Standard Motor Products, Inc. SMP reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 82 cents per share, up 1.2% from the year-ago quarter. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 73 cents by 12.3%.
Net sales increased 9.1% year over year to $451.2 million and topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $422 million by about 6.8%. Adjusted EBITDA rose to $44.5 million from $42.8 million a year ago, supported by steady aftermarket demand and solid execution across segments.
Standard Motor Products, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Standard Motor Products, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Standard Motor Products, Inc. Quote
SMP Delivered Growth Across Core Aftermarket Lines
Vehicle Control sales grew 11.2% year over year to $213.8 million, driven by customer pipeline orders tied to assortment expansion, alongside generally favorable demand trends.
Temperature Control sales increased 0.7% to $89.5 million, lapping a record prior-year quarter.
Standard Motor Saw Solid Contributions From Europe and OEM-Facing Markets
Nissens Automotive sales increased 12.4% to $74.4 million. The rise was attributed to the growth in currency translation, while local-currency sales were also higher against a tougher comparison after unusually robust customer order patterns in the prior year.
Engineered Solutions sales rose 12.6% year over year to $74.3 million, reflecting improving demand conditions and stronger activity at certain customers, particularly within commercial vehicle and powersports end markets.
SMP Expanded Margins as Operating Income Improved
Gross profit rose to $139.2 million from $124.7 million a year ago, with gross margin improving to 30.8% from 30.2%. Operating income climbed to $34.1 million from $24.5 million, and operating margin expanded to 7.6% from 5.9%.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $104.8 million compared with $99.8 million in the prior-year quarter. The company expects nominal tariff pass-through pricing in its North American aftermarket operations to weigh on rate-based margins when tariffs are passed through at cost.
Standard Motor’s Mixed Segment Profit Picture
On an operating profit basis, Vehicle Control delivered $20.2 million, while Temperature Control's operating profit increased to $10.6 million from $7.8 million.
Nissens Automotive generated an operating profit of $7.9 million. Engineered Solutions produced $1.7 million, down from $3.2 million a year ago, as inflationary headwinds and manufacturing variances pressured profitability despite the sales rebound.
SMP Cash Flow Reflected Seasonal Working Capital Dynamics
Cash used in operating activities was $41.9 million in the quarter, down from $60.2 million used a year ago. This was due to a stronger preparedness on inventory entering the year, as sales ramp seasonally during the first quarter.
SMP ended the quarter with $59.2 million in cash compared with $72 million at year-end 2025. Long-term debt was $609.3 million at March 31, 2026, compared with $566.7 million at Dec. 31, 2025, reflecting the typical seasonal working capital build early in the year.
Standard Motor Reaffirmed 2026 View and Kept Dividend Intact
For 2026, SMP reaffirmed expectations for low to mid-single-digit sales growth and an adjusted EBITDA margin range of 11-12%. The company also reiterated that the outlook excludes the impact of ongoing tariff changes.
The company declared a quarterly dividend of 33 cents per share, payable on June 1, 2026, to stockholders of record on May 15.
SMP currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Releases From Auto Space
Mobileye Global Inc. MBLY reported first-quarter 2026 results on April 23. It posted earnings of 12 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 8 cents by 58.52%. The bottom line rose 50% year over year, driven by higher shipments of EyeQ system-on-chip. The company posted revenues of $558 million, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $520 million by 7.36% and increased 27.4% year over year.
Operating cash flow was $75 million, reflecting the company’s ability to convert its ADAS scale into cash generation.
Mobileye also approved a share buyback program of up to $250 million. By the end of the first quarter, MBLY had $1.21 billion in cash, after spending $591 million (net of cash received) on the Mentee Robotics acquisition.
Gentex Corporation GNTX reported first-quarter 2026 results on April 24. It posted adjusted earnings of 48 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 44 cents by 8.28%. The figure increased 11.6% from 43 cents per share a year ago. Net sales came in at $675 million, topping the consensus mark of $647 million by 4.36%. Revenues rose 17.1% from $577 million in the year-ago quarter, aided by contributions from VOXX and a richer mix of advanced features.
Liquidity improved during the quarter. As of March 31, 2026, GNTX’s cash and cash equivalents were $164.8 million compared with $145.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. Short-term investments increased to $10.3 million from $5.4 million.
PACCAR Inc. PCAR reported first-quarter 2026 results on April 28. It reported earnings of $1.15 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.13 by 1.8%. The bottom line decreased 21.2% from $1.46 in the year-ago quarter. Consolidated revenues (including trucks and financial services) were $6.78 billion, down from $7.44 billion in the corresponding quarter of 2025. The decline reflected lower industry volumes.
On the balance sheet, cash and marketable securities were $8.60 billion as of March 31, 2026, compared with $9.25 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025, while stockholders’ equity increased to $19.76 billion from $19.26 billion over the same span.
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