A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Ingevity (NGVT). Shares have lost about 10.8% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Ingevity due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Ingevity’s Q1 Earnings Top Estimates on Pricing and FX Tailwinds
Ingevity posted first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.15 per share, up 13.9% year over year and ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 84 cents by 36.9%.
Revenues rose 4.1% year over year to $258 million, topping the consensus mark of $249.2 million by 3.6%.
Ingevity’s top-line improvement was driven primarily by pricing actions in Performance Materials and the Pavement Technologies businesses, with foreign exchange also contributing favorably. These benefits were partly offset by weaker operating performance in the Road Markings business and lower asset utilization in APT.
Profitability stayed resilient as adjusted EBITDA held essentially flat year over year, and adjusted EBITDA margin came in at 35.5%.
Segmental Review
Performance Materials delivered a solid quarter, with sales rising 5.8% year over year to $155.4 million. Segment EBITDA increased 10.2% to $92 million, aided by improved price and mix, higher volumes and higher plant utilization tied to an inventory build ahead of planned second-quarter outages.
Performance Chemicals’ sales were essentially flat at $58.3 million, but results were mixed within the segment. Pavement Technologies sales edged up 0.6% to $49.7 million, while Road Markings sales fell 9.5% to $8.6 million due to competitive pressure that hurt volumes. Segment EBITDA dropped sharply to $0.6 million from $5.8 million a year ago, reflecting lower plant utilization in Road Markings.
Advanced Polymer Technologies’ sales increased 5% to $44.3 million as higher volumes and favorable foreign exchange more than offset a decline in price tied to an unfavorable mix. Segment EBITDA fell to $7.6 million from $13.6 million, primarily due to lower plant utilization, as the year-ago quarter benefited from an inventory build ahead of a planned outage in the second quarter of 2025.
Financials
Operating cash flow was negative $2 million in the quarter, leading to negative free cash flow of $12.3 million. Share repurchases totaled $52 million during the quarter, with approximately $246 million remaining under the company’s current authorization. Net leverage held steady at 2.6X compared with the fourth quarter of 2025 and improved from 3.3X a year ago.
Outlook
Ingevity reaffirmed its full-year 2026 guidance while updating key ranges to reflect the Road Markings divestiture. The company expects net sales of $1.05-$1.15 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $370-$395 million for 2026.
Adjusted earnings are projected at $4.70-$5.20 per share. Free cash flow is expected to be $215-$245 million, excluding $113.2 million in pre-tax litigation settlement payments to BASF, while capital expenditures are still anticipated at $40-$60 million.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.
The consensus estimate has shifted -17.61% due to these changes.
VGM Scores
Currently, Ingevity has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. However, the stock has a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of this revision indicates a downward shift. Notably, Ingevity has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry Player
Ingevity belongs to the Zacks Chemical - Specialty industry. Another stock from the same industry, Linde (LIN), has gained 2.8% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended March 2026.
Linde reported revenues of $8.78 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +8.2%. EPS of $4.33 for the same period compares with $3.95 a year ago.
For the current quarter, Linde is expected to post earnings of $4.48 per share, indicating a change of +9.5% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0% over the last 30 days.
Linde has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of D.
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Ingevity Corporation (NGVT): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).