Garmin announces first quarter 2026 results
Rhea-AI Summary
Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) reported record Q1 2026 results for the quarter ended March 28, 2026: $1.75B revenue (+14% YoY), operating income $432M (+30% YoY), gross margin 59.4% and operating margin 24.6%. GAAP diluted EPS was $2.09 and pro forma diluted EPS was $2.08 (+29% YoY pro forma). The company generated operating cash flow of $536M, free cash flow of $469M, paid $174M dividend and repurchased $40M of shares, with $491M remaining under a $500M repurchase program.
Positive
- Consolidated revenue of $1.75B (+14% YoY)
- Record operating income of $431.7M (+30% YoY)
- Pro forma diluted EPS of $2.08 (+29% YoY)
- Generated $536M operating cash flow and $469M free cash flow
- Board recommends $4.20 annual dividend per share payable in four installments
- Share repurchase program: $500M authorized; $491M remaining as of March 28, 2026
Negative
- Total operating expenses increased 11% year-over-year, driven by R&D and SG&A personnel costs
News Market Reaction – GRMN
On the day this news was published, GRMN gained 2.13%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
GRMN is down 3.7% with elevated volume, while key peers like KEYS, TDY, FTV, TRMB, and COHR show only modest declines (between about -0.17% and -1.7%), suggesting a stock-specific reaction.
Previous Earnings Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | +1.5% | Scheduled the Q1 2026 earnings call and outlined webcast access details. |
| Feb 18 | Q4 & FY25 results | Positive | +9.4% | Reported record Q4 and FY25 revenue and EPS with higher 2026 guidance and capital returns. |
| Jan 14 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | -1.1% | Announced date and access information for the Q4 2025 earnings call and webcast. |
| Oct 29 | Q3 2025 results | Positive | -11.5% | Reported record Q3 2025 revenue and operating income with raised full‑year guidance and dividend. |
| Oct 01 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | +3.6% | Set the schedule and participation details for the Q3 2025 earnings call. |
Earnings result releases have sometimes seen sharp moves, including at least one significant selloff despite strong fundamentals.
Over the past few quarters, Garmin’s earnings-related news has highlighted record revenue and operating income, rising EPS, and increasing dividends and buybacks. A notable prior release reported record Q3 2025 revenue of $1.77B and $457M operating income, yet the stock fell 11.48% the next day, showing that strong numbers have not always guaranteed a positive reaction. More recently, the Q4 2025 report with $2.12B revenue and higher guidance saw a 9.44% gain, indicating mixed but sometimes strong responses to earnings.
Historical Comparison
In the past year, GRMN earnings-tagged headlines produced average moves of about 0.4%, with both sharp gains and steep drops, so a multi‑percent reaction to this Q1 2026 report would not be unprecedented.
Recent earnings coverage shows a progression of record quarterly results, rising full‑year revenue and EPS guidance, and increasing dividend and buyback commitments.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement details record Q1 2026 revenue of $1.75B, expanded gross and operating margins, and higher GAAP and pro forma EPS. Management maintained full-year $7.9B revenue and $9.35 pro forma EPS guidance and highlighted strong cash generation with $469M in free cash flow and about $4.3B in cash and marketable securities. Investors may monitor segment growth trends, margin sustainability and execution versus this reiterated guidance in future quarters.
