First Quarter 2026 Highlights:
- Exceeded guidance for first quarter net sales, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Diluted EPS
- First quarter net sales of
$1.25 billion - Net income of
$91 million with a net income margin of 7.3% - Adjusted EBITDA of
$259 million and Adjusted EBITDA margin of 20.6% - Diluted EPS of
$0.42 and Adjusted Diluted EPS of$0.56 - Record first quarter cash provided by operating activities of
$68 million , up$42 million year over year - Record first quarter free cash flow of
$21 million , an increase of$35 million year over year - Interest expense declined by 14%
“We delivered another quarter of excellent execution surpassing our expectations on revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Diluted EPS, while maintaining strong margins and improved cash flow generation,” said
“We are also progressing through various workstreams associated with the proposed merger of equals with AkzoNobel as planned and are on track with the stated timeline. While implementing a disciplined joint integration plan, we are maintaining momentum to deliver our financial and operational priorities.”
First Quarter 2026 Consolidated Financial Results
First quarter 2026 net sales of
Net income decreased by
Adjusted EBITDA was
Cash provided by operating activities was a first quarter record of
Discussion of Segment Results
Performance Coatings’ net sales totaled
Performance Coatings Adjusted EBITDA was
Mobility Coatings achieved record first quarter net sales of
Mobility Coatings delivered strong first-quarter profitability, with Adjusted EBITDA of
“Axalta’s first quarter results demonstrate our proven ability to navigate a dynamic macroeconomic environment while maintaining stable revenue and operational performance,” said
Second Quarter and Updated Full Year 2026 Outlook
| (in millions, except %’s and per share data) | Projection | |||
| Item | Q2 2026 | FY 2026 | ||
| ~FLAT | LSD% | |||
| Adjusted EBITDA | ||||
| Adjusted Diluted EPS | ||||
| Free Cash Flow | > | |||
| Depreciation and Amortization | ||||
| Tax Rate, As Adjusted | ~24% | |||
| Diluted Shares Outstanding | ~215 | |||
| Interest Expense | ||||
| Capital Expenditures | ||||
LSD = low single digit percentage
Axalta does not provide a reconciliation for non-GAAP estimates for Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Diluted EPS, Free Cash Flow or tax rate, as adjusted, on a forward-looking basis because the information necessary to calculate a meaningful or accurate estimation of reconciling items is not available without unreasonable effort. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information.
Conference Call Information
As previously announced, Axalta will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2026 financial results on
Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release includes financial information that is not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in
Organic
Organic net sales and related growth and decline measures are calculated by excluding (i) the impact of the change in average exchange rates between the current and comparable period by currency denomination exposure of the comparable period amount and (ii) net sales of businesses acquired within the last twelve months. We believe presenting organic net sales and related growth and decline measures assists investors with evaluating our sales performance without the impact of foreign exchange rates and recent acquisitions and divestitures of size, and management also routinely evaluates our sales in this manner.
Segment Financial Measures
The primary measure of segment operating performance is Adjusted EBITDA, which is a key metric that is used by management to evaluate business performance in comparison to budgets, forecasts and prior year financial results and that management believes reflects Axalta’s core operating performance. As we do not measure segment operating performance based on net income, a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure with the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is not available.
Defined Terms
All capitalized terms contained within this release that are not otherwise defined herein have been previously defined in our filings with the
Rounding
Certain amounts may not foot or crossfoot due to rounding. Additionally, certain percentages may not recalculate due to rounding.
General Restrictions
This communication is not for release, publication, or distribution, in whole or in part, in or into, directly or indirectly, any jurisdiction in which such release, publication, or distribution would be unlawful.
This communication is not a prospectus and the information in this communication is not intended to be complete. This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be and shall not constitute a solicitation of any vote or approval, or an offer to buy or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, any securities, or an invitation or recommendation to subscribe for, acquire or buy securities of Axalta or AkzoNobel or any other financial products or securities, in any place or jurisdiction, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the
Any decision to purchase, subscribe for, otherwise acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities must be made only on the basis of the information contained in and incorporated by reference into the prospectus with respect to the shares to be allotted by AkzoNobel in the Proposed Merger once published. A prospectus in relation to the Proposed Merger described in this communication is expected to be published in due course.
