PREFORMED LINE PRODUCTS ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER 2026 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Rhea-AI Summary

Preformed Line Products (NASDAQ: PLPC) reported Q1 2026 net sales of $176.3 million, up 19% year‑over‑year, with PLP‑USA sales up 26% and a favorable $7.2 million FX impact. Gross profit margin was 31.3% (up 150 bps vs Q4 2025). Net income was $10.5 million or $2.14 diluted EPS; results were affected by a $1.3 million income tax charge related to its French subsidiary and higher personnel and tariff-related costs. A Q1 presentation will be available on the company website.

Positive

• Net sales +19% year-over-year to $176.3 million
• PLP‑USA sales +26% year-over-year
• Gross profit margin 31.3%, +150 basis points vs Q4 2025
• Diluted EPS $2.14, +24% vs Q4 2025

Negative

• Income tax charge of $1.3 million related to French subsidiary
• Increased personnel costs reduced net income this quarter
• Ongoing tariff and commodity-cost volatility continued to pressure margins

Key Figures

Q1 2026 net sales: $176.3M USA sales growth: 26% Gross profit margin: 31.3% +5 more

8 metrics

Q1 2026 net sales $176.3M Quarterly net sales, up 19% vs Q1 2025

USA sales growth 26% Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025, driven by energy and communications

Gross profit margin 31.3% Q1 2026, up 150 basis points vs Q4 2025

Diluted EPS $2.14 Q1 2026, up 24% vs Q4 2025

Net income $10.5M Q1 2026 vs $11.5M in Q1 2025

FX impact on sales $7.2M Favorable foreign currency translation on Q1 2026 net sales

Income tax charge $1.3M Charge related to PLP’s French subsidiary in Q1 2026

FX impact on net income $0.1M Favorable foreign currency translation on Q1 2026 net income

Market Reality Check

Price: $356.50 Vol: Volume 128,507 is at 0.71...

normal vol

$356.50 Last Close

Volume Volume 128,507 is at 0.71x the 20-day average, indicating subdued trading interest pre-release. normal

Technical Price $356.50 is trading above the 200-day MA at $225.79, reflecting a longer-term uptrend into earnings.

Peers on Argus

Peers showed mixed moves, with ADSE up and TE down, while PLPC traded modestly h...

1 Up 1 Down

Peers showed mixed moves, with ADSE up and TE down, while PLPC traded modestly higher by 0.86% ahead of earnings. This points to stock-specific drivers rather than a coordinated sector move.

Previous Earnings Reports

5 past events · Latest: Mar 04 (Positive)

Same Type Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Mar 04	Quarterly earnings	Positive	-2.6%	Q4 2025 and full-year 2025 results with higher sales and adjusted EPS.
Oct 29	Quarterly earnings	Positive	-6.7%	Q3 2025 results with strong sales but pension and tariff charges.
Jul 30	Quarterly earnings	Positive	+9.8%	Q2 2025 sales up 22% and EPS up 35% year-over-year.
May 01	Quarterly earnings	Positive	+0.2%	Q1 2025 sales and EPS growth with improved gross margin.
Mar 13	Quarterly earnings	Positive	+16.9%	Q4 2024 growth and significant full-year debt reduction despite lower sales.

Pattern Detected

Earnings releases have generally been positive fundamentally, but price reactions are mixed, with some notable sell-the-news moves alongside strong upside spikes.

Recent Company History

Over the past year, PLPC’s earnings releases have highlighted consistent sales growth, margin improvement, and tariff headwinds. Q4 2024 earnings saw a strong 16.88% gain, while Q3 2025 and Q4 2025 produced negative reactions despite solid operational progress. Earlier quarters such as Q2 and Q1 2025 showed healthy revenue and EPS growth with mild to strong gains. Today’s Q1 2026 report continues themes of energy and communications demand, margin management, and tariff pressures.

Historical Comparison

+3.5% avg move · Recent earnings reports for PLPC have triggered average share moves of about 3.5%, with reactions ra...

earnings

+3.5%

Average Historical Move earnings

Recent earnings reports for PLPC have triggered average share moves of about 3.5%, with reactions ranging from sharp gains to notable sell-the-news declines despite solid fundamentals.

Earnings releases from Q4 2024 through Q4 2025 show sustained revenue growth, margin improvements, and debt reduction, while Q1 2026 continues the pattern of strong energy and communications demand under ongoing tariff headwinds.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights robust Q1 2026 revenue growth to $176.3M, improved gross margin at 31.3...

Analysis

This announcement highlights robust Q1 2026 revenue growth to $176.3M, improved gross margin at 31.3%, and continued tariff and cost headwinds. Net income dipped to $10.5M, reflecting higher personnel expenses and a $1.3M tax charge, even as demand in energy and communications remained strong. In context of prior earnings, investors may watch how margins trend, how tariff-related costs evolve, and whether U.S. and international growth can sustain earnings momentum through 2026.

Key Terms

diluted eps, gross profit margin, basis points, foreign currency translation, +1 more

5 terms

diluted eps financial

"Diluted EPS of $2.14 per share, up 24% from Q4 2025."