Key Terms
gaap financial
pro forma financial
free cash flow financial
non-gaap financial measures financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Company reports record first quarter revenue and operating income
Highlights for first quarter 2026 include:
- Record consolidated revenue of approximately
, a$1.75 billion 14% increase compared to the prior year quarter - Gross and operating margins expanded to
59.4% and24.6% respectively, compared to the prior year quarter - Record operating income of
, a$432 million 30% increase compared to the prior year quarter - GAAP EPS of
.09 and pro forma EPS(1) of$2 , representing a$2.08 29% increase in pro forma EPS compared to the prior year quarter - Published our 2025 Garmin inReach® SOS Report, highlighting the important role served by inReach devices in remote communications and emergency response coordination around the globe
- Fenix® 8 Pro was officially recognized as the "Best Connected Device" at the 2026 Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona
(In thousands, except per share information) | | 13-Weeks Ended | |||||||||
March 28, | March 29, | YoY | |||||||||
2026 | 2025 | Change | |||||||||
Net sales | $ | 1,753,489 | $ | 1,535,099 | 14 % | ||||||
Fitness | 546,822 | 384,722 | 42 % | ||||||||
Outdoor | 417,530 | 438,496 | (5) % | ||||||||
Aviation | 263,841 | 223,114 | 18 % | ||||||||
Marine | 355,016 | 319,438 | 11 % | ||||||||
Auto OEM | 170,280 | 169,329 | 1 % | ||||||||
Gross profit | 1,042,289 | 884,545 | 18 % | ||||||||
Gross margin % | 59.4 | % | 57.6 | % | |||||||
Operating Income | 431,665 | 332,824 | 30 % | ||||||||
Operating income % | 24.6 | % | 21.7 | % | |||||||
GAAP diluted EPS | $ | 2.09 | $ | 1.72 | 22 % | ||||||
Pro forma diluted EPS(1) | $ | 2.08 | $ | 1.61 | 29 % | ||||||
(1) See attached Non-GAAP Financial Information for discussion and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures, |
Executive Overview from Cliff Pemble, President and Chief Executive Officer:
"We achieved remarkable financial results during the opening quarter of 2026 in a continuation of the positive trends we have been experiencing over the long term. This strong financial performance is a direct reflection of our impressive lineup of products that are essential to our customers' lives, and our unique, highly diversified business model. We are very pleased with our results so far, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead as the year continues to unfold." - Cliff Pemble, President and Chief Executive Officer of Garmin Ltd.
Fitness:
Revenue from the fitness segment increased
Outdoor:
Revenue from the outdoor segment decreased
Aviation:
Revenue from the aviation segment increased
Marine:
Revenue from the marine segment increased
Auto OEM:
Revenue from the auto OEM segment increased
Additional Financial Information:
Total operating expenses in the first quarter were
The effective tax rate in the first quarter was
In the first quarter of 2026, we generated operating cash flows of
(1) | | See attached Non-GAAP Financial Information for discussion and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures, |
Fiscal Year 2026 Guidance:
We are maintaining our fiscal year 2026 guidance of approximately
Dividend Recommendation:
As announced in February 2026, the Board will recommend to the shareholders for approval at the annual meeting to be held on June 5, 2026, a cash dividend in the total amount of
Webcast Information/Forward-Looking Statements:
The information for Garmin Ltd.'s earnings call is as follows:
| When: | Wednesday, April 29, 2026 10:30 a.m. Eastern |
Where: | Join a live stream of the call at the following link |
An archive of the live webcast will be available until April 28, 2027 on the Garmin website at www.garmin.com. To access the replay, click on the Investors link and click over to the Events page.
This release includes projections and other forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business that are commonly identified by words such as "anticipates," "would," "may," "expects," "estimates," "plans," "intends," "projects," and other words or phrases with similar meanings. Any statements regarding the Company's expected fiscal 2026 GAAP and pro forma estimated earnings, EPS, and effective tax rate, and the Company's expected segment revenue growth rates, consolidated revenue, gross margins, operating margins, tariffs and other global trade related impacts, potential future acquisitions, share repurchase programs, currency movements, expenses, pricing, new product launches, market reach, statements relating to possible future dividends, and the Company's plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors that are described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2025 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 001-41118). A copy of Garmin's 2025 Form 10-K can be downloaded from https://www.garmin.com/en-US/investors/sec/. All information provided in this release and in the attachments is as of March 28, 2026. We undertake no duty to update this information unless required by law.
This release and the attachments contain non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure and a discussion of the Company's use of these measures are included in the attachments.
