greeksoup/ stock research

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

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

Key takeaways

  • Sales flat, currency-neutral sales fell: Reported net sales were $651.0 million against $651.6 million a year earlier. Currency-neutral sales decreased 1.9 percent, driven by lower sales in Life Science. Source
  • Sartorius revaluation lifted GAAP net income: GAAP net income was $371.4 million, or $13.85 per diluted share, against $317.8 million and $11.67. The company said the Sartorius fair value change substantially contributed. Source
  • Life Science sales fell 4.1 percent: Life Science net sales were $252.0 million, down 4.1 percent reported and 5.1 percent on a currency-neutral basis. Source
  • Clinical Diagnostics sales rose 2.6 percent: Clinical Diagnostics net sales were $399.0 million, up 2.6 percent reported and 0.3 percent on a currency-neutral basis. Source
  • Digital PCR instrument revenue grew over 20%: Management said digital PCR instrument revenue grew more than 20 percent in the quarter, despite Life Science headwinds. Source
  • EMEA returned to growth: Management said EMEA returned to growth, helped by Middle East channel restocking amid continued volatility in the region. Source
  • Full-year ranges reaffirmed: Full-year 2026 revenue and non-GAAP operating margin ranges were kept at the first-quarter levels, with no change in this release. Source

“Second-quarter reported revenue was flat year-over-year, with growth in Clinical Diagnostics offset by continued softness in Life Science.”

Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue, non-GAAP currency-neutral Sourcefull-year 2026decline of approximately 3.0 percent to growth of approximately 0.5 percentKept
Non-GAAP operating margin Sourcefull-year 2026approximately 10.0 to 12.0 percentKept
Non-GAAP operating margin adjustment for amortization Sourcefull-year 202689 basis pointsKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: The full-year revenue range was kept at the level set in the first-quarter release, with no change in this release. Source
  • Guidance kept: The full-year non-GAAP operating margin estimate was kept at the first-quarter level, with no change in this release. Source

Second-quarter results

  • Sales flat, currency-neutral sales fell: Reported net sales were $651.0 million against $651.6 million a year earlier. Currency-neutral sales decreased 1.9 percent, driven by lower sales in Life Science. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating income declined: Non-GAAP income from operations was $81.1 million against $88.6 million a year earlier. The non-GAAP operating margin was 12.5 percent against 13.6 percent. Source
  • Sartorius revaluation lifted GAAP net income: GAAP net income was $371.4 million, or $13.85 per diluted share, against $317.8 million and $11.67. The company said the Sartorius fair value change substantially contributed. Source
  • Non-GAAP diluted EPS roughly flat: Non-GAAP diluted income per share was $2.62 against $2.61. Non-GAAP net income was $70.2 million against $71.0 million. Source

Segments and product lines

  • Life Science sales fell 4.1 percent: Life Science net sales were $252.0 million, down 4.1 percent reported and 5.1 percent on a currency-neutral basis. Source
  • Academic research challenges drove Life Science decline: Management attributed the currency-neutral Life Science decline primarily to ongoing challenges in the academic research market. Source
  • Life Science excluding process chromatography: Excluding process chromatography, Life Science was down 0.3 percent on a currency-neutral basis, against 5.1 percent including it. Source
  • Clinical Diagnostics sales rose 2.6 percent: Clinical Diagnostics net sales were $399.0 million, up 2.6 percent reported and 0.3 percent on a currency-neutral basis. Source
  • Quality systems, diabetes and blood typing grew: Clinical Diagnostics growth came from quality systems, diabetes and blood typing products, partly offset by lower infectious disease product sales. Source
  • Digital PCR instrument revenue grew over 20%: Management said digital PCR instrument revenue grew more than 20 percent in the quarter, despite Life Science headwinds. Source

“During the quarter, we generated $99 million in operating cash flow, and repurchased approximately $32 million of shares.”

Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Regions and currency

  • EMEA returned to growth: Management said EMEA returned to growth, helped by Middle East channel restocking amid continued volatility in the region. Source
  • Middle East conflict was a first-quarter drag: The first-quarter release had cited the escalation of regional conflicts in the Middle East as the main driver of the Clinical Diagnostics currency-neutral decline.
  • Foreign exchange shifted total growth: The reconciliation shows a foreign exchange change of 1.8 points on total revenue, with reported growth at negative 0.1 percent for the quarter. Source

Costs, margins and tax

  • Gross margin edged up: GAAP gross margin was 53.1 percent against 53.0 percent. Non-GAAP gross margin was 53.9 percent against 53.7 percent. Source
  • Non-GAAP selling costs rose: Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expense was $209.2 million against $200.5 million a year earlier, and $419.8 million for six months against $392.3 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP R&D roughly flat: Non-GAAP research and development expense was $60.7 million against $60.8 million for the quarter, and $125.4 million for six months against $121.0 million. Source
  • Effective tax rates diverged: The GAAP effective tax rate was 31.5 percent against 23.2 percent. The non-GAAP rate was 18.3 percent against 22.7 percent, which the company tied to geographical mix of earnings. Source

“We are reaffirming our full-year outlook, and remain focused on the discipline we believe will drive growth, durable margin expansion, and long-term shareholder value creation.”

Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Cash flow and capital spending

  • Operating cash flow lower year over year: Net cash from operations was $98.7 million for the quarter against $116.5 million. Six-month operating cash flow was $206.8 million against $246.4 million. Source
  • Six-month free cash flow lower: Free cash flow was $66.7 million for the quarter against $70.8 million, and $144.8 million for six months against $166.3 million. Source
  • Capital spending eased: Payments for property, plant and equipment were $32.0 million for the quarter against $45.7 million, and $62.0 million for six months against $80.1 million. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Six-month share buybacks lower: Payments for purchases of treasury stock were $79.3 million for the six months, against $242.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Diluted share count declined: Weighted average diluted shares were 26,814 thousand for the quarter, against 27,228 thousand a year earlier. Source
  • Current debt maturities rose: Current maturities of long-term debt and notes payable were $400.7 million at June 30, 2026, against $1.3 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Guidance and strategy

  • Full-year ranges reaffirmed: Full-year 2026 revenue and non-GAAP operating margin ranges were kept at the first-quarter levels, with no change in this release. Source
  • First-quarter cut carried forward: The first-quarter release had lowered the margin estimate from 12.0 to 12.5 percent to the current range, and revenue growth from 0.5 to 1.5 percent to the current range.
  • Margin range excludes intangibles amortization: The margin range excludes 89 basis points of amortization of purchased intangibles and does not reflect future gains or charges that are hard to predict. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 August 2026

  • Quarterly report on Form 10-Q: The company said its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 is to be filed with the SEC. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Digital PCR instrument revenue growth Sourcemore than 20%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Ongoing challenges in the academic research market weighed on Life Science sales this quarter. Source
  • External: Management described continued volatility in the Middle East region, which affected channel restocking in EMEA. Source
  • Financial: Changes in the fair value of equity securities, together with earnings mix and new tax legislation, drove the GAAP effective tax rate. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it continues to expect the full-year non-GAAP operating margin estimate as previously guided. 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.