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Knife River Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue and adjusted EBITDA each up 16%: Revenue was $410.1 million against $353.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $(31.8) million against $(38.0) million. Net loss was $(79.2) million, or $(1.40) per share. Source
  • Volume gains and lower unit costs: Management said double-digit volume increases across product lines and lower per-unit costs drove gross profit gains in aggregates, ready-mix and asphalt. Source
  • Mountain EBITDA loss narrowed sharply: Mountain revenue rose 23% to $81.2 million. EBITDA was $(8.2) million against $(16.3) million, with EBITDA margin of (10.1)% against (24.6)%. Source
  • Gross loss narrowed; SG&A rose: Gross loss was $(2.8) million, or (0.7)% of revenue, against $(9.6) million, or (2.7)%. Selling, general and administrative expenses rose to $83.5 million from $73.1 million. Source
  • Net leverage rose to 2.9x: Net leverage was 2.9x at March 31, 2026, against 2.2x at December 31, 2025. Unrestricted cash was $13.4 million against $73.8 million, and gross debt was $1.4 billion. Source
  • Acquisitions fit mid-sized market strategy: Management said the acquired aggregates-based, vertically integrated businesses add to the Mountain Region, in line with its strategy of expanding into mid-sized, higher-growth markets. Source

“We had a good start to 2026, improving year-over-year revenue by 16%, adjusted EBITDA by 16% and adjusted EBITDA margin by 290 basis points,”

Brian Gray, President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$3,300.0 million to $3,500.0 millionKept
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$520.0 million to $560.0 millionKept
Energy Services results SourceFull year 2026Broadly in line with full-year 2025 resultsKept
Maintenance and improvement capital expenditures SourceFull year 20265% to 7% of revenueKept
Organic growth projects spending SourceRemainder of 2026$101.4 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Revenue, adjusted EBITDA and the volume, Energy Services and depreciation guidance match the prior-quarter release of February 17, 2026. Source
  • New: The Mountain segment's listed states now include Utah. The prior release listed Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Source
  • New: Three acquisitions completed in the quarter: Morgan Asphalt in Utah, and Sparrow Enterprises and Donaldson Brothers Ready-Mix in Montana. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue and adjusted EBITDA each up 16%: Revenue was $410.1 million against $353.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $(31.8) million against $(38.0) million. Net loss was $(79.2) million, or $(1.40) per share. Source
  • Volume gains and lower unit costs: Management said double-digit volume increases across product lines and lower per-unit costs drove gross profit gains in aggregates, ready-mix and asphalt. Source
  • Contracting services revenue higher: Contracting services revenue was $147.8 million against $140.1 million, which management tied to better weather and more activity across segments. Source

Segments and regions

  • Mountain EBITDA loss narrowed sharply: Mountain revenue rose 23% to $81.2 million. EBITDA was $(8.2) million against $(16.3) million, with EBITDA margin of (10.1)% against (24.6)%. Source
  • West EBITDA fell on prior-year gain: West revenue rose 2% to $211.8 million. EBITDA was $22.2 million, down 11%, with the prior-year quarter including a $3.5 million one-time bargain purchase gain. Source
  • Central revenue up 49% on acquisitions: Central revenue rose 49% to $101.2 million. EBITDA was $(26.8) million, down 10%, with EBITDA margin of (26.5)% against (35.8)%. Source
  • Energy Services sales rose on weather: Energy Services revenue rose 47% to $20.4 million. EBITDA of $(4.6) million improved by $3.2 million, with lower railcar maintenance expenses also cited. Source

“While the first quarter is seasonally the lightest activity period of the year, we enter the 2026 construction season with momentum, including record first quarter backlog of $1.2 billion,”

Brian Gray, President and CEO

Products, prices and revenue mix

  • Aggregates and ready-mix revenue higher: Aggregates revenue was $103.5 million against $81.4 million. Ready-mix concrete revenue was $144.5 million against $108.5 million. Asphalt revenue was $21.0 million against $16.1 million. Source
  • Selling prices compared with prior year: Average selling price was $21.22 per ton of aggregates against $21.05, $199.76 per cubic yard of ready-mix against $199.26, and $74.06 per ton of asphalt against $81.05. Source
  • Liquid asphalt and other revenue higher: Liquid asphalt revenue was $18.2 million against $12.2 million. Other products revenue was $46.6 million against $43.5 million. Source

Costs and margins

  • Gross loss narrowed; SG&A rose: Gross loss was $(2.8) million, or (0.7)% of revenue, against $(9.6) million, or (2.7)%. Selling, general and administrative expenses rose to $83.5 million from $73.1 million. Source
  • Ready-mix margin up, asphalt loss smaller: Ready-mix gross profit was $15.5 million at a 10.7% margin, against $8.7 million at 8.1%. Asphalt gross loss was $(4.9) million, or (23.6)%, against $(5.7) million, or (35.4)%. Source
  • Contracting services margin lower: Contracting services gross profit was $7.8 million, a 5.3% margin, against $10.8 million at 7.7%. Source

“we expect to deliver profitable growth for our shareholders this year and beyond.”

Brian Gray, President and CEO

Demand and order backlog

  • Mountain and Central backlog grew: Mountain backlog was $500.4 million against $418.3 million, and Central backlog was $488.1 million against $278.3 million. West backlog was $180.3 million against $242.1 million. Source
  • Backlog margins expected below last year: Management said margins on backlog at March 31, 2026, are expected to be lower than margins on backlog a year earlier. Source
  • Most contracting backlog publicly funded: About 88% of contracting services backlog relates to publicly funded projects, including street and highway construction. Source

Capital, cash and leverage

  • Net leverage rose to 2.9x: Net leverage was 2.9x at March 31, 2026, against 2.2x at December 31, 2025. Unrestricted cash was $13.4 million against $73.8 million, and gross debt was $1.4 billion. Source
  • Operating cash outflow and capital spending: Net cash used in operating activities was $(58.6) million, against $(125.3) million a year earlier. Capital expenditures were $77.3 million, against $75.0 million. Source
  • Debt issuance lower than prior year: Long-term debt issuance was $270.0 million in the quarter, against $500.0 million a year earlier. Source

Strategy and acquisitions

  • Acquisitions fit mid-sized market strategy: Management said the acquired aggregates-based, vertically integrated businesses add to the Mountain Region, in line with its strategy of expanding into mid-sized, higher-growth markets. Source
  • Population growth in Knife River states: Management said Knife River states are among the fastest-growing in population, and the company is growing its business alongside them. Source
  • Acquisition cash spending lower: Acquisitions used $174.2 million of cash in the quarter, against $443.4 million in the prior-year quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 May 2026

  • Rest-of-2026 capital funding sources: Management said capital expenditures for the rest of 2026 will be funded from cash from operations and debt. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Aggregates volume (tons) Source4,878 thousand tons, against 3,867 thousand
Ready-mix volume (cubic yards) Source724 thousand cubic yards, against 544 thousand
Asphalt volume (tons) Source283 thousand tons, against 199 thousand
Total backlog Source$1,168.8 million at March 31, 2026, against $938.7 million

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Management cited volume declines in Hawaii following significant flooding in the state as a factor in West segment results. Source
  • Operational: Management referred to mitigating energy costs with its established operational practices, alongside price optimization and cost controls. Source
  • Financial: Interest expense was $20.7 million in the quarter, up from $15.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Demand: Management said period-over-period changes in backlog are not an indicator of future revenues or earnings. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said the Central EBITDA decline reflected two additional months of seasonal losses from the Strata purchase, as anticipated. 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.