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Compass Diversified Holdings: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 lowered, 1 narrowed. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales flat excluding Lugano: Net revenues were $426.9 million, flat against the prior-year period excluding Lugano and down 5.9% on a GAAP basis. Source
  • Subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA rose 6.3%: Subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA was $83.9 million, up 6.3% against the prior-year period excluding Lugano. Source
  • Branded Consumer sales and profit rose: Branded Consumer net sales were $257.0 million, up 2.3% from $251.3 million excluding Lugano. Adjusted EBITDA was $59.4 million, up 11.6%. Source
  • The Honey Pot drove growth: The Honey Pot Co. net sales rose to $45.2 million from $36.2 million, and Adjusted EBITDA to $13.9 million from $9.8 million. Source
  • Impairment charge of $20.5 million: The company recorded a $20.5 million impairment expense, which the Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation adds back. The prior-year quarter had no impairment. Operating loss was $1.9 million against $3.4 million of income. Source
  • Operating cash flow was positive: Operating activities provided $23.9 million, against $29.3 million used a year earlier. Purchases of property and equipment were $5.1 million, against $13.1 million. Source
  • Sterno proceeds cut senior secured debt: Proceeds of approximately $280 million reduced senior secured indebtedness below 1.0x. Source
  • Lugano excluded from GAAP results: GAAP results exclude Lugano, which CODI deconsolidated on November 16, 2025. Non-GAAP comparisons remove Lugano's 2025 results. Source

“The first quarter of 2026 was a quarter of execution, with strong subsidiary performance led by our Consumer vertical, and a meaningful divestiture at an attractive valuation”

Elias Sabo, Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Branded Consumer subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefiscal 2026$225.0 million to $260.0 millionNarrowed, low end up from $220.0 million to $260.0 million
Industrial subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefiscal 2026$95.0 million to $105.0 millionLowered from $125.0 million to $135.0 million
Total Subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefiscal 2026$320.0 million to $365.0 millionLowered from $345.0 million to $395.0 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Low end of the Branded Consumer Adjusted EBITDA range raised to $225.0 million from $220.0 million; high end unchanged. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Industrial and total Subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA ranges lowered; the release says the update reflects the sale of Sterno's food service business. Source
  • New: Sale of Sterno's food service business completed, with net proceeds used to repay debt. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales flat excluding Lugano: Net revenues were $426.9 million, flat against the prior-year period excluding Lugano and down 5.9% on a GAAP basis. Source
  • Subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA rose 6.3%: Subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA was $83.9 million, up 6.3% against the prior-year period excluding Lugano. Source
  • Corporate expense and total Adjusted EBITDA: Total Adjusted EBITDA was $56.5 million against $45.5 million, after corporate expense of $27.4 million against $21.7 million. Source
  • Net loss narrowed, per-share loss rose: Net loss from continuing operations was $30.8 million against $49.8 million. Basic loss per share from continuing operations was $0.62 against $0.59. Source

Branded Consumer subsidiaries

  • Branded Consumer sales and profit rose: Branded Consumer net sales were $257.0 million, up 2.3% from $251.3 million excluding Lugano. Adjusted EBITDA was $59.4 million, up 11.6%. Source
  • The Honey Pot drove growth: The Honey Pot Co. net sales rose to $45.2 million from $36.2 million, and Adjusted EBITDA to $13.9 million from $9.8 million. Source
  • BOA sales and profit rose: BOA net sales were $52.1 million against $48.9 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $22.2 million against $20.0 million. Source
  • Velocity Outdoor returned to positive profit: Velocity Outdoor Adjusted EBITDA was $0.3 million against a $1.4 million loss, on net sales of $13.8 million against $13.2 million. Source
  • 5.11 and PrimaLoft declined: 5.11 net sales were $124.0 million against $129.4 million, with Adjusted EBITDA of $14.6 million against $14.8 million. PrimaLoft net sales were $21.9 million against $23.6 million. Source

“A single quarter does not make a turnaround. Trust is earned through consistent execution, and that is what we expect to deliver for shareholders going forward.”

Elias Sabo, Chief Executive Officer

Industrial subsidiaries

  • Industrial sales and profit declined: Industrial net sales were $169.9 million, down 3.3% from $175.6 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $24.4 million, down 4.5% from $25.6 million. Source
  • Altor sales and profit fell: Altor Solutions net sales were $64.6 million against $76.3 million, and Adjusted EBITDA was $8.3 million against $12.9 million. Source
  • Arnold Magnetics sales and profit rose: Arnold Magnetics net sales were $40.2 million against $34.0 million, and Adjusted EBITDA was $5.1 million against $2.6 million. Source
  • Sterno profit rose: Sterno Adjusted EBITDA was $11.0 million against $10.2 million, on net sales of $65.1 million against $65.4 million. Source

Costs, impairment and margins

  • Gross profit and overhead declined: Gross profit was $189.4 million against $196.0 million. SG&A expense fell to $132.0 million from $150.4 million, and management fees to $15.9 million from $18.9 million. Source
  • Impairment charge of $20.5 million: The company recorded a $20.5 million impairment expense, which the Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation adds back. The prior-year quarter had no impairment. Operating loss was $1.9 million against $3.4 million of income. Source
  • Net interest expense fell; other income rose: Net interest expense was $27.5 million against $35.9 million. Other income was $7.7 million, against $13.7 million of other expense a year earlier. Source
  • Tax provision rose: Provision for income taxes was $7.1 million against $2.5 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Arnold Adjusted EBITDA excludes one-time items: Arnold's Adjusted EBITDA adds back costs of relocating two US facilities and chief executive officer severance costs. Source

“We are delivering against the priorities we laid out for shareholders at the beginning of the year.”

Elias Sabo, Chief Executive Officer

Cash, debt and liquidity

  • Operating cash flow was positive: Operating activities provided $23.9 million, against $29.3 million used a year earlier. Purchases of property and equipment were $5.1 million, against $13.1 million. Source
  • No common distributions paid: No common share distributions were paid, against $18.8 million a year earlier. Preferred distributions were $9.7 million, against $8.4 million. Source
  • Cash and revolver availability: Cash was reported at approximately $65.2 million, with about $100 million of revolver availability. The balance sheet line shows $60.7 million; the cash flow statement ends at $65.2 million. Source
  • Sterno proceeds cut senior secured debt: Proceeds of approximately $280 million reduced senior secured indebtedness below 1.0x. Source
  • Total debt declined: Long-term debt was $1,819.0 million and current portion $41.3 million, against $1,839.8 million and $37.5 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Lugano comparability and reporting

  • Lugano excluded from GAAP results: GAAP results exclude Lugano, which CODI deconsolidated on November 16, 2025. Non-GAAP comparisons remove Lugano's 2025 results. Source
  • Subsidiary metrics exclude Lugano and corporate: Subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA excludes Lugano and corporate expense. Total Adjusted EBITDA includes corporate expense. Source
  • Prior-year figures with and without Lugano: Prior-year subsidiary Adjusted EBITDA was $67.3 million including Lugano and $78.9 million excluding it. A footnote dates the including-Lugano total to 2026, though the table places it in the 2025 column. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 May 2026

  • Milestone fees avoided by June 30: Management said the Sterno proceeds are sufficient to avoid second-quarter milestone fees as of June 30, 2026. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Leverage above the senior secured threshold would bring milestone fees under the credit arrangements, which the Sterno proceeds are described as avoiding. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said it is delivering against the priorities it laid out for shareholders at the beginning of the year. Source
  • Not stated: Management said the updated guidance is at or above the expectations set at the start of the year, adjusting for the divested business. 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.