Xcel Brands, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Rhea-AI Summary
Xcel Brands (NASDAQ: XELB) reported second quarter 2026 revenue of $1.1 million, down about 14% year over year, mainly due to the divestiture of the Judith Ripka brand. Direct operating costs were roughly flat at $1.9 million, but excluding a prior-year, non-recurring $0.5 million employee retention credit, they declined by about $0.5 million.
GAAP net loss attributable to stockholders narrowed to $2.5 million, or $(0.40) per share, from $4.0 million, or $(1.66), a year earlier. Non-GAAP net loss was $1.3 million, or $(0.21) per share. Adjusted EBITDA was negative $0.48 million, versus negative $0.30 million, but management notes roughly $0.32 million improvement when normalizing for last year’s non-recurring expense reduction.
For the first half of 2026, revenue was $2.3 million (down 14%), and GAAP net loss was $5.0 million. As of June 30, 2026, Xcel reported $0.4 million in cash, about $12 million in long-term debt, negative working capital of $1.3 million, and stockholders’ equity of roughly $12–14 million. The company also has a $15 million common stock purchase agreement providing discretionary access to equity capital.
Positive
- Q2 2026 GAAP net loss improved to $2.5M from $4.0M year over year
- Q2 2026 net loss per share narrowed to $(0.40) from $(1.66)
- Direct operating expenses, excluding last year’s $0.5M credit, fell about $0.5M year over year
- Six‑month direct operating expenses cut to an annualized run rate below $8M
- Normalized six‑month Adjusted EBITDA improved approximately $0.3M versus prior year
- Access to up to $15M via discretionary common stock purchase agreement
Negative
- Q2 2026 revenue declined about 14% year over year to $1.1M
- Six‑month 2026 revenue decreased about 14% to $2.3M
- Q2 2026 Adjusted EBITDA remained negative at $(0.48M)
- Six‑month 2026 GAAP net loss was $5.0M, or $(0.82) per share
- Cash and cash equivalents dropped to $0.4M at June 30, 2026
- Negative working capital of about $1.3M and roughly $12M in long‑term debt at June 30, 2026
News Explained
The disclosed common-share count was 6,475,182 at June 30, up from 5,880,757 at year-end.
Xcel Brands reported second-quarter results for the period ended
In Q1 2026, cash and equivalents equaled
Sources and calculations
- Xcel Brands Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results (2026-08-13)
- Dilution (undated)
- XELB Q1 2026 fundamentals (2026-03-31)
- Cash and equivalents vs quarterly operating cash outflow, in days of cash use $179,000 / ($877,000 / 90) = [object Object]
Key Figures
Previous Earnings Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 14 | Q1 earnings results | Negative | -1.9% | Revenue declined and losses remained substantial despite modest year-over-year improvement. |
| May 14 | Q1 earnings results | Negative | -1.9% | Revenue fell 14% year over year while adjusted EBITDA remained negative. |
| May 12 | Earnings call notice | Neutral | -9.2% | The company scheduled its first-quarter results announcement and subsequent investor conference call. |
| Apr 07 | Q4 earnings results | Positive | +4.8% | GAAP losses and adjusted EBITDA improved in the reported quarter. |
| Nov 19 | Q3 earnings results | Negative | -7.1% | Revenue declined and results included a $5.5 million brand impairment. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Earnings-tagged history showed alignment in four of five events, with negative earnings-related developments generally accompanying negative reactions.
Key Terms
gaap financial
ebitda financial
non-gaap financial
common stock purchase agreement financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
- Net loss on a GAAP basis was
$2.5 million for the current quarter compared with$4.0 million net loss for the prior year quarter. - EBITDA for the current quarter was negative
$0.48 million compared with negative$0.30 million EBITDA for the prior year quarter which is a40% improvement when adjusted for a non-recurring expense reduction from an Employee Tax Credit received in Q2 last year and compared with negative$0.70 for the first quarter, a32% improvement over Q1, 2026
NEW YORK, Aug. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB) (“Xcel” or the “Company”), a media and consumer products company with significant expertise in building influencer lead brands, live-steam shopping and social commerce, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.
