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Acuity Inc. (De): Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 2 April 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales rose 4.9 percent: Quarter sales reached $1.1 billion, up $49.4 million from the prior year. First-quarter sales growth had been 20.2 percent, per the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Operating profit rose 20.7 percent: Operating profit margin reached 12.6 percent, up 160 basis points. Special charges of $5.9 million from ABL productivity actions were included in the quarter. Source
  • Adjusted operating profit rose 8.0 percent: Adjusted operating profit margin was 16.7 percent, up 50 basis points. First-quarter adjusted operating profit had risen 23.7 percent, per the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 26.1 percent: Adjusted diluted EPS was $4.14, up 11.0 percent from $3.73. Six-month diluted EPS was $6.91, against $5.80 a year earlier. Source
  • ABL sales fell 2.8 percent: ABL operating profit was $125.1 million, down 4.0 percent. Adjusted ABL operating profit rose 0.4 percent to $141.8 million, a 17.3 percent margin. First-quarter ABL sales had risen 1.0 percent. Source
  • AIS sales rose 44.7 percent: AIS net sales were $248.1 million, with one extra month of QSC performance included. Adjusted AIS operating profit was $48.0 million, a 19.3 percent margin, up 60 basis points. Source
  • Operating cash flow was $229.9 million: Free cash flow was $188.1 million for six months, up 15.4 percent from $163.0 million. Capital expenditures were $41.8 million, against $28.6 million. Source
  • Quarterly dividend raised 18 percent: The quarterly dividend rose to 20 cents per share from 17 cents declared in the prior quarter, per the prior-quarter release. Source

“We grew net sales, we expanded our adjusted operating profit and adjusted operating profit margin, and we increased our adjusted diluted earnings per share.”

Neil Ashe, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Quarterly dividend raised 18 percent to 20 cents per share, from 17 cents per share in the prior quarter. Source
  • New: Productivity actions in the ABL segment were taken this quarter and produced $6 million of special charges. Source
  • New: Non-GAAP adjustments now also cover special charges and acquired profit in inventory, and adjusted gross profit is newly defined. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net sales rose 4.9 percent: Quarter sales reached $1.1 billion, up $49.4 million from the prior year. First-quarter sales growth had been 20.2 percent, per the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Operating profit rose 20.7 percent: Operating profit margin reached 12.6 percent, up 160 basis points. Special charges of $5.9 million from ABL productivity actions were included in the quarter. Source
  • Adjusted operating profit rose 8.0 percent: Adjusted operating profit margin was 16.7 percent, up 50 basis points. First-quarter adjusted operating profit had risen 23.7 percent, per the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 26.1 percent: Adjusted diluted EPS was $4.14, up 11.0 percent from $3.73. Six-month diluted EPS was $6.91, against $5.80 a year earlier. Source

Segments and sales channels

  • ABL sales fell 2.8 percent: ABL operating profit was $125.1 million, down 4.0 percent. Adjusted ABL operating profit rose 0.4 percent to $141.8 million, a 17.3 percent margin. First-quarter ABL sales had risen 1.0 percent. Source
  • AIS sales rose 44.7 percent: AIS net sales were $248.1 million, with one extra month of QSC performance included. Adjusted AIS operating profit was $48.0 million, a 19.3 percent margin, up 60 basis points. Source
  • Six-month AIS sales rose 106.3 percent: Six-month AIS net sales were $505.5 million, against $245.0 million a year earlier. Six-month adjusted AIS operating profit was $104.6 million. Source

“During the second quarter of fiscal 2026 we took certain actions related to productivity improvements in our ABL segment that resulted in $6 million of special charges.”

Acuity Inc. (De), press release

Products and customers

  • Independent network sales rose 0.2 percent: Independent network sales were $616.7 million, against $615.2 million a year earlier. This is the largest ABL channel line. Source
  • Direct network sales fell 27.5 percent: Direct network sales were $70.6 million, against $97.4 million. Six-month direct network sales fell 21.3 percent to $161.0 million. Source
  • Corporate accounts sales rose 14.3 percent: Corporate accounts net sales were $40.7 million, up $5.1 million. OEM and other sales were $49.1 million, down 4.5 percent. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin rose to 49.3 percent: GAAP gross profit was $520.4 million, up 11.2 percent from $468.0 million. Adjusted gross margin was 49.3 percent, up 180 basis points. Source
  • Selling and administrative costs rose: Selling, distribution, and administrative expenses were $381.5 million, against $357.8 million. Interest expense, net was $7.0 million, against $6.9 million. Source
  • ABL special charges of $5.9 million: Productivity actions in ABL produced the $5.9 million of special charges; the prior-year quarter had none. Source
  • AIS gross margin rose 660 basis points: AIS gross margin was 59.1 percent, against 52.5 percent a year earlier. Prior-year AIS gross profit included $10.4 million of acquired profit in inventory; adjusted AIS gross margin rose 60 basis points. Source

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow was $229.9 million: Free cash flow was $188.1 million for six months, up 15.4 percent from $163.0 million. Capital expenditures were $41.8 million, against $28.6 million. Source
  • Quarterly dividend raised 18 percent: The quarterly dividend rose to 20 cents per share from 17 cents declared in the prior quarter, per the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Share repurchases reached $103.0 million: Six-month cash paid for repurchases was $103.0 million, against $22.6 million a year earlier. Diluted weighted average shares were 31.362 million, down from 31.700 million. Source
  • Long-term debt fell to $697.1 million: Term loan repayments totaled $200.0 million in six months, after $100.0 million in the first quarter. Cash and cash equivalents were $272.5 million at February 28, 2026. Source

Reporting and non-GAAP measures

  • Non-GAAP adjustments expanded this quarter: Special charges and acquired profit in inventory are now listed as adjusted items. The prior-quarter release listed only amortization, share-based payment and acquisition-related costs. Source
  • Adjusted gross profit newly reconciled: The release reconciles adjusted gross profit and margin to GAAP gross profit for the total company and each segment. The prior-quarter release included no such measure. Source
  • Adjusted net income reached $129.9 million: Adjusted net income rose 10.0 percent. Adjusted EBITDA was $190.8 million, an 18.1 percent margin, up 8.0 percent. Source

People and leadership

  • CEO leads the earnings call: Ashe is also named Chairman and President in the release header. Source
  • About 13,000 associates reported: The company reports operations across North America, Europe and Asia. 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.