greeksoup/ stock research

Strata Critical Medical, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 87.4% year over year: Revenue reached $67.4 million against $35.9 million a year earlier, with organic Logistics growth and the Keystone Clinical business added in Q3 2025. Source
  • Gross margin fell sequentially: Total gross margin was 21.0%, about 60 basis points below Q4 2025, as lower Logistics margin was partly offset by higher Clinical margin. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA slipped from Q4: Adjusted EBITDA was $6.4 million at a 9.5% margin, against $7.0 million and 10.4% in Q4 2025. The margin decline included a 60 basis point gross margin decline. Source
  • Deceased donors rose mid-single digits: Management said key transplant indicators improved, with deceased donors up a mid-single digit percentage sequentially and NRP penetration of DCD donors still rising. Source
  • Operating cash flow turned positive: Operating cash flow was $3.9 million, compared with an $8.3 million outflow in Q4 2025. Management cited a $2.5 million gap to Adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Free cash flow before aircraft positive: Free cash flow before aircraft and engine acquisitions was $2.1 million. Including those acquisitions, free cash flow was $(1.6) million. Source
  • Ohio Valley Perfusion acquired: Strata completed the bolt-on acquisition of Ohio Valley Perfusion Associates for approximately $1 million, adding perfusion services in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Source

“We are pleased to report Q1 results that came in ahead of our expectations, reflecting both strong execution on our growth plan and improving industry dynamics,”

Melissa Tomkiel, Co-CEO and General Counsel

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefull year 2026$260-275 millionKept
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$29-33 millionKept
Free cash flow, before aircraft and engine acquisitions Sourcefull year 2026$15-22 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Management reiterated 2026 guidance for revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow before aircraft, with no change from the prior quarter's ranges. Source
  • New: Strata completed the acquisition of Ohio Valley Perfusion Associates, a perfusion services provider in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Source
  • New: A combined Logistics and Clinical hub was opened in Chicago during the quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 87.4% year over year: Revenue reached $67.4 million against $35.9 million a year earlier, with organic Logistics growth and the Keystone Clinical business added in Q3 2025. Source
  • Net income from continuing operations turned positive: Net income from continuing operations was $2.4 million, against a $5.4 million loss in Q4 2025. Total diluted EPS was $0.03. Source
  • Operating loss narrowed: Operating loss from continuing operations was $3.0 million, down 47.7% from $5.7 million a year earlier. Source
  • Other income added to pre-tax result: Total other non-operating income was $5.4 million, including a $3.4 million change in fair value of assets and other liabilities. Source

Segments and regions

  • Organic Logistics revenue grew on Air: Organic Logistics revenue reached $47.6 million, driven mainly by higher Air revenue. Logistics gross margin was 19.3%. Source
  • Logistics revenue fell sequentially: Logistics revenue declined 3.3% from Q4 2025, which management attributed mainly to customer mix that shortened trip distances. Source
  • Clinical revenue rose sequentially: Clinical revenue rose 12.7% sequentially to $19.8 million, led by Transplant Clinical revenue, which rose 26.7%. Source

“The underlying strength of our transformed economic model is finally shining through as we began generating operating cash flow this quarter.”

Will Heyburn, Co-CEO and CFO

Transplant services and customers

  • NRP and surgical recovery drove transplant growth: Management attributed Transplant Clinical growth to Normothermic Regional Perfusion and surgical recovery services. Source
  • Chicago hub opened for new customers: The combined Logistics and Clinical Chicago hub is meant to serve new transplant center customers being onboarded this year and to offer lower-cost options in the Midwest. Source
  • End-to-end offering progressing: Management said it is making progress in optimizing how it delivers its end-to-end transplant service offering. Source

