Uniti Group Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call
What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 11 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 raised, 3 lowered, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.
Key takeaways
- Net loss of $70.3 million: The company reported a net loss of $70.3 million, or ($0.34) diluted EPS, against net income of $12.2 million a year earlier. Revenue was $987.5 million. Source
- Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA grew year over year: Management said consolidated revenue and Adjusted EBITDA grew year over year for the first time as a combined company. The comparison column shows first-quarter 2025 revenue of $293.9 million. Source
- Record consumer fiber gross adds: Kinetic consumer fiber gross adds were about 39,000, the highest ever on record. Kinetic consumer fiber revenue grew 26% year over year on a pro forma basis. Source
- Fiber Infrastructure bookings third highest: Fiber Infrastructure new bookings added $1.6 million of monthly recurring revenue, and management called it the third highest quarter on record. The prior quarter's bookings were $1.7 million. Source
- Net loss range and interest estimate revised: The revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA ranges were unchanged from the prior release, while the net loss range widened and the interest expense estimate rose. Source
- Debt issuance exceeded repayments: Proceeds from issuance of debt were $2,070.1 million against repayments of $927.5 million. Notes and other debt, net, rose to $10,636.6 million from $9,529.4 million at December 31, 2025. Source
- Fiber build on track to 2029: Management said the company remains on track to pass 3.5 million homes with fiber by the end of 2029. The prior release reported about 1.9 million homes at year-end 2025. Source
“2026 is off to a great start at Uniti, fueled by the continued strong demand from hyperscalers and the significant progress we have made to-date on our fiber-to-the-home build.”
Kenny Gunderman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Uniti
Guidance
| Area | Period | Figure | Against last quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Source | full year 2026 | $3,605 million to $3,655 million | Kept |
| Net loss Source | full year 2026 | ($450) million to ($400) million | Lowered from ($410) million to ($360) million |
| Adjusted EBITDA Source | full year 2026 | $1,425 million to $1,475 million | Kept |
| EBITDA Source | full year 2026 | $1,355 million to $1,405 million | Kept |
| Interest expense, net Source | full year 2026 | $785 million | Raised from $775 million |
| Depreciation and amortization Source | full year 2026 | $1,130 million | Raised from $1,120 million |
| Income tax benefit Source | full year 2026 | $110 million benefit | Lowered from $130 million benefit |
| Stock-based compensation Source | full year 2026 | $30 million | Lowered from $35 million |
| Transaction related and other costs Source | full year 2026 | $40 million | Raised from $35 million |
What changed from last quarter
- Guidance lowered: The 2026 net loss range was revised to ($450) million to ($400) million from ($410) million to ($360) million. Source
- Guidance raised: The 2026 interest expense, net estimate was revised to $785 million from $775 million. Source
- Guidance raised: The 2026 transaction related and other costs estimate was revised to $40 million from $35 million. Source
- Guidance kept: The 2026 revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA ranges were kept from the prior release. Source
Results and growth drivers
- Net loss of $70.3 million: The company reported a net loss of $70.3 million, or ($0.34) diluted EPS, against net income of $12.2 million a year earlier. Revenue was $987.5 million. Source
- Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA grew year over year: Management said consolidated revenue and Adjusted EBITDA grew year over year for the first time as a combined company. The comparison column shows first-quarter 2025 revenue of $293.9 million. Source
- Pro forma fiber revenue up 15%: On a pro forma basis, consolidated fiber revenue grew 15% year over year, and Fiber Infrastructure fiber revenue grew 13% over the same period. Source
- Adjusted EBITDA margin about 45%: Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA of $441.6 million gave a margin of about 45%, against about 40% in the fourth quarter of 2025 as the prior release reported. Source
Segments and capital spending
- Kinetic contribution and capex: Kinetic contributed $548.0 million of revenue and $235.5 million of contribution margin, about 43%, with capital expenditures of $251.9 million. Fourth-quarter Kinetic revenue was $558.7 million. Source
- Fiber Infrastructure margin about 65%: Fiber Infrastructure contributed $294.8 million of revenue and $192.7 million of contribution margin, about 65%, against about 49% in the fourth quarter. Capital expenditures were $70.4 million and upfront customer payments $152.4 million. Source
- Uniti Solutions margin about 50%: Uniti Solutions contributed $191.8 million of revenue and $95.8 million of contribution margin, about 50%, with capital expenditures of $6.5 million. Fourth-quarter revenue was $196.0 million. Source
“We saw consolidated revenue and Adjusted EBITDA year-over-year growth during the first quarter for the first time as a combined company, which is a significant first step in our goal to achieve full year year-over-year growth by 2027.”
