Second Quarter 2026
Filed Jul 29, 2026Avantor Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
Net sales increased 0.5% and VWR Distribution & Services returned to positive organic growth, while consolidated organic sales declined 0.4%, net income fell to $38.1 million from $64.7 million, and Bioscience & Medtech Products sales declined 5.1%.
Actuals vs. the company’s prior outlook
from its previous release| Metric | Guided | Reported | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic revenue growth | -2.5% to -0.5% | 0.4% decline | n/a |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin | 14.8% to 15.3% | 15.0% | n/a |
| Adjusted EPS | $0.77 to $0.83 | $0.21 | n/a |
| Free cash flow | $500M to $550M | $142.8 million | n/a |
Key metrics
as reported| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net salesGAAP | $1,692.3 million | – | increase of 0.5% |
| Organic net sales growth (decline)non-GAAP | 0.4% decline | – | 0.4% decline |
| Net incomeGAAP | $38.1 million | – | – |
| Net income marginGAAP | 2.3% | – | – |
| Adjusted net incomenon-GAAP | $143.3 million | – | – |
| Operating incomeGAAP | $121.8 million | – | – |
| Operating income marginGAAP | 7.2% | – | – |
| Adjusted operating incomenon-GAAP | $225.1 million | – | – |
| Adjusted operating income marginnon-GAAP | 13.3% | – | – |
| Adjusted EBITDAnon-GAAP | $254.3 million | – | – |
| Adjusted EBITDA marginnon-GAAP | 15.0% | – | – |
| Diluted earnings per shareGAAP | $0.06 | – | – |
| Adjusted diluted earnings per sharenon-GAAP | $0.21 | – | – |
| Operating cash flowGAAP | $178.2 million | – | – |
| Free cash flownon-GAAP | $142.8 million | – | – |
Segments
| Segment | Revenue | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| VWR Distribution & ServicesForeign currency translation had a positive impact of 1.0%. | $1,240.5 million | – | reported increase of 2.7%; sales increase of 1.7% on an organic basis |
| Bioscience & Medtech ProductsForeign currency translation had a positive impact of 0.5%. | $451.8 million | – | reported decrease of 5.1%; 5.6% sales decline on an organic basis |
Fiscal 2026 outlook
- RevenueOrganic revenue growth of -0.5% to +0.5%
- Tax rateAdjusted effective tax rate of approximately 22.5%
- NoteReported revenue range is 0.0% to +1.0%, reflecting 0.5% foreign exchange tailwind
- NoteAdjusted EBITDA margin of 14.8% to 15.3%
- NoteAdjusted EPS of $0.80 to $0.83
- NoteFree cash flow of $500M to $550M
- NoteBlended EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.15
- NoteNet interest expense is expected to decline modestly when compared to Fiscal 2025
- NoteFully diluted share count of 677M shares
Capital returns
- Repaid $112.1 million of debt.
What drove it
- Foreign currency translation had a positive impact of 0.9% on consolidated net sales.
- VWR Distribution & Services returned to positive organic revenue growth.
- The Revival program is strengthening how the company serves customers, according to the Chief Executive Officer.
- Bioscience & Medtech Products performed near the high end of expectations, according to the Chief Executive Officer.
Concerns
- Consolidated net sales declined 0.4% on an organic basis.
- Net income decreased to $38.1 million from $64.7 million in the second quarter of 2025.
- Adjusted net income was $143.3 million compared to $161.2 million in the prior-year period.
- Bioscience & Medtech Products reported a 5.1% sales decrease and a 5.6% organic sales decline.
- Total debt, gross, was $3,715.4 million as of June 30, 2026.
What to watch
- Execution against updated Fiscal 2026 organic revenue growth guidance of -0.5% to +0.5%.
- Whether VWR Distribution & Services sustains its 1.7% organic sales increase.
- Whether Bioscience & Medtech Products improves from its 5.6% organic sales decline.
- Delivery of adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.8% to 15.3% and adjusted EPS of $0.80 to $0.83.
- Free cash flow delivery of $500M to $550M, which excludes cash restructuring costs.
- Progress on debt reduction following repayment of $112.1 million of debt.
