Newell Brands Inc. (NWL) Earnings Call Transcripts
Newell Brands Inc.'s Latest Earnings Call - June 3, 2026
Newell Brands Inc. reported its Q1 2026 earnings, highlighting a return to top-line revenue growth for the first time since COVID-19. The company reported significant margin improvements, with gross margins up 500 basis points over three years and operating margins expected to reach 9% by year-end. Management raised guidance for the second quarter, anticipating core sales growth between 0% and 2%. The company has also made strides in deleveraging, reducing its net debt-to-EBITDA ratio by nearly two turns. Newell's strategic focus on innovation and AI-driven efficiencies is expected to sustain profitable growth.
Reported metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 500 basis points improvement (beat) |
| Operating Margin | 9% (beat) |
| Core Sales Growth | 0% to 2% (positive) |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio | Slightly above 4.5x (positive) |
| Operating Cash Flow | $350 million to $400 million (inline) |
Guidance from management
Management raised guidance for Q2 2026, expecting core sales growth between 0% and 2%. They also anticipate ending the year with an operating margin of 9% and a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio slightly above 4.5x.
What management said
Thanks, Chris. Before we get started today, I just want to say that we may make some forward-looking statements and refer to some non-GAAP measures. You can refer to our website in our Q1 investor presentation for a description of risk factors and non-GAAP reconciliations.
Yes. And that $60 million that Mark spoke of on the corporate-owned life insurance, that doesn't flow through operating cash flow. It flows through investing cash flow, but it gives us that cash that we can use for debt reduction. So we're expecting to fully fund the business, to fully fund our CapEx and to pay debt down this year as well.
What analysts pressed on
Analysts expressed concerns about the sustainability of revenue growth and the impact of volatile oil prices on margins. Questions were raised about the durability of sales growth and how the company plans to manage potential cost increases due to oil price fluctuations.
Main topics on the call
- Margin Improvement — Newell's gross margins have increased by 500 basis points over three years, and operating margins are expected to reach 9% by year-end. Management stated, 'Our normalized op margin when we started the journey was 6%. If ...
- Return to Revenue Growth — Newell expects to return to top-line revenue growth in Q2 2026, with guidance for core sales growth between 0% and 2%. This marks the first quarter of growth since the pandemic, driven by innovation and improved market s...
- Innovation and Product Launches — The company launched 25 Tier 1 and Tier 2 innovations, including the successful Graco 360 car seat and Snap 'N Go cooler. Management noted, 'We've started to launch the innovation in some of the categories at the beginni...
- AI and Operational Efficiency — Newell has implemented AI across various functions, enhancing productivity and reducing costs. The company has over 100 AI use cases, with significant impacts on product development and marketing. 'We've taken an approac...
Read the full Newell Brands Inc. transcript (June 3, 2026) → Summary generated from the call transcript; every figure above is stated by management on the record.
About Newell Brands Inc.
Newell Brands Inc. (NWL) is a publicly listed company in the Household Durables industry, within the Consumer Discretionary sector. It trades on NasdaqGS and is based in US. EarningsCalls.dev maintains a free, full-text archive of its earnings call transcripts — 82 calls on record spanning February 14, 2020 to July 31, 2026. Every transcript is split into speaker-by-speaker segments with headline metrics, free to read or available through our REST API.
Earnings Call History
EarningsCalls.dev has 82 Newell Brands Inc. earnings call transcripts on record, spanning February 14, 2020 to July 31, 2026. Based on this history, Newell Brands Inc. reports quarterly. The most recent call on file is dated July 31, 2026. The full list is below — each row opens the complete, free-to-read transcript.
- Ticker
- NWL
- Exchange
- NasdaqGS
- Country
- US
- Sector
- Consumer Discretionary
- Industry
- Household Durables
- Calls on record
- 82
- First call
- February 14, 2020
- Most recent
- July 31, 2026
- Reporting cadence
- quarterly