to $99.9 million: Debt was $99.9 million, down from $111.1 million at year-end 2025 and $108.7 million a year earlier. Source
  • Six-month operating cash flow rose: Six-month operating cash flow was $18.7 million, against $10.0 million in the first half of 2025. Source

“Our second quarter results further validate that a.k.a. Brands has been fundamentally repositioned to deliver profitable, durable growth,”

Ciaran Long, Chief Executive Officer, a.k.a. Brands

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales SourceFY 2026 (year ending Dec 31, 2026)$625 - $635 millionKept
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFY 2026 (year ending Dec 31, 2026)$30 - $32 millionKept
Weighted average diluted share count SourceFY 2026 (year ending Dec 31, 2026)11Kept
Capital expenditures SourceFY 2026 (year ending Dec 31, 2026)$18 - $20 millionKept
Net sales SourceQ3 2026 (quarter ending Sept 30, 2026)$160 - $164 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceQ3 2026 (quarter ending Sept 30, 2026)$8 - $8.5 millionNew
Weighted average diluted share count SourceQ3 2026 (quarter ending Sept 30, 2026)11New

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Princess Polly set a long-term target of at least 100 U.S. stores. Source
  • New: A new U.K. distribution center for Princess Polly is in place; management said it is accelerating UK growth. Source
  • New: Culture Kings announced plans to open its first U.S. store since 2022. Source

Results and profitability

  • Net sales slightly lower year over year: Net sales were $160.1 million, down 0.3% from $160.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Net loss narrowed to $0.2 million: Net loss was $0.2 million, or $(0.01) per diluted share, against a net loss of $3.6 million, or $(0.34) per share, a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 16%: Adjusted EBITDA was $8.7 million, or 5.5% of net sales, against $7.5 million, or 4.7%, a year earlier. Management linked the growth to distribution, operations and financial discipline. Source
  • First-half results compared with 2025: Six-month net sales were $292.5 million, up 1.2%. Six-month net loss was $7.3 million, against $12.0 million, and six-month Adjusted EBITDA was $13.9 million, against $10.2 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • U.S. sales grew 2.1%: U.S. net sales were $110.7 million, up 2.1%. Management said it delivered on growth expectations in the U.S. and Rest of World. Source
  • Australia & New Zealand sales fell 13%: Australia & New Zealand net sales were $39.8 million, down 13.0%, the only region to decline in the quarter. Source
  • Rest of World sales up 50%: Rest of World net sales were $9.6 million, up 50.5%. Six-month sales in the region rose 25.4%. Source

“We generated net sales of $160.1 million and delivered adjusted EBITDA growth of 16% year-over-year to $8.7 million, driven by expanded distribution across stores, wholesale and marketplace, a strengthened operational foundation, and continued financial discipline across the business.”

Ciaran Long, Chief Executive Officer, a.k.a. Brands

Products and customers

  • Petal & Pup adds wholesale partners: Petal & Pup is adding specialty wholesale partners to build distribution of its expanding lifestyle assortment. Source
  • Culture Kings full-price shift lifted margin: Management said Culture Kings’ shift toward a full-price, test-and-repeat model helped expand margins across the group. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin rose to 61.1%: Gross margin was 61.1%, against 57.5%. Management attributed the increase to lower tariff rates and improved full-price selling on the streetwear brands. Source
  • Selling expenses rose to 29.9%: Selling expenses were $47.8 million, or 29.9% of net sales, against 28.3% a year earlier. The increase was attributed to store selling costs as the retail footprint expands. Source
  • Marketing up, G&A flat: Marketing was $21.4 million, or 13.3% of net sales, up from 12.4%. G&A was $27.5 million, unchanged, at 17.2% of net sales. Source
  • Non-routine items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA excludes $1.0 million of non-routine legal matters, $0.3 million of relocation costs and $0.3 million of non-routine items. Source

“We remain confident that our omnichannel expansion and strengthened financial foundation position us for sustainable, profitable growth over the long term,”

Ciaran Long, Chief Executive Officer, a.k.a. Brands

Demand and orders

  • Quarter-to-date sales growth accelerated: Management said quarter-to-date momentum accelerated in all regions, with overall net sales growth in the high-single-digits. Source
  • Orders fell slightly, order value flat: Orders were 2.04 million, down 0.5%, and average order value was $78, unchanged. Source
  • Active customers rose 4.4%: Trailing-twelve-month active customers were 4.31 million, up 4.4% from 4.13 million. Source

Balance sheet and cash flow

  • Debt reduced to $99.9 million: Debt was $99.9 million, down from $111.1 million at year-end 2025 and $108.7 million a year earlier. Source
  • Six-month operating cash flow rose: Six-month operating cash flow was $18.7 million, against $10.0 million in the first half of 2025. Source
  • Inventory below year-end level: Inventory was $79.9 million, against $86.2 million at year-end 2025 and $92.5 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash above year-end level: Cash and cash equivalents were $21.1 million, up from $20.3 million at year-end 2025. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 August 2026

  • Culture Kings Puerto Rico store lease signed: Culture Kings signed a Puerto Rico store lease and is nearing agreement on a new store in a major U.S. market. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Gross margin Source61.1%
Inventory Source$79.9 million
Average ticket (average order value) Source$78
Number of orders Source2.04 million

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited a challenging macro backdrop and a tough prior-year comparison for Australia & New Zealand sales, which included clearance of non-go-forward goods. Source
  • External: Constant-currency net sales fell 5.3% while reported net sales fell 0.3%, reflecting the company's constant-currency method for currency effects. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said Princess Polly remains on track for four new U.S. stores by year end, with up to ten more in 2027. Source
  • Not stated: Management expects Adjusted EBITDA margin to rise over the long term as it scales the business. Source

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.