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Carrier Global Corp.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 October 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales rose 12%, organic 15%: Net sales were $6,263 million, up 12% from $5,579 million. Organic sales rose 15%, and divestitures reduced sales by 3%. Source
  • Adjusted operating profit up 33%: Adjusted operating profit was $1,091 million, up from $823 million, with growth in all segments. Adjusted operating margin was 17.4%, up 260 basis points. Source
  • Goodwill impairment on Europe unit: The company recorded a $3.1 billion non-cash goodwill impairment on its Climate Solutions Europe reporting unit during the third quarter. Source
  • Adjusted margin 17.4%, up 260bps: Adjusted operating margin was 17.4%, compared with 14.8%. Management attributed the gain mainly to volume and price, partly offset by input costs and tariffs. Source
  • Orders up 35%, backlog over $8.5B: Organic orders rose about 35%, and backlog exceeded $8.5 billion, up 60% from a year earlier. Source
  • Sales guidance raised to nearly $24B: Full-year 2026 sales are expected at nearly $24 billion, against about $23 billion previously. The table shows $23.8 to $24.0 billion. Source
  • Free cash flow $674M in quarter: Operating cash flow was $813 million and capital expenditures were $139 million, giving free cash flow of $674 million. Nine-month free cash flow was $1,469 million. Source

“Organic orders were up ~35%, with data center orders up ~300%, resulting in over $8.5 billion of backlog, up 60% versus last year”

Chairman & CEO David Gitlin

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales Sourcefull-year 2026nearly $24 billion ($23.8 to $24.0 billion)Raised from ~$23 billion
Organic sales growth Sourcefull-year 2026up ~10%Raised from up ~M-HSD
FX and net acquisitions / divestitures effect on sales Sourcefull-year 2026FX +1%; acquisitions / divestitures (2%)Kept
Adjusted EPS Sourcefull-year 2026$2.85 to $2.90
Adjusted operating profit Sourcefull-year 2026~$3.5 billionKept
Free cash flow Sourcefull-year 2026~$2 billionKept
Cash returned to shareowners Sourcefull-year 2026approximately $2.3 billion
Revenue headwind from exits Sourcefull-year 2026, year over year~$225 million (Riello) and ~$125 million (NORESCO)Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 sales guidance was raised to nearly $24 billion from about $23 billion. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 organic sales growth guidance was raised to about 10% from mid-single digits. Source
  • Ended: The NORESCO divestiture, previously announced, was completed on August 3. Source
  • New: The company recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $3.1 billion for its Climate Solutions Europe reporting unit in the third quarter. Source

Results and portfolio changes

  • Sales rose 12%, organic 15%: Net sales were $6,263 million, up 12% from $5,579 million. Organic sales rose 15%, and divestitures reduced sales by 3%. Source
  • Adjusted operating profit up 33%: Adjusted operating profit was $1,091 million, up from $823 million, with growth in all segments. Adjusted operating margin was 17.4%, up 260 basis points. Source
  • GAAP operating loss on impairment: GAAP operating loss was $2,273 million, compared with operating profit of $539 million a year earlier. The goodwill charge offset growth in all segments. Source
  • Adjusted EPS $0.87, GAAP loss: Adjusted EPS was $0.87, compared with $0.67, up 30%. GAAP diluted loss from continuing operations was $3.16 per share, compared with earnings of $0.47. Source
  • Goodwill impairment on Europe unit: The company recorded a $3.1 billion non-cash goodwill impairment on its Climate Solutions Europe reporting unit during the third quarter. Source
  • Riello and NORESCO exits completed: Management said the Riello divestiture was completed on July 1 and the NORESCO divestiture on August 3. Source

Segment results by region

  • CSA margin up 250 basis points: Climate Solutions Americas segment sales rose 24% and segment operating margin was 22.2%, up 250 basis points, including about $120 million of IEEPA refunds. Source
  • CSE sales up 3%, organic up 12%: Climate Solutions Europe sales rose 3%. Organic growth of 12% was offset by a 7% divestiture headwind and a 2% currency headwind. Segment operating margin was 12.6%. Source
  • CSAME sales up 2%: Climate Solutions Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa sales rose 2%, with organic sales up 3% and Commercial up 10%. Segment operating margin was 12.1%, up 50 basis points. Source
  • CST sales down 3%: Climate Solutions Transportation segment operating margin rose 70 basis points to 16.1%, helped by IEEPA refunds, while lower volumes partly offset the gain. Source

