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Semtech Corp.: Q1 FY2027 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2027, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 11 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales reached $291.0 million: Net sales rose 6% sequentially from $274.4 million and 16% year-over-year from $251.1 million. The figure was above the $283.0 million first-quarter guidance in the prior release. Source
  • Adjusted operating margin rose to 20.4%: Adjusted operating income was $59.3 million, or 20.4% of sales, against 18.2% in Q4'26 and 19.0% in Q1'26. Source
  • FiberEdge and CopperEdge 1.6T ramp: Management said FiberEdge and CopperEdge 1.6T revenues are layering onto the company's growth base. The release gives no revenue amounts for these products. Source
  • Operating expenses rose sharply: GAAP operating expenses were $125.7 million, against $156.5 million in Q4'26, which included a $42.8 million goodwill impairment, and $95.3 million in Q1'26. Source
  • Data center growth expected to accelerate: Management said it expects data center growth to accelerate through the fiscal year as FiberEdge and CopperEdge 1.6T revenues are added. Source
  • Free cash flow was $28.0 million: Free cash flow was $28.0 million, against $59.1 million in Q4'26 and $26.2 million in Q1'26. Source
  • Second quarter net sales guidance: Net sales guidance is $328.0 million, plus or minus $5.0 million, for the second quarter of fiscal 2027. Source

“Semtech is off to an exceptional start in fiscal year 2027, delivering record quarterly results and expanding design wins across our data center and LoRa businesses,”

Hong Hou, president and chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$328.0 +/- $5.0New
Adjusted gross margin Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 202754.0% +/- 50 bpsNew
Total semiconductor products gross margin Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 202762.1% +/- 50 bpsNew
Adjusted operating expenses, net Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$105.2 +/- $2.0New
Adjusted operating income Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$71.9 +/- $2.3New
Adjusted operating margin Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 202721.9% +/- 40 bpsNew
Adjusted interest and other expense, net Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$0.5New
Adjusted diluted earnings per share Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$0.61 +/- $0.02New
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$79.2 +/- $2.3New
Adjusted EBITDA margin Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 202724.2% +/- 40 bpsNew
Non-GAAP diluted share count Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 202797.7New
Non-GAAP normalized tax rate Sourcefiscal year 202717%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Second quarter fiscal 2027 guidance is given in this release; the prior release gave guidance only for the first quarter. Source
  • Guidance kept: Fiscal 2027 non-GAAP normalized tax rate remains 17%, as stated in the prior release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net sales reached $291.0 million: Net sales rose 6% sequentially from $274.4 million and 16% year-over-year from $251.1 million. The figure was above the $283.0 million first-quarter guidance in the prior release. Source
  • GAAP operating income turned positive: GAAP operating income was $25.8 million, or 8.9% of sales. Q4'26 showed a $18.3 million loss that included a $42.8 million goodwill impairment; Q1'26 was $36.0 million. Source
  • Adjusted operating margin rose to 20.4%: Adjusted operating income was $59.3 million, or 20.4% of sales, against 18.2% in Q4'26 and 19.0% in Q1'26. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose year-over-year: GAAP diluted EPS was $0.27, up 23% year-over-year. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.51, up 34%, compared with $0.44 in Q4'26. Source

Segments, products and design wins

  • IoT Systems and Connectivity eased: Net sales were $88.3 million, down from $89.9 million in Q4'26 and up from $86.9 million in Q1'26. Segment gross margin was 35.8%, against 31.6% and 34.4%. Source
  • FiberEdge and CopperEdge 1.6T ramp: Management said FiberEdge and CopperEdge 1.6T revenues are layering onto the company's growth base. The release gives no revenue amounts for these products. Source

“We demonstrated meaningful operating leverage in the first quarter,”

Mark Lin, executive vice president and chief financial officer

Costs, margins and operating leverage

  • Gross margins above Q4 levels: GAAP gross margin was 52.0%, against 50.4% in Q4'26 and 52.3% in Q1'26. Adjusted gross margin was 53.0%, against 51.6% and 53.5%. Total semiconductor products gross margin was 60.7%. Source
  • Operating expenses rose sharply: GAAP operating expenses were $125.7 million, against $156.5 million in Q4'26, which included a $42.8 million goodwill impairment, and $95.3 million in Q1'26. Source
  • Share-based compensation was higher: Share-based compensation within operating expenses was $25.3 million, against $15.8 million in Q4'26 and $6.1 million in Q1'26. Product development was $57.6 million and SG&A $66.6 million. Source
  • Adjusted operating expenses rose: Adjusted operating expenses, net were $95.1 million, against $91.5 million in Q4'26 and $86.6 million in Q1'26, excluding share-based compensation and other listed items. Source

Demand, bookings and data center growth

  • Bookings and backlog cited: Management cited the strength and depth of bookings and backlog as support for its growth view. The release gives no bookings, backlog or book-to-bill figures. Source
  • Data center growth expected to accelerate: Management said it expects data center growth to accelerate through the fiscal year as FiberEdge and CopperEdge 1.6T revenues are added. Source
  • Product portfolio and R&D investment: Management pointed to a broad and well-positioned product portfolio and targeted R&D investments aligned to customer roadmaps as drivers of its growth trajectory. Source

Cash, balance sheet and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow fell from Q4: Net cash from operating activities was $36.2 million, against $61.5 million in Q4'26 and $27.8 million in Q1'26. Net capital expenditures were $8.2 million. Source
  • Free cash flow was $28.0 million: Free cash flow was $28.0 million, against $59.1 million in Q4'26 and $26.2 million in Q1'26. Source
  • Cash fell while inventory and receivables rose: Cash and cash equivalents were $163.3 million, down from $195.2 million at January 25, 2026. Inventories rose to $204.7 million and accounts receivable to $174.8 million. Source
  • Long-term debt roughly unchanged: Long-term debt was $492.0 million, against $491.2 million at January 25, 2026. Stockholders' equity was $573.3 million. Source
  • Management expects higher shareholder returns: Management said the momentum is expected to drive increasing shareholder returns. The release gives no buyback or dividend amount. Source
  • Diluted share count rose: GAAP weighted-average diluted shares were 98.0 million, against 92.6 million in Q4'26 and 89.6 million in Q1'26. Non-GAAP diluted shares were 96.5 million. Source

Second quarter guidance and foundation

  • Second quarter net sales guidance: Net sales guidance is $328.0 million, plus or minus $5.0 million, for the second quarter of fiscal 2027. Source
  • Second quarter profit guidance: Adjusted operating margin is guided to 21.9% plus or minus 40 bps, and adjusted EBITDA margin to 24.2% plus or minus 40 bps. Source
  • Operational base for improving metrics: Management said its operational fundamentals provide a foundation for improving metrics in the second quarter. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Gross margin SourceGAAP 52.0%; adjusted 53.0%; total semiconductor products 60.7%

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.