Second Quarter and First Six Months 2026
Filed Aug 5, 2026Second-quarter net sales increased 11.6% to $7.7 billion and Adjusted EBITDA increased 13.4% to $1,060 million, while net income decreased 58.3% to $139 million; full-year Organic Sales guidance was raised and Adjusted EBITDA guidance was reduced.
Strong sales growth, organic growth, and second-quarter Adjusted EBITDA growth were offset by a substantial decline in net income related primarily to the Tracy, California distribution center fire. The Company raised its Organic Sales outlook but lowered its Adjusted EBITDA outlook.
Key metrics
as reported| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second quarter 2026 net salesGAAP | $7.7 billion | – | 11.6% |
| Second quarter 2026 Organic Salesnon-GAAP | 11.5% | – | – |
| Second quarter 2026 net incomeGAAP | $139 million | – | (58.3%) |
| Second quarter 2026 Adjusted EBITDAnon-GAAP | $1,060 million | – | 13.4% |
| Second quarter 2026 diluted earnings per shareGAAP | $0.07 | – | – |
| Second quarter 2026 Adjusted Diluted EPSnon-GAAP | $0.50 | – | – |
| First six months 2026 net salesGAAP | $15.0 billion | – | 11.1% |
| First six months 2026 Organic Salesnon-GAAP | 10.8% | – | – |
| First six months 2026 net incomeGAAP | $378 million | – | (42.3%) |
| First six months 2026 Adjusted EBITDAnon-GAAP | $1.84 billion | – | 1.9% |
| First six months 2026 diluted earnings per shareGAAP | $0.23 | – | – |
| First six months 2026 Adjusted Diluted EPSnon-GAAP | $0.83 | – | – |
| IEEPA tariff refundsGAAP | $332 million | – | – |
| Accrued customer repayments associated with IEEPA tariff refundsGAAP | $89 million | – | – |
| Net IEEPA tariff refund benefitsGAAP | $243 million | – | – |
| Net cash provided by operating activities for the first six months 2026GAAP | $1.1 billion | – | – |
| Free Cash Flow for the first six months 2026non-GAAP | $920 million | – | – |
| Capital expenditures for the first six months 2026GAAP | $207 million | – | – |
full year 2026 outlook
- NoteOrganic Sales growth: 9.0% to 10.0%
- NoteAdjusted EBITDA: $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion
- NoteThe Organic Sales outlook includes IEEPA tariff customer repayments.
- NoteThe Adjusted EBITDA outlook does not reflect the benefit of IEEPA tariff refunds.
What drove it
- Second-quarter and first-six-month net sales growth was primarily driven by existing customer growth and implementation of new customer signings from 2025.
- Second-quarter Adjusted EBITDA growth was primarily driven by higher net sales and net IEEPA tariff refund benefits.
- The Company secured over 65% of its annual goal in total new customer signings during the first half of 2026.
- The full-year Organic Sales outlook increase reflects strong existing and new customer demand.
- IEEPA tariff refunds and related customer repayments were recorded entirely within the Medline Brand segment.
Concerns
- Second-quarter and first-six-month net income included losses of $336 million related to the Tracy, California distribution center fire, before expected insurance recoveries.
- Higher operating expenses and higher cost of goods sold, including the impact of tariffs, pressured second-quarter and first-six-month net income and Adjusted EBITDA.
- The lowered Adjusted EBITDA outlook primarily reflects higher than expected inflationary pressure from the Middle East conflict, increased operational investments to support customer demand, quality remediation efforts, and retail channel softness.
- The Company accrued $89 million of customer repayments associated with IEEPA tariff refunds as a reduction of net sales.
What to watch
- Execution of the full-year 2026 Organic Sales growth outlook of 9.0% to 10.0%.
- Delivery against the full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA outlook of $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion.
- The operational and financial impact of the Tracy, California distribution center fire and expected insurance recoveries.
- Inflationary pressure from the Middle East conflict, operational investments, quality remediation efforts, and retail channel softness.
- The impact of IEEPA tariff customer repayments on Organic Sales and the exclusion of IEEPA tariff refund benefits from the Adjusted EBITDA outlook.
Balance sheet and cash flow
- Net cash provided by operating activities for the first six months 2026 was $1.1 billion.
- Free Cash Flow for the first six months 2026 was $920 million.
- Capital expenditures were $207 million, primarily related to continued enhancements and automation in the Company’s distribution centers and investments in its kitting manufacturing facilities.
Analysis
Medline reported strong top-line momentum in the second quarter, with net sales increasing 11.6% to $7.7 billion and Organic Sales increasing 11.5%. For the first six months, net sales increased 11.1% to $15.0 billion and Organic Sales increased 10.8%. Management attributed growth in both periods primarily to existing customer growth and implementation of new customer signings from 2025. The Company also stated that it secured over 65% of its annual goal in total new customer signings during the first half of 2026.
Profitability was materially affected by the Tracy, California distribution center fire. Second-quarter net income decreased 58.3% to $139 million, while first-six-month net income decreased 42.3% to $378 million. The Company cited $336 million of losses related to the fire, before expected insurance recoveries, alongside higher operating expenses and higher cost of goods sold including tariffs. These factors were partially offset by higher sales and net IEEPA tariff refund benefits.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 13.4% to $1,060 million in the second quarter, but first-six-month Adjusted EBITDA increased only 1.9% to $1.84 billion. Both periods included $243 million of net IEEPA tariff refund benefits, consisting of $332 million of tariff refunds recorded as a reduction of cost of goods sold, partly offset by $89 million of accrued customer repayments recorded as a reduction of net sales. The Company stated that these amounts were recorded entirely in the Medline Brand segment.
Cash generation was supported by operations during the first six months, with net cash provided by operating activities of $1.1 billion and Free Cash Flow of $920 million. Capital expenditures of $207 million were directed primarily to distribution-center enhancements and automation and investments in kitting manufacturing facilities. No capital-return activity, cash balance, or debt balance was reported in the supplied filing text.
Management raised its full-year 2026 Organic Sales growth outlook to 9.0% to 10.0% from 8.5% to 9.5%, citing strong existing and new customer demand. It reduced the Adjusted EBITDA outlook to $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion from $3.5 to $3.6 billion, citing higher than expected inflationary pressure from the Middle East conflict, increased operational investments, quality remediation efforts, and retail channel softness. The Organic Sales outlook includes IEEPA tariff customer repayments, while the Adjusted EBITDA outlook excludes the benefit of IEEPA tariff refunds.
Management, verbatim
Our second quarter results reflect strong execution of our growth strategy, and the operational resilience of our team.
Jim Boyle, chief executive officer of Medline
We delivered robust top-line growth in the quarter, secured over 65% of our annual goal in total new customer signings 4 during the first half of 2026, and moved swiftly to minimize disruption from the fire at our Tracy, California distribution center, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to our customers.
Jim Boyle, chief executive officer of Medline
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Segment revenue, segment growth rates, and segment-specific drivers beyond the statement that IEEPA tariff amounts were recorded entirely within the Medline Brand segment.
- Gross profit and gross margin.
- Operating income and operating margin.
- GAAP and non-GAAP income-tax rate.
- Prior-year diluted earnings per share and Adjusted Diluted EPS.
- Prior-quarter comparisons for reported metrics.
- Cash balance.
- Debt balance and net leverage.
- Share repurchases, dividends, and other capital-return activity.
- Forward guidance for total revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, and tax rate.
- A separately provided previous outlook section for formal actual-versus-prior-guidance comparison.
- Full non-GAAP reconciliations and underlying financial-statement line items are not included in the supplied filing text.
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.