The distribution of this communication may, in some countries, be restricted by law or regulation. Accordingly, persons who come into possession of this document should inform themselves of and observe these restrictions. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Axalta and AkzoNobel disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of any such restrictions by any person. Neither Axalta, nor AkzoNobel, nor any of their advisors assume any responsibility for any violation by any person of any of these restrictions. Shareholders of Axalta and AkzoNobel, respectively, with any doubt as to their position should consult an appropriate professional advisor without delay.
This communication is addressed to and directed only at, persons who are outside the
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the Proposed Merger between Axalta and AkzoNobel, AkzoNobel will file with the
The contents of this communication should not be construed as financial, legal, business, investment, tax or other professional advice. Each recipient should consult with its own professional advisors for any such matter and advice.
Participants in the Solicitation
This communication is not a solicitation of proxies in connection with the Proposed Merger. However, under
About
Axalta is a global leader in the coatings industry, providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable coatings solutions. From light vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, building facades and other industrial applications, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enhance durability. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the global team at Axalta continues to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in over 140 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information visit axalta.com and follow us @axalta on X.
| Financial Statement Tables | |||||||
| Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) | |||||||
| (In millions, except per share data) | |||||||
| Three Months Ended | |||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Net sales | $ | 1,254 | $ | 1,262 | |||
| Cost of goods sold | 838 | 829 | |||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 200 | 202 | |||||
| Other operating charges | 26 | 14 | |||||
| Research and development expenses | 18 | 17 | |||||
| Amortization of acquired intangibles | 26 | 24 | |||||
| Income from operations | 146 | 176 | |||||
| Interest expense, net | 38 | 44 | |||||
| Other expense, net | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Income before income taxes | 105 | 129 | |||||
| Provision for income taxes | 14 | 30 | |||||
| Net income | 91 | 99 | |||||
| Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | 1 | — | |||||
| Net income attributable to common shareholders | $ | 90 | $ | 99 | |||
| Basic net income per share | $ | 0.42 | $ | 0.45 | |||
| Diluted net income per share | $ | 0.42 | $ | 0.45 | |||
| Basic weighted average shares outstanding | 213.6 | 218.3 | |||||
| Diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 214.6 | 219.4 | |||||
| Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) | |||||||
| (In millions, except per share data) | |||||||
| Assets | |||||||
| Current assets: | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 608 | $ | 657 | |||
| Restricted cash | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Accounts and notes receivable, net | 1,261 | 1,229 | |||||
| Inventories | 770 | 756 | |||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 185 | 170 | |||||
| Total current assets | 2,827 | 2,815 | |||||
| Property, plant and equipment, net | 1,293 | 1,299 | |||||
| 1,772 | 1,795 | ||||||
| Identifiable intangibles, net | 1,114 | 1,147 | |||||
| Other assets | 552 | 543 | |||||
| Total assets | $ | 7,558 | $ | 7,599 | |||
| Liabilities, Shareholders’ Equity | |||||||
| Current liabilities: | |||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 723 | $ | 637 | |||
| Current portion of borrowings | 20 | 20 | |||||
| Other accrued liabilities | 605 | 712 | |||||
| Total current liabilities | 1,348 | 1,369 | |||||
| Long-term borrowings | 3,127 | 3,179 | |||||
| Accrued pensions | 228 | 238 | |||||
| Deferred income taxes | 175 | 171 | |||||
| Other liabilities | 213 | 249 | |||||
| Total liabilities | 5,091 | 5,206 | |||||
| Shareholders’ equity: | |||||||
| Common shares, | 256 | 255 | |||||
| Capital in excess of par | 1,621 | 1,621 | |||||
| Retained earnings | 2,145 | 2,055 | |||||
| (1,202 | ) | (1,202 | ) | ||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (399 | ) | (383 | ) | |||
| Total Axalta shareholders’ equity | 2,421 | 2,346 | |||||
| Noncontrolling interests | 46 | 47 | |||||
| Total shareholders’ equity | 2,467 | 2,393 | |||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 7,558 | $ | 7,599 | |||
| Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| (In millions) | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended | ||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | |||||||
| Operating activities: | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | 91 | $ | 99 | ||||
| Adjustment to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities: | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 76 | 70 | ||||||
| Amortization of deferred financing costs and original issue discount | 2 | 2 | ||||||