Robert W. D'Loren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xcel commented, “Our second quarter earnings on an Adjusted EBITDA basis were the best since June 2024, this was driven by the product launch of two of our new influencer led brands and additional reductions in operating expenses. I am very excited by the enormous potential of these brands going into the future. The recent changes in the search box since Google went to AI Mode, will make video content created by influencers that are authorities in their category part of the cited AI answer. I am excited to be managing a portfolio of brands that generate awareness through a combined existing audience of over 46 million people.”
Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Total revenue for the second quarter of 2026 was
Direct operating costs and expenses were essentially flat from the prior year quarter of approximately
Net loss attributable to Xcel Brands stockholders for the quarter was approximately
After adjusting certain cash and non-cash items, current quarter results on a non-GAAP basis were a net loss of approximately
Six Month 2026 Financial Results
Total revenue for the current six-month period was
Direct operating costs and expenses decreased approximately
Net loss attributable to Xcel Brands stockholders for the current six months was approximately
After adjusting certain cash and non-cash items, the current six month period results on a non-GAAP basis were a net loss of approximately
Balance Sheet
The Company's balance sheet on June 30, 2026, reflected stockholders' equity of approximately
The Company’s working capital on June 30, 2026 (exclusive of the current portion of lease obligations and deferred revenue was negative
Conference Call and Webcast
The Company will host a conference call with members of the executive management team to discuss these results with additional comments and details at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 14, 2026. A webcast of the conference call will be available live on the Investor Relations section of Xcel's website at www.xcelbrands.com. Interested parties unable to access the conference call via the webcast may dial 800-715-9871 or 646-307-1963 and use the conference ID 4300396. A replay of the webcast will be available on Xcel’s website.
About Xcel Brands
Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB) is a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, licensing, marketing, live streaming, and social commerce sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, fine jewelry, home goods and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands. Xcel was founded in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment, and social media as social commerce. Xcel owns the Halston and C. Wonder brands, as well as the co-branded collaboration brands Tower Hill by Christie Brinkley, Trust. Respect. Love by Cesar Millan, GemmaMade by Gemma Stafford and Off/Duty by Coco Rocha brand and holds noncontrolling interests or long-term license agreement in Mesa Mia by Jenny Martinez. Xcel also owns and manages the Longaberger by Shannon Doherty brand through its controlling interest in Longaberger Licensing, LLC. Xcel is pioneering a modern consumer products sales strategy which includes the promotion and sale of products under its brands through interactive television, digital live-stream shopping, social commerce, brick-and-mortar retailers, and e-commerce channels to be everywhere its customer’s shop. The company’s previously owned and current brands have generated more than
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including statements regarding future events, our future financial performance, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including "anticipates," "believes," "can," "continue," "ongoing," "could," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "may," "appears," "suggests," "future," "likely," "goal," "plans," "potential," "projects," "predicts," "seeks," "should," "would," "guidance," "confident" or "will" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our anticipated revenue, expenses, profitability, strategic plans and capital needs. These statements are based on information available to us on the date hereof and our current expectations, estimates and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including, without limitation, the risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the Company's Annual Report on form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its other filings with the SEC, which may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risk factors, nor can we address the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or any other reason.
For further information please contact:
Seth Burroughs
Xcel Brands
sburroughs@xcelbrands.com
Non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP diluted EPS are non-GAAP unaudited terms. We define non-GAAP net income as net income (loss) attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders, exclusive of amortization of trademarks, income (loss) from equity method investments, stock-based compensation and cost of licensee warrants, asset impairment charges, loss on extinguishment of debt and income taxes. Non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted EPS measures do not include the tax effect of the aforementioned adjusting items, due to the nature of these items and the Company’s tax strategy.
