Aebi Schmidt Group reports 9% growth in Order Intake, continued increase in Order Backlog of 23%, strong underlying growth and profitability, and confirms full-year 2026 guidance
Rhea-AI Summary
Aebi Schmidt Group (NASDAQ:AEBI) reported Q1 2026 results with Order Intake up 9% versus Q1 2025 and Order Backlog up 23% to $1.3 billion, supporting 2026 growth.
Net Sales were $456 million, flat year over year but up 7% excluding prior-year Blue Arc sales. Adjusted EBITDA rose 6% to $33.1 million (7.3% margin). Net Income was $0.7 million, up from $0.6 million. Europe and Rest of World adjusted EBITDA reached a record $6.8 million, while North America adjusted EBITDA declined 9% to $26.4 million. Net Debt increased to $455 million with leverage at 2.88x. The company reiterated 2026 guidance for sales of $1.95–$2.15 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $175–$195 million, targeting leverage of ≤2.0x by year-end 2026.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Positive
- Order Intake up 9% vs Q1 2025
- Order Backlog up 23% vs Q1 2025 to $1.3b
- Net Sales up 7% excluding $26.3m Blue Arc in Q1 2025
- Adjusted EBITDA up 6% to $33.1m, 7.3% margin
- Europe and RoW adjusted EBITDA up 201% to $6.8m
- Full-year 2026 sales guidance $1.95–$2.15b, EBITDA $175–$195m
Negative
- North America adjusted EBITDA down 9% to $26.4m
- Net Income modest at $0.7m
- Net Debt increased $18m vs year-end 2025 to $455m
- Leverage at 2.88x above 2.0x year-end 2026 target
News Market Reaction – AEBI
On the day this news was published, AEBI gained 3.53%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +6.1% during that session. Argus tracked a trough of -9.3% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 10 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $32M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $929.22M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
AEBI fell 6.35%, while peers showed modest, mixed moves: ASTE -1.57%, BNC -1.61%, LNN -2.41% versus small gains in HY +0.30% and TWI +0.40%. This points to a stock-specific reaction rather than a broad sector rotation.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | +4.2% | Announcement of timing and access details for Q1 2026 earnings call. |
| Mar 19 | Earnings/results | Positive | -12.0% | Reported strong Q4 2025 growth, record backlog, and 2026 guidance for sales and EBITDA. |
| Mar 12 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | -0.1% | Set date and logistics for Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings release and call. |
| Feb 24 | Guidance and board | Positive | -0.7% | Preliminary strong 2025 results, record backlog, 2026 guidance and board changes outlined. |
| Jan 29 | Dividend declaration | Positive | +2.1% | Declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.025 per share for March 2026 payment. |
Recent history shows the stock sometimes declining on fundamentally strong updates, as with the Q4 2025 results and 2026 guidance where price dropped despite positive operating trends.
Over the last few months, Aebi Schmidt has repeatedly highlighted robust demand and improving profitability. In Q4 2025, order intake rose 46% and Adjusted EBITDA grew strongly, yet the stock fell 11.99% the next day. Subsequent updates in February and the March 10-K and proxy reinforced record backlog, higher EBITDA, and 2026 guidance of $1.95–$2.15b sales and $175–$195m Adjusted EBITDA. Today’s Q1 2026 report confirms that guidance and continued backlog growth, but the share price again moved lower.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement reports a solid start to 2026, with order intake up 9%, order backlog up 23% to $1.3b, and Q1 2026 Adjusted EBITDA increasing 6% to $33.1m at a 7.3% margin. Net sales of $456m and net income of $0.7m support the reiterated 2026 guidance for $1.95–$2.15b in sales and $175–$195m Adjusted EBITDA, with leverage at 2.88x. Investors may watch backlog conversion, regional mix, and progress toward the year-end leverage target of 2.0x.
