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    CMCO
    Earnings call· Jun 2026(Q1 FY27)

    COLUMBUS MCKINNON Q1 FY27 earnings call CMCO

    Jul 30, 2026 Source

    Executive summary

    Columbus McKinnon Q1 FY27 — Strong Start with Raised Outlook

    Columbus McKinnon delivered a strong Q1 FY27, marking its first full quarter post-Kito Crosby acquisition, with solid performance across orders, sales, profitability, and cash flow. The company raised its full-year outlook, driven by robust demand in the Americas and APAC, effective pricing actions, and early synergy realization. While EMEA remains soft, management is confident in continued margin expansion and debt reduction through operational excellence and strategic integration.

    Highlights

    5
    • Pro forma sales grew 10% with broad-based growth across all platforms.

    • Adjusted EBITDA increased 242% to $111 million, with adjusted EBITDA margin expanding 300 basis points pro forma.

    • Adjusted EPS grew $0.11 to $0.61 from the prior year period.

    • Delivered positive Q1 free cash flow of $32.4 million for the first time in six years, enabling debt reduction.

    • Book-to-bill of 1.1 in Q1, leading to 4% sequential backlog growth.

    Concerns

    4
    • EMEA orders declined year-over-year due to geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, and tough prior-year comps.

    • Automotive demand has been spotty, and general industrial demand in pockets of EMEA remains soft.

    • Unfavorable foreign exchange movements impacting both sales and adjusted EBITDA outlook.

    • Q2 expected to be the low point for the year in sales and adjusted EBITDA due to backlog phasing.

    Guidance & targets

    12
    CategoryTargetConfidence
    Net Sales
    $2.09 billion to $2.15 billion
    high materiality
    High
    Adjusted EBITDA
    $405 million to $420 million
    high materiality
    High
    Adjusted EPS
    $1.90 to $2.10 per share
    high materiality
    High
    Interest Expense
    no changes
    medium materiality
    High
    Amortization
    no changes
    medium materiality
    High
    Depreciation
    no changes
    medium materiality
    High
    Normalized Effective Tax Rate
    no changes
    medium materiality
    High
    Adjusted Diluted Share Count
    no changes
    medium materiality
    High
    Q2 Sales and Adjusted EBITDA
    low point for the year
    medium materiality
    High
    Margins
    sequentially improve
    medium materiality
    High
    Credit agreement net leverage ratio
    below 4x
    high materiality
    High
    Net annual run rate cost synergy target
    $70 million
    high materiality
    High

    Segment performance

    6
    SegmentRevenueYoYQoQMargin
    Americas
    Volumes are building in the Americas. Sales growth was strongest in the Americas with growth in both volume and pricing.
    Orders growth: broad-basedSales growth: strongest with volume and pricing
    Asia Pacific (APAC)
    Volumes are building in Asia Pacific. Pro forma orders growth was broad-based across platforms, with particular strength in APAC.
    Orders growth: broad-based
    EMEA
    EMEA remains softer in the near term. EMEA orders declined year-over-year due to geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, as well as a tough comp from strong orders in EMEA's rail business in the prior year. EMEA grew sales as we executed on our backlog and took advantage of temporarily opened shipping lanes in the Middle East at the end of the quarter.
    Orders growth: declined year-over-yearSales growth: executed on backlog and temporarily opened shipping lanes
    declined year-over-year
    Legacy Kito Crosby portfolio
    Sales growth was broad-based, with high single-digit percentage growth in the legacy Kito Crosby portfolio.
    Sales growth: high single-digit percentage
    high single-digit percentage growth
    Legacy CMCO portfolio
    Sales growth was broad-based, with low-teens growth in the legacy CMCO portfolio.
    Sales growth: low-teens
    low-teens growth
    U.S.
    On the legacy CMCO side, U.S. orders grew in the low-teens, driven by strength in automation and short cycle lifting products.
    Orders growth: low-teens, driven by automation and short cycle lifting products
    low-teens

    Operational metrics

    31
    Adjusted EBITDA
    $111 millionincreased 242%
    Q1 FY27

    Adjusted EBITDA increased 242% with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 21%. When normalizing for the impacts of the acquisition and divestiture in the prior year period, adjusted EBITDA margins expanded approximately 300 basis points. Excluding one-time benefits, the core business still expanded EBITDA margins by about 100 basis points.

