Acme United Corporation (ACU) Earnings Call Transcripts

Acme United Corporation's Latest Earnings Call - Q1 FY2026

In the first quarter of 2026, Acme United Corporation (ACU:US) reported net sales of $52.3 million, a 14% increase year-over-year, but net income fell to $985,000 from $1.6 million, resulting in earnings per share of $0.24, down from $0.41. The decline in profitability was attributed to higher tariffs and increased costs associated with recent acquisitions, particularly the Mimetic business. Management indicated that while current challenges exist, they expect improvements in gross margins and overall performance as tariff impacts lessen in the coming quarters.

Reported metrics

Guidance from management

Management expects a gradual improvement in profitability as tariff impacts decline over the next three quarters, with a return to normal levels anticipated by Q3 2026.

What management said

Good morning. Welcome to the First Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call for Acme United Corporation. I am Walter C. Johnsen, Chairman and CEO. With me is Paul Driscoll, our Chief Financial Officer, who will first read the safe harbor statement. Paul?

Well, it's -- Yes. Well, it's not getting approval. We could sell them now, but you wanted to have it done right. In fact, our products do get sold into hospitals now. But when we get done with the project, and we're about 3 quarters done we'll have a facility that we'll be very proud to take major distributors in the United States to visit and do their own audits, and we'll have confidence that we've really done the...

What analysts pressed on

Analysts expressed concerns over the impact of tariffs on margins and the effectiveness of recent acquisitions in driving growth. There were questions about the sustainability of SG&A expenses and the potential for further inventory write-downs due to geopolitical tensions.

Main topics on the call

• Revenue Growth — Acme United achieved a 14% increase in net sales to $52.3 million, driven by strong performance in the U.S. and Europe. CEO Walter Johnsen noted, "Net sales in the U.S. segment increased 12% driven by higher sales of fir...
• Profitability Decline — Net income decreased by 40% to $985,000, with EPS falling to $0.24. Johnsen stated, "The decline in net income was primarily due to the higher tariff and Med NAP costs we experienced in the first quarter of this year."
• Acquisition Impact — The acquisition of Mimetic for $18.6 million contributed approximately 8% to revenue but was at breakeven in P&L. Johnsen mentioned, "The favorable mix from higher-margin direct-to-consumer mimetic products was mostly of...
• Gross Margin Trends — Gross margins improved slightly to 39.7%, up from 39% last year, but core margins declined due to higher costs. CFO Paul Driscoll noted, "The higher percentage of sales was due to the higher amount of advertising needed ...

Read the full Acme United Corporation transcript (Q1 FY2026) → Summary generated from the call transcript; every figure above is stated by management on the record.

Earnings Call History

EarningsCalls.dev has 28 Acme United Corporation earnings call transcripts on record, spanning February 27, 2020 to July 23, 2026. Based on this history, Acme United Corporation reports quarterly. The most recent call on file is dated July 23, 2026. The full list is below — each row opens the complete, free-to-read transcript.

Ticker

ACU

Exchange

NYSEAM

Country

US

Sector

Health Care

Industry

Health Care Equipment and Supplies

Calls on record

28

First call

February 27, 2020

Most recent

July 23, 2026

Reporting cadence

quarterly