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Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarter sales rose half a percent: Quarter net sales were $656.4 million, up 0.5 percent. Nine-month net sales were $1,899.5 million, up from $1,890.0 million, with nine-month currency-neutral sales down 1.7 percent. Source
  • Life Science sales declined: Life Science net sales were $254.6 million, down 2.8 percent reported and 2.4 percent currency-neutral. Management tied the decline to lower process chromatography sales and academic research challenges, partly offset by Droplet Digital PCR. Source
  • Clinical Diagnostics sales rose: Clinical Diagnostics net sales were $401.8 million, up 2.7 percent reported and 2.8 percent currency-neutral. Management cited quality systems and diabetes products as the drivers. Source
  • Non-GAAP margins higher year over year: Non-GAAP gross margin was 54.5 percent, against 53.5 percent, and non-GAAP operating margin was 12.8 percent, against 11.8 percent in the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Impairment drove GAAP operating loss: GAAP operating loss of $49.7 million included a $49.8 million impairment of purchased intangibles, which is excluded from non-GAAP results. Source
  • Sartorius stake gain lifted net income: A change in fair market value of the Sartorius AG investment substantially contributed to GAAP net income of $458.6 million, against a net loss of $341.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Revenue range kept: Management continued to expect full-year currency-neutral revenue between a decline of about 3.0 percent and growth of about 0.5 percent, unchanged from the second-quarter release. Source

“Our third-quarter results reflect the steady progress we have been driving.”

Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad’s Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue, non-GAAP and currency-neutral Sourcefull-year 2026a decline of approximately 3.0 percent to growth of approximately 0.5 percentKept
Operating margin, non-GAAP Sourcefull-year 2026approximately 10.0 to 12.0 percentKept
Amortization excluded from non-GAAP operating margin Sourcefull-year 202683 basis points

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 currency-neutral revenue and non-GAAP operating margin ranges were continued without change from the second-quarter release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Quarter sales rose half a percent: Quarter net sales were $656.4 million, up 0.5 percent. Nine-month net sales were $1,899.5 million, up from $1,890.0 million, with nine-month currency-neutral sales down 1.7 percent. Source
  • Currency-neutral sales grew again: Currency-neutral sales rose 0.7 percent in the quarter, after a 1.9 percent decline in the second quarter. Management said the company returned to currency-neutral revenue growth. Source
  • Operating cash flow lower in quarter: Quarter GAAP net cash from operations was $96.4 million, against $120.9 million a year earlier. Nine-month operating cash flow was $303.2 million, against $367.3 million. Source

Segments and products

  • Life Science sales declined: Life Science net sales were $254.6 million, down 2.8 percent reported and 2.4 percent currency-neutral. Management tied the decline to lower process chromatography sales and academic research challenges, partly offset by Droplet Digital PCR. Source
  • Clinical Diagnostics sales rose: Clinical Diagnostics net sales were $401.8 million, up 2.7 percent reported and 2.8 percent currency-neutral. Management cited quality systems and diabetes products as the drivers. Source
  • Life Science excluding chromatography grew: Life Science excluding process chromatography grew 2.5 percent currency-neutral in the quarter, after a 0.3 percent decline in the second quarter. Source
  • Droplet Digital PCR demand cited: Management cited demand for Droplet Digital PCR instruments as a driver of currency-neutral growth. No instrument revenue or unit figure was given for the quarter. Source
  • R&D reprioritization yielding products: Management said the reprioritization of R&D efforts is producing new products it described as differentiated for customers. Source

“We returned to currency-neutral revenue growth, led by Clinical Diagnostics and strong demand for our Droplet Digital™ PCR instruments.”

Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad’s Chief Executive Officer

Margins and costs

  • Non-GAAP margins higher year over year: Non-GAAP gross margin was 54.5 percent, against 53.5 percent, and non-GAAP operating margin was 12.8 percent, against 11.8 percent in the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Impairment drove GAAP operating loss: GAAP operating loss of $49.7 million included a $49.8 million impairment of purchased intangibles, which is excluded from non-GAAP results. Source
  • Restructuring costs were higher: Restructuring costs were $77.2 million in the quarter, against $2.5 million a year earlier, and are excluded from non-GAAP operating income. Source
  • SG&A higher with restructuring: GAAP SG&A was $257.1 million against $206.8 million, including $41.4 million of restructuring costs. Non-GAAP SG&A was $214.1 million against $202.2 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP R&D spending lower: Non-GAAP research and development expense was $60.0 million against $70.2 million a year earlier. Nine-month non-GAAP R&D was $185.4 million against $191.2 million. Source

Non-operating items and tax

  • Sartorius stake gain lifted net income: A change in fair market value of the Sartorius AG investment substantially contributed to GAAP net income of $458.6 million, against a net loss of $341.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS higher at $2.65: Non-GAAP diluted income per share was $2.65, against $2.26 a year earlier. Nine-month non-GAAP diluted income per share was $7.15, against $7.41. Source
  • Non-GAAP tax rate lower on earnings mix: The non-GAAP tax rate was 21.4 percent, against 26.7 percent a year earlier. Management attributed the lower rate to geographical mix of earnings. The GAAP rate was 14.9 percent. Source

“Excluding restructuring and impairment items, margins expanded, reflecting benefits of our transformation initiatives.”

Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad’s Chief Executive Officer

Cash, debt and capital

  • Free cash flow lower: Quarter free cash flow was $65.2 million, against $89.2 million. Nine-month free cash flow was $210.0 million, against $255.5 million. Source
  • Debt due within a year rose: Current maturities of debt were $400.9 million at September 30, 2026, against $1.3 million at December 31, 2025. Long-term debt was $803.1 million, against $1,201.7 million. Source
  • No repurchase payments in quarter: Nine-month treasury stock payments were $79.3 million, the same as the six-month figure in the second-quarter release, against $295.5 million a year earlier. The cash flow shows no further payments in the quarter. Source
  • Cash and investments on hand: Cash and cash equivalents were $465.3 million and short-term investments were $1,199.0 million at September 30, 2026. Source
  • Capital spending slightly lower: Quarter property, plant and equipment payments were $31.2 million, against $31.7 million. Nine-month payments were $93.2 million, against $111.8 million. Source

Full-year 2026 guidance held

  • Revenue range kept: Management continued to expect full-year currency-neutral revenue between a decline of about 3.0 percent and growth of about 0.5 percent, unchanged from the second-quarter release. Source
  • Margin range kept: Full-year non-GAAP operating margin is estimated at about 10.0 to 12.0 percent, also unchanged. Nine-month non-GAAP operating margin was 10.7 percent. Source
  • Amortization exclusion basis points changed: The forecast non-GAAP operating margin excludes 83 basis points of amortization of purchased intangibles, against 89 basis points in the second-quarter release. Source

Leadership and reporting

  • Employee count shown lower: The company description gives about 7,100 employees, against about 7,400 in the second-quarter release. The 2025 revenue figure of $2.6 billion is unchanged. Source
  • Chairman title dropped from release: The second-quarter release named Norman Schwartz as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. This release names him as Chief Executive Officer. The documents give no reason for the difference.
  • Non-GAAP measures used for compensation: The company said it uses non-GAAP measures to evaluate business performance, guide operating decisions, support forecasting, and determine compensation. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

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

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Lower process chromatography sales and academic research market challenges weighed on Life Science sales this quarter. Source
  • External: Foreign exchange reduced reported total revenue growth by 0.2 points in the quarter; currency-neutral growth was 0.7 percent. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it continues to expect the full-year 2026 currency-neutral revenue range it gave earlier. Source
  • Not stated: Management attributed margin expansion, excluding restructuring and impairment items, to benefits of its transformation initiatives. 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.