    Adjusted EPS
    $0.61up $0.11
    Q1 FY27

    Adjusted EPS grew $0.11 to $0.61 from the prior year period on an as-reported basis, primarily driven by operating profit increases, partially offset by higher interest expense and a higher share count due to the inclusion of common shares issuable upon conversion of the preferred shares.

    Credit agreement net leverage ratio
    4.9xreduced by 0.2x
    Q1 FY27

    Reduced our credit agreement net leverage ratio by 0.2x to 4.9x. Debt reduction continues to be our priority for capital allocation, with a target to stay below 4x in FY '28.

    Total liquidity
    $567.1 million
    Q1 FY27

    Total liquidity remains strong at $567.1 million, consisting of $98.4 million of cash and cash equivalents and $468.7 million of availability on our revolving credit facility.

    Pro forma sales growth
    10%
    Q1 FY27

    Normalizing for both the acquisition and divestiture, pro forma sales growth was 10%.

    Pro forma orders growth
    9%
    Q1 FY27

    Normalizing for the acquisition and divestiture, pro forma orders growth was approximately 9% and was broad-based across platforms.

    Project-related sales growth (pro forma)
    12%
    Q1 FY27

    On a pro forma basis, project-related sales increased 12% with benefits from both pricing and volume growth from a favorable demand environment.

    Short cycle sales growth (pro forma)
    9%
    Q1 FY27

    On a pro forma basis, short cycle sales increased 9% with benefits from both pricing and volume growth from a favorable demand environment.

    Adjusted gross margin
    38.1%improved 380 bps year-over-year
    Q1 FY27

    Adjusted gross margin, which removes the impact of the inventory step-up and acquisition integration costs, improved 380 basis points year-over-year.

    Working capital use of cash
    $20 million betteryear-over-year
    Q1 FY27

    Normalizing for the non-cash inventory step-up adjustment, working capital was a use of cash in the quarter, as is typical for us in Q1. However, the use of cash was approximately $20 million better than the first quarter last year.

    Debt paid down
    $18.4 million
    Q1 FY27

    We paid down $18.4 million in debt in the quarter.

    FX impact on sales/EBITDA
    unfavorable
    FY27 outlook

    Our revised guidance also reflects unfavorable foreign exchange movements impacting both sales and adjusted EBITDA, order of magnitude about 30 basis points of that we see for each quarter for the rest of the year relative to our last outlook.

    Short cycle orders growth
    low single digits
    Q2 FY27 quarter-to-date

    On a quarter-to-date basis, we are seeing demand in short cycle business up in the low single digits on a quarter-to-date basis so far this quarter.

    Price increase total
    1% to 2%
    FY27

    I would anticipate for the year we'll still see something on the 1% to 2% price increase total.

    Synergy realization (SG&A)
    benefiting SG&A
    Q1 FY27

    Most of these synergies so far are benefiting SG&A. We expect the COGS-related synergies to pick up steam as the execution continues and benefit later in the year and future years.

    CapEx underspend
    slightly lighter
    Q1 FY27

    CapEx was maybe a little lighter than our original expectations for the quarter, and that helped the cash flow a bit.

    Legacy CMCO sales growth
    low-teens
    Q1 FY27

    Low-teens growth in the legacy CMCO portfolio.

    Legacy Kito Crosby sales growth
    high single-digit percentage
    Q1 FY27

    High single-digit percentage growth in the legacy Kito Crosby portfolio.

    Core business EBITDA margin expansion (ex-one-time)
    100 bpsyear-over-year
    Q1 FY27

    Excluding the one-time benefit in Q1, the core business still expanded EBITDA margins by about 100 basis points in the quarter.

