BorgWarner Reports Strong First Quarter 2026 Results

PR Newswire

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 6, 2026

Returned $185 million to Shareholders During First Quarter 2026

Announces 12 Awards Across Portfolio to Support Long-Term Profitable Growth

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) today reported first quarter results for 2026.

BorgWarner logo. (PRNewsfoto/BorgWarner)

First Quarter Results and Business Update

New Business Awards Across Portfolio

The Company secured multiple new business awards that are expected to support its long-term profitable growth, including the following:

First Quarter Highlights:

Financial Results:
The Company believes the following table is useful in highlighting non-comparable items that impacted its U.S. GAAP net earnings per diluted share. The non-comparable items presented below are calculated after tax using the corresponding effective tax rate discrete to each item and the weighted average number of diluted shares for the periods presented. The Company defines adjusted earnings per diluted share as earnings per diluted share adjusted to eliminate the impact of restructuring expense, merger, acquisition and divestiture expense, other net expenses, discontinued operations and other gains and losses not reflective of the Company's ongoing operations and related tax effects.


Three Months Ended March 31,


2026


2025

Earnings per diluted share

$           1.16


$           0.72





Non-comparable items:




Restructuring expense

0.06


0.11

Adjustments associated with Spin-Off related balances

0.01


(0.01)

Unrealized loss on equity securities

0.01


Impairment charges


0.15

Costs to exit charging business


0.11

Merger and acquisition expense, net

(0.01)


0.01

Tax adjustments

0.01


0.01

Other non-comparable items


0.01

Adjusted earnings per diluted share

$           1.24


$           1.11

Net sales were $3,533 million for the first quarter of 2026, an increase of approximately 1% compared with the first quarter of 2025. This increase was due to stronger foreign currencies compared to the U.S. dollar, partially offset by declining market production volumes and lower Battery Energy Systems segment sales. Net earnings for the first quarter of 2026 were $242 million, or $1.16 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $157 million, or $0.72 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2025. Adjusted net earnings per diluted share for the first quarter of 2026 were $1.24, up approximately 12% from adjusted net earnings per diluted share of $1.11 for the first quarter of 2025. Adjusted net earnings for the first quarter of 2026 excluded net non-comparable items of $(0.08) per diluted share, while adjusted net earnings for the first quarter of 2025 excluded net non-comparable items of $(0.39) per diluted share. These and other non-comparable items are listed in the table above, which is provided by the Company for comparison with other results and the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures. The increase in adjusted net earnings per diluted share was primarily due to higher adjusted operating income and the impact of a lower share count as a result of 2025 and 2026 share repurchases.

Full Year 2026 Guidance Update: The Company maintained its 2026 full year guidance. At the mid-point of its 2026 guidance, BorgWarner expects to deliver another year of adjusted operating margin improvement and adjusted earnings per share growth despite the Company's expectation that its weighted light vehicle markets will be down 3% to approximately flat and a decline in the Company's Battery Energy Systems segment sales. Net sales are expected to be in the range of $14.0 billion to $14.3 billion in 2026, compared with 2025 net sales of approximately $14.3 billion. The Company's net sales guidance implies a year-over-year change in organic net sales of down 3.5% to down 1.5%. The Company's net sales guidance includes an expected year-over-year sales decline of approximately $210 million in the Company's Battery Energy Systems segment, which represents approximately a 1.5% headwind to organic growth in 2026. Foreign currencies are expected to result in a year-over-year increase in sales of approximately $200 million primarily due to the strengthening of the Euro and Chinese Renminbi against the U.S. dollar.

U.S. GAAP operating margin is expected to be in the range of 9.7% to 9.9% in 2026. Excluding the impact of non-comparable items and the add back of intangible asset amortization expense, adjusted operating margin is expected to be in the range of 10.7% to 10.9%. U.S. GAAP net earnings are expected to be within the range of $4.70 to $4.87 per diluted share. Excluding the impact of non-comparable items, adjusted net earnings are expected to increase and be in the range of $5.00 to $5.20 per diluted share. Full-year operating cash flow is expected to be in the range of $1,600 million to $1,700 million, while free cash flow is expected to be in the range of $900 million to $1,100 million.

At 9:30 a.m. ET today, a brief conference call concerning first quarter 2026 results and guidance will be webcast at: https://www.borgwarner.com/investors. Additionally, an earnings call presentation will be available at https://www.borgwarner.com/investors.

For more than 130 years, BorgWarner has been a transformative global product leader bringing successful mobility innovation to market. With a focus on sustainability, we're helping to build a cleaner, healthier, safer future for all.