| Deferred income taxes | 11 | 8 | ||||||
| Realized and unrealized foreign exchange (gains) losses, net | (4 | ) | 8 | |||||
| Stock-based compensation | 7 | 5 | ||||||
| Interest income on swaps designated as net investment hedges | (3 | ) | (3 | ) | ||||
| Other non-cash, net | 2 | (1 | ) | |||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Trade accounts and notes receivable | (32 | ) | (18 | ) | ||||
| Inventories | (20 | ) | (37 | ) | ||||
| Prepaid expenses and other assets | (27 | ) | (59 | ) | ||||
| Accounts payable | 90 | 66 | ||||||
| Other accrued liabilities | (96 | ) | (106 | ) | ||||
| Other liabilities | (29 | ) | (8 | ) | ||||
| Cash provided by operating activities | 68 | 26 | ||||||
| Investing activities: | ||||||||
| Acquisitions, net of cash acquired | (8 | ) | (6 | ) | ||||
| Purchase of property, plant and equipment | (50 | ) | (43 | ) | ||||
| Interest proceeds on swaps designated as net investment hedges | 3 | 3 | ||||||
| Proceeds received on loans to customers | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| Other investing activities, net | (2 | ) | 1 | |||||
| Cash used for investing activities | (53 | ) | (44 | ) | ||||
| Financing activities: | ||||||||
| Payments on long-term borrowings | (55 | ) | (5 | ) | ||||
| Net cash flows associated with stock-based awards | (6 | ) | (2 | ) | ||||
| Other financing activities, net | — | (1 | ) | |||||
| Cash used for financing activities | (61 | ) | (8 | ) | ||||
| Decrease in cash | (46 | ) | (26 | ) | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash | (3 | ) | 8 | |||||
| Cash at beginning of period | 660 | 596 | ||||||
| Cash at end of period | $ | 611 | $ | 578 | ||||
| Cash at end of period reconciliation: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 608 | $ | 575 | ||||
| Restricted cash | 3 | 3 | ||||||
| Cash at end of period | $ | 611 | $ | 578 | ||||
The following table reconciles net income to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and segment Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented (in millions):
| Three Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
| Twelve Months Ended 2026 | 2026 | 2025 | Year Ended 2025 | ||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 371 | $ | 91 | $ | 99 | $ | 379 | |||||||
| Interest expense, net | 170 | 38 | 44 | 176 | |||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 151 | 14 | 30 | 167 | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 301 | 76 | 70 | 295 | |||||||||||
| EBITDA | 993 | 219 | 243 | 1,017 | |||||||||||
| Debt extinguishment and refinancing-related costs (a) | 2 | — | — | 2 | |||||||||||
| Termination benefits and other employee-related costs (b) | 16 | 4 | 11 | 23 | |||||||||||
| Merger and acquisition-related costs (c) | 52 | 22 | 2 | 32 | |||||||||||
| Site closure costs (d) | 3 | — | 3 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Foreign exchange remeasurement losses (e) | 14 | 2 | 3 | 15 | |||||||||||
| Long-term employee benefit plan adjustments (f) | 13 | 4 | 3 | 12 | |||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation (g) | 27 | 7 | 5 | 25 | |||||||||||
| Gains on sales of assets (h) | (6 | ) | — | — | (6 | ) | |||||||||
| Environmental charges (i) | 2 | — | — | 2 | |||||||||||
| Other adjustments (j) | 1 | 1 | — | — | |||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 1,117 | $ | 259 | $ | 270 | $ | 1,128 | |||||||
| Net sales | $ | 5,109 | $ | 1,254 | $ | 1,262 | $ | 5,117 | |||||||
| Net income margin | 7.3 | % | 7.3 | % | 7.8 | % | 7.4 | % | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA margin | 21.9 | % | 20.6 | % | 21.4 | % | 22.0 | % | |||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA: | |||||||||||||||
| $ | 771 | $ | 180 | $ | 197 | $ | 788 | ||||||||
| Mobility Coatings | 346 | 79 | 73 | 340 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,117 | $ | 259 | $ | 270 | $ | 1,128 | |||||||
| (a) | Represents expenses and associated changes to estimates related to the prepayment, restructuring, and refinancing of our indebtedness, which are not considered indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (b) | Represents expenses and associated changes to estimates related to employee termination benefits, consulting, legal and other employee-related costs associated with restructuring programs and other employee-related costs. We do not consider these amounts indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (c) | Represents merger and acquisition-related expenses, including costs related to financial, tax and legal advisory services, associated with both consummated and unconsummated transactions, all of which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (d) | Represents costs related to the closure of certain manufacturing sites, which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (e) | Represents foreign exchange losses resulting from the remeasurement of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies, net of the impacts of our foreign currency instruments used to hedge our balance sheet exposures. |
| (f) | Represents the non-cash, non-service cost components of long-term employee benefit costs. |
| (g) | Represents non-cash impacts associated with stock-based compensation. |
| (h) | Represents non-recurring income related to the sales of certain fixed assets, which are not considered indicative of our ongoing performance. |
