What Management Said
Read the full Q2 2026 transcript ↗During this call, we will make forward-looking statements, including comments related to our 2026 guidance, which are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Chris will then provide additional details on our second quarter results and discuss our 2026 financial outlook. The second quarter developed largely as we expected, with highlights including continued revenue growth from both fuel systems and aftermarket, leading us to a refinement of our full-year guidance. As slides six and seven detail, stoba has operations in four countries, expected run rate third-party revenue of approximately $80 million, and accretive EBITDA of approximately $25 million.
Excitingly, these assets support the global semiconductor industry with high-performance equipment components, opening another avenue of growth and diversification. Returning capital to shareholders is a key component of our capital allocation strategy. We are confident of our operational and financial performance that allows us ongoing run rate capital returns to our shareholders. Our diversification across regions, customers, end markets, and products helped offset variability in any single region or segment.
Demand conditions across key end markets remained steady, supported by durable replacement cycle fundamentals and ongoing positive results in the commercial vehicle industry. We continued our streak of year-over-year growth in both aftermarket and fuel system segments. Excluding FX impacts, the impact of tariff recoveries, and the contribution of SEM, revenue was up 2%. We've reported adjusted EBITDA of $130 million for the quarter, up $4 million, representing a margin of 13.8%.
What went well
- Total net sales rose 5.6% year over year to $940 million, with year-over-year growth continuing in both the fuel systems ($584 million, up 5%) and aftermarket ($356 million, up 6.6%) segments.
- Adjusted EPS excluding non-operating items climbed 20.5% to $1.53 (from $1.27), and gross margin of about 23% was a post-spin record for the company.
- PHINIA announced a definitive agreement to acquire the stoba Group at roughly 6x EBITDA — adding ~$80 million of third-party revenue and ~$25 million of adjusted EBITDA — expected to be margin accretive by close to 40 basis points and to close in Q4 2026, funded with available liquidity.
- Adjusted free cash flow was $74 million (operating cash flow up $34 million year over year to $91 million), with capex at just 2.3% of sales, well below the 4% target, and first-half operating cash flow already above $100 million.
- The balance sheet stayed strong with $370 million cash, $820 million total liquidity and net leverage of 1.3x (below the 1.5x target), enabling $53 million returned to shareholders via buybacks and dividends in the quarter.
- New-business momentum was broad: key fuel-system wins (heated-tip MPFI, a 24V Class 8 starter, an agricultural common-rail system), a Pan-European aftermarket electronic-distribution win, 2,650+ new SKUs and 150,000+ catalog cross-references added in H1, plus launches including a 500-bar GDI system and next-gen GDI pump.
What went wrong
- Reported adjusted EBITDA margin slipped 40 basis points to 13.8% as FX, net tariff recoveries and product mix had a slightly dilutive effect.
- Corporate and other costs rose ~$9 million, driven primarily by higher short- and long-term incentive compensation (including a ~$2 million H1 stock-comp revaluation) as employees hit economic-value/cash-flow targets.
- Roughly half of the tariff refunds booked (about $7 million of revenue) must be passed back to customers who had previously reimbursed PHINIA, reducing reported sales.
- The China light-vehicle market is weak, with the local market down in the mid-teens, and global light-vehicle demand is a bit softer even as commercial vehicle looks more positive.
- Excluding FX, the SEM contribution and tariff pass-throughs, underlying revenue grew only 2% in the quarter, and full-year growth ex-FX is projected in just the low-single-digit range.