Forward Looking Statements: This release may contain forward-looking statements as contemplated by the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act that are based on management's current outlook, expectations, estimates and projections. Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "continues," "could," "designed," "effect," "estimates," "evaluates," "expects," "forecasts," "goal," "guidance," "initiative," "intends," "may," "outlook," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "project," "pursue," "seek," "should ," "target," "when," "will," "would," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Further, all statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained or incorporated by reference in this release that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future regarding our financial position, including our guidance for full year 2026, our business strategy and measures to implement that strategy, including changes to operations, competitive strengths, goals, expansion and profitable growth of our business and operations, plans, references to future success, including the anticipated benefits of our new business awards and other such matters, are forward-looking statements. Accounting estimates, such as those described under the heading "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" in Item 7 of our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Form 10-K"), are inherently forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and the Company's actual results may differ materially from those expressed, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements.

You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties, among others, include: the success of our portfolio strategy; supply disruptions impacting us or our customers, commodity availability and pricing and an inability to achieve expected levels of recoverability in commercial negotiations with customers concerning these costs; conditions in the automotive industry; competitive challenges from existing and new competitors, including original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") customers; the challenges associated with rapidly changing technologies, including artificial intelligence, and our ability to innovate in response; the difficulty in forecasting demand for electric vehicles and our electric vehicles revenue growth; potential future changes in laws and regulations, including, by way of example, taxes and tariffs, in the countries in which we operate; potential disruptions in the global economy caused by wars or other geopolitical conflicts; the ability to identify targets and consummate acquisitions on acceptable terms; failure to realize the expected benefits of acquisitions on a timely basis; the possibility that our 2023 tax-free spin-off of our former Fuel Systems and Aftermarket segments into a separate publicly traded company will not achieve its intended tax benefits; the failure to promptly and effectively integrate acquired businesses; the potential for unknown or inestimable liabilities relating to the acquired businesses; impacts of our exit of the charging business; our dependence on automotive and truck production, which is highly cyclical and subject to disruptions; our reliance on major OEM customers; impacts of any future strikes involving any of our OEM customers and any actions such OEM customers take in response; fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates; our dependence on information systems; the uncertainty of the global economic environment; the uncertainty surrounding global trade policies, including tariffs and export restrictions and their impact on the Company, its customers and its suppliers; the outcome of existing or any future legal proceedings, including litigation with respect to various claims, or governmental investigations, including related litigation; impacts from any potential future acquisition or disposition transactions; and the other risks discussed in reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in our most recently filed Form 10-K and/or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We do not undertake any obligation to update or announce publicly any updates to or revisions to any of the forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions, circumstances, or assumptions underlying the statements.

BorgWarner Inc.




Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

(in millions, except per share amounts)




Three Months Ended March 31,


2026


2025

Net sales

$       3,533


$       3,515

Cost of sales

2,856


2,876

Gross profit

677


639

Gross margin

19.2 %


18.2 %





Selling, general and administrative expenses

328


315

Restructuring expense

18


31

Other operating (income) expense, net

(5)


17

Impairment charges


39

Operating income

336


237





Equity in affiliates' earnings, net of tax

(6)


(10)

Unrealized loss on equity securities

1


Interest expense, net

11


12

Other postretirement expense

2


3

Earnings before income taxes and noncontrolling interest

328


232





Provision for income taxes

73


61

Net earnings

255


171

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest

13


14

Net earnings attributable to BorgWarner Inc. 

$         242


$         157





Earnings per share attributable to BorgWarner Inc. — diluted

$        1.16


$        0.72





Weighted average shares outstanding:




Basic

205.3


217.2

Diluted

208.3


218.1

 

BorgWarner Inc.




Net Sales by Reportable Segment (Unaudited)



(in millions)





Three Months Ended March 31,


2026


2025

Turbos & Thermal Technologies

$         1,433


$         1,454

Drivetrain & Morse Systems

1,422


1,361

PowerDrive Systems

587


561

Battery Energy Systems

102


150

Inter-segment eliminations

(11)


(11)

Net sales

$         3,533


$         3,515





Segment Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) (Unaudited)

(in millions)





Three Months Ended March 31,


2026


2025

Turbos & Thermal Technologies

$           214


$           235

Drivetrain & Morse Systems

260


243

PowerDrive Systems

(36)


(43)

Battery Energy Systems

(2)


(22)