Key Terms
adjusted EBITDA financial
net working capital financial
net debt financial
leverage financial
non-GAAP financial measures financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
- Strong order momentum, with Q1 2026 Order Intake up
9% vs Q1 20252 and Order Backlog expanding by23% vs Q1 2025 to$1.3b - Net Sales of
$456m in Q1 2026, in line with Q1 2025 and growing7% excluding$26.3m Blue Arc sales in Q1 2025 - Adjusted EBITDA1 of
$33.1m in Q1 2026, up6% vs Q1 2025, representing7.3% of Net Sales, a margin increase of ~40bps vs Q1 2025, driven by201% increase in Europe and Rest of World (RoW) - Net Income of
$0.7m in Q1 2026, an increase of7% vs Q1 2025 - Aebi Schmidt Group on track to deliver full year 2026 guidance expecting sales in
$1.95 t o$2.15b range, adjusted EBITDA in$175 t o$195m range and leverage ≤ 2.0x
FRAUENFELD, Switzerland, May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aebi Schmidt Group (NASDAQ: AEBI) (“Aebi Schmidt”, the “Group”, or the “Company”), a world-class specialty vehicles leader, reports strong order momentum and increased adjusted EBITDA.
“Aebi Schmidt Group delivered a strong start to 2026, with meaningful order growth and improved profitability compared to last year2," said Barend Fruithof, Group CEO of Aebi Schmidt. "Our order intake is up
First Quarter2 2026 Financial Results
- Q1 2026 Order Intake increased
9% vs Q1 2025, with solid growth in North America, driven by Airport and Municipal, and a continued recovery in Walk-in-Vans orders - March 31, 2026 Order Backlog grew
23% to$1.3 billion vs March 31, 20252, providing visibility into expected significant growth in 2026 - Net Sales of
$456m , in line with Q1 2025 despite a challenging environment and growing7% excluding$26.3m of Blue Arc sales in Q1 2025.- Europe and RoW Net Sales with substantial organic growth of
16% vs Q1 2025
- Europe and RoW Net Sales with substantial organic growth of
- Q1 2026 Net Income of
$0.7m , increased$0.1m from$0.6m in Q1 2025 - Adjusted EBITDA in Q1 2026 of
$33.1m , a6% increase vs Q1 2025 sustaining strong momentum toward our 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance- North America adjusted EBITDA of
$26.4m , a decrease of$2.6m or9% vs prior year quarter2, driven by ramp-up expenses to convert strong Walk-in-Vans orders into revenue beginning in Q2 2026 - Europe and RoW delivered a record first quarter, with adjusted EBITDA tripling to
$6.8m vs prior year quarter, driven by improved pricing and volume in new business, as well as strong After Sales
- North America adjusted EBITDA of
“The Group experienced strong order momentum in the first quarter, driven by Airport and Municipal,” commented Marco Portmann, Group CFO. “We expect revenue conversion, especially in Walk-in-Vans, to accelerate beginning in the second quarter, with quarterly revenue increasing sequentially in 2026, and a significantly stronger second half of the year.”
- Net Working Capital1 improved to
$449m at the end of Q1 2026, down1% or$4m vs the end of Q1 2025 despite the expected ramp up of Net Sales beginning in the second quarter - Net Debt of
$455m at the end of Q1 2026, increasing$18m since the end of 2025, driven by investments in inventory, reflecting normal seasonal dynamics. Leverage1 at the end of March 2026 at 2.88x
“We continue to drive improvements in our Net Working Capital through more efficient processes and improved capital allocation,” said Marco Portmann. “The inventory increase in Q1 2026 vs year-end 2025 is part of our normal seasonality, and we continue to work toward our leverage target of 2.0x by year-end 2026.”
