greeksoup/ stock research

Shoals Technologies Group, Inc.: 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: 2 raised, 2 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue up 75% from prior year: Revenue was $140.6 million, up 74.9%. Management attributed growth to underlying product demand, market share capture initiatives and a higher volume of projects. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose to $21.1M: Adjusted EBITDA was $21.1 million, up from $13.5 million in the prior-year quarter, on the company’s revised definition. Source
  • Backlog and awarded orders at $758M: Backlog and awarded orders were $758.0 million at March 31, 2026, up 17.5% from a year earlier and 1.4% sequentially from December 31, 2025. Source
  • Gross margin fell to 29.2%: Gross profit was $41.0 million, or 29.2% of revenue, against 35.0% a year earlier. Adjusted gross profit percentage was 29.6%. Source
  • Tariffs added $3.8M of cost: Management attributed the margin decline mainly to additional tariffs paid, and also cited higher right-of-use amortization and material costs. Source
  • Operating cash flow turned negative: Net cash used in operating activities was $41.4 million, against $15.6 million provided a year earlier, including a $69.6 million inventory increase. Source
  • Full-year revenue range raised: Management raised the full-year 2026 revenue range by $40 million at each end. Source
  • Full-year Adjusted EBITDA range raised: The full-year Adjusted EBITDA range moved up, with the low end rising $8 million and the high end rising $2 million. Source

“We began the year on very solid footing, with revenue above our expected range and growing at approximately 75% from the prior-year period.”

Brandon Moss, CEO of Shoals

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceSecond quarter 2026$150 million to $170 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceSecond quarter 2026$28 million to $33 millionNew
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$600 million to $640 millionRaised from $560 million to $600 million
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$118 million to $132 millionRaised from $110 million to $130 million
Cash flow from operations SourceFull year 2026$65 million to $85 millionKept
Capital expenditures SourceFull year 2026$20 million to $30 millionKept
Interest expense SourceFull year 2026$8 million to $12 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 revenue range raised by $40 million at each end, from $560-600 million to $600-640 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA range raised, low end from $110 million to $118 million and high end from $130 million to $132 million. Source
  • New guidance: First second-quarter 2026 guidance given for revenue and Adjusted EBITDA; the prior release gave first-quarter ranges only. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year cash flow from operations, capital expenditures and interest expense ranges were kept at the prior levels. Source
  • New: Adjusted EBITDA definition revised to exclude shareholder litigation costs, with prior periods recast to the current presentation. Source
  • New: Adjusted Gross Profit now adds back plant optimization expenses; the prior release added back wire insulation shrinkback expenses. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue up 75% from prior year: Revenue was $140.6 million, up 74.9%. Management attributed growth to underlying product demand, market share capture initiatives and a higher volume of projects. Source
  • Operating income rose to $7.7M: Income from operations was $7.7 million, against $4.3 million a year earlier, before a $5.3 million litigation settlement expense below operating income. Source
  • Net loss flat at $0.3M: Net loss was $0.3 million, the same as the prior-year loss. Loss per share was $0.00 in both periods, and the company reported a loss before income taxes of $0.4 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose to $21.1M: Adjusted EBITDA was $21.1 million, up from $13.5 million in the prior-year quarter, on the company’s revised definition. Source

Demand, backlog and strategy

  • Backlog and awarded orders at $758M: Backlog and awarded orders were $758.0 million at March 31, 2026, up 17.5% from a year earlier and 1.4% sequentially from December 31, 2025. Source
  • International and battery storage growth: Management attributed the backlog increase to consistent demand for the company’s products, with growth in international and emerging battery energy storage markets. Source
  • Awarded orders not yet under contract: Backlog covers signed purchase orders or take-or-pay minimums. Awarded orders are orders being documented in a contract that has not yet been signed. Source
  • New production facility cited: Management cited the company’s new production facility as positioning it for profitable growth in 2026 and beyond. Source

“We’re very excited about what we see ahead, and are pleased to increase both our revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance for the current year,”