Costs and operating expenses

  • Adjusted SG&A rose on investment: Adjusted SG&A rose $0.3 million sequentially to $9.2 million, mainly on investment in resources and infrastructure. It was 13.7% of revenue. Source
  • Reported SG&A fell sequentially: Reported SG&A was $15.6 million, down $3.7 million from Q4 2025. Stock-based compensation was $5.0 million in the quarter. Source
  • Legal settlement and deal costs excluded: Adjustments excluded $0.2 million of legal settlement fees, $0.7 million of M&A transaction costs and $0.4 million of Passenger-sale reorganization costs. Source
  • Amortization and operating expenses rose: Amortization of intangible assets was $1.5 million against $0.4 million a year earlier. Total operating expenses were $17.1 million. Source

“Our capital deployment towards M&A is just getting started and our pipeline remains very active.”

Will Heyburn, Co-CEO and CFO

Margins and profitability

  • Gross margin fell sequentially: Total gross margin was 21.0%, about 60 basis points below Q4 2025, as lower Logistics margin was partly offset by higher Clinical margin. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA slipped from Q4: Adjusted EBITDA was $6.4 million at a 9.5% margin, against $7.0 million and 10.4% in Q4 2025. The margin decline included a 60 basis point gross margin decline. Source
  • Logistics margin lower on customer mix: Logistics gross margin was 19.3%, 30 basis points below the prior year and 220 basis points below Q4 2025, driven mainly by customer mix. Source
  • Clinical margin rose on transplant mix: Clinical gross margin reached 25.0%, up from 21.8% in Q4 2025, on margin improvement and a shift toward Transplant Clinical revenue. Source

Demand and transplant volumes

  • Deceased donors rose mid-single digits: Management said key transplant indicators improved, with deceased donors up a mid-single digit percentage sequentially and NRP penetration of DCD donors still rising. Source
  • Donor rebound aided Clinical gross profit: Management cited new customer wins, a rebound in industry organ donors and mix shift toward third-party surgical recovery and NRP for Clinical gross profit growth of nearly 30%. Source
  • New and existing customers drove Air: Management said both new and existing customers contributed to the strong Air performance in the quarter. Source

Cash flow and capital

  • Operating cash flow turned positive: Operating cash flow was $3.9 million, compared with an $8.3 million outflow in Q4 2025. Management cited a $2.5 million gap to Adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Free cash flow before aircraft positive: Free cash flow before aircraft and engine acquisitions was $2.1 million. Including those acquisitions, free cash flow was $(1.6) million. Source
  • Capital spending included aircraft: Capital expenditures totaled $5.5 million, including $3.7 million of aircraft acquisitions and aircraft capitalized maintenance. Source
  • Cash position at quarter end: Cash and short-term investments were $58.8 million at March 31, 2026. Cash and cash equivalents alone were $58.7 million, up from $31.0 million. Source

Strategy, acquisitions and network

  • Ohio Valley Perfusion acquired: Strata completed the bolt-on acquisition of Ohio Valley Perfusion Associates for approximately $1 million, adding perfusion services in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Source
  • Organ recovery hubs expanded: Two organ recovery hubs were opened in the quarter, bringing the total to 13. Source
  • Aircraft fleet and air bases: The fleet ended the quarter at about 35 aircraft, of which 10 are owned after one acquisition in the quarter, stationed across about 20 air bases. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 May 2026

  • Passenger divestiture outflows clearing: Management expects earnings quality and cash conversion to improve in coming quarters as the last Passenger divestiture transaction-related outflows clear. Source
  • Acquisitions expected to close: Management expects to complete certain of the pipeline acquisition opportunities over the coming months. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Fleet Sourceapproximately 35 aircraft, including 10 owned
Air bases Sourceapproximately 20
Volumes Sourcemid-single digit sequential increase in deceased donors

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Winter storms closed key airports for several days in the quarter, which management cited as a factor in Logistics revenue. Source
  • Financial: Management said incentive compensation, transaction-related expenses and fair value items make Adjusted EBITDA guidance hard to reconcile to GAAP and may affect future GAAP results. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management reiterated its full-year 2026 guidance for revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow before aircraft. 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.