First Quarter 2026 Earnings Call
The Company will host an earnings conference call and webcast today at 8:30am Eastern Time. Investors and analysts can access the conference call and webcast, including conference call materials, at https://www.aebi-schmidt.com/investors, or directly through:
- https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/et6k83dj/ for the webcast, and
- https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIea067a43e9b54693b1d3410320f4775c for the live conference call with the ability to ask questions during the Q&A.
| _______________________________ | ||
| [1] | See Non-GAAP Financial Measures for additional information regarding non-GAAP financial measures. | |
| [2] | Financial results up until June 30, 2025, provided as basis for comparison to our first quarter 2026 performance, include results for Aebi Schmidt and The Shyft Group on a combined basis inclusive of the period prior to the merger on July 1, 2025. This also applies to Q1 2025 figures used as the basis for year-over-year comparisons throughout this release, which are presented on a combined basis as if the merger had closed on January 1, 2024. Historical information presented on a combined basis does not reflect any pro-forma adjustments or adjustments for costs related to integration activities, cost savings or synergies that have occurred or may be achieved if the merger occurred on January 1, 2024. | |
| Media contact Tina Fischer, Corporate Communication media@aebi-schmidt.com Phone: +41 44 308 58 48 Investor Contact Simone Grancini, Director Investor Relations investor.relations@aebi-schmidt.com Phone: +41 44 308 58 77 | Further information https://www.aebi-schmidt.com https://www.youtube.com/AebiSchmidtGroup https://media.aebi-schmidt.com (pictures, logos) |
About Aebi Schmidt Group
Aebi Schmidt Group (NASDAQ: AEBI) is a world-class specialty vehicles leader, positioned to accelerate growth and drive exceptional value. The Company is headquartered in Switzerland, employs approximately 6,000 employees, and operates production facilities and service and upfit centers across Europe and North America.
Forward-looking statements
This release contains information, including our sales and earnings guidance, all other information provided with respect to our outlook for 2026 and future periods, and other statements concerning our business, strategic position, financial projections, financial strength, future plans, objectives, and the performance of our products and operations that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend the forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in those sections. Generally, we have identified such forward-looking statements by using words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "potential," "future," "may," "will," "should," and similar expressions or by using future dates or targets in connection with any discussion of, among other things, the construction or operation of new or existing facilities, operating performance, trends, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, statements relating to volume changes, share of sales and earnings per share changes, anticipated cost savings and attainment of merger synergies, potential capital and operational cash improvements, changes in supply and demand conditions and prices for our products, trade duties and other aspects of trade policy, statements regarding our future strategies, products and innovations, and statements expressing general views about future operating results. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but instead represent only Aebi Schmidt's beliefs regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Aebi Schmidt's control. It is possible that Aebi Schmidt's actual results and financial condition may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the time made. However, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date when made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In addition, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from Aebi Schmidt's historical experience and our present expectations or projections. More information about factors that potentially could affect our financial results is included in our filings with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov or our website. All forward-looking statements in this release are qualified by this paragraph. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement its reporting of financial measures determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), Aebi Schmidt utilizes certain non-GAAP financial measures. Aebi Schmidt utilizes non-GAAP financial measures such as Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Net Working Capital and Net Debt to separate the impact of certain items from the underlying business. Because Aebi Schmidt uses these adjusted financial results in the management of its business, management believes this supplemental information is useful to investors for their independent evaluation and understanding of Aebi Schmidt's underlying business performance and the performance of its management. To aid investors and analysts with year-over-year comparability for the combined business of Aebi Schmidt and Shyft, the Company has also presented certain of these non-GAAP financial measures on a "Combined " basis. Combined non-GAAP financial measures include results for both Aebi Schmidt and Shyft on a combined basis inclusive of periods prior to the merger. Information presented on a combined basis does not reflect pro-forma adjustments or other adjustments for costs related to integration activities, cost savings or synergies that have been or may be achieved if the business combination occurred on January 1, 2024. The non-GAAP financial measures described above are in addition to, and not meant to be considered superior to, or a substitute for, Aebi Schmidt's financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the Company's results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. Also, other companies might calculate these measures differently. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures included in this press release and the accompanying tables. In addition, the non-GAAP financial measures included in this earnings announcement reflect management's judgment of particular items, and may be different from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures reported by other companies.
