Turtle Beach Corporation (TBCH) Q3 2026 Earnings Report, Transcript and Summary

Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Turtle Beach Corporation Third Quarter 2026 Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, the conference is being recorded. I would like to turn the call over to Megan Larson, Vice President with ICR. Megan, you may begin.

Thank you, operator. On today's call, we'll be referring to the press release filed this afternoon that details the company's third quarter 2026 results, which is available on the news page of the company's Investor Relations website, corp.turtlebeach.com, where you'll also find the latest earnings presentation that supplements the information discussed on today's call. Finally, a recording of the call will be available on the Events and Presentations section of the company's Investor Relations website later today. Please be aware that some of the comments made during this call may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements about the company's beliefs and expectations containing words such as may, will, could, believe, expect, anticipate and similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties regarding the company's operations and future results that could cause Turtle Beach Corporation's results to differ materially from management's current expectations. While the company believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions, numerous factors may affect actual results and may cause results to differ materially. The company encourages you to review the safe harbor statements and risk factors contained in today's press release and in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, its annual report on Form 10-K and other periodic reports, which identify specific risk factors that may also cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements. The company does not undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after this conference call. The company also notes on this call that it will be discussing non-GAAP financial information. The company is providing that information as a supplement to information prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States or GAAP. You can find a reconciliation of these metrics to the company's reported GAAP results in the reconciliation tables provided in today's earnings release and presentation. Hosting the call today are Cris Keirn, Chief Executive Officer; and Andrew Clipsham, Interim Chief Financial Officer. With that, I'll turn the call over to Cris.

Thanks, Megan. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining our third quarter 2026 earnings call. During the third quarter, we advanced our strategic priorities through new product introductions, expanded brand initiatives and close coordination with retail partners ahead of the holiday season. Revenue returned to year-over-year growth at $84.7 million, up 5.3%, with gross margin of 34.9% and adjusted EBITDA of $8.1 million. These results reflect progress across our broader product portfolio, and our focus now is on delivering through the fourth quarter. Retail inventory remains an important factor in the timing of our revenue. We had anticipated the potential for a more substantial holiday inventory load-in during the third quarter. Instead, retailers purchased largely to normal seasonal requirements with more of their holiday load-in shifting into Q4. We believe this reflects a shorter ordering window, consistent with recent purchasing patterns rather than a change in underlying consumer demand. We have seen encouraging early signs of holiday replenishment with customer orders accelerating year-over-year through October. We are also seeing improving consumer sell-through trends, particularly in the second half of October. As discussed on prior calls, we continue to expect year-end channel inventory to be broadly comparable in value with the end of 2025. We are also seeing encouraging signs in the broader gaming market following a slower first half. According to Circana, U.S. accessory spending increased 10% in September with headset spending up by double digits and improving trends across both headsets and third-party controllers. Hardware spending rose 12%, including a 22% increase in PlayStation 5 unit sales. These recent trends show improving engagement ahead of the holiday season, and we also believe an overdue accessory replacement cycle could provide additional support as that engagement builds. The industry's major game release calendar remains an important catalyst. Following the well-received launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on October 23, we are preparing for other eagerly anticipated releases, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 today and the Grand Theft Auto VI launch coming up on November 19, exclusive to consoles. Historically, major releases have supported increases in accessory demand, both around the launch date and beyond. We believe the anticipation surrounding this year's major releases is already contributing to the recent acceleration of our U.S. accessory sell-through. With that in mind, we remain highly focused on ensuring that our products are available and retail execution is seamless. We see an opportunity for accessory upgrades and replacement demand to extend beyond the holiday quarter and into 2027 rather than a temporary lift around any single launch event. Ahead of this important holiday season, our competitive position has continued to strengthen. According to Circana, Turtle Beach ranked #1 in both U.S. gaming headsets and third-party gaming controllers during the quarter. This was our first #1 quarterly ranking in third-party gaming controllers since the PDP acquisition. The achievement reflects our established leadership in gaming audio and the progress we've made in controllers by bringing together our expanded portfolio, product innovation and capabilities following that key acquisition. Our Nintendo controller business has also been particularly strong. Circana data indicates our year-over-year U.S. dollar sales growth of more than 70% in the quarter and more than 100% in September with a #1 third-party Nintendo controller share position in Q3. Our product introductions have supported that progress across categories. Stealth Pro II continued the premium tier headset share gains discussed last quarter, while the Command Series expanded our PC offering with keyboards in the second quarter and mice in the third quarter. In August, we launched Stealth 500 for Nintendo Switch 2, the first officially licensed wireless gaming headset for that important platform, along new Rematch Wireless Controllers and PlayTrek Travel Cases. September brought the start of shipments for our VelocityOne HOTAS flight simulation controller and Sim Mount. We now have introduced products across each of our major categories this year with significantly more launches than in 2025. Additional new products, including our premium Stealth Ultra II controller are on track to launch in Q4. Our brand initiatives are helping these launches reach a broader audience, and we are also extending the reach of our portfolio through new partnerships and licensing agreements. This year, in collaboration with Epic Games, we introduced the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded Fortnite Drift Controller for multiple platforms and the Rematch Wireless Fortnite Kevin the Cube controller for Nintendo Switch 2. We've also entered into a licensing agreement with Disney for planned Star Wars accessories as well as Marvel products. Together, these exciting initiatives unlock opportunities for us to partner with iconic franchises in our product portfolio, deepen connections with gaming communities and expand our reach with new audiences. Turning to capital allocation. We did not repurchase shares in the third quarter, following approximately $25 million of repurchases in the second quarter. As discussed in August, we prioritized working capital to support inventory requirements ahead of the holiday season. As that inventory converts to sales and cash collections, we anticipate having the balance sheet capacity for additional share repurchases following the holiday season while continuing to balance capital returns with the needs of the business and other opportunities to create long-term shareholder value. Approximately $31 million remains under our current authorization. Taking into account early fourth quarter ordering trends and our product and inventory plans, we are reaffirming our full year 2026 guidance. This outlook calls for a substantial fourth quarter contribution, supported by anticipated retailer holiday replenishment, contributions from new products and increased gamer engagement around major releases. With that, I'll turn the call over to Andrew for additional details on our third quarter financials.