Garmin, the Garmin logo, the Garmin delta, Approach, fēnix, inReach, G3000, Instinct, and zumo are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries and are registered in one or more countries, including the
Investor Relations Contact: | Media Relations Contact: |
Teri Seck | Krista Klaus |
913/397-8200 | 913/397-8200 |
Garmin Ltd. and Subsidiaries | |||||||
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) | |||||||
(In thousands, except per share information) | |||||||
| |||||||
13-Weeks Ended | |||||||
March 28, | March 29, | ||||||
2026 | 2025 | ||||||
Net sales | $ | 1,753,489 | $ | 1,535,099 | |||
Cost of goods sold | 711,200 | 650,554 | |||||
Gross profit | 1,042,289 | 884,545 | |||||
Research and development expense | 295,818 | 268,120 | |||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses | 314,806 | 283,601 | |||||
Total operating expense | 610,624 | 551,721 | |||||
Operating income | 431,665 | 332,824 | |||||
Other income (expense): | |||||||
Interest income | 35,974 | 30,507 | |||||
Foreign currency gains | 3,122 | 24,760 | |||||
Other income | 1,768 | 987 | |||||
Total other income (expense) | 40,864 | 56,254 | |||||
Income before income taxes | 472,529 | 389,078 | |||||
Income tax provision | 67,451 | 56,309 | |||||
Net income | $ | 405,078 | $ | 332,769 | |||
Net income per share: | |||||||
Basic | $ | 2.10 | $ | 1.73 | |||
Diluted | $ | 2.09 | $ | 1.72 | |||
Weighted average common shares outstanding: | |||||||
Basic | 192,674 | 192,544 | |||||
Diluted | 193,565 | 193,717 | |||||
Garmin Ltd. and Subsidiaries | |||||||
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) | |||||||
(In thousands) | |||||||
March 28, 2026 | December 27, | ||||||
Assets | |||||||
Current assets: | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 2,289,916 | $ | 2,278,646 | |||
Marketable securities | 411,034 | 459,202 | |||||
Accounts receivable, net | 940,959 | 1,253,015 | |||||
Inventories | 1,850,282 | 1,772,257 | |||||
Deferred costs | 15,324 | 17,538 | |||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 489,654 | 467,558 | |||||
Total current assets | 5,997,169 | 6,248,216 | |||||
Property and equipment, net | 1,383,770 | 1,375,348 | |||||
Operating lease right-of-use assets | 203,390 | 196,183 | |||||
Noncurrent marketable securities | 1,612,323 | 1,396,929 | |||||
Deferred income tax assets | 721,894 | 718,094 | |||||
Noncurrent deferred costs | 4,046 | 4,373 | |||||
Goodwill | 750,633 | 760,241 | |||||
Other intangible assets, net | 186,866 | 198,362 | |||||
Other noncurrent assets | 92,347 | 95,923 | |||||
Total assets | $ | 10,952,438 | $ | 10,993,669 | |||
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | |||||||
Current liabilities: | |||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 344,724 | $ | 347,493 | |||
Salaries and benefits payable | 224,693 | 228,267 | |||||
Accrued warranty costs | 70,932 | 72,921 | |||||
Accrued sales program costs | 92,504 | 153,193 | |||||
Other accrued expenses | 233,248 | 257,651 | |||||
Deferred revenue | 100,843 | 105,646 | |||||
Income taxes payable | 308,301 | 381,549 | |||||
Dividend payable | — | 173,351 | |||||
Total current liabilities | 1,375,245 | 1,720,071 | |||||
Deferred income tax liabilities | 111,744 | 109,701 | |||||
Noncurrent income taxes payable | 3,645 | 3,596 | |||||
Noncurrent deferred revenue | 22,530 | 22,277 | |||||
Noncurrent operating lease liabilities | 167,612 | 164,835 | |||||
Other noncurrent liabilities | 638 | 625 | |||||
Stockholders' equity: | |||||||
Common shares, issued; 192,901 and 192,620 shares outstanding) | 19,490 | 19,490 | |||||
Additional paid-in capital | 2,335,119 | 2,368,670 | |||||
Treasury shares (1,998 and 2,281 shares) | (415,600) | (406,423) | |||||
Retained earnings | 7,374,974 | 6,970,182 | |||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) | (42,959) | 20,645 | |||||
Total stockholders' equity | 9,271,024 | 8,972,564 | |||||
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 10,952,438 | $ | 10,993,669 | |||
Garmin Ltd. and Subsidiaries | |||||||
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) | |||||||
(In thousands) | |||||||
13-Weeks Ended | |||||||
March 28, 2026 | March 29, 2025 | ||||||
Operating Activities: | |||||||