The Company did not provide reconciliations of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures, such as Adjusted EBITDA and Leverage, to the most comparable GAAP financial measure because the Company is unable to provide a meaningful or accurate calculation or estimation of reconciling items, and the information is not available without unreasonable effort. The Company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information.
Aebi Schmidt Group
Combined Financial Summary (Non-GAAP, unaudited)1
(in thousands)
Financial results up until June 30, 2025, provided as basis for comparison to our first quarter 2026 performance, include results for Aebi Schmidt and The Shyft Group on a combined basis inclusive of the period prior to the merger on July 1, 2025. This also applies to Q1 2025 figures used as the basis for year-over-year comparisons throughout this release, which are presented on a combined basis as if the merger had closed on January 1, 2025. Historical information presented on a combined basis does not reflect any pro-forma adjustments or adjustments for costs related to integration activities, cost savings or synergies that have occurred or may be achieved if the merger occurred on January 1, 2024.
| Adjusted EBITDA ($k) | Q1 2025 | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 | Q4 2025 | Q1 2026 |
| Net Sales | 453,785 | 453,706 | 471,325 | 528,371 | 455,545 |
| Net Income (Loss) | 626 | -7,895 | 1,194 | 8,772 | 671 |
| Add (subtract) | |||||
| Interest Expense | 9,164 | 12,153 | 14,228 | 11,761 | 11,350 |
| Depreciation & amortization | 12,127 | 11,778 | 14,990 | 16,159 | 13,803 |
| Income tax (benefit) / expenses | 1,441 | -2,175 | -447 | 2,036 | 488 |
| Restructuring and other related charges | 730 | 5,709 | 12,759 | 6,391 | 4,216 |
| Transaction related expenses and adjustments | 7,286 | 13,047 | 5,988 | 562 | 434 |
| Foreign exchange losses on external debt | 982 | 2,601 | -252 | -371 | 300 |
| Pension related income, net | -929 | -1,025 | -1,025 | -2,076 | -776 |
| Other | -182 | 287 | -5,239 | 4,839 | 2,631 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 31,245 | 34,480 | 42,197 | 48,073 | 33,117 |
| Adjusted EBITDA (as % of Net Sales) |
For historical comparisons to the Shyft Group results, adjustments reflected in the table above do not include non-cash stock-based compensation expense.
| Net Debt ($k) | Mar 31, 2025 | Jun 30, 2025 | Sep 30, 2025 | Dec 31, 2025 | Mar 31, 2026 |
| Current portion of long-term debt | 24,482 | 27,310 | 25,063 | 46,908 | 67,911 |
| Long-term debt, less current portion | 512,764 | 561,325 | 628,359 | 548,050 | 560,958 |
| Total debt | 537,246 | 588,636 | 653,422 | 594,958 | 628,869 |
| Subtract | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 63,989 | 83,484 | 125,971 | 98,512 | 115,886 |
| Subordinated Shareholder Loans | 53,775 | 58,845 | 58,897 | 59,101 | 58,213 |
| Net Debt | 419,482 | 446,306 | 468,554 | 437,345 | 454,770 |
Net debt as defined in our Credit Facility Agreement, excluding long-term subordinated shareholder loans
| Net Working Capital ($k) | Q1 2025 | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 | Q4 2025 | Q1 2026 |
| Accounts receivable | 269,358 | 267,373 | 297,322 | 310,755 | 271,241 |
| Inventories | 364,811 | 405,534 | 384,446 | 346,423 | 379,186 |
| Accounts payable | -181,135 | -206,779 | -230,307 | -234,642 | -201,927 |
| Total NWC | 453,034 | 466,128 | 451,461 | 422,536 | 448,500 |
Net working capital is calculated as Accounts Receivable plus Inventory, less Accounts Payable