Thank you, Cris, and good afternoon, everyone. Third quarter revenue was $84.7 million, up 5.3% from $80.5 million a year ago. Strong performance of wireless headsets and new products, including our flagship Stealth Pro II model and Nintendo Switch 2 range have supported that growth. Retailer purchases remained broadly in line with normal seasonal requirements during the third quarter without a material channel inventory build. As discussed on our last call, holiday loading can shift revenue between the third and fourth quarters. And this year, more of that activity moved into the fourth quarter. Gross margin was 34.9% compared with 37.4% a year ago. The decline principally reflects product mix and higher promotional tariff and logistic costs, including freight and fuel. We continue to proactively manage sourcing, pricing and product mix to minimize these impacts, and our full year gross margin outlook reflects these initiatives as well as the current cost environment. For the fourth quarter, we expect gross margin to improve, supported by higher seasonal revenue and a greater contribution from newer high-value products. We continue to expect full year gross margin within our targeted mid- to high 30% range. Operating expenses were $23.7 million or 28% of revenue compared with $24.7 million or 31% of revenue a year ago. The decrease reflects approximately $1.1 million of insurance recoveries and lower general and administrative costs, partly offset by continued marketing investment in our products and brand. Net income was $4.4 million compared with $1.7 million in the prior year quarter or $0.24 per diluted share compared with $0.08 per diluted share a year ago. The improvement is driven by $1.9 million of debt extinguishment in the prior year quarter, together with the current quarter insurance recovery. These factors are partially offset by higher supply chain costs and interest expense in the current year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA was $8.1 million compared with $11 million a year ago. The year-over-year decrease primarily reflects lower gross margin and continued investment in marketing behind our expanded product portfolio and brand initiatives. Turning to the balance sheet. At September 30, net debt was $71.7 million, consisting of $82.9 million of outstanding debt and $11.2 million of cash. Operating cash outflow for the quarter was negative $6.4 million compared with negative $15.2 million in the prior year period. The third quarter is typically a period of working capital investment as we build inventory for the holiday season. Inventory at quarter end was approximately $79.8 million, an increase of approximately $23.2 million from the second quarter as we prepared for major game launches and the holiday season. We expect holiday sales and collections to release working capital and support additional balance sheet flexibility, subject to the timing of customer receipts. We did not repurchase shares during the quarter as we prioritize cash for seasonal inventory requirements. Approximately 17.9 million shares were outstanding at September 30, with $31 million remaining under our share repurchase authorization. As inventory converts to sales and collections, we anticipate capacity for additional repurchases following the holiday season while balancing capital returns with working capital needs and investment in the business. Turning to guidance. We are reaffirming our full year 2026 outlook. Revenue is expected to be in the range of $335 million to $355 million, and adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $44 million and $48 million. As discussed previously, we expected revenue to be weighted towards the second half of 2026, and our full year outlook requires a substantial fourth quarter contribution. It assumes further retailer holiday replenishment, increasing consumer demand around major releases, including Grand Theft Auto VI, contributions from the new product portfolio and expected gross margin improvement. Early fourth quarter orders have been encouraging, but the timing and magnitude of retailer purchases, holiday sell-through and prevailing cost conditions remain important variables in delivering the outlook. With that, I'll turn the call back to Cris.