Guidance Changes
| Metric | Period | Current guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Net sales | FY2026 | $3.57B-$3.67B (mid-single-digit growth incl. FX; low-single-digit ex-FX); range tightened, midpoint held |
| Adjusted EBITDA | FY2026 | $485M-$515M (13.5%-14.1% margin) |
| Adjusted free cash flow | FY2026 | $210M-$250M (raised) |
| Adjusted tax rate | FY2026 | 30%-33% as legacy tax-structure headwinds are addressed |
| stoba Group acquisition | close Q4 2026 | ~$80M third-party revenue, ~$25M adjusted EBITDA, ~6x EBITDA, ~+40 bps margin accretive; not yet in guidance |
| Capital returns | ongoing | Buybacks and dividends to continue unchanged despite the stoba deal; $216M left on repurchase authorization |
Performance Breakdown
| Metric | YoY | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Net sales | +5.6% to $940M | Growth in both fuel systems and aftermarket, plus SEM contribution and tariff pass-throughs; underlying growth 2% ex-FX/SEM/tariffs. |
| GAAP diluted EPS | $1.05 | Reported EPS below the $1.53 adjusted figure, reflecting non-operating items, restructuring/spin-related and incentive-compensation costs. |
| Adjusted EPS (ex non-operating) | +20.5% to $1.53 | Higher segment operating income and lower share count from buybacks (~24% of original shares repurchased since spin). |
| Adjusted EBITDA | +$4M to $130M (13.8% margin) | Net tariff/refund contribution of $11M and SEM offset by ~$9M higher incentive comp and mix; margin down 40 bps. |
| Operating margin (GAAP) | 8.5% | GAAP operating income of ~$80M; total segment adjusted operating income was $125M (13.3% margin). |
| Fuel systems segment | +5% to $584M (11% AOI margin) | New OE programs across heavy-duty, agricultural and alternative-fuel applications. |
| Aftermarket segment | +6.6% to $356M (17.1% AOI margin) | Aging fleet, growing vehicle park, brand strength and distribution expansion across EMEA and emerging markets. |
| Adjusted free cash flow | $74M | Operating cash flow up $34M to $91M, low capex (2.3% of sales) and efficient working capital. |
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
| Topic | Previous mention | Current period | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| stoba Group acquisition | SEM tuck-in earlier | A vertical-integration tuck-in of a longtime key supplier (seven sites across UK, China, Czech Republic, Germany) that solidifies PHINIA's supply base, adds a second aerospace-and-defense-qualified location in Germany, opens new customers (Liebherr, Zeiss, ZF, Dyson) and semiconductor-equipment exposure, and drives ~40 bps of margin accretion via ~$10M external EBIT plus ~$15M of vertical-integration savings. | — |
| Portfolio diversification | Reducing light-vehicle dependence | Growth strategy focused on expanding commercial vehicle, off-highway, industrial, aerospace/defense and 'other' as a share of revenue, using existing human and manufacturing capital; diversification across regions, customers, end markets and products cushioned China light-vehicle weakness. | — |
| Tariff management | Passing through tariff costs | IEEPA tariff refunds (unclear until the Supreme Court decision) contributed $11 million to Q2 earnings ($7M revenue benefit), with about half of booked refunds owed back to customers; no additional IEEPA benefit expected in the back half, offset by supply-chain savings and productivity. | — |
| Capital allocation | Disciplined, balanced | Unchanged despite stoba — $665 million returned since the July 2023 spin ($534M buybacks / ~24% of original shares, $131M dividends), $216 million remaining on the authorization, net leverage 1.3x and funded from liquidity. | — |
| Aftermarket durability | Steady contributor | Consistent demand from an aging fleet and growing vehicle park, with distribution wins across North Africa, Eastern Europe, the Americas, China, Southeast Asia and Oceania, plus 2,650+ new SKUs and 150,000+ cross-references added in H1. | — |
| Underlying margin/productivity | Operational discipline | Excluding the $11M tariff gain, margins step up roughly 100 basis points half over half on flat sales, driven by supplier savings and productivity, with back-half global supply-chain savings offsetting additional incentive comp. | — |
| M&A pipeline | Active | After SEM and stoba, management sees no lull — a robust pipeline of tuck-ins remains under evaluation (deals typically take ~a year from first talks to close), all screened for commercial-vehicle/off-highway/industrial/aftermarket fit at sensible valuations. | — |
Q&A Summary
Christian Zyla (KeyBanc) asked why guidance was refined lower amid a seemingly positive backdrop (LPV, CV orders, industrial).