Segment Adjusted Operating Income

436


413

Corporate, including stock-based compensation

64


61

Restructuring expense

18


31

Intangible asset amortization expense

16


17

Accelerated depreciation

2


Adjustments associated with Spin-Off related balances

2


(3)

Impairment charges


39

Costs to exit charging business


26

Loss on sale of businesses


1

Merger and acquisition expense, net

(2)


2

Other non-comparable items


2

Equity in affiliates' earnings, net of tax

(6)


(10)

Unrealized loss on equity securities

1


Interest expense, net

11


12

Other postretirement expense

2


3

Earnings before income taxes and noncontrolling interest

$           328


$           232

Provision for income taxes

73


61

Net Earnings

255


171

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest

13


14

Net earnings attributable to BorgWarner Inc.

$           242


$           157

 

BorgWarner Inc.




Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

(in millions)









March 31,
2026


December 31,
2025

ASSETS




Cash and cash equivalents

$         2,110


$         2,313

Receivables, net

3,088


2,962

Inventories

1,200


1,207

Prepayments and other current assets

344


313

Total current assets

6,742


6,795





Property, plant and equipment, net

3,259


3,330

Other non-current assets

3,652


3,644

Total assets

$        13,653


$        13,769





LIABILITIES AND EQUITY




Short-term debt

$              5


$              5

Accounts payable

2,058


1,996

Other current liabilities

1,102


1,281

Total current liabilities

3,165


3,282





Long-term debt

3,876


3,894

Other non-current liabilities:

970


979

Total liabilities

8,011


8,155





Total BorgWarner Inc. stockholders' equity

5,479


5,442

Noncontrolling interest

163


172

Total equity

5,642


5,614

Total liabilities and equity

$        13,653


$        13,769

 

BorgWarner Inc.




Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

(in millions)





Three Months Ended March 31,


2026


2025

OPERATING ACTIVITIES




Net cash provided by operating activities

$           152


$             82

INVESTING ACTIVITIES




Capital expenditures, including tooling outlays

(143)


(119)

Customer advances related to capital expenditures

4


2

Proceeds from settlement of net investment hedges, net

9


12

Proceeds from asset disposals and other, net


11

Net cash used in investing activities

(130)


(94)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES




Payments of notes payable


(5)

Repayments of debt, including current portion

(2)


(346)

Payments for purchase of treasury stock

(150)


Payments for stock-based compensation items

(28)


(18)

Payment for business acquired, net of cash acquired

(3)


Dividends paid to BorgWarner stockholders

(35)


(24)

Dividends paid to noncontrolling stockholders


(4)

Net cash used in financing activities

(218)


(397)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

(7)


22

Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

(203)


(387)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

2,313


2,094

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period

$         2,110


$         1,707





Supplemental Information (Unaudited)




(in millions)





Three Months Ended March 31,


2026


2025

Depreciation and tooling amortization

$           129


$           138

Intangible asset amortization

$             16


$             17

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains information about the Company's financial results that is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Such non-GAAP financial measures are reconciled to their closest U.S. GAAP financial measures below and in the Financial Results table above. The provision of these comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures for 2026 is not intended to indicate that the Company is explicitly or implicitly providing projections on those U.S. GAAP financial measures and actual results for such measures are likely to vary from those presented. The reconciliations include all information reasonably available to the Company at the date of this press release and the adjustments that management can reasonably predict.

Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to management, investors and banking institutions in their analyses of the Company's business and operating performance. Management also uses this information for operational planning and decision-making purposes.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not and should not be considered a substitute for any U.S. GAAP measure. Additionally, because not all companies use identical calculations, the non-GAAP financial measures as presented by the Company may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin
The Company defines adjusted operating income as operating income adjusted to exclude the impact of restructuring expense, merger, acquisition and divestiture expense, intangible asset amortization expense, other net expenses, discontinued operations and other gains and losses not reflective of the Company's ongoing operations. Adjusted operating margin is defined as adjusted operating income divided by net sales.

Adjusted Net Earnings
The Company defines adjusted net earnings as net earnings attributable to the Company, adjusted to eliminate the impact of restructuring expense, merger, acquisition and divestiture expense, other net expenses, discontinued operations and other gains and losses not reflective of the Company's ongoing operations and related tax effects. The impact of intangible asset amortization expense continues to be included in adjusted net earnings.

Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share
The Company defines adjusted earnings per diluted share as earnings per diluted share adjusted to eliminate the impact of restructuring expense, merger, acquisition and divestiture expense, other net expenses, discontinued operations and other gains and losses not reflective of the Company's ongoing operations and related tax effects. The impact of intangible asset amortization expense continues to be included in adjusted earnings per share.