Thanks, Andrew. As we enter the fourth quarter, our priorities remain clear: deliver through the holiday season, support our retail partners and maintain our unwavering focus on execution. With new products in market and major game releases ahead, we are ready to support increased gamer engagement and the accessory demand it generates. Our confidence is grounded in the breadth of the business, our leadership in gaming headsets and third-party controllers, an innovative portfolio spanning audio, controllers, PC and simulation, broader engagement with gamers through our brand initiatives and established retail and platform partnerships. These capabilities, together with continued innovation, provide opportunities for growth beyond 2026, although we are not providing specific financial guidance for next year at this time. Our continued focus on brand building and product innovation is resonating with consumers. Turtle Beach was recently recognized with 7 TechRadar Readers' Choice Awards, including Gaming Brand of the Year, along with honors across our headset, controller, keyboard and simulation categories. With winners selected entirely by consumers, these awards reinforce the strength of our expanding portfolio and the momentum behind the Turtle Beach brand. I want to thank our amazing Turtle Beach team for its dedication and execution throughout a demanding year. I also thank our retail and industry partners for their collaboration and our shareholders for their continued support. With that, operator, we can open the call for Q&A.

[Operator Instructions] Our first question today comes from Drew Crum of B. Riley Securities.

So Cris, I think you mentioned the improved sell-through trends for the business, particularly in the second half of October. Any early observations following the launch of Call of Duty? I know historically, that's been an important franchise for your console headset business. And any, again, early learnings or observations of how it compared to prior iterations or launches of COD? And then I have a follow-up.

Sure. Drew, thanks for the question. And looking at Call of Duty, the sell-through that we've seen in the second half of October has accelerated. Really, the last 2 weeks, we saw a bit of a step change from the first 2 weeks. And it's a result, I think, of what we've seen over the last couple of months, which is a building momentum, particularly in our 2 main categories of headsets and of controllers. And so when you look at Call of Duty specifically, it's always a nice catalyst for our sell-through. What we are seeing, I would say, is heavier than what we would normally see with the Call of Duty launch. It's certainly much higher than last year on the lift that we saw from the last year's release of Call of Duty. And I think what you're seeing there is a combination of factors. There is a building momentum as we get towards some of the launches here in Q4. Call of Duty is one of those. It's always a really strong launch for our business. Ocarina of Time today is another really great launch on the Switch 2 platform. And then, of course, coming up here on the 19th with GTA VI. So -- but specifically on your Call of Duty question, it has been a strong launch. If you look at the Metacritic reviews on that, it's also quite strong.

