greeksoup/ stock research

Reliance, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 22 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 10 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales and tons rose sharply: Net sales reached $4.63 billion, up 15.0% sequentially and 26.5% year-over-year. Tons sold rose 7.0% sequentially and 10.8% year-over-year. Source
  • Pretax income rose 41%: Pretax income reached $429.8 million. Management credited higher shipments, rising gross profit per ton, pricing discipline, market share gains and border wall contributions. Source
  • Gross margin fell on LIFO and border wall: Gross profit margin was 28.1%, down 100 basis points sequentially, mainly from higher LIFO expense and the border wall project. Source
  • LIFO cost well above expectation: LIFO expense was $1.64 per diluted share, $1.10 above the level management expected, due to higher carbon steel and aluminum product costs. Source
  • Non-residential demand improved: Non-residential construction, the largest end market by tons, improved year-over-year. Management expects it to continue to improve. Source
  • Border wall activity above expectations: Border wall contract shipments began in April and ran above management's expectations, adding to second-quarter earnings. Source
  • Operating cash flow despite working capital build: Operating cash flow was $162.2 million and free cash flow was $68.8 million, with a significant working capital increase tied to shipments and metals prices. Source

“Reliance delivered another excellent quarter, building on the positive momentum of the first quarter”

Karla Lewis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Non-GAAP diluted EPS Sourcethird quarter of 2026$6.40 to $6.60New
LIFO expense Sourcethird quarter of 2026$75.0 million, or $1.10 per diluted shareNew
Tons sold, excluding border wall Sourcethird quarter of 2026 versus second quarter of 2026down 2% to 4%New
Average selling price per ton, excluding border wall Sourcethird quarter of 2026 versus second quarter of 2026up 1% to 3%New
Tons sold, including border wall Sourcethird quarter of 2026 versus third quarter of 2025up 9% to 11%New
Average selling price per ton, including border wall Sourcethird quarter of 2026 versus second quarter of 2026flat to up 2.0%New
Non-GAAP EPS growth Sourcethird quarter of 2026 versus third quarter of 202576% to 81%New
Border wall contribution to tons sold Sourcethird quarter of 20262% sequential and 7.5% year-over-yearNew
Border wall earnings per share Sourcethird quarter of 2026approximately $0.60New
Average selling price mix effect from border wall Sourcethird quarter of 2026estimated 1% reductionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Third-quarter 2026 guidance was issued for the first time, covering demand, pricing, tons, LIFO, EPS and border wall effects. Figures are listed under guidance. Source
  • Ended: No share repurchases were made in the second quarter, after $234.2 million of repurchases in the first quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales and tons rose sharply: Net sales reached $4.63 billion, up 15.0% sequentially and 26.5% year-over-year. Tons sold rose 7.0% sequentially and 10.8% year-over-year. Source
  • Diluted and non-GAAP EPS both rose: Diluted EPS was $6.29, against $4.42 a year earlier. Non-GAAP EPS was $6.27, up 42% year-over-year. Source
  • Pretax income rose 41%: Pretax income reached $429.8 million. Management credited higher shipments, rising gross profit per ton, pricing discipline, market share gains and border wall contributions. Source
  • Border wall added to tons: The border wall project added 5.1% to the sequential increase in tons sold. Source

Metals lines and pricing

  • Carbon steel sales rose 18%: Carbon steel sales reached $2,621.4 million, up 18.2% sequentially and 28.2% year-over-year. Source
  • Aluminum sales up 35% year-over-year: Aluminum sales were $837.9 million, up 11.0% sequentially and 35.2% year-over-year. Source
  • Stainless steel sales increased: Stainless steel sales were $595.2 million, up 10.4% sequentially and 21.7% year-over-year. Source
  • Copper and brass sales increased: Copper and brass sales were $123.7 million, up 21.4% sequentially and 25.1% year-over-year. Source
  • Alloy volume up, price down: Alloy tons rose 10.9% sequentially while average selling price fell 7.0% sequentially. Source

“Our balance sheet and liquidity remain key competitive advantages, supporting disciplined capital deployment including strategic growth investments and ongoing returns to stockholders”