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP unaudited measure, which we define as net income (loss) attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders before interest and finance expenses, accretion of lease liability for exited leases, income taxes, other state and local franchise taxes, depreciation and amortization, income (loss) from equity method investments, asset impairment charges, stock-based compensation and cost of licensee warrants, and costs associated with restructuring of operations. Costs associated with restructuring of operations include operating losses generated by certain of our businesses that have been restructured or discontinued (i.e., wholesale apparel and fine jewelry), as well as non-cash charges associated with the restructuring of certain contractual arrangements.
Management uses non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA as measures of operating performance to assist in comparing performance from period to period on a consistent basis and to identify business trends relating to our results of operations. Management believes non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA are also useful because these measures adjust for certain costs and other events that management believes are not representative of our core business operating results, and thus these non-GAAP measures provide supplemental information to assist investors in evaluating our financial results.
Non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as alternatives to net income, earnings per share, or any other measure of financial performance calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Given that non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA are financial measures not deemed to be in accordance with GAAP and are susceptible to varying calculations, our non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, including companies in our industry, because other companies may calculate these measures in a different manner than we do. In evaluating non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA, you should be aware that in the future we may or may not incur expenses similar to some of the adjustments in this document. Our presentation of non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA does not imply that our future results will be unaffected by these expenses or any unusual or non-recurring items. When evaluating our performance, you should consider non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP diluted EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA alongside other financial performance measures, including our net income and other GAAP results, and not rely on any single financial measure.
| Xcel Brands, Inc. and Subsidiaries | ||||||||||||||||
| Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations | ||||||||||||||||
| (in thousands, except share and per share data) | ||||||||||||||||
| For the Three Months Ended | For the Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | |||||||||||||
| Revenues | ||||||||||||||||
| Net licensing revenue | $ | 1,121 | $ | 1,321 | $ | 2,265 | $ | 2,653 | ||||||||
| Direct operating costs and expenses | ||||||||||||||||
| Salaries, benefits and employment taxes | 842 | 984 | 1,714 | 2,070 | ||||||||||||
| Other selling, general and administrative expenses | 1,016 | 912 | 2,218 | 2,109 | ||||||||||||
| Total direct operating costs and expenses | 1,858 | 1,896 | 3,932 | 4,179 | ||||||||||||
| Operating loss before other operating costs and expenses | (737 | ) | (575 | ) | (1,667 | ) | (1,526 | ) | ||||||||
| Other operating costs and expenses | ||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 813 | 899 | 1,706 | 1,799 | ||||||||||||
| Charges related to the sale of the Judith Ripka brand | 35 | - | 96 | - | ||||||||||||
| Loss from equity investments | - | 180 | - | 516 | ||||||||||||
| Operating loss | (1,585 | ) | (1,654 | ) | (3,469 | ) | (3,841 | ) | ||||||||
| Interest and finance expense (income) | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 640 | 457 | 1,202 | 930 | ||||||||||||
| Other finance charges (income), net | 81 | 30 | 112 | 117 | ||||||||||||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | 151 | 1,850 | 151 | 1,850 | ||||||||||||
| Interest and finance expense (income), net | 872 | 2,337 | 1,465 | 2,897 | ||||||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | (2,457 | ) | (3,991 | ) | (4,934 | ) | (6,738 | ) | ||||||||
| Income tax provision (benefit) | 19 | - | 31 | 50 | ||||||||||||