Diluted earnings per share (EPS) shows how much profit a company makes for each share of stock, assuming all possible shares from stock options or convertible securities are used. It provides a more conservative estimate than basic EPS, accounting for potential share increases that could dilute ownership. Investors use diluted EPS to get a clearer picture of a company's true profitability on a per-share basis.

gross profit margin financial

"Gross profit margin of 31.3%, up 150 basis points from Q4 2025."

Gross profit margin shows how much money a company keeps from sales after paying for the goods or services it sold. It’s like checking how much profit is left over from each dollar earned before covering other costs. A higher margin indicates the company makes more money from its sales, which helps assess its profitability and efficiency.

basis points financial

"Gross profit margin of 31.3%, up 150 basis points from Q4 2025."

Basis points are a way to measure small changes in interest rates or percentages, where one basis point equals 0.01%. For example, if a loan's interest rate increases by 50 basis points, it's gone up by 0.50%. They help people understand tiny differences in rates that can add up over time, making financial comparisons clearer.

foreign currency translation financial

"Foreign currency translation had a favorable impact of $7.2 million on the first quarter of 2026 net sales."

Foreign currency translation is the process of converting financial statements prepared in one currency into another currency so they can be combined or compared. Investors care because exchange rate swings can change reported revenue, profit and asset values even when a company’s underlying business hasn’t changed — like converting vacation spending back to your home money and seeing the total rise or fall depending on the day’s exchange rate.

tariff-related costs financial

"We faced margin pressure from higher manufacturing and ongoing tariff-related costs, as well as volatility in commodity prices."

Extra expenses a company incurs because of government charges on cross‑border goods and related compliance — including import or export duties, customs fees, paperwork, longer shipping, and insurance tied to those charges. Think of it as a toll or tax the company must pay when moving goods across a border. These costs matter to investors because they can reduce profit margins, force price changes, disrupt supply chains and cash flow, and alter a company’s competitive position and earnings forecasts.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

CLEVELAND, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Preformed Line Products Company (NASDAQ: PLPC) today reported financial results for its first quarter of 2026.

Q1 2026 highlights:

• Quarterly net sales of $176.3 million, an increase of 19% from Q1 2025.
• USA sales growth of 26% from Q1 2025, driven by robust demand in energy and communications markets.
• Gross profit margin of 31.3%, up 150 basis points from Q4 2025.
• Diluted EPS of $2.14 per share, up 24% from Q4 2025.

Net sales in the first quarter of 2026 were $176.3 million compared to $148.5 million in the first quarter of 2025, a 19% increase. All segments recorded sales growth compared to the first quarter of 2025, with the PLP-USA business growing by 26%, primarily due to higher demand for energy and communications products. Foreign currency translation had a favorable impact of $7.2 million on the first quarter of 2026 net sales.

Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, was $10.5 million, or $2.14 per diluted share, compared to $11.5 million, or $2.33 per diluted share, for the comparable period in 2025. While gross profit was up approximately $6.5 million from Q1 2025, period expenses were impacted by increased personnel costs supporting strategic market growth in core product offerings in both energy and communications, primarily for sales, sales support and engineering resources. Net income for the first quarter of 2026 was affected by an income tax charge of $1.3 million related to PLP's French subsidiary. Foreign currency translation had a favorable impact of $0.1 million on the first quarter of 2026 net income. Compared against Q4 2025, which contained many of the same tariff headwinds that impacted Q1 2025, gross profit margins, net income, and diluted EPS all increased.

"As we reflect on the first quarter of 2026, I am proud of the Company's continued resilience in a challenging and dynamic global environment," said Rob Ruhlman, Executive Chairman. "Our team achieved exceptional sales growth this quarter, propelled by outstanding results from our U.S. manufacturing operations and our ability to meet rising demand. We faced margin pressure from higher manufacturing and ongoing tariff-related costs, as well as volatility in commodity prices. However, our impressive 150 basis point increase in gross profit percentage from Q4 2025 shows that we are actively managing these challenges through supply chain optimization, pricing strategies, and investment in efficiency and innovation. Our healthy balance sheet and strong liquidity provide flexibility to pursue strategic acquisitions, while also investing in facility modernization and returning capital to our valued shareholders. While the ongoing tariff and geopolitical uncertainties present challenges, I believe our team is well prepared to adapt. Our focus is unchanged: provide our customers with the high-quality products and superior customer service they have come to expect from PLP."

