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Cardinal Infrastructure Group Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 12 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Third-quarter revenue rose 65.1%: Revenue rose $79.6 million, or 65.1%, to $201.9 million. Organic growth was $23.9 million and acquired businesses added $55.7 million. Source
  • Backlog reached $815.5 million: Backlog at September 30, 2026 was $815.5 million, up 26.2% year over year, primarily reflecting the ALGC acquisition. Source
  • Gross margin fell to 5.4%: Gross margin was 5.4%, down 10.5 points from 15.9%. Gross profit was $10.8 million on $201.9 million of revenue. Source
  • Estimate revisions cut gross profit: Revisions to estimated costs to complete certain projects reduced third-quarter gross profit by $13.2 million, as new project information emerged. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin fell 13.3 points: Adjusted EBITDA margin fell to 4.2% from 17.5%. Estimate revisions were about 6.5 points, pricing and bids about 3.6, and fuel and transportation about 3.5. Other factors offset about 0.3. Source
  • Net loss of $11.0 million: The company reported a net loss of $11.0 million, against net income of $10.1 million in the prior-year quarter. Loss attributable to Cardinal was $4.4 million. Source
  • Execution ranks ahead of acquisitions: Management said its strategy remains intact and its immediate priority is execution and operating discipline, so growth converts into more consistent profitability. Source

“Revenue grew 65.1% this quarter to $201.9 million, but our third-quarter Adjusted EBITDA margin fell to 4.2%, well below our expectations”

Jeremy Spivey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Share repurchases Sourcenext 12 monthsUp to $50 million of Class A common stockNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance withdrawn: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $880 million to $900 million, raised in August, and Adjusted EBITDA margin guidance of 16% to 18% are withdrawn. No replacement revenue or margin figure is given. Source
  • New: Chief Financial Officer Mike Rowe notified the company on November 9, 2026 that he will resign upon appointment of a successor. Source
  • Ended: The proposed acquisition of Hughes Brothers is postponed, in collaboration with Hughes Brothers. Source

Revenue growth and demand

  • Third-quarter revenue rose 65.1%: Revenue rose $79.6 million, or 65.1%, to $201.9 million. Organic growth was $23.9 million and acquired businesses added $55.7 million. Source
  • Organic growth came from residential: Organic growth of $23.9 million was attributed to higher residential project volumes and expansion across the company's geographic footprint. Source
  • Nine-month revenue up 92.2%: Nine-month revenue rose $286.1 million, or 92.2%, to $596.4 million. Organic growth was $144.1 million and acquisitions added $142.0 million. Source
  • Backlog reached $815.5 million: Backlog at September 30, 2026 was $815.5 million, up 26.2% year over year, primarily reflecting the ALGC acquisition. Source
  • Backlog below June reported level: The prior release reported backlog of $866 million at June 30, 2026, a 35% increase from June 30, 2025.

Gross margin and project estimates

  • Gross margin fell to 5.4%: Gross margin was 5.4%, down 10.5 points from 15.9%. Gross profit was $10.8 million on $201.9 million of revenue. Source
  • Estimate revisions cut gross profit: Revisions to estimated costs to complete certain projects reduced third-quarter gross profit by $13.2 million, as new project information emerged. Source
  • Pricing, bids and fuel also weighed: Residential pricing pressure, lower initial bid margins on some commercial and industrial projects, and higher fuel and transportation costs also reduced gross margin. Source

“These results are not acceptable, and they make clear that we need to strengthen how we estimate, manage and execute projects across Cardinal.”

Jeremy Spivey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Adjusted EBITDA and net loss

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin fell 13.3 points: Adjusted EBITDA margin fell to 4.2% from 17.5%. Estimate revisions were about 6.5 points, pricing and bids about 3.6, and fuel and transportation about 3.5. Other factors offset about 0.3. Source
  • Third-quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $8.5 million: Third-quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $8.5 million, compared with $21.4 million a year earlier, with the margin drivers listed above. Source
  • Net loss of $11.0 million: The company reported a net loss of $11.0 million, against net income of $10.1 million in the prior-year quarter. Loss attributable to Cardinal was $4.4 million. Source
  • Nine-month net income of $11.7 million: Nine-month net income was $11.7 million against $26.2 million. Nine-month Adjusted EBITDA was $63.4 million, a 10.6% margin, against 17.9% a year earlier. Source

Operating costs and G&A

  • Cost of revenues up 85.8%: Cost of revenues rose $88.2 million, or 85.8%, to $191.1 million, driven by organic and acquisition-related growth and higher fuel and transportation costs. Source
  • G&A rise tied to stock compensation: G&A rose $9.6 million to $14.7 million. The increase included $3.2 million of non-cash stock-based compensation, $2.3 million of acquired-business expenses and $1.8 million of acquisition costs. Source
  • Overhead added for growth and complexity: Management cited investments in personnel, systems and infrastructure to support growth and the increased complexity of the organization as part of the G&A increase. Source

Cash, debt and capital

  • Net cash of $136.5 million: Cash was $335.0 million and total debt $198.5 million. The company also had $100.0 million of revolver availability and $250.0 million under the delayed draw term loan. Source
  • Operating cash up, free cash flow negative: Nine-month operating cash flow was $30.3 million against $26.3 million. Capital expenditures were $41.6 million, leaving free cash flow at negative $11.3 million. Source
  • Equity offering and acquisition spending: Nine-month cash flows include $319.0 million of net equity offering proceeds, while $133.4 million was spent on acquisitions, net of cash acquired. Source

Strategy and execution focus

  • Execution ranks ahead of acquisitions: Management said its strategy remains intact and its immediate priority is execution and operating discipline, so growth converts into more consistent profitability. Source
  • Independent advisor to review processes: The company will engage an independent third-party advisor to support the operational changes and to assess estimating and project review processes. Source
  • Priority is existing operations: Management said the priority is execution across existing operations and realizing the benefits of businesses the company has already acquired. Source

People and leadership

  • COO takes direct operating role: COO Benji Wood, a third-generation operator with more than 30 years of experience, will set consistent standards for project selection, estimating, reviews and accountability. Source
  • CFO remains until successor joins: Chief Financial Officer Mike Rowe will remain in his current position until a successor joins the company. Source
  • CEO cites need to raise standard: Spivey said he recognizes when the standard needs to rise and that several actions are being taken to raise it. Source

Coming up, as management said on 12 November 2026

  • CFO search with Spencer Stuart: The company has engaged Spencer Stuart for a comprehensive search for the CFO successor. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total backlog Source$815.5 million

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Revised cost-to-complete estimates on certain projects reduced gross profit by $13.2 million as project information developed. Source
  • Demand: Residential pricing pressure and lower initial bid margins on some commercial and industrial work reduced the Adjusted EBITDA margin by about 3.6 points. Source
  • External: Higher fuel and transportation costs reduced the Adjusted EBITDA margin by about 3.5 points in the quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Missed: Management said the third-quarter Adjusted EBITDA margin was below its expectations. 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.