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CNX Resources Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 30 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 6 lowered, 1 new, 9 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and diluted EPS rose: Net income was $348.1 million against $196.3 million in the fourth quarter; diluted EPS was $2.18 against $1.28. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDAX rose to $400 million: Adjusted EBITDAX was $400 million against $292 million, after excluding the unrealized derivative gain of $226 million and stock-based compensation of $6 million. Source
  • Guidance moved in both directions: Adjusted EBITDAX and free cash flow guidance were lowered, while NGL price and well-count guidance were raised; production volume and total capital expenditure guidance were kept. Source
  • Daily production rose on flat volumes: Total sales were 152.4 Bcfe, against 152.3 Bcfe in the fourth quarter; average daily production rose to 1,693.0 MMcfe from 1,654.8 MMcfe. Source
  • Realized gas price rose on NYMEX: NYMEX averaged $5.04 per MMBtu against $3.55; the differential was ($0.55) against ($0.62), and realized gas after cash hedge settlements was $3.15 per Mcf against $2.70. Source
  • Free cash flow rose to $139 million: Free cash flow was $139 million against $132 million, from operating cash flow of $278 million, capital expenditures of $170 million and asset sale proceeds of $32 million. Source

“Forward market prices, hedged volumes, and hedge prices are as of 4/15/2026. Anticipated hedging activity is not included in projections.”

CNX Resources Corp., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Production volumes Source2026E605 - 620 BcfeKept
Liquids share of production Source2026E~7% - ~8%Kept
Natural gas hedged Source2026E81%Kept
NYMEX natural gas price on open volumes Source2026E$3.64 per MMBtuLowered from $4.07 per MMBtu
Natural gas differential on open volumes Source2026E($0.64) per MMBtuLowered from ($0.56) per MMBtu
NGL realized price on open volumes Source2026E~$24.75 per BblRaised from ~$20.75 per Bbl
Adjusted EBITDAX Source2026E$1,265 - $1,315 millionLowered from $1,310 - $1,360 million
Drilling and completions capital expenditures Source2026E$390 - $410 millionKept
Non-D&C capital expenditures Source2026E$150 - $160 millionKept
Base capital expenditures Source2026E$540 - $570 millionKept
Utica Shale rights payment Source2026E$16 millionKept
Total capital expenditures Source2026E556 - 586 millionKept
Environmental attributes sales, FCF impact Source2026E~$70 millionKept
Free cash flow Source2026E~$525 millionLowered from ~$550 million
Free cash flow per share Source2026E~$3.41Lowered from ~$3.55
Expected asset sales within FCF guidance Source2026E~$45 millionRaised from ~$30 million
Turned-in-line wells Source2026E34Raised from 30
Realized natural gas price before hedging, per MMBtu Source2026E$3.00Lowered from $3.51
Projected realized hedging gain or loss SourceCY2026($193,177) thousandRaised from ($410,314) thousand
Projected realized hedging gain, Q2 2026 SourceQ2 2026$48,576 thousandNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: 2026 Adjusted EBITDAX guidance moved to $1,265 - $1,315 million from $1,310 - $1,360 million. Source
  • Guidance lowered: 2026 free cash flow guidance moved to about $525 million from about $550 million. Source
  • Guidance lowered: 2026 free cash flow per share guidance moved to about $3.41 from about $3.55. Source
  • Guidance raised: NGL realized price assumption on open 2026 volumes moved to about $24.75 per barrel from about $20.75. Source
  • Guidance raised: 2026 turned-in-line well count moved to 34 from 30, with the Utica count rising to 7 from 3. Source
  • Guidance raised: Expected 2026 asset sales within FCF guidance moved to about $45 million from about $30 million. Source
  • Guidance lowered: NYMEX price assumption on open 2026 volumes moved to $3.64 per MMBtu from $4.07. Source
  • Guidance kept: Production volume guidance of 605 - 620 Bcfe and natural gas hedged share of 81 percent were unchanged. Source
  • New: Utica Shale rights across about 23,000 acres beneath the Apex Energy footprint were agreed; the transaction closed in Q1 2026. Source
  • New: The company issued $500 million of CNX senior notes in the quarter. Source