    Implied rest-of-year EBITDA margin
    18.9%
    FY27 (rest of year)

    The midpoint of the full-year guide is 19.5%, and Q1 was 21%, implying the rest of the year is around 18.9%.

    Orders
    $568.1 millionincreased $309.6 million or 120%
    Q1 FY27

    Orders of $568.1 million increased $309.6 million, or 120% from the prior year, largely driven by the benefit of the Kito Crosby acquisition.

    Net Sales
    $531.5 millionincreased $295.5 million or 125%
    Q1 FY27

    We delivered net sales of $531.5 million, which increased $295.5 million, or 125% from the prior year, driven by the acquisition of Kito Crosby, volume, pricing, and favorable currency translation, partially offset by the divestiture.

    Gross Profit
    $146.3 millionincreased $69 million or 89%
    Q1 FY27

    Gross profit of $146.3 million increased $69 million or 89% versus the prior year on a GAAP basis reflecting the Kito Crosby acquisition, pricing and volume, as well as benefits to material costs specific to the quarter, partially offset by the $55.2 million non-cash inventory step-up expense, the impact of the divestiture, and inflation in COGS.

    GAAP Gross Margin
    27.5%
    Q1 FY27

    On a GAAP basis, our gross margin was 27.5%.

    SG&A Expenses (GAAP)
    $128.6 millionincreased $64.5 million
    Q1 FY27

    Our SG&A expenses increased $64.5 million to $128.6 million on a GAAP basis due to the addition of Kito Crosby, higher integration costs, and increased incentive compensation expense, partially offset by cost-saving synergies.

    Adjusted SG&A
    $111.9 millionincreased $57.1 million
    Q1 FY27

    Adjusted SG&A, which excludes acquisition integration costs and other one-time expenses, increased by $57.1 million to $111.9 million.

    Adjusted SG&A as % of sales
    21.1%declined 220 bps
    Q1 FY27

    As a percentage of sales, adjusted SG&A declined 220 basis points to 21.1%, driven by scale benefits from the acquisition and cost synergy realization.

    Adjusted EBITDA increase
    $78.9 million242%
    Q1 FY27

    Adjusted EBITDA of $111.5 million increased $78.9 million, or 242%.

    Net loss
    $88.4 million
    Q1 FY27

    Net loss in the quarter was $88.4 million on a GAAP basis, primarily due to the non-cash inventory step-up amortization, interest expense, and integration costs.

    GAAP Net loss per share
    $2.05
    Q1 FY27

    Net loss in the quarter was $88.4 million, or $2.05 per share on a GAAP basis.

    Adjusted net income
    $30.5 million
    Q1 FY27

    Adjusted net income was $30.5 million, or $0.61 a share, up $0.11 from the prior year.

    Industry KPIs

    6
    MetricValueDetails
    Capacity expansion
    Tariff cost impactsome net benefits
    Data center prime power demandincreased activity
    Dealer inventory months of supplyhealthy, near normal levels, slightly below historical averages
    Order backlog order intake by segment4% sequentially%
    Industry production market size forecasts

    Orderbook & backlog

    2
    Book-to-bill ratio1.1Q1 FY27

    due to strong orders

    Backlog growth4%Q1 FY27

    sequentially

    due to strong orders

    Deals & partnerships

    2
    Kito CrosbyAcquisition of Kito Crosby, first full quarter operating as a combined company

    Q1 was our first full quarter operating as a combined company following the Kito Crosby acquisition.

    N/ADivestiture of legacy Columbus McKinnon U.S. power chain hoist and chain operations

    Results reflect the first full quarter following the close of the Kito Crosby acquisition on February 3rd and the divestiture of our U.S. power chain hoist and chain operations on March 4th.