| Net loss | (2,476 | ) | (3,991 | ) | (4,965 | ) | (6,788 | ) | ||||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest | - | (3 | ) | - | (3 | ) | ||||||||||
| Net loss attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders | $ | (2,476 | ) | $ | (3,988 | ) | $ | (4,965 | ) | $ | (6,785 | ) | ||||
| Loss per common share attributed to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders: | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted net loss per share | $ | (0.40 | ) | $ | (1.66 | ) | $ | (0.82 | ) | $ | (2.84 | ) | ||||
| Weighted average number of common shares outstanding: | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding | 6,159,232 | 2,403,639 | 6,032,122 | 2,388,694 | ||||||||||||
| Xcel Brands, Inc. and Subsidiaries | ||||||||
| Unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except share and per share data) | ||||||||
| June 30, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Current Assets: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 399 | $ | 1,150 | ||||
| Accounts receivable, net | 623 | 956 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 502 | 1,564 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 1,524 | 3,670 | ||||||
| Non-Current Assets: | ||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 103 | 130 | ||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 2,609 | 3,005 | ||||||
| Trademarks and other intangibles, net | 26,946 | 31,229 | ||||||
| Other assets | 1,291 | 912 | ||||||
| Total non-current assets | 30,949 | 35,276 | ||||||
| Total Assets | $ | 32,473 | $ | 38,946 | ||||
| Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | ||||||||
| Current Liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 532 | $ | 621 | ||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 404 | 600 | ||||||
| Deferred revenue | 976 | 1,330 | ||||||
| Current portion of operating lease obligation | 1,760 | 1,687 | ||||||
| Current portion of long-term debt | 1,865 | 3,250 | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 5,537 | 7,488 | ||||||
| Long-Term Liabilities: | ||||||||
| Deferred revenue | 1,333 | 1,778 | ||||||
| Long-term portion of operating lease obligation | 2,777 | 3,678 | ||||||
| Long-term debt, net, less current portion | 10,227 | 9,456 | ||||||
| Other long-term liabilities | 877 | 722 | ||||||
| Total long-term liabilities | 15,214 | 15,634 | ||||||
| Total Liabilities | 20,751 | 23,122 | ||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies | ||||||||
| Stockholders' Equity: | ||||||||
| Preferred stock, $.001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding | - | - | ||||||
| Common stock, $.001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, and 6,475,182 and 5,880,757 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively | 6 | 6 | ||||||
| Paid-in capital | 112,523 | 111,660 | ||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (98,670 | ) | (93,705 | ) | ||||
| Total Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders' equity | 13,859 | 17,961 | ||||||
| Noncontrolling interest | (2,137 | ) | (2,137 | ) | ||||
| Total Stockholders' Equity | 11,722 | 15,824 | ||||||
| Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | $ | 32,473 | $ | 38,946 | ||||
| Xcel Brands, Inc. and Subsidiaries | ||||||||
| Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | ||||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||
| For the Six Months Ended | ||||||||
| June 31, | ||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | |||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (4,965 | ) | $ | (6,788 | ) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expense | 1,706 | 1,799 | ||||||
| Asset impairment and other charges related to sale of Judith Ripka brand | 96 | - | ||||||
| Paid in-kind interest expense | 515 | 192 | ||||||
| Amortization of deferred finance costs and other non-cash interest expense | 491 | 176 | ||||||
| Stock-based compensation and cost of licensee warrants | 327 | 238 | ||||||
| Loss from equity investments | - | 516 | ||||||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | - | 1,850 | ||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts receivable | 333 | 446 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current and non-current assets | 167 | 104 | ||||||
| Deferred revenue | (799 | ) | (497 | ) | ||||
| Accounts payable, accrued expenses, accrued income taxes payable, and other current liabilities | (171 | ) | (1,560 | ) | ||||
| Lease-related assets and liabilities | (432 | ) | (282 | ) | ||||
