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Openlane, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 7 raised, 1 lowered. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue up 15% on auction fees: Revenue was $554.6 million against $481.7 million a year earlier. Management said auction and related fees drove the growth, up 21%. Source
  • Finance arm added $46 million EBITDA: The CFO said AFC kept supporting the marketplace and contributed $46 million of Adjusted EBITDA in the quarter. Source
  • Commercial vehicles sold up 39%: Commercial vehicle volumes in the Marketplace grew 39% year over year in the quarter. Source
  • GMV grew 41% to $10.5 billion: Marketplace GMV was approximately $10.5 billion for the quarter, up 41% year over year. First-quarter GMV was approximately $9.1 billion. Source
  • Off-lease inflection at early stage: Management said the commercial business is benefitting from the early stages of the off-lease inflection. Source
  • Operating cash flow lower in quarter: Net cash provided by operating activities was $52.8 million against $71.6 million. First-half operating cash flow was $212.4 million against $194.2 million. Source
  • More 2026 investments planned: Management said 2025 go-to-market investments are ramping toward full capacity, and it is leaning into additional 2026 investments based on that success. Source

“We grew consolidated revenue by 15%, delivered $103 million in Adjusted EBITDA, and increased marketplace GMV by 41% to $10.5 billion.”

Peter Kelly, CEO of OPENLANE

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net income SourceFY2026$163 - $176 millionRaised from $147 - $164 million
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFY2026$385 - $400 millionRaised from $365 - $385 million
Net income per share - diluted SourceFY2026$1.23 - $1.33Raised from $1.09 - $1.23
Operating Adjusted EPS SourceFY2026$1.40 - $1.50Raised from $1.28 - $1.42
Operating adjusted income SourceFY2026$176 - $189 millionRaised from $160 - $178 million
EBITDA SourceFY2026$458 - $473 millionRaised from $435 - $455 million
Depreciation and amortization SourceFY2026$90 millionLowered from $92 million
Weighted average diluted shares SourceFY2026126 millionRaised from 125 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Adjusted EBITDA guidance raised from $365-$385 million to $385-$400 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Net income guidance raised from $147-$164 million to $163-$176 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Diluted EPS guidance raised from $1.09-$1.23 to $1.23-$1.33. Source
  • Guidance raised: Operating Adjusted EPS guidance raised from $1.28-$1.42 to $1.40-$1.50. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue up 15% on auction fees: Revenue was $554.6 million against $481.7 million a year earlier. Management said auction and related fees drove the growth, up 21%. Source
  • Net income and Adjusted EBITDA higher: Net income was $44.3 million, up from $33.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $103.2 million, up from $86.7 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose for the quarter: Diluted EPS was $0.32 for the quarter against $0.15, and $0.67 for six months against $0.33. Source
  • Operating profit and interest expense up: Operating profit was $67.5 million against $47.4 million. Interest expense rose to $10.0 million from $3.1 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • Finance arm added $46 million EBITDA: The CFO said AFC kept supporting the marketplace and contributed $46 million of Adjusted EBITDA in the quarter. Source
  • Marketplace segment Adjusted EBITDA $56.7m: The segment reconciliation shows Marketplace Adjusted EBITDA of $56.7 million for the quarter, against Finance at a lower figure, with total $103.2 million. Source
  • US dealer volumes up 31%: Marketplace dealer vehicles sold rose 13%, driven by 31% growth in US dealer vehicles sold. Source

“AFC continued to fuel the marketplace and contributed $46 million in Adjusted EBITDA.”

Brad Herring, EVP and CFO of OPENLANE

Products and customers

  • Commercial vehicles sold up 39%: Commercial vehicle volumes in the Marketplace grew 39% year over year in the quarter. Source
  • New features and revenue products: Management said its technology teams are releasing features and new revenue-generating products. SaaS and other revenue was $73.4 million against $63.1 million. Source

Costs and profit

  • Cost of services rose to $306.4m: Cost of services, excluding depreciation and amortization, was $306.4 million against $254.4 million a year earlier. Source
  • SG&A higher year over year: Selling, general and administrative expense was $123.8 million against $114.3 million. Management cited go-to-market investments in its comments. Source
  • Credit loss provision little changed: Provision for credit losses was $8.9 million against $8.7 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Prior-year Canadian tax item adjusted out: The six-month reconciliations deduct a $15.9 million impact of Canadian DST related to prior years from EBITDA and operating adjusted income. Source

“And as our 2025 go-to-market investments ramp towards full capacity, we are leaning into additional investments in 2026 based on that success.”

Brad Herring, EVP and CFO of OPENLANE

Demand and order book

  • GMV grew 41% to $10.5 billion: Marketplace GMV was approximately $10.5 billion for the quarter, up 41% year over year. First-quarter GMV was approximately $9.1 billion. Source
  • Off-lease inflection at early stage: Management said the commercial business is benefitting from the early stages of the off-lease inflection. Source
  • Off-lease description moved forward: The first-quarter release described the off-lease volume return as being in its infancy. The second-quarter release describes an early-stage inflection.

Cash and capital returns

  • Operating cash flow lower in quarter: Net cash provided by operating activities was $52.8 million against $71.6 million. First-half operating cash flow was $212.4 million against $194.2 million. Source
  • Free cash flow and adjusted measure lower: Free Cash Flow was $39.0 million against $57.4 million. Adjusted Free Cash Flow was $53.4 million against $86.5 million. Source
  • Share repurchases larger than last year: Common stock repurchases and retirements totaled $48.2 million in the first half, against $9.4 million in the prior-year period. Source
  • Series A preferred partly repurchased: The company repurchased $5.6 million of Series A Preferred Stock in the first half of 2026. Source
  • Cash balance higher at June 30: Cash and cash equivalents were $189.7 million at June 30, 2026, against $141.5 million at December 31, 2025. Source

Guidance and per-share measures

  • Preferred conversion moved to May: Previous guidance assumed conversion of the remaining preferred shares in June 2026. Revised guidance reflects the actual May 2026 conversion. Source
  • Share count assumption rose: Weighted average diluted shares for 2026 are now 126 million, against 125 million previously, including assumed preferred conversion. Source
  • Operating Adjusted EPS guidance raised: Full-year Operating Adjusted EPS guidance is now $1.40 to $1.50, against $1.28 to $1.42 previously. Source

Strategy and investment

  • More 2026 investments planned: Management said 2025 go-to-market investments are ramping toward full capacity, and it is leaning into additional 2026 investments based on that success. Source
  • Execution across the company: The CFO said the company is executing a strategy that is delivering results across the company, with a well-positioned market stance. Source
  • Dealer volumes compared with industry: The CEO said US dealer volumes grew over 30%, which he described as significantly outperforming the industry. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 August 2026

  • Additional 2026 investments: Management said it is leaning into additional investments in 2026 based on the 2025 go-to-market results. Source
  • Technology features and products: Management said its technology teams are releasing innovative features and new revenue-generating products and services. Source
  • Continued acceleration of momentum: The CEO said management is confident in its ability to continue accelerating the positive momentum. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Management said guidance excludes items such as litigation, tax adjustments and currency moves, which are hard to time and could be large. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The CFO said the 2025 go-to-market investments are ramping toward full capacity, with no status given against plan. Source
  • Not stated: In the first-quarter release, the CFO said management was confident in delivering on the increased full-year guidance. The second-quarter release raised guidance again.

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.