Cadre Reports Q1 Revenue of $155.4M, Exceeds Expectations
Reports Q1 revenue $155.4M, consensus $155.32M. "Following a year of meaningful financial and strategic progress, we began 2026 with significant momentum and delivered another quarter of strong performance," said Warren Kanders, CEO and Chairman. "Our orders backlog ended the first quarter at $355 million, a record for Cadre, up $166 million from the start of the year, driven largely by the blast attenuation seat contract award and the TYR acquisition, as well as strong demand in duty gear and armor. The substantial backlog growth represents an important forward indicator and gives us confidence in our outlook as we progress through the remainder of 2026. Overall, we continue to see strong and recurring demand for our suite of leading, mission-critical safety products, and today's environment of heightened geopolitical tension and increased defense spending, reinforces our belief in Cadre's growth trajectory."
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Analyst Views on CDRE
About CDRE
About the author

- Significant Revenue Growth: Cadre reported Q1 2026 revenue of $155.4 million, a 19.5% year-over-year increase that surpassed analyst expectations of $155 million, indicating strong ongoing demand in law enforcement, military, and nuclear safety products.
- Profitability Improvement: The company’s adjusted EPS of $0.18 exceeded analyst estimates of $0.09 by 98.7%, reflecting robust performance in core offerings, although overall operating margin declined.
- Record Backlog: Cadre exited the quarter with a record $355 million in orders backlog, signaling strong future demand, particularly driven by contracts like the General Dynamics deal and contributions from the TIER Tactical acquisition.
- Accelerated Acquisition Strategy: The successful acquisitions of TIER Tactical and Alien Gear Holsters are expected to enhance sales and margins through product synergies and improved market positioning, strengthening Cadre's competitive edge in public safety and nuclear markets.
- Significant Sales Growth: Cadre Holdings reported Q1 2026 net sales of $155.4 million, reflecting a 19% year-over-year increase, indicating strong market performance and positioning the company to achieve its full-year sales target of $736 million to $758 million.
- Record Backlog: The company ended Q1 with a record backlog of $355 million, which included an organic increase of $108 million from Q4 to Q1, suggesting robust future production capacity and market demand.
- Ongoing Acquisition Strategy: Cadre has deployed over $400 million in targeted M&A since the start of 2024, including the acquisition of TYR Tactical in January and Alien Gear Holsters in April, which are expected to enhance the product range and increase customer wallet share.
- Improving Margin Expectations: Despite facing some market challenges, management anticipates that adjusted EBITDA margins will reach 17.5% in 2026 as sales grow and product mix improves, providing support for the company's future financial health.
- Earnings Decline: Cadre Holdings reported a net income of $1.98 million for Q1, translating to $0.05 per share, a significant drop from $9.25 million and $0.23 per share last year, indicating a notable weakening in profitability.
- Revenue Growth: Despite the earnings decline, the company achieved a 19.5% year-over-year revenue increase to $155.43 million, up from $130.11 million last year, suggesting strong sales performance likely driven by increased market demand.
- Full-Year Guidance: The company provided a full-year revenue guidance of $736 million to $758 million, reflecting management's cautiously optimistic outlook for future performance, aiming to achieve targets despite current profitability challenges.
- Market Reaction: The earnings decline may lead to negative market reactions towards Cadre Holdings, prompting investors to closely monitor how the company addresses profitability challenges and its future growth strategies.
- Share Reduction Details: Catawba River Capital sold 199,018 shares of Cadre Holdings in Q1 2026, with an estimated transaction value of $7.95 million, indicating a cautious outlook on near-term defense spending growth.
- Stake Proportion Change: Following this sale, Cadre Holdings now represents only 4.03% of Catawba's assets under management, down from 8.3% in the previous quarter, reflecting a reassessment of the company's future performance.
- Financial Performance Overview: Cadre Holdings achieved record adjusted EBITDA for the third consecutive year in 2025, with annual sales rising from $567.6 million to $610.3 million, and gross margin improving from 41.1% to 42.5%, although shares fell due to softer-than-expected revenue and earnings.
- Market Outlook Analysis: While Cadre's underlying business appears strong, long-term investors must consider whether acquisitions and margin improvements can reignite the stock after a year of significant underperformance.
- Transaction Overview: Catawba River Capital sold 199,018 shares of Cadre Holdings in Q1, with an estimated trade value of $7.95 million, indicating a tempered expectation around near-term defense and law enforcement spending growth.
- AUM Impact: The transaction resulted in a 3.82% change in reportable assets under management (AUM), with the remaining stake valued at $8.37 million at quarter-end, highlighting the impact of market fluctuations on the portfolio.
- Performance Analysis: Despite Cadre Holdings achieving record adjusted EBITDA for the third consecutive year in 2025 and increasing annual sales from $567.6 million to $610.3 million, shares fell due to softer-than-expected revenue and earnings.
- Market Outlook: As a differentiated defense supplier, Cadre still offers potential growth opportunities for long-term investors, supported by strong government relationships, despite facing short-term challenges.
- Earnings Release Schedule: Cadre Holdings plans to release its financial results for Q1 2026 on May 11, 2026, after market close, indicating the company's ongoing growth in the safety equipment sector.
- Conference Call Details: A conference call is scheduled for May 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET, featuring remarks from CEO Warren Kanders and other executives, enhancing investor communication and transparency.
- Participation Instructions: Investors can dial (800)-715-9871 domestically or (646)-307-1963 internationally to join the call, with a recommendation to call in at least five minutes early to ensure full participation.
- Webcast and Replay Availability: The call will be available via live webcast on the company's website, and those unable to attend live can access a replay until May 26, 2026, ensuring broad dissemination of important financial information.