Net income | $ | 405,078 | $ | 332,769 | |||
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||||||
Depreciation | 40,418 | 37,463 | |||||
Amortization | 8,707 | 8,835 | |||||
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of property and equipment | 42 | (15) | |||||
Unrealized foreign currency losses (gains) | 1,525 | (38,983) | |||||
Deferred income taxes | 3,301 | (11,593) | |||||
Stock compensation expense | 43,323 | 37,772 | |||||
Realized (gains) losses on marketable securities | (318) | 98 | |||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: | |||||||
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts | 301,791 | 213,089 | |||||
Inventories | (95,064) | (102,239) | |||||
Other current and noncurrent assets | (29,068) | (17,510) | |||||
Accounts payable | 3,407 | (12,629) | |||||
Other current and noncurrent liabilities | (90,378) | (57,318) | |||||
Deferred revenue | (4,483) | (8,160) | |||||
Deferred costs | 2,543 | 4,102 | |||||
Income taxes | (54,836) | 35,107 | |||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | 535,988 | 420,788 | |||||
Investing activities: | |||||||
Purchases of property and equipment | (66,617) | (40,062) | |||||
Purchase of marketable securities | (333,342) | (179,827) | |||||
Redemption of marketable securities | 147,896 | 88,788 | |||||
Net payments for acquisitions | — | (2,100) | |||||
Other investing activities, net | (307) | 599 | |||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (252,370) | (132,602) | |||||
Financing activities: | |||||||
Dividends | (173,637) | (144,566) | |||||
Purchase of treasury shares related to equity awards | (46,839) | (33,144) | |||||
Purchase of treasury shares under share repurchase plan | (39,577) | (27,098) | |||||
Net cash used in financing activities | (260,053) | (204,808) | |||||
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | (12,286) | 12,672 | |||||
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | 11,279 | 96,050 | |||||
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period | 2,279,360 | 2,080,154 | |||||
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period | $ | 2,290,639 | $ | 2,176,204 | |||
Garmin Ltd. and Subsidiaries Net Sales, Gross Profit and Operating Income by Segment (Unaudited) (In thousands) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fitness | Outdoor | Aviation | Marine | Auto | Total | |||||||||||||||||
13-Weeks Ended March 28, 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Net sales | $ | 546,822 | $ | 417,530 | $ | 263,841 | $ | 355,016 | $ | 170,280 | $ | 1,753,489 | |||||||||||
Gross profit | 338,522 | 277,943 | 197,309 | 197,376 | 31,139 | 1,042,289 | |||||||||||||||||
Operating income (loss) | 157,620 | 118,791 | 70,934 | 90,757 | (6,437) | 431,665 | |||||||||||||||||
13-Weeks Ended March 29, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Net sales | $ | 384,722 | $ | 438,496 | $ | 223,114 | $ | 319,438 | $ | 169,329 | $ | 1,535,099 | |||||||||||
Gross profit | 220,142 | 282,536 | 167,902 | 183,933 | 30,032 | 884,545 | |||||||||||||||||
Operating income (loss) | 77,712 | 128,788 | 48,356 | 86,865 | (8,897) | 332,824 | |||||||||||||||||
Garmin Ltd. and Subsidiaries | |||||||||||
Net Sales by Geography (Unaudited) | |||||||||||
(In thousands) | |||||||||||
| 13-Weeks Ended | ||||||||||
March 28, | March 29, | YoY | |||||||||
2026 | 2025 | Change | |||||||||
Net sales | $ | 1,753,489 | $ | 1,535,099 | 14 % | ||||||
821,629 | 745,733 | 10 % | |||||||||
EMEA | 656,844 | 568,953 | 15 % | ||||||||
APAC | 275,016 | 220,413 | 25 % | ||||||||
|
Non-GAAP Financial Information
To supplement our financial results presented in accordance with GAAP, this release includes the following measures defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as non-GAAP financial measures: pro forma effective tax rate, pro forma net income (earnings) per share and free cash flow. These non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies, limiting the usefulness of the measures for comparison with other companies. Management believes providing investors with an operating view consistent with how it manages the Company provides enhanced transparency into the operating results of the Company, as described in more detail by category below.