Karla Lewis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance

Margins, LIFO and pricing

  • Gross margin fell on LIFO and border wall: Gross profit margin was 28.1%, down 100 basis points sequentially, mainly from higher LIFO expense and the border wall project. Source
  • FIFO margin rose sequentially: Non-GAAP FIFO gross margin was 30.5%, compared with 30.1% in the first quarter. Source
  • LIFO cost well above expectation: LIFO expense was $1.64 per diluted share, $1.10 above the level management expected, due to higher carbon steel and aluminum product costs. Source
  • Border wall added to pretax margin: Border wall costs per ton were below average, adding about 30 basis points to pretax income margin in the quarter. Source
  • Border wall mix offset price growth: Border wall mix reduced the sequential average selling price increase per ton by 1.6%, because shipments ran above expectations. Source

End markets and demand

  • Non-residential demand improved: Non-residential construction, the largest end market by tons, improved year-over-year. Management expects it to continue to improve. Source
  • Aerospace demand improved: Aerospace demand improved year-over-year. Commercial aerospace is expected to improve modestly in the third quarter, while defense and space is expected to remain robust. Source
  • Semiconductor demand rising: Demand for certain semiconductor products improved meaningfully year-over-year and is expected to keep improving in the third quarter. Source
  • Manufacturing expected to ease seasonally: Broader manufacturing demand is expected to stay healthy in the third quarter, with a customary seasonal decline from the second quarter. Source

“As customer optimism builds and activity strengthens across infrastructure, semiconductor, general manufacturing and aerospace, Reliance remains exceptionally well positioned”

Karla Lewis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reliance

Products and customers

  • Carbon steel tubing share rose: Carbon steel tubing was 12% of sales in the second quarter, against 9% in the first quarter and 10% a year earlier. Source
  • Gross profit per ton rose broadly: Gross profit dollars per ton rose across most product categories, according to management. Source
  • Automotive toll processing steady: Demand for automotive toll processing improved year-over-year and is expected to remain steady in the third quarter. Source

Border wall contract activity

  • Border wall activity above expectations: Border wall contract shipments began in April and ran above management's expectations, adding to second-quarter earnings. Source
  • Border wall cut FIFO margin: Border wall shipments reduced the non-GAAP FIFO gross margin by 40 basis points. Source
  • Phase 1 sales estimate: Phase 1 of the border wall contract, within a contract of up to $2.24 billion, is estimated at about $1.4 billion of sales through mid-2027.

Cash, debt and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow despite working capital build: Operating cash flow was $162.2 million and free cash flow was $68.8 million, with a significant working capital increase tied to shipments and metals prices. Source
  • Debt and cash balances: Cash was $235.4 million and total debt was $1.7 billion, including $520 million on the $1.5 billion revolver. Net debt to EBITDA was 0.9x. Source
  • Dividends paid and repurchase capacity: Dividends paid in the quarter were $63.8 million. About $529 million remained under the repurchase program at June 30. Source
  • Capital spending rose: Capital expenditures were $93.4 million in the second quarter, against $64.2 million in the first quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 22 July 2026

  • Dividend payable August 28: The Board declared a $1.25 quarterly dividend, payable August 28, 2026 to holders of record on August 14, 2026. Source
  • Joint Strike Fighter contract from 2027: The AMI aluminum plate contract for the Joint Strike Fighter runs from January 2027 with a maximum estimated value of $654 million.

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Tons sold (thousands), second quarter 2026 Source1,790.1
Average selling price per ton sold Source$2,602
Carbon steel tons sold (thousands) Source1,480.2
Aluminum tons sold (thousands) Source86.0
Stainless steel tons sold (thousands) Source81.3
Alloy tons sold (thousands) Source36.6
Copper & brass tons sold (thousands) Source5.8

Risks management discussed

  • External: Trade policy uncertainty and the continued conflict in Iran could pose supply availability and macroeconomic risks to the third quarter. Source
  • Operational: Management flagged possible third-quarter headwinds to non-residential construction from supply availability. Source
  • Operational: Longer mill lead times and tighter inventories make dependable metal access more important to the business. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Second-quarter EPS was above the top of the range set in the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Ahead: Sequential tons growth was above the range set in the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Ahead: Sequential price growth was above the range set in the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Ahead: Border wall earnings contribution in the second quarter was above the expected range set in the prior-quarter release. Source
  • Not stated: Management said it would provide border wall impact and earnings guidance each quarter; the second-quarter release includes third-quarter estimates.

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.