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Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 5 lowered, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales down 2%, ex-China down 1%: Sales were $1.0 billion, down 2 percent from Q1 2025. Excluding the impact of China, sales decreased 1 percent. Source
  • EPS down 52%, before charges down 20%: Diluted EPS was $0.20, down 52 percent from $0.42. EPS before charges and gains was $0.53, down 20 percent from $0.66. Source
  • Outdoors sales and margin fell: Outdoors sales were $294.4 million, down 3.4 percent. Margin before charges and gains was 7.4 percent, down 300 basis points, and the segment took a $3.5 million manufacturing facility fire loss. Source
  • Moen, Rohl and Therma-Tru grew: Management cited sales growth in the Moen, House of Rohl and Therma-Tru businesses. It also said more work is needed on execution. Source
  • Sales tracked the market: Management said the update reflects sales in line with the market, and a more uncertain environment from commodity inflation and cautious consumer sentiment. Source
  • Charges raised costs in quarter: Charges included $42.4 million for governance advisory services and leadership transitions, $4.3 million restructuring, $3.5 million from a manufacturing fire, and $1.7 million of other charges. Source
  • Operating cash flow negative on seasonality: Operating cash flow was negative $119.2 million and free cash flow negative $139.5 million, against negative $83.4 million and $112.6 million a year earlier. Management cited typical seasonality. Source
  • Net debt to EBITDA at 2.9 times: Net debt was $2.5 billion and net debt to EBITDA before charges and gains was 2.9 times, against 2.6 times at year-end 2025. Cash was $223 million and $695 million was available under the revolver. Source

“Our first quarter results reflect inconsistent execution and a dynamic external environment.”

Fortune Brands Interim Chief Executive Officer David Barry

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
EPS before charges / gains SourceFull-year 2026$3.00 to $3.30Lowered from $3.35 to $3.65
Operating margin before charges / gains SourceFull-year 202613.5% to 14.5%Lowered from 14.5% to 15.5%
Cash flow from operations SourceFull-year 2026$475 million to $510 millionLowered from $540 million to $560 million
Free cash flow SourceFull-year 2026$350 million to $400 millionLowered from $400 million to $450 million
Capex SourceFull-year 2026$110 million to $125 millionLowered from $110 million to $140 million
Interest expense SourceFull-year 2026$110 million to $115 millionKept
Tax rate SourceFull-year 202624.0% to 24.5%Kept
Share count SourceFull-year 2026120 million to 120.5 millionKept
Cash flow from operations (reconciliation table) SourceFull-year 2026$500 to $535
Free cash flow (reconciliation table) SourceFull-year 2026$375 to $425

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Net sales guidance moved from flat to 2.0 percent growth to down low single digits, and EPS before charges and gains moved from $3.35 to $3.65 to $3.00 to $3.30. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Operating margin before charges and gains moved from 14.5% to 15.5% to 13.5% to 14.5%. Cash flow from operations, free cash flow and the top of the capex range were also lowered. Source
  • Guidance kept: Interest expense, tax rate and share count assumptions were unchanged from the prior guidance. Source
  • New: The release names David Barry as interim CEO and Ashley George as interim CFO. The prior release named Nicholas Fink as CEO and Jon Baksht as CFO. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales down 2%, ex-China down 1%: Sales were $1.0 billion, down 2 percent from Q1 2025. Excluding the impact of China, sales decreased 1 percent. Source
  • EPS down 52%, before charges down 20%: Diluted EPS was $0.20, down 52 percent from $0.42. EPS before charges and gains was $0.53, down 20 percent from $0.66. Source
  • Operating margin before charges 11.1%: Operating income before charges and gains was $112.1 million, down 17.5 percent, at an 11.1 percent margin, down 200 basis points. Source
  • Operating income fell on charges: GAAP operating income was $60.2 million, down 37.9 percent. Restructuring charges were $4.3 million, against $24.8 million a year earlier. Source