Brandon Moss, CEO of Shoals

Margins, tariffs and material costs

  • Gross margin fell to 29.2%: Gross profit was $41.0 million, or 29.2% of revenue, against 35.0% a year earlier. Adjusted gross profit percentage was 29.6%. Source
  • Tariffs added $3.8M of cost: Management attributed the margin decline mainly to additional tariffs paid, and also cited higher right-of-use amortization and material costs. Source
  • Facility lease amortization up $1.4M: Right-of-use asset amortization rose $1.4 million after the opening of the consolidated operations facility, which management listed among the causes of the margin decline. Source
  • Plant optimization cost excluded: Plant optimization expense of $0.6 million was included in gross profit and excluded from adjusted gross profit. Source

General, administrative and litigation costs

  • G&A rose to $31.0M: General and administrative expenses rose to $31.0 million from $21.7 million, with legal costs and compensation as the main drivers. Source
  • Legal costs up $6.2M on three matters: Legal expenses rose $6.2 million for wire insulation shrinkback, intellectual property and shareholder litigation. Source
  • Compensation costs up $1.6M: Cash and share-based incentive compensation rose $1.6 million, reflecting higher headcount than in the prior-year period. Source
  • Securities litigation settlement accrued: The company recorded a $5.3 million settlement expense, net of recoveries, as an accrual for the expected settlement net of insurance recoveries on securities litigation. Source

Cash, debt and capital spending

  • Operating cash flow turned negative: Net cash used in operating activities was $41.4 million, against $15.6 million provided a year earlier, including a $69.6 million inventory increase. Source
  • Inventory rose to $159.0M: Inventory was $159.0 million against $89.9 million at December 31, 2025. The balance sheet also shows a $64.8 million insurance receivable. Source
  • Litigation settlement liability of $70.0M: A litigation settlement liability of $70.0 million was reported as a current liability at March 31, 2026. Source
  • Revolver borrowings rose to $181.8M: The revolving line of credit balance was $181.8 million, up $45.0 million from year-end. Cash and cash equivalents fell to $1.9 million. Source
  • Capital spending $7.6M in quarter: Purchases of property, plant and equipment were $7.6 million, against $3.2 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • No change in treasury shares: Treasury stock was 3,908,387 shares at both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, with no repurchase line in the cash flow statement. Source

Full-year and second-quarter guidance

  • Full-year revenue range raised: Management raised the full-year 2026 revenue range by $40 million at each end. Source
  • Full-year Adjusted EBITDA range raised: The full-year Adjusted EBITDA range moved up, with the low end rising $8 million and the high end rising $2 million. Source
  • Second-quarter ranges provided: Management gave revenue and Adjusted EBITDA ranges for the second quarter, the first quarter for which guidance of this kind was given in this release. Source
  • Cash flow, capex and interest kept: Full-year cash flow from operations, capital expenditure and interest expense ranges were kept at the prior levels. Source

Adjusted measures and adjustments

  • Adjusted net income of $12.1M: Adjusted net income was $12.1 million against $5.7 million, and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.07 against $0.03 in the prior-year period. Source
  • Litigation costs excluded from adjustments: Wire insulation shrinkback litigation expenses of $3.7 million were excluded from adjusted measures, as were $1.7 million of shareholder litigation costs. Source
  • Tax effect on adjustments: Tax impact of adjustments was $4.2 million, and the effective tax rate for adjusted net income was 25.1%, against 24.4% a year earlier. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Backlog and awarded orders Source$758.0 million
Gross margin Source29.2%

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Additional tariffs paid were $3.8 million higher than in the prior-year quarter, reducing gross margin. Source
  • Operational: Right-of-use asset amortization increased $1.4 million after the opening of the consolidated operations facility. Source
  • Financial: Legal expenses for the wire insulation shrinkback, intellectual property and shareholder matters rose $6.2 million. Source
  • Regulatory: A $5.3 million litigation settlement expense, net of recoveries, was recorded for securities litigation. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said first-quarter revenue was above its expected range. Source
  • Not stated: Management said it is executing a plan to accelerate growth in its core domestic utility scale solar market. Source
  • Not stated: Plant optimization costs of $0.6 million were incurred for actions to consolidate operations into a newly constructed facility. 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.