AWH Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Rhea-AI Summary
Ascend Wellness (CSE: AAWH-U.CN, OTCQX: AAWH) reported Q1 2026 net revenue of $116.9 million, down 3% sequentially, and net loss of $29.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $26.3 million with a 22.5% margin; cash stood at $60.9 million.
Adjusted gross margin rose to 46.1%, G&A fell to $42.3 million, and net debt was $241.2 million. The retail footprint reached 51 locations, with 10 more expected by year-end. AWH guides Q2 2026 revenue up 2–3% with Adjusted EBITDA margin in the low-20% range.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Positive
- Adjusted gross margin improved to 46.1% from 45.4% in Q4 2025
- Net loss narrowed to $29.5 million from $48.7 million in Q4 2025
- G&A expenses decreased to $42.3 million, 36.2% of revenue
- Adjusted EBITDA of $26.3 million with 22.5% margin
- Cash and cash equivalents totaled $60.9 million at March 31, 2026
- Retail footprint reached 51 locations with five dispensaries added in 2026
- Ranked No. 2 brand house by sales and units across IL, MA, NJ in Q1 2026
- High Wired reached 44% share and No. 1 in infused flower across IL, MA, NJ
- Ascenders Club loyalty sign-ups increased 34% sequentially
- Q2 2026 guidance: revenue up 2–3%, Adjusted EBITDA margin low-20% range
Negative
- Net revenue declined 3.0% sequentially to $116.9 million
- Retail revenue fell 2.2% sequentially to $83.1 million
- Wholesale revenue declined 5.0% sequentially to $33.8 million
- Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $26.3 million from $30.2 million in Q4 2025
- Company reported a Q1 2026 net loss of $29.5 million
- Net cash outflow from operating activities was $19.4 million in Q1 2026
- Net debt stood at $241.2 million as of March 31, 2026
- Pricing pressure and increased competition affected performance across multiple markets
- Temporary suspension of Lansing, Michigan facility operations planned for late Q2 2026
News Market Reaction – AAWH
On the day this news was published, AAWH declined 0.23%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Generated Q1 2026 net revenue of
51-location footprint to date, with five dispensaries added in 20262
Ranked No. 2 brand house in
Rescheduling poised to unlock immediate and near-term benefits, with potential further impact from follow-on actions
Q1 2026 Financial Highlights
- Net revenue was
compared to$116.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 ("Q4 2025").$120.5 million - Retail revenue was
compared to$83.1 million in Q4 2025.$85.0 million - Wholesale revenue was
compared to$33.8 million in Q4 2025.$35.5 million
- Retail revenue was
- Adjusted Gross Profit Margin1 of
46.1% of revenue compared to45.4% in Q4 2025, reflecting improved vertical sales and increased operating leverage. - Net loss of
compared to$29.5 million in Q4 2025.$48.7 million - Adjusted EBITDA1 was
compared to$26.3 million in Q4 2025, representing an Adjusted EBITDA Margin1 of$30.2 million 22.5% . - Cash and cash equivalents of
as of March 31, 2026.$60.9 million
Q1 2026 Business and Operational Highlights
- Advanced retail densification strategy with the addition of five new dispensaries year-to-date, including three new locations in the Northeast and two in the Midwest.
- Opened East Coasting in the second quarter of 2026 ("Q2 2026"), a dispensary in
Eatontown, New Jersey , in partnership with cannabis reform advocate Kyle Page. - Retail pipeline includes 10 additional locations expected across Ascend's core markets, which would bring its total owned and partner owned and operated footprint from 51 to at least 60 stores by year end, subject to regulatory approvals.
- Opened East Coasting in the second quarter of 2026 ("Q2 2026"), a dispensary in
- Ranked No. 2 among brand houses by both sales and units in the Company's three core markets of
Illinois ,Massachusetts , andNew Jersey combined in Q1 20263, reflecting strong brand momentum and continued share growth. - Debuted a full evolution of Ozone, Ascend's flagship lifestyle brand, elevating its premium positioning through improved product quality and consistency, a refreshed visual identity, innovative packaging, and new products and formulations across its footprint.