    Risks & headwinds

    5
    EMEA demand softnessnear term

    orders declined year-over-year; general industrial demand in pockets of EMEA remains soft

    Mitigation: diversified market exposure, strong backlog

    Geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertaintynear term

    EMEA orders declined year-over-year due to geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty

    Mitigation: nimble execution, diversified market exposure

    Elevated input costsongoing

    elevated input costs

    Mitigation: effective pricing actions to offset unavoidable inflationary pressure, consistent pricing discipline

    Unfavorable foreign exchange movementsFY27

    impacting both sales and adjusted EBITDA outlook (approx. 30 bps per quarter for rest of year)

    Mitigation: reflected in revised guidance

    Automotive demand spottyQ1 FY27

    Automotive demand has been spotty

    Mitigation: diversified market exposure

    What to watch in Q2 FY27

    5

    Gross margin trajectory

    H2 FY27
    CurrentQ1 GAAP 27.5%, Adjusted 38.1% (with 200 bps one-time benefit)
    TargetSequential improvement after Q2 low point

    Why it matters

    Indicates effectiveness of synergy realization, operational efficiencies, and pricing actions in driving profitability.

    Following Q2, we expect margins to sequentially improve through the second half of the year as we realize the benefits of synergies, operational efficiencies, and pricing.

    Q&A highlights

    8

    How much of the Q1 margin expansion was due to one-time benefits (like IEPA refunds), and how does that affect the full-year guidance and the expected gross margin progression after Q2?

    John Linker confirmed that about 200 basis points of the 300 basis point pro forma EBITDA margin expansion was due to one-time benefits, including previously un-contemplated IEPA refunds. David Wilson added that the guide raise was also due to stronger demand, temporary Middle East shipping lane opening, and early synergy visibility. Q2 will be the low point for gross margins, with sequential improvement in H2 driven by synergies (SG&A-weighted initially) and pricing actions.

    if you exclude out sort of this benefit we got in Q1, the core business still expanded EBITDA margins by about 100 basis points in the quarter. So we're calling it about 200 basis points of the 300 was related to this one-time or the benefits specific to the quarter.

    asked by Matt Summerville · answered by John Linker

    2 min read5 chapters

    Detailed Narrative

    01

    Kito Crosby Integration & Synergies

    The first full quarter operating as a combined company following the Kito Crosby acquisition saw meaningful progress in integration, aligning people, processes, and systems. Early cost synergy wins, primarily weighted towards SG&A through organizational realignment, redundancy removal, and contract harmonization, reinforce conviction for achieving and potentially exceeding the $70 million net annual run rate target over time. Revenue synergies are also advancing, with early wins giving confidence that they will be a meaningful tailwind to organic growth over time.

    02

    Demand Dynamics & Regional Performance

    Pro forma sales grew 10% with broad-based strength in the Americas and Asia Pacific, particularly in targeted verticals including defense, infrastructure, energy, e-commerce, data center, shipbuilding, electrification, and pharma. Increased activity was also noted in oil and gas. EMEA remains softer in the near term, consistent with PMI and industrial production data, though a temporary opening of shipping lanes in the Middle East at quarter-end boosted Q1 sales. Automotive demand has been spotty, and general industrial demand in pockets of EMEA remains soft.

    03

    Pricing Actions & Cost Management

    The company continues to see elevated input costs but has been effective in implementing pricing actions to offset unavoidable inflationary pressure, with the strongest realization in the Americas. Additional pricing actions were recently taken across the combined business in multiple regions, with benefits expected to ramp up in the second half of the year. Management maintains consistent pricing discipline and confidence in securing price where required.

    04

    Capital Allocation & Debt Reduction

    Debt reduction remains the top capital allocation priority. The company delivered positive Q1 free cash flow of $32.4 million, a historical anomaly for the quarter, enabling a debt reduction of $18.4 million. This lowered the credit agreement net leverage ratio by 0.2x to 4.9x, with the company remaining confident in its target of staying below 4x by FY28. Total liquidity remains strong at $567.1 million.

    05

    Operational Excellence & Market Share Gains

    Strategic priorities including operational excellence, commercial effectiveness, and customer experience are driving market share gains in targeted segments. The scaled platform, enhanced customer value proposition, and business initiatives are improving competitiveness. This growth is supported by ongoing commercial initiatives and early revenue synergy wins, demonstrating the ability to execute effectively and unlock value creation opportunities.

    AI-generated summary of the company’s earnings call. Not investment advice.