Quad Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
Quad/Graphics, Inc. (NYSE: QUAD) (“Quad” or the “Company”), a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
Recent highlights
- Realized Net Sales of $581 million in the first quarter of 2026 compared to $629 million in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 7.7% decline in Net Sales or a 4.3% decline in Net Sales excluding the February 28, 2025, divestiture of the Company’s European operations.
- Recognized Net Earnings of $6 million, or $0.13 Diluted Earnings Per Share, in the first quarter of 2026, compared to Net Earnings of $6 million, or $0.11 Diluted Earnings Per Share, in 2025.
- Reported Adjusted EBITDA of $45 million in the first quarter of 2026 compared to $46 million in 2025.
- Achieved $0.25 Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 25% from $0.20 per share in 2025.
- Recognized at the Gramercy Institute’s Financial Service Strategy Awards, demonstrating impact of Quad’s integrated direct marketing work.
- Repurchased 0.2 million shares of Quad Class A common stock in 2026, bringing total repurchases to 7.6 million shares since initiating the program in 2022, representing approximately 13.6% of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2022.
- Returned $7 million to shareholders through $6 million of regular cash dividends and $1 million of share repurchases.
- Declared quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share payable June 5, 2026.
- Reaffirms full-year 2026 financial guidance.
Joel Quadracci, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quad, said: “Our first quarter results were in-line with our expectations, and we remain on track to achieve our full-year 2026 guidance. We remain focused on achieving our long-term growth and margin objectives while maintaining disciplined cost management despite macroeconomic challenges, including continued postage rate increases and cost pressures in our supply chain stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We are making strategic investments in innovative marketing solutions and high-caliber talent to expand our offering and strengthen client relationships. We are seeing strong momentum in Quad’s audience strategy services, powered by our proprietary, household-based data stack. Our formalized Direct Marketing Agency combines audience services with pre-market testing and analysis to drive more effective mail prospecting. Similarly, our Rise media agency brings together data-driven intelligence with AI-powered insights to deliver customized omnichannel media strategies that help clients achieve measurable business outcomes.
“Operationally, we are providing clients with multiple optimization solutions, including advanced co-mailing capabilities, to generate significant savings that help reduce the impact of rising postage costs. We are further strengthening our cost structure by investing in automation and adopting AI-enabled tools, which are improving productivity, speed and agility across our platform. These efforts further differentiate Quad in a competitive marketplace.”
Added Tony Staniak, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Quad: “We are reaffirming our 2026 full-year financial guidance with an improved sales decline rate and essentially flat Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow compared to 2025, representing a key step on our path to long-term growth. We are closely monitoring the current business climate which continues to present uncertainty, driven by factors including persistent inflationary pressures, evolving global trade dynamics, geopolitical tensions and cautious business spending. As we have demonstrated in prior periods of disruption, we remain agile and ready to adapt to shifting demand. While allocating capital to fuel long-term growth, we are also returning capital to shareholders through our quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share and we have repurchased $1 million of Quad shares year-to-date. We expect to remain opportunistic in terms of future share repurchases.”
First quarter 2026 financial results
- Net Sales were $581 million in the first quarter of 2026, a decrease of 7.7% compared to the same period in 2025. Excluding the 3.4% impact of the divestiture of the Company’s European operations, Net Sales declined 4.3%. The decline in Net Sales was primarily due to lower print volumes and lower agency solutions sales.
- Net Earnings were $6 million, or $0.13 Diluted Earnings Per Share, in the first quarter of 2026 compared to $6 million, or $0.11 Diluted Earnings Per Share, in the first quarter of 2025. The improvement was primarily due to lower selling, general and administrative expenses, lower interest expense, lower depreciation and amortization, and benefits from increased manufacturing productivity, partially offset by the impact from lower Net Sales, increased restructuring, impairment and transaction-related charges, net, and increased income tax expense. Diluted Earnings Per Share were also higher due to the impact of share repurchases and lower dilutive equity incentive instruments.
- Adjusted EBITDA was $45 million in the first quarter of 2026, compared to $46 million in the same period in 2025. The decrease was primarily due to the impact of lower Net Sales partially offset by lower selling, general and administrative expenses, and benefits from improved manufacturing productivity.
- Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share was $0.25 in the first quarter of 2026, as compared to $0.20 in the first quarter of 2025.
- Net Cash Used in Operating Activities was $94 million in the first quarter of 2026, compared to $89 million in the first quarter of 2025. Free Cash Flow was negative $107 million in the first quarter of 2026 compared to negative $100 million in the first quarter of 2025. The decline in Free Cash Flow was primarily due to the increase in Net Cash Used in Operating Activities mainly from higher inventories and a $2 million increase in capital expenditures. As a reminder, the Company historically generates most of its Free Cash Flow in the fourth quarter of the year.
- Net Debt was $427 million at March 31, 2026, as compared to $308 million at December 31, 2025, and $463 million at March 31, 2025. Compared to December 31, 2025, Net Debt increased primarily due to the negative $107 million Free Cash Flow in the first quarter of 2026.
Dividend
Quad’s next quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share will be payable on June 5, 2026, to shareholders of record as of May 21, 2026.
2026 guidance
The Company’s full-year 2026 financial guidance is unchanged and is as follows:
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The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.
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- Business Management - Finance/Financial