Free Cash Flow
The Company defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities minus capital expenditures, net of customer advances related to capital expenditures. The Company believes this measure is useful to both management and investors in evaluating the Company's ability to service and repay its debt.

Organic Net Sales Change
The Company defines organic net sales changes as net sales change year-over-year excluding the estimated impact of foreign exchange ("FX") and net mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.

Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin (Unaudited)


Three Months Ended March 31,

(in millions)

2026


2025

Net sales

$       3,533


$       3,515





Operating income

$         336


$         237

Operating margin

9.5 %


6.7 %





Non-comparable items:




Restructuring expense

$          18


$          31

Intangible asset amortization expense

16


17

Accelerated depreciation

2


Adjustments associated with Spin-Off related balances

2


(3)

Impairment charges


39

Costs to exit charging business


26

Merger and acquisition expense, net

(2)


2

Loss on sale of businesses


1

Other non-comparable items


2

Adjusted operating income

$         372


$         352

Adjusted operating margin

10.5 %


10.0 %

 

Free Cash Flow Reconciliation (Unaudited)





Three Months Ended March 31,

(in millions)

2026


2025

Net cash provided by operating activities

$           152


$             82

Capital expenditures, including tooling outlays

(143)


(119)

Customer advances related to capital expenditures

4


2

Free cash flow

$             13


$           (35)

 

First Quarter 2026 Organic Net Sales Change (Unaudited)



(in millions)

Q1 2025
Net Sales


FX


Organic
Net Sales
Change


Q1 2026
Net Sales


Organic
Net Sales
Change %

Turbos & Thermal Technologies        

$  1,454


$      81


$  (102)


$   1,433


(7.0) %

Drivetrain & Morse Systems

1,361


49


12


1,422


0.9 %

PowerDrive Systems

561


31


(5)


587


(0.9) %

Battery Energy Systems

150


6


(54)


102


(36.0) %

Inter-segment eliminations

(11)




(11)


— %

Net sales

$  3,515


$    167


$  (149)


$  3,533


(4.2) %

 

Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin Guidance Reconciliation (Unaudited)





Full-Year 2026 Guidance

(in millions)

Low


High

Net sales

$     14,000


$     14,300





Operating income

$       1,361


$       1,416

Operating margin

9.7 %


9.9 %





Non-comparable items:




Restructuring expense

$          80


$          90

Intangible asset amortization

57


57

Accelerated depreciation

2


2

Adjustment associated with Spin-Off related balances

2


2

Merger and acquisition expense, net

(2)


(2)

Adjusted operating income

$       1,500


$       1,565

Adjusted operating margin

10.7 %


10.9 %

 

Adjusted Earnings Per Diluted Share Guidance Reconciliation (Unaudited)





Full-Year 2026 Guidance


Low


High

Earnings per Diluted Share

$           4.70


$           4.87





Non-comparable items:




Restructuring expense

$           0.28


$           0.31

Adjustment associated with Spin-Off related balances

0.01


0.01

Unrealized loss on equity securities

0.01


0.01

Merger and acquisition expense, net

(0.01)


(0.01)

Tax adjustments

0.01


0.01





Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share

$           5.00


$           5.20

 

Free Cash Flow Guidance Reconciliation (Unaudited)





Full-Year 2026 Guidance

(in millions)

Low


High

Net cash provided by operating activities

$        1,600


$        1,700

Capital expenditures, including tooling outlays

(700)


(600)

Free cash flow

$          900


$        1,100

 

Full Year 2026 Organic Net Sales Change Guidance Reconciliation (Unaudited)

















(in millions)

FY 2025 Net
Sales


FX


Battery
Energy
Systems
("BES")
Sales
Change


Organic Net
Sales
Change


FY 2026 Net
Sales


Organic Net
Sales
Change
Excluding
BES %


Organic Net
Sales
Change
Including
BES %


BorgWarner
LV
Weighted
Market %

Low

$  14,316


$      200


$    (210)


$    (306)


$  14,000


(2.1) %


(3.6) %


(3.0) %

High

$  14,316


$      200


$    (210)


$       (6)


$  14,300


— %


(1.5) %


— %

 

Full Year 2026 Estimated Year-Over-Year Change in Production (Unaudited)
















North America


Europe


China


Total


BorgWarner
Weighted Total

Light vehicle


(3)% to 1%


(3)% to 0%


(4)% to (1.5)%


(3)% to (1)%


(3)% to 0%

 

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SOURCE BorgWarner