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HNI Corp.: 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: 10 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales rose on Steelcase, organic fell: Net sales were $1,347.5 million, up 125 percent, with Steelcase adding $774.0 million. Organic net sales fell 3.2 percent year over year. Source
  • Net loss reflects purchase accounting: GAAP net loss was $38.8 million, or $(0.55) diluted EPS, against $0.29 a year earlier. Steelcase purchase accounting adjustments were $64.2 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS fell on volume: Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.34, against $0.44. The company cited lower organic volume, higher interest expense and more shares, partly offset by Steelcase, productivity and price-cost. Source
  • Legacy workplace sales down about five percent: Legacy workplace sales fell about five percent organically. Small and medium-sized customer businesses grew modestly, and the macro impact was largest in January and February. Source
  • Residential margin rose 190 basis points: Operating margin reached 17.6 percent, up 190 basis points, from net productivity and price-cost, partly offset by lower volume. Source
  • March order trend improved: Five-week average organic order growth at quarter end was up high single digits, after order growth improved in March. Source
  • Gross margin fell on Steelcase mix: Gross margin was 37.1 percent, down 260 basis points. Non-GAAP gross margin was flat at 40.0 percent after purchase accounting and restructuring adjustments. Source
  • Operating cash flow was negative: Operating cash flow was $(171.8) million, against $12.6 million a year earlier. Accounts payable and accrued expenses used $184.8 million. Source

“Our members continued to focus on controlling the controllables in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.”

Jeff Lorenger, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Non-GAAP diluted EPS growth Sourcesecond half 2026accelerating double-digit growthNew
Legacy Workplace Furnishings net sales Sourcesecond quarter 2026low single-digit rate of increaseNew
Total Workplace Furnishings net sales Sourcesecond quarter 2026approximately 155-160 percent increaseNew
Residential Building Products net sales Sourcesecond quarter 2026decrease at a low single-digit rateNew
Non-GAAP diluted EPS Sourcesecond quarter 2026decline modestly from 2025 levelsNew
Steelcase synergies Sourcewhen fully mature$120 million (or $1.20 non-GAAP diluted EPS)Kept
Legacy Workplace Furnishings network optimization savings Sourcenext three yearsnearly $30 million (or $0.30 non-GAAP diluted EPS)New
Cumulative savings from Steelcase accretion and network optimization Source2027exceeding $70 million (or $0.70 non-GAAP diluted EPS)New
Cumulative savings from Steelcase accretion and network optimization Sourcewhen fully maturemore than $150 million (or $1.50 non-GAAP diluted EPS)New
Non-GAAP diluted EPS growth Sourcefull year 2027double-digit growthNew
Net financial leverage Sourcetwo years after deal close1.0-1.5 timesNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: The full-year Workplace Furnishings organic growth expectation moved from mid-single digit to low-single digit. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter 2026 segment net sales and non-GAAP EPS expectations were given for the first time in this release. Source
  • New guidance: A 2027 double-digit non-GAAP EPS growth expectation and cumulative savings figures were added. Source
  • Ended: Steelcase's multi-year ERP implementation project was terminated during the quarter. Source
  • New: Cost management was started across all businesses in response to softer volume growth at the start of the year. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales rose on Steelcase, organic fell: Net sales were $1,347.5 million, up 125 percent, with Steelcase adding $774.0 million. Organic net sales fell 3.2 percent year over year. Source
  • Net loss reflects purchase accounting: GAAP net loss was $38.8 million, or $(0.55) diluted EPS, against $0.29 a year earlier. Steelcase purchase accounting adjustments were $64.2 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS fell on volume: Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.34, against $0.44. The company cited lower organic volume, higher interest expense and more shares, partly offset by Steelcase, productivity and price-cost. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating income rose: Non-GAAP operating income was $52.1 million, up 63.1 percent, with a 3.9 percent margin against 5.3 percent a year earlier. Source

Workplace Furnishings segment

  • Legacy workplace sales down about five percent: Legacy workplace sales fell about five percent organically. Small and medium-sized customer businesses grew modestly, and the macro impact was largest in January and February. Source
  • Segment margin fell with Steelcase costs: The segment showed a GAAP operating loss of $42.6 million. The non-GAAP segment margin was 4.1 percent, down 170 basis points on lower organic sales and Steelcase effects. Source
  • Operating profit nearly doubled with Steelcase: Management said operating profit, including Steelcase, was nearly double the prior-year level. The segment table shows the GAAP result as a loss. Source

“The integration of Steelcase is going well, synergy capture and accretion are on track, and our cultures are melding nicely.”