| Other long-term liabilities | - | 8 | ||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | (2,732 | ) | (3,798 | ) | ||||
| Cash flows from investing activities | ||||||||
| Cash consideration received from sale of Judith Ripka brand assets, net | 2,000 | - | ||||||
| Purchase of property and equipment | - | (10 | ) | |||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | 2,000 | (10 | ) | |||||
| Cash flows from financing activities | ||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of shares through equity line facility, net of transaction costs | 415 | - | ||||||
| Proceeds from long-term debt | 3,006 | 5,670 | ||||||
| Payment of deferred finance costs | (350 | ) | (530 | ) | ||||
| Shares repurchased including vested restricted stock in exchange for withholding taxes | (102 | ) | (116 | ) | ||||
| Payment of long-term debt | (4,110 | ) | (500 | ) | ||||
| Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities | (1,141 | ) | 4,524 | |||||
| Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents | (1,873 | ) | 716 | |||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period | 2,889 | 1,993 | ||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period | $ | 1,016 | $ | 2,709 | ||||
| Reconciliation to amounts on consolidated balance sheets: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 399 | 970 | ||||||
| Restricted cash (reported in other non-current assets) | 617 | 1,739 | ||||||
| Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | $ | 1,016 | $ | 2,709 | ||||
| Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: | ||||||||
| Cash paid during the period for interest | $ | 196 | $ | 476 | ||||
| Cash paid during the year for income taxes | $ | 50 | $ | - | ||||
| ($ in thousands) | Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| Net loss attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders | $ | (2,476 | ) | $ | (3,988 | ) | $ | (4,965 | ) | $ | (6,785 | ) | |||
| Amortization of trademarks | 801 | 876 | 1,677 | 1,751 | |||||||||||
| Loss from equity investments | - | 180 | - | 516 | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation and cost of licensee warrants | 182 | 186 | 332 | 352 | |||||||||||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | 151 | 1,850 | 151 | 1,850 | |||||||||||
| Charges related to the sale of the Judith Ripka brand | 35 | - | 96 | - | |||||||||||
| Income tax provision (benefit) | 19 | - | 31 | 50 | |||||||||||
| $ | (1,288 | ) | $ | (896 | ) | $ | (2,678 | ) | $ | (2,266 | ) | ||||
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | ||||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| Diluted loss per share | $ | (0.40 | ) | $ | (1.66 | ) | $ | (0.82 | ) | $ | (2.84 | ) | |||
| Amortization of trademarks | 0.13 | 0.36 | 0.28 | 0.73 | |||||||||||
| Loss from equity investments | - | 0.08 | - | 0.22 | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation and cost of licensee warrants | 0.03 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.15 | |||||||||||
| Loss on early extinguishment of debt | 0.02 | 0.77 | 0.03 | 0.77 | |||||||||||
| Charges related to the sale of the Judith Ripka brand | 0.01 | - | 0.01 | - | |||||||||||
| Income tax provision | 0.00 | - | 0.00 | 0.02 | |||||||||||
| Non-GAAP diluted EPS | $ | (0.21 | ) | $ | (0.37 | ) | $ | (0.44 | ) | $ | (0.95 | ) | |||
| Non-GAAP weighted average diluted shares | 6,159,232 | 2,403,639 | 6,032,122 | 2,388,694 | |||||||||||
| ($ in thousands) | Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | June 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||
| Net loss attributable to Xcel Brands, Inc. stockholders | $ | (2,476 | ) | $ | (3,988 | ) | $ | (4,965 | ) | $ | (6,785 | ) | |||
| Interest and finance expense | 872 | 2,337 | 1,465 | 2,897 | |||||||||||
| Accretion of lease liability for exited lease | 35 | 59 | 75 | 120 | |||||||||||
| Income tax provision (benefit) | 19 | - | 31 | 50 | |||||||||||
| State and local franchise taxes | 24 | 6 | 60 | 14 | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 813 | 899 | 1,706 | 1,799 | |||||||||||
| Loss from equity investments | - | 180 | - | 516 | |||||||||||
| Charges related to the sale of the Judith Ripka brand | 35 | - | 96 | - | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation and cost of licensee warrants | 182 | 186 | 332 | 352 | |||||||||||
| Costs associated with restructuring of operations | 17 | 22 | 17 | 39 | |||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | (479 | ) | $ | (299 | ) | $ | (1,183 | ) | $ | (998 | ) | |||