| (i) | Represents costs related to certain environmental remediation activities, which are not considered indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (j) | Represents costs for certain non-operational or non-cash losses, net, unrelated to our core business and which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
The following table reconciles net income to adjusted net income for the periods presented (in millions, except per share data):
| Three Months Ended | |||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Net income | $ | 91 | $ | 99 | |||
| Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests | 1 | — | |||||
| Net income attributable to common shareholders | 90 | 99 | |||||
| Termination benefits and other employee-related costs (a) | 4 | 11 | |||||
| Merger and acquisition-related costs (b) | 22 | 2 | |||||
| Accelerated depreciation and site closure costs (c) | — | 4 | |||||
| Other adjustments (d) | 1 | (1 | ) | ||||
| Amortization of acquired intangibles (e) | 26 | 24 | |||||
| Total adjustments | 53 | 40 | |||||
| Income tax provision impacts (f) | 23 | 10 | |||||
| Adjusted net income | $ | 120 | $ | 129 | |||
| Adjusted diluted net income per share | $ | 0.56 | $ | 0.59 | |||
| Diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 214.6 | 219.4 | |||||
| (a) | Represents expenses and associated changes to estimates related to employee termination benefits, consulting, legal and other employee-related costs associated with restructuring programs and other employee-related costs. We do not consider these amounts indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (b) | Represents merger and acquisition-related expenses, including costs related to financial, tax and legal advisory services, associated with both consummated and unconsummated transactions, all of which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (c) | Represents incremental depreciation expense resulting from truncated useful lives of the assets impacted by our manufacturing footprint assessments and costs related to the closure of certain manufacturing sites, which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (d) | Represents costs for certain non-operational or non-cash losses (gains), net, unrelated to our core business and which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (e) | Represents non-cash amortization expense for intangible assets acquired through business combinations or asset acquisitions. |
| (f) | The income tax impacts are determined using the applicable rates in the taxing jurisdictions in which expense or income occurred and includes both current and deferred income tax expense (benefit) based on the nature of the non-GAAP performance measure. Additionally, the income tax impact includes the removal of discrete income tax impacts within our effective tax rate which were benefits of |
The following table reconciles cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow for the periods presented (in millions):
| Three Months Ended | |||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Cash provided by operating activities | $ | 68 | $ | 26 | |||
| Purchase of property, plant and equipment | (50 | ) | (43 | ) | |||
| Interest proceeds on swaps designated as net investment hedges | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Free cash flow | $ | 21 | $ | (14 | ) | ||
The following table reconciles income from operations to adjusted EBIT for the periods presented (in millions):
| Three Months Ended | |||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Income from operations | $ | 146 | $ | 176 | |||
| Other expense, net | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 143 | 173 | |||||
| Termination benefits and other employee-related costs (a) | 4 | 11 | |||||
| Merger and acquisition-related costs (b) | 22 | 2 | |||||
| Accelerated depreciation and site closure costs (c) | — | 4 | |||||
| Other adjustments (d) | — | (1 | ) | ||||
| Amortization of acquired intangibles (e) | 26 | 24 | |||||
| Adjusted EBIT | $ | 195 | $ | 213 | |||
| (a) | Represents expenses and associated changes to estimates related to employee termination benefits, consulting, legal and other employee-related costs associated with restructuring programs and other employee-related costs. We do not consider these amounts indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (b) | Represents merger and acquisition-related expenses, including costs related to financial, tax and legal advisory services, associated with both consummated and unconsummated transactions, all of which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (c) | Represents incremental depreciation expense resulting from truncated useful lives of the assets impacted by our manufacturing footprint assessments and costs related to the closure of certain manufacturing sites, which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (d) | Represents costs for certain non-operational or non-cash gains, net, unrelated to our core business and which we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. |
| (e) | Represents non-cash amortization expense for intangible assets acquired through business combinations or asset acquisitions. |
| Investor Contact D +1 610-999-9407 Colleen.Lubic@axalta.com | Media Contact D +1 646-826-9732 axalta-media-relations@axalta.com | |
Source: 