Segments and China sales

  • Water sales flat, margin down: Water Innovations sales were $563.7 million, down 0.3 percent. Operating margin was 18.4 percent; before charges and gains it was 18.8 percent, down 120 basis points. Source
  • Outdoors sales and margin fell: Outdoors sales were $294.4 million, down 3.4 percent. Margin before charges and gains was 7.4 percent, down 300 basis points, and the segment took a $3.5 million manufacturing facility fire loss. Source
  • Security margin rose on lower charges: Security sales were $153.2 million, down 6.0 percent. Operating margin was 14.2 percent, up 440 basis points; margin before charges and gains was flat at 14.2 percent. Source
  • Ex-China sales down 1.2 percent: Net sales excluding the impact of China were down 1.2 percent for the company, against a reported decline of 2.1 percent. Source

“While near-term conditions have become more challenging, our teams are responding by taking action across the entire P&L to offset headwinds and enhance profitability.”

Fortune Brands Interim Chief Financial Officer Ashley George

Products, demand and prior quarter

  • Moen, Rohl and Therma-Tru grew: Management cited sales growth in the Moen, House of Rohl and Therma-Tru businesses. It also said more work is needed on execution. Source
  • Sales tracked the market: Management said the update reflects sales in line with the market, and a more uncertain environment from commodity inflation and cautious consumer sentiment. Source
  • Prior-quarter sales and EPS: The prior-quarter release reported Q4 2025 sales of $1.1 billion, down 2 percent, with sales excluding China flat.

Costs, margins and charges

  • Charges raised costs in quarter: Charges included $42.4 million for governance advisory services and leadership transitions, $4.3 million restructuring, $3.5 million from a manufacturing fire, and $1.7 million of other charges. Source
  • Selling and admin costs rose: Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 12.0 percent to $352.7 million, while cost of products sold fell 0.5 percent to $575.6 million. Source
  • Teams acting across the P&L: Management said teams are taking action across the P&L to offset headwinds and enhance profitability. Source

“While we are encouraged by our ability to grow sales in our Moen, House of Rohl, and Therma-Tru businesses, we recognize there is more work to do to improve our execution”

Fortune Brands Interim Chief Executive Officer David Barry

Cash, balance sheet and capital returns

  • Operating cash flow negative on seasonality: Operating cash flow was negative $119.2 million and free cash flow negative $139.5 million, against negative $83.4 million and $112.6 million a year earlier. Management cited typical seasonality. Source
  • Net debt to EBITDA at 2.9 times: Net debt was $2.5 billion and net debt to EBITDA before charges and gains was 2.9 times, against 2.6 times at year-end 2025. Cash was $223 million and $695 million was available under the revolver. Source
  • Buybacks of $43.5 million: Under its opportunistic, returns-based program, the company repurchased $43.5 million of shares in the quarter, against $175.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • Dividends paid $31.2 million: Dividends paid to stockholders were $31.2 million, against $30.5 million a year earlier. Source

Strategy and leadership

  • Current team fully empowered: Management said the current leadership team is fully empowered to execute strategic priorities and drive performance improvement measures. Source
  • Structure and efficiency work: Management said it will optimize the company's structure to drive efficiencies and redeploy capital, and that execution needs more work. Source
  • Prior-quarter plan on profitability: The prior-quarter release said management was identifying further ways to structurally improve performance and return to expected profitability.

Coming up, as management said on 7 May 2026

  • Improved performance once conditions stabilize: Management said it believes the company is well positioned for improved performance once conditions stabilize. No date is given. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Management said first-quarter results reflect inconsistent execution. Source
  • External: Management cited increased commodity inflation as a source of a more uncertain external environment. Source
  • Demand: Management cited more cautious consumer sentiment as part of the reason for the updated guidance. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior-quarter release said footprint and resource allocation actions would be visible as the year ends. This release does not restate that timing.

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.