Graco Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

Key Points

• Graco delivered record second-quarter sales and earnings, with revenue of $591 million and adjusted EPS of $0.91, up 17% year over year. Margins improved as higher pricing, better manufacturing performance, and tariff refunds helped operating margin reach 30%.
• Business momentum improved across all three segments, led by stronger orders and backlog. Contractor saw broad-based improvement, Industrial benefited from better demand outside of timing-related powder weakness, and Expansion Markets posted a 58% jump in bookings driven by semiconductor demand.
• Management sounded more confident about the second half and kept guidance intact, citing rising organic orders, a 28% increase in backlog since the start of the year, and the pending Valco Melton acquisition. Graco also issued third-quarter revenue guidance of $580 million to $600 million, excluding the acquisition.

Graco NYSE: GGG reported record second-quarter sales and earnings for fiscal 2026, with management pointing to improving order trends, stronger backlog and growth across all three business segments as reasons for confidence in the second half of the year.

President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Sheahan said the company delivered second-quarter sales of $591 million, reflecting growth across Contractor, Industrial and Expansion Markets, along with margin expansion driven by “disciplined expense management and operational execution.” Organic orders rose 5% during the quarter, while the most recent six-week booking average was up 14% from a year earlier. Backlog as of July 17, excluding acquisitions, was up $57 million, or 28%, from the beginning of the year.

“Together, these positive trends give us confidence in a stronger second half,” Sheahan said.

Adjusted Earnings Rise 17%

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Sanjiv Gupta said reported second-quarter sales increased 3% from the prior year to $591 million. Acquisitions contributed 3 percentage points of growth and currency translation added 1 point, partially offset by a 1% decline in organic sales. Gupta attributed the organic decline primarily to the timing of finishing systems revenue in the Industrial segment.

Reported net earnings were $145 million, or $0.87 per diluted share, up 14% from the prior-year period. Adjusted earnings per share, excluding acquisition-related costs, amortization of acquired intangible assets and certain tax items, were $0.91, up 17% year over year.

Gross margin increased 130 basis points from the year-ago quarter. Gupta said the improvement reflected price realization, better manufacturing performance and the favorable impact of $9 million in tariff refunds, net of related surcharges. Operating expenses were “essentially flat” despite inflation and the addition of acquired businesses, helping operating earnings rise 11% and lifting operating margin to 30% of sales from 26% a year earlier.

Through the first six months of the year, Graco generated $298 million in operating cash flow. The company repurchased 4.2 million shares for approximately $331 million, paid $98 million in dividends and invested $29 million in capital expenditures, including strategic facility expansion projects.

Contractor Segment Sees Broad-Based Improvement

Graco’s Contractor segment posted record sales and earnings in the quarter, with revenue up 4%. Sheahan said organic sales were higher across both paint and home center markets in the Americas for the first time in nearly two years.

The improvement was supported by greater stability in core markets, including North American residential repaint and remodel activity, better channel sell-through, stronger customer engagement and targeted commercial programs. Sheahan also highlighted continued demand in protective coatings and foam, which he described as more global and application-driven parts of the business. Those areas benefited from commercial construction, infrastructure and industrial projects, including investments tied to data centers, energy and manufacturing.

New product introductions also remained a focus. Sheahan cited the next generation of QuickShot, the ProReach extension system and autonomous and semi-autonomous striping solutions as products aimed at improving productivity, reducing labor needs, minimizing material waste and delivering more consistent results.

In response to an analyst question, Sheahan said he was “hopeful that we’ve kind of seen the worst” of the macro conditions facing the Contractor business in recent years, though he added that it was still early.

Industrial Demand Improves, With Powder Timing Still a Factor

Industrial segment sales increased 3% in the quarter. Sheahan said the segment benefited from better activity in process manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, general industrial applications, semiconductor-related investment and continued adoption of electrified product platforms. He also cited healthy demand in day-to-day industrial applications, including maintenance, repair and operations channels.

The segment faced anticipated headwinds from lower organic powder finishing systems sales due to the timing of order acceptance, which management expects to occur in the second half. Asia was slower to start the year, with China affected by prior-year pull-forward activity ahead of tariff-related pricing actions and softer automotive demand.

Organic orders in Industrial improved through the quarter, with bookings up 3% year to date through July 17 and up 11% over the most recent six-week period from the prior year. Sheahan said easier comparisons in powder finishing and healthy backlog support expectations for stronger performance in the back half of the year.

Asked about general industrial conditions, Sheahan said growth in the legacy Graco Industrial business was broad-based and in line with the company’s low-single-digit organic growth guide for the full year. He said any first-half organic pressure was tied mainly to powder, where comparisons should ease.

Expansion Markets Led by Semiconductor Demand

Expansion Markets sales grew 3%, with growth across all key businesses. Semiconductor demand remained a major driver, particularly in Asia-Pacific, supported by ongoing investment in semiconductor manufacturing capacity.

Bookings in Expansion Markets increased 58% in the quarter and were up 33% year to date. The most recent six-week average was up 36%, and backlogs remained strong.

Sheahan said semiconductor can be a “pretty lumpy end market,” but current signs suggest the strength is sustainable in the near term. He said momentum should last through the end of the year and likely into next year, supported by investment tied to artificial intelligence and semiconductor capacity.

Valco Melton Acquisition and Outlook

In May, Graco announced the acquisition of Valco Melton, which Sheahan described as one of the company’s largest acquisitions in more than a decade. He said Valco Melton adds complementary technology, products and customer relationships in the packaging dispense market.

During the question-and-answer session, Sheahan said Valco Melton has gross margins of 50% or more and that more than half of its business is parts and accessories. Chris Knutson, vice president, chief accounting officer and controller, said Valco Melton’s referenced 9% revenue compound annual growth rate was organic. Knutson also said the company has about five manufacturing locations, with the rest of its 27-location footprint consisting of sales and service offices.

Graco maintained its full-year outlook and introduced third-quarter revenue guidance of $580 million to $600 million, excluding Valco Melton, which is expected to close during the third quarter. Sheahan said the decision to provide quarterly sales guidance reflected improved visibility and was intended to be an ongoing practice rather than a one-quarter change.

Gupta said currency is expected to provide approximately a 1% favorable impact on both full-year sales and earnings at current exchange rates. The company now expects unallocated corporate expenses of $39 million to $42 million, capital expenditures of $90 million to $100 million and an adjusted effective tax rate of 20% to 21% for the full year.

On pricing, Gupta said Graco’s price-cost position remains positive and that the company plans to stick with its historical cadence of introducing price increases at the beginning of the year. He said realized pricing this year has been roughly 1.5% to 2%.

Management also reiterated its balanced capital allocation strategy. Gupta said Graco will prioritize organic growth, strategic acquisitions that meet financial and strategic thresholds, and returns to shareholders through dividends and opportunistic share repurchases.

About Graco (NYSE:GGG)

Graco Inc is a leading manufacturer of fluid handling systems and components, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1926, the company has built a reputation for innovation in spray finishing, lubrication, and fluid management technologies. Graco's solutions are designed to address the needs of paint and coatings applicators, general industry, and process fluids in a variety of end markets.

The company's product portfolio includes airless and air-assisted spray equipment, pumps for oil and gas applications, industrial lubrication systems, and automated dispensing equipment.

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