- Introduced Ozone's first full spectrum live resin gummies, now available in
Illinois ,Massachusetts , andNew Jersey , with expansion to additional markets planned for Q2 2026. - Rolled out new macro-dose gummies, available in 100mg and 50mg formats, for launch in select markets in Q2 2026.
- Released Ozone liquid diamonds and live resin vapes in
New Jersey and super shake flower inOhio , with new concentrate offerings in Pennsylvania.
- Introduced Ozone's first full spectrum live resin gummies, now available in
- High Wired gained
44% market share and ranked as the No. 1 brand in the highly competitive infused flower category acrossIllinois ,Massachusetts , andNew Jersey combined in Q1 20263. - Launched a number of new offerings across Ascend's brand portfolio in Q1 2026, including High Wired liquid diamonds vape (IL, NJ, MA) and sugar caps infused flower (NJ, MA); Honor Roll premium
100% whole flower pre-roll 6-pack (IL, NJ, MA); and Ozone King of Queen Cola cultivar expansion (IL, NJ, MA). - Subsequent to the end of the quarter, the Company made the decision that it will temporarily suspend operations at its
Lansing, Michigan facility toward the end of Q2 2026 to prepare for remediation activities related to a fire incident at the site that was contained. The Company does not anticipate a material impact on itsMichigan business.
Management Commentary
"Our first quarter performance highlights the improved strength of our operational foundation," said Sam Brill, CEO & Director of AWH. "Amid weather-related closures and a challenging operating environment, our operations proved resilient. We believe this marks an important inflection point as we execute our 2026 priorities, specifically through further retail densification, the continued enhancement of our customer-first retail model, and the deployment of our CPG strategy designed to capture high-margin sales and optimize our product mix. Densification puts us on a clear path to drive topline growth in the coming quarters, and we look forward to realizing the benefits of the operating leverage we have built. Looking ahead, the Trump Administration's move to reschedule medical cannabis to Schedule III brings real benefits for patients, medical research, and access, while supporting the industry as a whole. As details emerge following the Drug Enforcement Administration's anticipated hearing this summer on adult-use cannabis rescheduling, we are encouraged and are actively evaluating the potential immediate and near-term benefits for our operations."
Frank Perullo, Founder, President & Director of AWH, added, "The evolution of our legacy brand, Ozone, is the result of years of intentional focus and investment to achieve our highest quality standards. Alongside newer additions like High Wired and Honor Roll, we have built a diversified brand house that spans the full spectrum of consumer preferences. This portfolio drove
"Our balance sheet remains in a position of strength," said Roman Nemchenko, Chief Financial Officer. "We have stayed disciplined in managing our ongoing financial commitments while navigating operational headwinds. While pricing pressures persist across our footprint, our prudent approach to capital allocation has provided the flexibility to stay focused on executing our growth strategy."
Q1 2026 Financial Overview
Net revenue totaled
Retail revenue was
Third-party wholesale revenue was
Q1 2026 gross profit was
Total general and administrative ("G&A") expenses for Q1 2026 were
Net loss for Q1 2026 was
Adjusted EBITDA1 was
Balance Sheet
As of March 31, 2026, cash and cash equivalents were
Outlook
For the second quarter of 2026, the Company anticipates a 2
___________ | |
(1) | Measure is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see "Non-GAAP Financial Information and Definitions" below and "Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited)" at the end of this press release. |
(2) | Includes both Company owned and partner owned and operated locations. |
(3) | Source: BDSA, ranked number two brand house by both retail sales dollars and units in |
(4) | Net Debt is a non-GAAP financial measure defined as total debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs of |
Earnings Conference Call
The Company will hold a conference call today, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET, to discuss its Q1 2026 results.
The call can be accessed by dialing 1-888-699-1199, and a live audio webcast will be available at this link. The webcast will also be archived for replay via the Investor Relations section of the AWH website at https://investors.awholdings.com. A telephone replay will be available by calling 1-888-660-6345 with replay code 56156# until midnight ET on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
About Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc.