Balance sheet and cash flow
- Total debt, gross, was $3,715.4 million as of June 30, 2026.
- Cash and cash equivalents were $306.8 million as of June 30, 2026.
- GAAP net leverage was (5.9x) as of June 30, 2026.
- Adjusted net leverage was 3.3x as of June 30, 2026.
- Operating cash flow was $178.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026.
- Free cash flow was $142.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026.
Analysis
Avantor reported $1,692.3 million of second-quarter net sales, up 0.5% year over year. Foreign currency translation contributed a positive 0.9%, leaving an organic net sales decline of 0.4%. The reported sales result therefore reflects modest growth supported by currency rather than consolidated underlying growth.
Segment trends were uneven. VWR Distribution & Services generated $1,240.5 million of sales, up 2.7% as reported and up 1.7% organically, marking a return to positive organic revenue growth. Bioscience & Medtech Products generated $451.8 million, down 5.1% as reported and down 5.6% organically. Both segments recorded lower adjusted operating income than in the comparable prior period: $126.4 million versus $141.6 million for VWR Distribution & Services and $117.6 million versus $131.4 million for Bioscience & Medtech Products.
Profitability and cash generation presented contrasting signals. GAAP net income decreased to $38.1 million from $64.7 million, and adjusted net income declined to $143.3 million from $161.2 million. Operating income was $121.8 million and adjusted operating income was $225.1 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $254.3 million, with a 15.0% adjusted EBITDA margin. Operating cash flow of $178.2 million and free cash flow of $142.8 million supported repayment of $112.1 million of debt.
The balance sheet remains a focus, with total debt, gross, of $3,715.4 million and cash and cash equivalents of $306.8 million as of June 30, 2026. The company reported GAAP net leverage of (5.9x) and adjusted net leverage of 3.3x. Management raised the lower ends of its Fiscal 2026 organic revenue growth range, from -2.5% to -0.5% to -0.5% to +0.5%, and adjusted EPS range, from $0.77 to $0.83 to $0.80 to $0.83. Adjusted EBITDA margin and free-cash-flow guidance were maintained.
The key reported operating issue is whether VWR Distribution & Services can sustain its organic improvement while Bioscience & Medtech Products recovers from its organic decline. The revised full-year outlook assumes a 0.5% foreign exchange tailwind and calls for reported revenue growth of 0.0% to +1.0%. Investors will also focus on the company’s ability to convert operations into the guided $500M to $550M of free cash flow while continuing to strengthen the balance sheet.
Management, verbatim
Our Revival program is strengthening how we serve our customers, leading to improved business performance
Emmanuel Ligner, President and Chief Executive Officer
Our second quarter results exceeded our expectations across several key financial metrics, and we generated robust free cash flow, which we used to repay $112.1 million of debt, reinforcing our commitment to strengthen our balance sheet. I’m delighted by the improved performance in our VWR Distribution and Services segment, which returned to positive organic revenue growth more quickly than we anticipated. Also, our Bioscience and Medtech Products segment performed near the high end of our expectations. We continue to focus on creating a better experience for our customers and delivering long-term value for our shareholders,
Emmanuel Ligner, President and Chief Executive Officer
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Gross profit and gross margin
- Prior-year net sales amount
- Prior-year operating income and operating income margin
- Prior-year adjusted operating income and adjusted operating income margin
- Prior-year adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin
- Prior-year diluted GAAP EPS and adjusted EPS
- Prior-year operating cash flow and free cash flow
- Quarter-over-quarter comparisons for all reported metrics
- Segment adjusted operating income margins for the comparable prior period
- Capital expenditures
- Free cash flow conversion
- Share repurchases, dividends, and other shareholder capital returns
- Net debt
- Gross-margin guidance
- Operating-expense guidance
- Actual full-year Fiscal 2026 results for comparison with prior Fiscal 2026 guidance
AlphaAI analysis generated from the company’s SEC earnings filing (Form 8-K Item 2.02, or Form 6-K for a foreign private issuer). Every figure was cross-checked against the filing text; consensus estimates, price targets and share-price reactions are not shown because they are not in the filing. AI-generated research, not investment advice.