Earnings and guidance direction

  • Net income and diluted EPS rose: Net income was $348.1 million against $196.3 million in the fourth quarter; diluted EPS was $2.18 against $1.28. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDAX rose to $400 million: Adjusted EBITDAX was $400 million against $292 million, after excluding the unrealized derivative gain of $226 million and stock-based compensation of $6 million. Source
  • Adjusted net income rose to $193 million: Adjusted net income was $193 million against $103 million, after a tax effect of $53 million on pre-tax adjustments of $(208) million. Source
  • Total revenue rose on gas prices: Total revenue and other operating income was $786.7 million against $610.5 million; natural gas, NGL and oil revenue was $722.0 million against $476.6 million. Source
  • Guidance moved in both directions: Adjusted EBITDAX and free cash flow guidance were lowered, while NGL price and well-count guidance were raised; production volume and total capital expenditure guidance were kept. Source

Activity by basin and market hub

  • Q1 wells reached total depth in SWPA: SWPA Marcellus had 14 wells reach total depth, 3 fracked and 6 turned in line; CPA Marcellus had 3 turned in line; Utica had 3 fracked and 3 turned in line, with one rig at period end. Source
  • Average lateral lengths by basin: Average lateral length was 10,070 feet in SWPA Marcellus, 8,010 feet in CPA Marcellus and 13,590 feet in Utica for the quarter's activity. Source
  • Gas sales spread across pipeline hubs: Eastern Gas-South took 27 percent of 2026E gas sold at ($0.82) basis, TCO Pool 22 percent at ($0.69) and TETCO M2 26 percent at ($0.85). Source

“(1) Forward market prices for 2026 guidance as of 4/15/2026.”

CNX Resources Corp., press release

Production, products and prices

  • Daily production rose on flat volumes: Total sales were 152.4 Bcfe, against 152.3 Bcfe in the fourth quarter; average daily production rose to 1,693.0 MMcfe from 1,654.8 MMcfe. Source
  • Shale gas volumes slipped slightly: Shale sales volumes were 129.8 Bcf against 130.5 Bcf, and coalbed methane volumes were 9.1 Bcf against 9.4 Bcf. Source
  • NGL sales volumes increased: NGL sales volumes were 13.1 Bcfe against 12.1 Bcfe, and oil and condensate volumes were 0.3 Bcfe against 0.2 Bcfe. Source
  • Natural gas sales price rose: Average natural gas sales price was $4.74 per Mcfe against $3.12; NGL average was $4.59 against $3.15, and oil and condensate $9.68 against $8.83. Source

Operating costs and expenses

  • Production costs flat at $1.72: Total production costs were $1.72 per Mcfe, flat on the fourth quarter; transportation, gathering and compression rose to $0.67 from $0.62, while DD&A fell to $0.85 from $0.92. Source
  • Lease operating expense unchanged: Lease operating expense was $0.14 per Mcfe, unchanged from the fourth quarter, and production, ad valorem and other fees rose to $0.06 from $0.04. Source
  • Overhead costs fell: Selling, general and administrative costs were $32.2 million against $41.8 million; total operating expense was $311.6 million against $341.4 million. Source
  • Interest and debt extinguishment costs: Interest expense was $40.5 million against $42.0 million, and a $12.0 million loss on debt extinguishment was recorded in the quarter. Source