The tables below provide reconciliations between the GAAP and non-GAAP measures.
Pro forma effective tax rate
The Company's income tax expense is occasionally impacted by discrete tax items that are not reflective of income tax expense incurred as a result of current period earnings. Therefore, management believes the effective tax rate and income tax provision before the effect of certain discrete tax items are important measures to permit investors' consistent comparison between periods. In the first quarter of 2026 and 2025 there were no such discrete tax items identified.
Pro forma net income (earnings) per share
Management believes net income (earnings) per share before the impact of foreign currency gains or losses and certain discrete income tax items, as discussed above, is an important measure to permit a consistent comparison of the Company's performance between periods.
(In thousands, except per share information) | | 13-Weeks Ended | |||||
March 28, | March 29, | ||||||
2026 | 2025 | ||||||
GAAP net income | $ | 405,078 | $ | 332,769 | |||
Foreign currency gains / losses(1) | (3,122) | (24,760) | |||||
Tax effect of foreign currency gains / losses(2) | 446 | 3,583 | |||||
Pro forma net income | $ | 402,402 | $ | 311,592 | |||
GAAP net income per share: | |||||||
Basic | $ | 2.10 | $ | 1.73 | |||
Diluted | $ | 2.09 | $ | 1.72 | |||
Pro forma net income per share: | |||||||
Basic | $ | 2.09 | $ | 1.62 | |||
Diluted | $ | 2.08 | $ | 1.61 | |||
Weighted average common shares outstanding: | |||||||
Basic | 192,674 | 192,544 | |||||
Diluted | 193,565 | 193,717 | |||||
(1) Foreign currency gains and losses for the Company are driven by movements of a number of currencies in relation to |
(2) The tax effect of foreign currency gains was calculated using the effective tax rates of |
Free cash flow
Management believes free cash flow is an important liquidity measure because it represents the amount of cash provided by operations that is available for investing and defines it as operating cash flows less capital expenditures for property and equipment. Management believes excluding purchases of property and equipment provides a better understanding of the underlying trends in the Company's operations and allows more accurate comparisons of the Company's results between periods. This metric may also be useful to investors but should not be considered in isolation as it is not a measure of cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. The most comparable GAAP measure is net cash provided by operating activities.
(In thousands) | 13-Weeks Ended | ||||||
| March 28, | March 29, | |||||
2026 | 2025 | ||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 535,988 | $ | 420,788 | |||
Less: purchases of property and equipment | (66,617) | (40,062) | |||||
Free cash flow | $ | 469,371 | $ | 380,726 | |||
Forward-looking Financial Measures
The forward-looking financial measures in our 2026 guidance include certain economic assumptions such as foreign currency exchange rates and tariffs which are fluid and can rapidly change favorably or unfavorably.
The forward-looking financial measures in our 2026 guidance provided above do not consider the potential future net effect of foreign currency exchange gains and losses, certain discrete tax items and any other impacts that may be identified as pro forma adjustments in calculating the non-GAAP measures described above.
The estimated impact of foreign currency gains and losses cannot be reasonably estimated on a forward-looking basis due to the high variability and low visibility with respect to non-operating foreign currency exchange gains and losses and the related tax effects of such gains and losses. The impact on diluted net income per share of foreign currency gains and losses, net of tax effects, was
At this time, management is unable to determine whether or not significant discrete tax items will occur in fiscal 2026, estimate the impact of any such items, or anticipate the impact of any other events that may be considered in the calculation of non-GAAP financial measures.
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SOURCE Garmin Ltd.