Jeff Lorenger, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Residential Building Products segment

  • Residential sales up 2.1 percent: Residential sales were $162.1 million. Remodel-retrofit sales rose and new home market sales declined. Source
  • Residential margin rose 190 basis points: Operating margin reached 17.6 percent, up 190 basis points, from net productivity and price-cost, partly offset by lower volume. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Contract orders fell, small customers grew: On an organic basis, orders from small and medium-sized customers rose low single digits, while contract customer orders fell mid-single digits. Source
  • March order trend improved: Five-week average organic order growth at quarter end was up high single digits, after order growth improved in March. Source
  • Steelcase orders matched legacy trend: The company said Steelcase order patterns were consistent with legacy Workplace Furnishings trends. Source
  • Residential orders late in quarter: Residential average order growth over the final five weeks matched the full quarter. Remodel-retrofit orders outperformed new construction orders. Source

“While we are optimistic about the year and expect another year of double-digit non-GAAP EPS growth, we will remain focused, conservative, and ready to adjust as required.”

Jeff Lorenger, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin fell on Steelcase mix: Gross margin was 37.1 percent, down 260 basis points. Non-GAAP gross margin was flat at 40.0 percent after purchase accounting and restructuring adjustments. Source
  • SG&A ratio rose with input costs: SG&A rose to 38.2 percent of net sales from 34.6 percent, citing Steelcase, lower organic sales and higher input costs. Source
  • Restructuring charges of $18.0 million: Restructuring and impairment charges were $18.0 million, mainly tied to the Steelcase ERP termination and network optimization, against $6.4 million a year earlier. Source
  • Tax rate affected by deal costs: The GAAP tax rate was 30.3 percent, against 26.3 percent. The non-GAAP rate was 24.5 percent, as Steelcase transaction costs are not tax deductible. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Operating cash flow was negative: Operating cash flow was $(171.8) million, against $12.6 million a year earlier. Accounts payable and accrued expenses used $184.8 million. Source
  • Debt reduction remains a stated priority: Long-term debt was $1,426.8 million, up from $1,276.9 million at January 3, 2026. The company said it remains committed to debt reduction, dividends and investment. Source
  • Dividends paid, no buybacks: Dividends paid were $26.6 million. No common stock was repurchased, against $40.4 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Diluted share count rose: Average diluted shares were 71.6 million, against 48.0 million, after the Steelcase share issuance. Source

Strategy and Steelcase integration

  • Steelcase ERP project terminated: The company ended Steelcase's multi-year ERP project as part of a corporate effort to streamline priorities. The move avoids future ERP investment and redeploys resources to customers. Source
  • Costs managed across all businesses: Cost management began across all businesses in response to softer volume growth at the start of the year, driven by geopolitical uncertainty. Source
  • Modest Steelcase accretion still expected: Management still expects modest Steelcase accretion to non-GAAP EPS in 2026. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 May 2026

  • Steelcase cash flow to reduce debt: Management expects Steelcase benefits, strategies and financial discipline to produce free cash flow that helps reduce debt over the next couple of years. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Workplace Furnishings organic orders, first quarter Sourcedown 1 percent
Residential Building Products orders, first quarter Sourceup 4 percent
Remodel-retrofit net sales, year over year Sourceup 13 percent

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management expects volume pressure to continue into the second quarter from the Middle East conflict and tariffs. Source
  • Demand: The company cited continued weakness in new home construction as a factor in the residential segment. Source
  • Regulatory: Management named tariffs, alongside the Middle East conflict and U.S. economic conditions, as concerns for the quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Q1 non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.34 against $0.44; the company said it modestly exceeded internal expectations, after guiding to a slight decrease. Source
  • On track: In the fourth-quarter release, the company said it remained confident in delivering targeted synergies; the first-quarter release says synergies are on track.
  • Not stated: The fourth-quarter release expected first-quarter consolidated net sales growth above 130 percent; the first-quarter release reports 125 percent growth without stating a status against it.

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.