Kenny Gunderman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Uniti
Consumer fiber and bookings
- Record consumer fiber gross adds: Kinetic consumer fiber gross adds were about 39,000, the highest ever on record. Kinetic consumer fiber revenue grew 26% year over year on a pro forma basis. Source
- Largest hyperscaler contract referenced: The prior release said the company signed its largest customer contract in its history with a prominent hyperscaler. This release cites continued demand from hyperscalers.
- Fiber Infrastructure bookings third highest: Fiber Infrastructure new bookings added $1.6 million of monthly recurring revenue, and management called it the third highest quarter on record. The prior quarter's bookings were $1.7 million. Source
Costs and interest
- Operating costs rose with scale: Cost of services was $358.2 million, against $31.4 million a year earlier. SG&A was $168.7 million against $28.3 million, and depreciation and amortization was $289.8 million against $79.7 million. Source
- Transaction costs of $30.1 million: Transaction related and other costs were $30.1 million against $7.8 million a year earlier. Management said the 2026 guidance update reflects these costs incurred to date. Source
- Net interest expense rose: Interest expense, net was $188.3 million against $129.5 million a year earlier. Loss before income taxes was $69.7 million, against income of $7.7 million. Source
“Finally, our balance sheet is as strong as it has ever been and we expect to be opportunistically active in the capital markets this year, including potentially pursuing additional asset securitizations”
Kenny Gunderman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Uniti
Full-year 2026 guidance update
- Update reflects business unit revisions: Management said it updated 2026 guidance mainly for business unit level revisions and for transaction related and other costs incurred to date. Source
- Net loss range and interest estimate revised: The revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA ranges were unchanged from the prior release, while the net loss range widened and the interest expense estimate rose. Source
- Guidance excludes unannounced deals: The 2026 figures exclude future acquisitions, capital market transactions, and future transaction-related and other costs not mentioned in the release. Source
Capital, cash and debt
- Debt issuance exceeded repayments: Proceeds from issuance of debt were $2,070.1 million against repayments of $927.5 million. Notes and other debt, net, rose to $10,636.6 million from $9,529.4 million at December 31, 2025. Source
- Cash balance rose to $982.6 million: Cash and cash equivalents were $982.6 million at March 31, 2026, against $53.5 million at December 31, 2025. Net cash from operating activities was $260.9 million. Source
- Kinetic securitization and senior notes: The prior release said the company closed a $960.1 million inaugural Kinetic fiber securitization on January 30, and completed $1.0 billion of 8.625% senior notes due 2032 on February 4.
Fiber build and long-term goals
- Fiber build on track to 2029: Management said the company remains on track to pass 3.5 million homes with fiber by the end of 2029. The prior release reported about 1.9 million homes at year-end 2025. Source
- Most premises built in four years: Management said the company had the highest number of new consumer fiber premises constructed in almost four years. No count of premises was given in the release. Source
- 2027 full-year growth goal: Management described full-year year-over-year growth by 2027 as its goal, and called the first-quarter combined-company growth a significant first step toward it. Source
Coming up, as management said on 11 May 2026
- Capital markets activity expected this year: Management expects to be opportunistically active in capital markets this year, potentially including additional asset securitizations. Source
Figures management reported
| Figure | Reported |
|---|---|
| Churn Source | fiber churn was the best quarter on record |
| Capital expenditure Source | $349.2 million |
Risks management discussed
- Operational: Management said the 2026 estimates remain subject to change while the Windstream integration continues. Source
- Operational: Future transaction-related costs not mentioned in the release are excluded from the current 2026 estimates. Source
Earlier plans management reported on
- On track: Management said it remains on track for the target of passing 3.5 million homes with fiber by the end of 2029. 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.