Margins and realized pricing

  • Realized gas price rose on NYMEX: NYMEX averaged $5.04 per MMBtu against $3.55; the differential was ($0.55) against ($0.62), and realized gas after cash hedge settlements was $3.15 per Mcf against $2.70. Source
  • Operating margin rose to 43%: Operating margin was 43 percent against 28 percent, and cash operating margin was 71 percent against 60 percent, both after the unrealized derivative adjustment. Source
  • Cash margin before DD&A widened: Production cash margin before DD&A was $2.41 per Mcfe against $1.95, and fully burdened cash margin was $2.33 against $1.64. Source
  • Fully burdened costs fell: Fully burdened cash costs before DD&A were $0.95 per Mcfe against $1.11 in the fourth quarter. Source

Hedge book and derivative results

  • NYMEX hedges cover 2026 volumes: Hedged 2026 NYMEX volumes total 356.2 Bcf at $3.55 per Mcf, and Q2 2026 NYMEX hedges total 89.3 Bcf at $3.50, with positions as of 4/15/2026. Source
  • Realized derivative loss widened: Realized derivative loss was $222 million against $58 million; unrealized gain was $226 million against $130 million. Source
  • Net derivative gain was small: Gain on commodity derivative instruments was $4 million against $72 million, as the realized loss and unrealized gain largely offset. Source

Cash flow and capital spending

  • Free cash flow rose to $139 million: Free cash flow was $139 million against $132 million, from operating cash flow of $278 million, capital expenditures of $170 million and asset sale proceeds of $32 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow dipped on hedges: Net cash from operating activities was $277.5 million against $297.0 million; derivative settlements used $288.4 million, against $18.4 million received in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Capital spending slightly lower: Capital expenditures were $169.9 million against $174.4 million; asset sale proceeds were $32.4 million, and the Apex acquisition used $10.3 million net of cash acquired. Source

Debt, balance sheet and shareholder returns

  • Senior notes issued, long-term notes repaid: The company issued $500 million of CNX senior notes and paid $508.0 million of long-term notes in the quarter; cash and cash equivalents were $3.7 million at quarter end. Source
  • Net debt slightly lower: Net debt was $2,361 million at 31 March 2026, against $2,408 million at 31 December 2025, with cash and restricted cash of $6 million. Source
  • Share buybacks slowed: Purchases of common stock were $54.0 million against $100.3 million in the fourth quarter; shares withheld for taxes were $15.2 million. Source
  • Share count behind per-share guidance: The FCF per share guidance uses 141,477,594 shares outstanding at 4/15/2026, plus 12.4 million net shares to settle the remaining convertible notes. Source

Acreage and Apex Utica rights

  • Marcellus net acreage increased: Total net Marcellus acreage was 556,400 at year-end 2025, against 527,800 a year earlier; Utica net acreage was 611,800, against 605,700. Source
  • Apex Utica rights on 23,000 acres: Utica rights across about 23,000 acres beneath the Apex Energy footprint were agreed, and are not in the year-end 2025 acreage figures. Source
  • Environmental attributes add to FCF: Environmental attributes sales are expected to add about $70 million to 2026 free cash flow, unchanged from January. Source

Coming up, as management said on 30 April 2026

  • 2026 well activity plan: Turned-in-line wells planned for 2026 total 34: 24 SWPA Marcellus, 3 CPA Marcellus and 7 Utica. Source
  • Q2 2026 NYMEX hedges in place: Q2 2026 NYMEX hedges of 89.3 Bcf at $3.50 per Mcf are in place, as of 4/15/2026. Source
  • Utica rights payment in 2026: A $16 million Utica Shale rights payment is included in 2026 capital expenditure guidance. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total sales volumes (Bcfe) Source152.4
Average daily production (MMcfe) Source1,693.0
Realized natural gas price per Mcf Source$3.15
Average sales price, gas, NGL and oil incl. cash settlement (per Mcfe) Source$3.28
NGL average sales price (per Mcfe) Source$4.59
Oil and condensate average sales price (per Mcfe) Source$9.68
Lease operating expense (per Mcfe) Source$0.14
Total production costs (per Mcfe) Source$1.72
Capital expenditures Source$169.9 million
Purchases of common stock Source$54.0 million

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.