AI
AVNET INC (AVT)·Q1 2026 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 FY26 revenue and adjusted EPS beat S&P Global consensus: $5.90B vs $5.73B estimate and $0.84 vs $0.81 estimate; GAAP diluted EPS was $0.61. Strength was led by Asia (+9.9% YoY) and Farnell (+14.9% YoY). Farnell YoY growth in the press release (14.9%) contrasts with CFO’s remark implying “50%” YoY; we rely on the reported table. *
- Guidance raised for Q2 FY26: sales $5.85–$6.15B (midpoint $6.00B) and adjusted diluted EPS $0.90–$1.00 (midpoint $0.95). Assumptions: sequential growth in Americas and Asia, flat Europe; tax rate 21–25%; ~83M diluted shares.
- Operating margin improved sequentially: 2.6% adjusted OI margin vs 2.5% in Q4; EC margin softened 11 bps QoQ, Farnell margin stable QoQ and up 375 bps YoY.
- Capital allocation remained active: $138M buybacks (~3.2% of shares in Q1; ~8% over past four quarters) and dividends of $28M; quarterly dividend increased ~6% to $0.35.
- Working capital and inventory positioning weighed on cash flow (-$145M CFO), leverage at ~4.0x with plan to reduce to ~3.0x over next year; available committed borrowing capacity ~$1.7B.
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Asia and Farnell drove topline outperformance: “double-digit year-over-year sales growth in Farnell and Asia,” with Asia +9.9% YoY and Farnell +14.9% YoY.
- Book-to-bill improved globally; backlog grew, with all regions above parity, supporting recovering demand and sequential sales growth across regions.
- Farnell margin expansion: operating margin 4.3% (+375 bps YoY), aided by mix shift toward on‑board components; stable sequentially.
Quote: “Our sales and earnings exceeded our expectations… we remain optimistic about the increasingly positive signs of recovery.” — CEO Phil Gallagher.
What Went Wrong
- Consolidated gross margin pressure: 10.4% gross margin, down 42 bps YoY and 15 bps QoQ, driven by EMEA mix; EC operating margin down 11 bps QoQ.
- GAAP EPS down YoY: $0.61 vs $0.66 prior year; adjusted EPS down YoY: $0.84 vs $0.92, reflecting Western region margin declines and FX impacts.
- Operating cash flow negative (-$145M) as receivables and inventories rose to support Asia growth and supply chain engagements; debt increased by ~$323M; leverage ~4.0x.
Financial Results
Consolidated Metrics (GAAP and Non-GAAP)
Segment Breakdown
Geographic Sales
Estimates vs Actuals (S&P Global consensus)
Notes: Values with asterisk (*) retrieved from S&P Global.
Selected KPIs and Balance Sheet
Guidance Changes
GAAP EPS guidance reconciliation: Q2 adjusted $0.90–$1.00 less restructuring/integration and FX losses yields GAAP $0.74–$0.92.
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO positioning: “We are off to a solid start… sales of $5.9 billion above guidance and adjusted EPS of $0.84… led by strength in Asia and Farnell… sales in our Americas region grew year-on-year for the first time since fiscal 2023.”
- Margin/mix: “Semiconductor lead times and pricing continue to be stable… extended lead times and price increases in memory, storage, and certain interconnect products… supporting data center and AI buildouts.”
- Demand environment: “Book-to-bill ratio improved globally… backlog is growing… customers placing orders within lead times.”
- CFO detail: “Gross margin of 10.4% was 42 bps lower Y/Y and 15 bps lower sequentially… EMEA less favorable product/customer mix… adjusted operating margin 2.6%.”
- Capital and leverage: “Gross leverage of 4.0x… ~$1.7B of available committed borrowing capacity… anticipate reducing leverage to ~3.0x over the next year.”
Q&A Highlights
- AI/hyperscaler exposure: “Relatively small… maybe in Asia 7% of our business… opportunities beyond GPUs/FPGAs into storage, connectivity, power, cooling, connectors; downstream edge applications expected to be massive.”
- Inventory trajectory: Target “an eight in front” on inventory days next quarter; inventory quality/aging good; investments to support growth, with expected gradual declines thereafter.
- EMEA outlook and margin: EMEA flattish for Q2, bookings positive and backlog building; gross margin expected flat YoY and to benefit from seasonal Western mix.
- Farnell margins: Product mix key (on‑board components vs test/measurement/MRO); runway remains for gross margin as mix improves; sequential modest improvement targeted.
- Demand creation/IP&E: Demand creation revenues 28–33% with 300–400 bps incremental margin (requires FAE investment); IP&E ~15–20% of EC revenue and higher margin.
Estimates Context
- Results vs consensus: Revenue and adjusted EPS exceeded S&P Global consensus in Q3, Q4, and Q1, with Q1 revenue $5.90B vs $5.73B estimate and adjusted EPS $0.84 vs $0.81 estimate. *
- Implication: Consensus likely to move up modestly on Q2 midpoint raise (sales +5.3% vs prior Q1 midpoint, EPS midpoint +18.8%), but margin trajectory remains mixed given EMEA and Asia mix effects; watch for revisions to FY26 gross margin assumptions. *
Notes: Values marked with asterisk (*) retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Beat-and-raise quarter: Actuals beat consensus on revenue and adjusted EPS; Q2 midpoint raised to $6.00B and $0.95, a constructive signal amid macro uncertainty. *
- Mix still matters: Asia growth dilutes EC margins while Western seasonal mix should help Q2 gross margins; EMEA product/customer mix remains a watch item.
- AI data center tailwinds: Early but growing exposure in memory, interconnect, power/cooling, with downstream edge applications aligned to Avnet’s demand creation capabilities.
- Capital returns and leverage: Continued buybacks (~3% of shares in Q1; ~8% last 4 quarters) and dividend increases support TSR, while deleveraging from ~4.0x to ~3.0x over the next year should improve resilience.
- Working capital normalization: Inventory days expected to move into the 80s as growth and mix normalize; near-term cash flow may remain volatile as receivables scale with Asia.
- Watch Farnell mix: On‑board components drive margin; sustained mix improvement supports steady margin expansion despite Europe’s gradual recovery.
- Trading implications: Positive estimate revision risk and “raise” guidance are near‑term catalysts; monitor margin trajectory and EMEA stabilization to gauge multiple support. *