AWH is a vertically integrated cannabis operator with assets in
Additional information relating to the Company's Q1 2026 results can be found on the Investor Relations section of AWH's website at https://investors.awholdings.com, the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system ("EDGAR") at www.sec.gov and
Non-GAAP Financial Information and Definitions
This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the
Adjusted EBITDA/Margin and Adjusted Gross Profit/Margin are non-GAAP financial measures. Please see "Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited)" at the end of this release.
We define Net Debt as total debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs, less cash and cash equivalents, which components are disclosed in the Company's Selected Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet Information (Unaudited) included in the financial schedules attached to this press release under the captions "Current portion of debt, net," "Long-term debt, net,", and "Cash and cash equivalents." We believe this measure is an important indicator of the Company's ability to service its long-term debt obligations. This non-GAAP financial measure should not be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures as an indicator of operating performance or liquidity and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures provided by other companies.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable
We caution investors that any such forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends, the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, and on certain assumptions, estimates, and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience of the Company and its perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments and other factors that management believes are appropriate, including, with respect to statements regarding rescheduling, assumptions about the timing and final form of any such rescheduling.
Forward-looking statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements herein. Such factors include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as applicable, and in the Company's other reports and filings with the applicable Canadian securities administrators on its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and the SEC on its profile on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. No securities regulator nor the Canadian Securities Exchange has reviewed, approved, or disapproved the content of this press release.
ASCEND WELLNESS HOLDINGS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)
Three Months Ended March 31, | |||
(in thousands, except per share amounts) | 2026 | 2025 | |
Revenue, net | $ 116,933 | $ 127,997 | |
Cost of goods sold | (72,051) | (88,436) | |
Gross profit | 44,882 | 39,561 | |
Operating expenses | |||
General and administrative expenses | 42,336 | 37,075 | |
Operating profit | 2,546 | 2,486 | |
Other (expense) income | |||
Interest expense | (20,253) | (11,190) | |
Other income, net | 121 | 477 | |
Total other expense, net | (20,132) | (10,713) | |
Loss before income taxes | (17,586) | (8,227) | |
Income tax expense | (11,907) | (11,031) | |
Net loss | $ (29,493) | $ (19,258) | |
Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class B common | $ (0.15) | $ (0.09) | |
Weighted-average common shares outstanding — basic and diluted | 202,448 | 204,995 | |
ASCEND WELLNESS HOLDINGS, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)
Three Months Ended March 31, | |||
(in thousands) | 2026 | 2025 | |
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities | $ (19,411) | $ 5,939 | |
Cash flows from investing activities | |||
Additions to capital assets | (5,180) | (6,423) | |
Collection of notes receivable | 3,027 | 82 | |
Proceeds from sale of assets | 1,000 | 12 | |
Payments for acquisition of businesses and related deposits, net of cash acquired | (3,200) | (1,018) | |
Purchase of intangible assets | (400) | (500) | |
Net cash used in investing activities | (4,753) | (7,847) | |
Cash flows from financing activities | |||
Proceeds from issuance of debt | — | 14,550 | |
Repayments of debt | (47) | — | |
Debt issuance costs | — | (176) | |
Repayments under finance leases | (226) | (341) | |
Taxes withheld under equity-based compensation plans, net | (346) | — | |
Repurchase of common stock | — | (345) | |
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options | 27 | — | |
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities | (592) | 13,688 | |
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | (24,756) | 11,780 | |
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period | 85,676 | 88,254 | |
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period | $ 60,920 | $ 100,034 | |
ASCEND WELLNESS HOLDINGS, INC.
SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)
(in thousands) | March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | |
Cash and cash equivalents | $ 60,920 | $ 85,676 | |
Inventory | 87,149 | 84,707 | |
Other current assets | 40,895 | 38,566 | |
Property and equipment, net | 376,601 | 382,402 | |
Operating lease right-of-use assets | 47,364 | 47,063 | |
Intangible assets, net | 189,499 | 196,072 | |
Goodwill | 58,353 | 58,453 | |
Other non-current assets | 11,311 | 14,990 | |
Total Assets | $ 872,092 | $ 907,929 | |
Current portion of debt, net | $ 9,780 | $ 10,368 | |
Other current liabilities | 78,678 | 98,641 | |
Long-term debt, net | 292,309 | 291,104 | |
Operating lease liabilities, non-current | 60,740 | 60,546 | |
Finance lease liabilities and other lease financing liabilities, non-current | 261,850 | 261,913 | |
Other non-current liabilities | 244,502 | 231,974 | |
Total stockholders' deficit | (75,767) | (46,617) | |
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Deficit | $ 872,092 | $ 907,929 |
ASCEND WELLNESS HOLDINGS, INC.
RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (UNAUDITED)
We define "Adjusted Gross Profit" as gross profit excluding non-cash inventory costs, which include depreciation and amortization included in cost of goods sold, equity-based compensation included in cost of goods sold, and other non-cash inventory adjustments. We define "Adjusted Gross Margin" as Adjusted Gross Profit as a percentage of net revenue. Our "Adjusted EBITDA" is a non-GAAP measure used by management that is not defined by GAAP and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. We define "Adjusted EBITDA Margin" as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of net revenue. Management calculates Adjusted EBITDA as the reported net loss, adjusted to exclude: income tax expense, other (income) expense, interest expense, depreciation and amortization, depreciation and amortization included in cost of goods sold, non-cash inventory adjustments, equity-based compensation, equity-based compensation included in cost of goods sold, start-up costs, start-up costs included in cost of goods sold, transaction-related and other non-recurring expenses, gain or loss on sale of assets, and litigation settlement, as applicable. Accordingly, management believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides meaningful and useful financial information, as this measure demonstrates the operating performance of the business. The tables below provide reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to the most comparable
The following table presents Adjusted Gross Profit for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025:
Three Months Ended March 31, | |||
($ in thousands) | 2026 | 2025 | |
Gross Profit | $ 44,882 | $ 39,561 | |
Depreciation and amortization included in cost of goods sold | 8,080 | 9,700 | |
Equity-based compensation included in cost of goods sold | 326 | 1,138 | |
Non-cash inventory adjustments(1) | 644 | 1,774 | |
Adjusted Gross Profit | $ 53,932 | $ 52,173 | |
Adjusted Gross Margin | 46.1 % | 40.8 % | |
(1) | Consists of write-offs of expired products, obsolete packaging, and net realizable value adjustments related to certain inventory items. |
ASCEND WELLNESS HOLDINGS, INC.
RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (UNAUDITED)
The following table presents Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025:
Three Months Ended March 31, | |||
($ in thousands) | 2026 | 2025 | |
Net loss | $ (29,493) | $ (19,258) | |
Income tax expense | 11,907 | 11,031 | |
Other income, net | (121) | (477) | |
Interest expense | 20,253 | 11,190 | |
Depreciation and amortization | 18,280 | 18,400 | |
Non-cash inventory adjustments(1) | 644 | 1,774 | |
Equity-based compensation | 447 | 1,516 | |
Start-up costs(2) | 3,334 | 736 | |
Transaction-related and other non-recurring expenses(3) | 1,214 | 2,063 | |
(Gain) loss on sale of assets | (137) | 38 | |
Adjusted EBITDA | $ 26,328 | $ 27,013 | |
Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 22.5 % | 21.1 % | |
(1) | Consists of write-offs of expired products, obsolete packaging, and net realizable value adjustments related to certain inventory items. |
(2) | One-time costs associated with acquiring real estate, obtaining licenses and permits, and other costs incurred before commencement of operations at certain locations, as well as incremental expenses associated with the expansion of activities at our cultivation facilities that are not yet operating at scale, other expenses resulting from delays in regulatory approvals, and other related one-time or non-recurring expenses, as applicable. The three months ended March 31, 2026 also includes |
(3) | Other non-recurring expenses including legal and professional fees associated with litigation matters, potential acquisitions, other regulatory matters, and other reserves or one-time expenses, including certain non-recurring professional fees and severance expenses associated with certain strategic initiatives. The three months ended March 31, 2026 includes a net reduction of approximately |
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SOURCE Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc.