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Granite Construction Inc.: 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: 2 raised, 1 lowered, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue up 30% year over year: Revenue rose $212 million to $912 million, with construction and materials both higher and recent acquisitions contributing to the increase. Source
  • Net loss, but adjusted EPS higher: GAAP diluted EPS was $(0.96) against $(0.77). Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.26 against $0.01, after adding back stock-based compensation and other adjustments. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled: Adjusted EBITDA rose to $58 million, a 6.3% margin against 4.0%, as stated in the non-GAAP reconciliation for the quarter. Source
  • Construction margin fell modestly: Construction gross margin was 13.3% against 13.9%, which management attributed mainly to a prior-year claim settlement that did not recur. Source
  • Materials margin rose to 5.3%: Materials gross margin was 5.3% against a loss of 1.9%; cash gross margin was 17.6% against 12.3%, up 530 basis points. Source
  • CAP reached record $7.2 billion: CAP rose $200 million sequentially to a record $7.2 billion, and is $1.4 billion above a year earlier. Source

“In construction, our teams across key federal, state and local and private end markets have been highly active, driving CAP to a new record of $7.2 billion.”

Kyle Larkin, Granite President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefiscal 2026$5.2 billion to $5.4 billionRaised from $4.9 billion to $5.1 billion
Adjusted EBITDA margin Sourcefiscal 202612.25% to 13.25%Raised from 12.0% to 13.0%
SG&A as percent of revenue Sourcefiscal 20268.25% to 8.75% of revenueLowered from 8.5% to 9.0% of revenue
Stock-based compensation within SG&A Sourcefiscal 2026$48 millionKept
Effective tax rate for adjusted net income Sourcefiscal 2026mid-20sKept
Capital expenditures Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $140 million to $160 million, including approximately $50 million in planned strategic materials investmentsKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Fiscal 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA margin guidance raised, citing first quarter performance, recent project awards and the Kenny Seng acquisition. Source
  • Guidance lowered: SG&A expense as a percent of revenue guidance lowered for fiscal 2026. Source
  • New: Kenny Seng Construction acquisition completed April 23, 2026, adding to the Utah home market. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue up 30% year over year: Revenue rose $212 million to $912 million, with construction and materials both higher and recent acquisitions contributing to the increase. Source
  • Net loss, but adjusted EPS higher: GAAP diluted EPS was $(0.96) against $(0.77). Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.26 against $0.01, after adding back stock-based compensation and other adjustments. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled: Adjusted EBITDA rose to $58 million, a 6.3% margin against 4.0%, as stated in the non-GAAP reconciliation for the quarter. Source

Construction segment

  • Construction revenue up 24.6%: Construction revenue rose 24.6% to $766 million, driven by higher CAP entering the quarter and $43 million from Warren Paving and Papich Construction. Source
  • Construction margin fell modestly: Construction gross margin was 13.3% against 13.9%, which management attributed mainly to a prior-year claim settlement that did not recur. Source
  • Gross profit rose on execution: Construction gross profit rose 19.6% to $102 million, which the company credited to higher revenue and improved execution across its project portfolio. Source

“Our increased guidance reflects disciplined execution across our businesses, improved SG&A leverage, and sustained demand in our markets”

Staci Woolsey, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Materials segment

  • Materials revenue up 72.4%: Materials revenue rose 72.4% to $146 million, with Warren Paving, Papich Construction and Cinderlite adding $50 million. Source
  • Materials margin rose to 5.3%: Materials gross margin was 5.3% against a loss of 1.9%; cash gross margin was 17.6% against 12.3%, up 530 basis points. Source
  • Volume growth and higher pricing: Management said aggregates and asphalt volume growth and pricing increases have met its expectations year-to-date. Source

Costs, SG&A and margins

  • SG&A up in dollars, down as share: SG&A expense rose $25 million to $141 million, but fell to 15.4% of revenue from 16.6%. Source
  • Gross profit rose $26 million: Consolidated gross profit rose to $110 million from $84 million, alongside higher revenue in both segments. Source
  • Stock compensation excluded from adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA excludes stock-based compensation of $45.8 million, a $9.7 million convertible debt inducement charge and $3.0 million of other costs. Source

Demand and order book

  • CAP reached record $7.2 billion: CAP rose $200 million sequentially to a record $7.2 billion, and is $1.4 billion above a year earlier. Source
  • CBP tactical work in CAP: CAP at March 31, 2026 included $640 million of tactical infrastructure projects for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, expected to be substantially realized over 2026 and 2027. Source
  • Robust pipelines support CAP growth: Management said robust pipelines provide room to keep growing CAP. Source

Cash, debt and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash outflow in quarter: Operating cash flow was $(30.9) million against $3.6 million a year earlier, with an $81.4 million use from changes in assets and liabilities. Source
  • Debt repaid, cash balance lower: Debt repayments of $288.8 million and $56.7 million from a partial unwind of the capped call were the main financing flows; cash ended at $265.7 million. Source
  • Buybacks and dividends paid: Share repurchases of $18.4 million and dividends of $5.7 million were paid in the quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 30 April 2026

  • Several acquisitions expected this year: Management expects to complete several acquisitions in 2026 and continues to evaluate M&A targets. Source
  • Growth expected in 2026 and 2027: Management expects 2026 to be a year of meaningful growth and believes the company is positioned for continued growth in 2027. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
CAP Source$7.2 billion
Aggregate sales tons Source5,262 thousand tons
Asphalt sales tons Source1,037 thousand tons

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.