“expect to deliver double-digit organic sales and adjusted EPS growth in 2026”

Chairman & CEO David Gitlin

Residential and commercial product lines

  • Heat pumps and air conditioning up: In Europe, residential heat pump and air conditioning sales each rose about 35%, more than offsetting high-single digit declines in boilers. Source
  • Europe residential and commercial growth: Residential and Light Commercial sales in Europe rose low-teens, and Commercial grew high-single digits. Source
  • Americas residential and commercial growth: Climate Solutions Americas organic sales rose 25%, with Residential up over 30% and Commercial up 25%. Per the company's footnote, Commercial excludes NORESCO. Source

Costs, margins and tax

  • Adjusted margin 17.4%, up 260bps: Adjusted operating margin was 17.4%, compared with 14.8%. Management attributed the gain mainly to volume and price, partly offset by input costs and tariffs. Source
  • IEEPA refunds added operating profit: The company reported about $130 million of operating profit from IEEPA refunds in the quarter. Source
  • Refunds added about $0.10 to EPS: Adjusted EPS included about $0.10 from IEEPA refunds, net of about $0.02 non-controlling interest impact. Source
  • Higher tax rate, lower share count: Adjusted EPS growth came from higher operating profit and a lower share count, partly offset by a higher effective tax rate and higher non-controlling interest. Source

Orders, backlog and long-term agreements

  • Orders up 35%, backlog over $8.5B: Organic orders rose about 35%, and backlog exceeded $8.5 billion, up 60% from a year earlier. Source
  • Commercial HVAC and data center orders: Total company orders rose about 35%, Commercial HVAC orders about 60%, and data center orders about 300%. Source
  • Signed long-term agreements add minimums: The company said signed long-term agreements are valued at multiple billions of dollars and carry minimum volume commitments, which are additive to backlog. Source

Full-year 2026 guidance update

  • Sales guidance raised to nearly $24B: Full-year 2026 sales are expected at nearly $24 billion, against about $23 billion previously. The table shows $23.8 to $24.0 billion. Source
  • Organic growth guidance now about 10%: Organic sales growth is expected at about 10%, against mid-single digits previously. FX adds 1% and net acquisitions and divestitures reduce sales by 2%. Source
  • Adjusted EPS range $2.85 to $2.90: Adjusted EPS guidance is $2.85 to $2.90, against about $2.90 previously. Free cash flow guidance stays at about $2 billion. Source
  • Adjusted operating profit guidance unchanged: Adjusted operating profit guidance stays at about $3.5 billion. Source
  • Capital return of about $2.3B: The company expects to return about $2.3 billion to shareowners through dividends and share repurchases in 2026. Source
  • Exit revenue headwinds quantified: Year-over-year revenue headwinds are about $225 million from Riello and about $125 million from NORESCO. Source

Cash flow, net debt and returns

  • Free cash flow $674M in quarter: Operating cash flow was $813 million and capital expenditures were $139 million, giving free cash flow of $674 million. Nine-month free cash flow was $1,469 million. Source
  • About $600M returned to shareowners: The company returned about $600 million through dividends and repurchases in the quarter. Source
  • Net debt below year-end level: Net debt was $10,120 million at September 30, 2026, against $10,278 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Coming up, as management said on 29 October 2026

  • Backlog to support 2027 momentum: Management said record backlog gives it confidence to sustain momentum into 2027 and beyond. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total company orders, organic change Sourceup ~35%
Commercial HVAC orders change Sourceup ~60%
Data center orders change Sourceup ~300%
Backlog Sourceover $8.5 billion, up 60%
Signed long-term agreements Sourcevalued at multiple billions of dollars

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management said it remains vigilant about industry-wide macro pressures, including tariffs and rising input costs. Source
  • Operational: Increases in inventory-related reserves in Europe offset part of the segment margin benefit from a prior period correction. Source
  • Demand: Residential and Light Commercial sales in Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa declined by a mid-single digit rate. Source
  • Demand: Truck and Trailer declines more than offset Container growth in Climate Solutions Transportation. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it expects to deliver double-digit organic sales and adjusted EPS growth in 2026. 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.