A presentation on first quarter results will also be available on PLP's website at www.plp.com/investor-relations. 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 regarding the Company, including those statements regarding the Company's and management's beliefs and expectations concerning the Company's future performance or anticipated financial results, among others. Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in those statements. Among other things, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements include the uncertainty in global business conditions and the economy due to factors such as inflation, rising interest rates, tariffs, labor disruptions, military conflict, international hostilities, political instability, exchange rates, natural disasters and health epidemics, the strength of demand and availability of funding for the Company's products (including in light of price increases) and the mix of products sold, the relative degree of competitive and customer price pressure on the Company's products, the cost, availability and quality of raw materials required for the manufacture of products and customer demand, opportunities for business growth through acquisitions and the ability to successfully integrate any acquired businesses, changes in regulations and tax rates, security breaches, litigation and claims and the Company's ability to continue to develop proprietary technology and maintain high-quality products and customer service to meet or exceed new industry performance standards and individual customer expectations, and other factors described under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 5, 2026 and subsequent filings with the SEC. The Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company's other filings with the SEC can be found on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events.

ABOUT PLP

PLP protects the world's most critical connections by creating stronger and more reliable networks. The company's precision-engineered solutions are trusted by energy and communications providers worldwide to perform better and last longer. With locations in 20 countries, PLP works as a united global corporation, delivering high-quality products and unparalleled service to customers around the world.

 

PREFORMED LINE PRODUCTS COMPANY (PLPC) CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
	March 31, 2026		December 31, 2025
(Thousands of dollars, except share and per share data)	(Unaudited)
ASSETS
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$                69,452		$                83,389
Accounts receivable, net	130,840		113,175
Inventories, net	151,810		148,730
Prepaid expenses	12,998		12,961
Other current assets	6,287		5,206
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS	371,387		363,461
Property, plant and equipment, net	225,279		222,781
Goodwill	30,351		30,684
Other intangible assets, net	9,837		10,140
Deferred income taxes	6,794		7,481
Other assets	18,181		19,074
TOTAL ASSETS	$               661,829		$               653,621
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Trade accounts payable	$                56,766		$                49,520
Notes payable to banks	1,318		1,213
Current portion of long-term debt	5,891		5,392
Accrued compensation and other benefits	24,084		29,207
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	35,532		29,378
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES	123,591		114,710
Long-term debt, less current portion	34,737		32,860
Other noncurrent liabilities and deferred income taxes	29,919		30,500
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Common shares $2 par value per share, 15,000,000 shares authorized, 4,888,012 and 4,907,787 issued and outstanding, at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025	13,890		13,860
Common shares issued to rabbi trust, 222,506 and 222,506 shares at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively	(9,586)		(9,586)
Deferred compensation liability	9,586		9,586
Paid-in capital	66,047		67,217
Retained earnings	593,869		584,360
Treasury shares, at cost, 2,056,379 and 2,021,940 shares at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively	(145,492)		(136,554)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(54,790)		(53,365)
TOTAL PLPC SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	473,524		475,518
Noncontrolling interest	58		33
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	473,582		475,551
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	$               661,829		$               653,621

 

PREFORMED LINE PRODUCTS COMPANY STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED INCOME
	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2026		2025
(Thousands, except per share data)	(Unaudited)
Net sales	$               176,278		$               148,541
Cost of products sold	121,058		99,870
GROSS PROFIT	55,220		48,671
Costs and expenses
Selling	13,769		12,181
General and administrative	21,053		17,626
Research and engineering	6,736		5,479
Other operating (income) expense, net	(54)		255
	41,504		35,541
OPERATING INCOME	13,716		13,130
Other income (expense)
Interest income	777		510
Interest expense	(232)		(376)
Other income, net	69		407
	614		541
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES	14,330		13,671
Income tax expense	3,781		2,118
NET INCOME	$                10,549		$                11,553
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(25)		(36)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO PLPC SHAREHOLDERS	$                10,524		$                11,517
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK OUTSTANDING:
Basic	4,906		4,928
Diluted	4,927		4,950
EARNINGS PER SHARE OF COMMON STOCK ATTRIBUTABLE TO PLPC SHAREHOLDERS:
Basic	$                   2.15		$                   2.34
Diluted	$                   2.14		$                   2.33
Cash dividends declared per share	$                   0.21		$                   0.20

 

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SOURCE Preformed Line Products Company

FAQ

What were PLPC Q1 2026 net sales and year-over-year change?

Q1 2026 net sales were $176.3 million, a 19% increase versus Q1 2025. According to the company, favorable foreign currency translation added $7.2 million to first-quarter net sales.

How did PLPC's U.S. business perform in Q1 2026 (PLPC)?

PLP‑USA sales rose by 26% year‑over‑year in Q1 2026. According to the company, growth was driven by higher demand for energy and communications products from U.S. manufacturing operations.

What drove PLPC's gross margin improvement in Q1 2026 (PLPC)?

Gross profit margin improved to 31.3%, up 150 basis points versus Q4 2025. According to the company, margin gains reflected supply‑chain optimization, pricing actions, and operational efficiency investments.

Why did PLPC's net income change in Q1 2026 (PLPC)?

Net income was $10.5 million, with a $1.3 million tax charge lowering results. According to the company, higher personnel costs and tariff-related expenses also affected net income.

Will PLPC provide investor materials for Q1 2026 results (PLPC)?

Yes. A presentation on first-quarter 2026 results will be available on the company's investor relations website. According to the company, the presentation complements the reported financial metrics.