Ericson said revenue guidance was kept flat with a stronger expected back half; CV looks more positive while global light vehicle is softer (China local market down mid-teens). Gropp added that about half of booked tariff refunds go back to customers, a ~$7 million revenue reduction not contemplated at the start of the year.
Christian Zyla (KeyBanc) asked whether stoba is best modeled as $80M sales and ~$10M EBITDA and what is special about the EBITDA.
Ericson clarified stoba adds $80M of third-party revenue and $25M of EBITDA (with $120M of intercompany stoba-to-PHINIA sales eliminated but the profit retained), which is why the deal is ~40 bps margin accretive.
Jake Scholl (BNP Paribas) asked what drove the stoba decision and the synergy upside to $25M EBITDA.
Ericson cited stoba's unique manufacturing capabilities, its role as a key supplier, an A&D-certified site and new customers; the $80M/$25M reflects near-term run-rate net of dis-synergies to bring it onto PHINIA systems, with longer-term higher growth and additional synergies possible.
Jake Scholl (BNP Paribas) asked to bridge the ~$10M higher free-cash guide and whether stoba's machinery business could reduce capex.
Ericson said stoba can help on machine-building/equipment; broader free-cash strength comes from improving working capital as a percent of revenue, lower cash tax rate, lighter capex and incentive schemes that reward economic value and cash generation, with some Q2 timing benefits pulled forward.
Joe Spak (UBS) asked whether stoba should be viewed as ~$10M external EBIT plus ~$15M of vertical-integration savings, and about the tariff recovery and incentive comp.
Ericson confirmed that framing. Gropp said the IEEPA tariff recovery was not in the original guide (unclear until the Supreme Court decision) and will not recur in the back half, while target bonuses were largely baked in but bumped up (~$2M stock-comp revaluation plus higher cash/working-capital-linked bonuses); back-half supply-chain savings offset the additional comp.
Joe Spak (UBS) asked to confirm the full-year moving pieces (tariff good-guy offset by higher comp) and the ex-tariff margin step-up.
Gropp confirmed those are the two material changes; excluding the $11M tariff gain, margins step up about 100 bps half over half on flat sales, driven by productivity.
Bobby Brooks (Northland) asked about the stoba aerospace-and-defense location — capacity, equipment and location.
Ericson said it is a second A&D-qualified site in Germany with ample installed capacity and advanced machining, well positioned for rising European A&D investment, opening customers like Liebherr, Zeiss, ZF and Dyson without needing significant additional capital.
Bobby Brooks (Northland) asked how much of stoba's $80M third-party revenue is off-highway/industrial/aerospace vs peers.
Ericson declined exact splits but said it increases off-highway/industrial/other exposure, with some sales to competitors/peers that PHINIA will firewall to protect IP while continuing to support them.
Bobby Brooks (Northland) asked how much of the record ~23% gross margin came from tariff recoveries and other drivers.
Gropp said the IEEPA portion was a $7M benefit, plus normal tariff pass-throughs and a strong SEM contribution (just under 17% AOI margin, an ongoing benefit); strong fuel-systems and aftermarket operating income drove the rest, with incentive comp the main SG&A headwind.
Christian Zyla (KeyBanc, follow-up) asked how long PHINIA courted stoba and whether more tuck-ins are coming or a lull.
Ericson said talks ran roughly a year (typical for acquisitions) and there is no expected lull — a robust pipeline remains under active evaluation, screened for CV/off-highway/industrial/aftermarket fit at sensible prices.
More on Phinia Inc.
Reported 2026-07-30 · figures from the Phinia Inc. Q2 2026 earnings call.
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