Got it. Okay. That's helpful. And then going back to the guidance, it would imply -- I think Andrew mentioned this in his preamble, a 4Q sales number that's exceptionally strong. I don't think the business has ever achieved a number if you assume the midpoint of your range, not even during the pandemic or the Fortnite year. So can you dig in a little bit more to discuss the key swing factors to achieving the annual revenue target and just your overall confidence in delivering against these?

Sure. Yes, absolutely. The -- when you mentioned the Fortnite year and some of the pandemic numbers, remember, that was before acquisition of PDP. So we've had a significant addition with PDP now part of the business, and we've seen really great results from that combination. All credit to the team here, achieving that first party or first spot in the U.S. sell-through rankings here in Q3 is a first for us. We haven't been able to achieve that. So it's a good sign of where we're headed with that controller business. So when you look at the year-over-year numbers, we do need to see a significant lift year-over-year from last year's numbers to achieve a Q4 that would deliver the guidance. We feel confident in that. When you look at the trends that we're seeing here in October and the sell-through trends that we've seen here over the last several weeks, it's all in support of that guidance number. And as another point of reference for you, if you look back to 2024, so just a couple of years ago, we would need to achieve at the midpoint a Q4 that's roughly 11% higher than where we were 2 years ago. And when you think about the releases that are in the market now between Call of Duty and obviously, with GTA VI, an 11% growth number from a couple of years ago seems less daunting to us. So when you put all that in perspective, yes, we feel good about Q4 and the trends that we're seeing.

The next question comes from Sean McGowan of ROTH Capital Partners.

I want to follow up on Drew's questions from a different angle, and that is looking at the inventory level that you have on hand at the end of the third quarter relative to what the expected sales would be, that also seems pretty low relative to historical trends. And then along those same lines, wouldn't you have expected the retailers to want to take in product earlier just given expectations for GTA VI and wanted to get it a little bit ahead of normal?

Sean, thanks for the question. Yes. And to address that, a couple of things there. First, on the inventory, we feel good about our inventory levels now. If you recall, last year, we had purchased a significant amount of inventory ahead to try to get ahead of tariffs. That ended up being a good decision for us, but it did mean that we are carrying a much higher inventory level really than we needed at that time heading into Q4 last year. So we have seen a reduction from last year, but we are seeing an increase, obviously, from where we ended last quarter as we've been building up on those key SKUs here getting ready for Q4. So just to be clear, we have all the inventory in place that we would need to hit our guidance numbers here in the holiday. As far as expectations, you also asked about load-in from the retailers. We did anticipate that we might see them load-in a bit earlier in September, in particular. We really didn't see that. We saw them purchase to normal replenishment levels, which looking at the games coming up, we have seen an acceleration of those orders here in October, which is encouraging. And as we've seen the sell-through increase, we believe that, that will then also lead to additional replenishment orders as retailers adjust to the higher levels that we're seeing. So yes, we would have expected it a little earlier, but there's still -- with what's in process now and the expected demand for the holiday, we're in good shape.

Okay. And then thinking of that shift, some revenue that you might have thought would be in the third quarter into the fourth. What does this do to your marketing expenditures and how that affects your reported results as well as the actual programs that you're executing at retail? Does it cause that to shift into the fourth quarter as well?

Sure. Some of it does. Mostly, when you look at the third quarter, we did have higher sales and marketing expenses. That was planned. There is a lot of preparation that goes into preparing for a holiday like this. Some of that is new placements at retail. Some of those higher expenses that you see in Q3, those did not shift because those are actually new kiosks at a major retailer with our product on it. These are new placements. So that's a very positive. We're happy to make that spend. But when you look at fourth quarter, we've got a pretty significant amount of activities coming up in support of all the great things that are happening in the industry. So we did see a little bit of shift. But again, most of the growth that you see in that Q3 expenditure on the sales and marketing side is around our brand investments and also around that investment in the kiosks.

Okay. And with this talk about retailers taking product and the timing, what can you say about the status of channel inventory at this stage? I would suggest that it's pretty lean, but I don't want to put words in your mouth?

Yes. It can support the sell-through that we're seeing in the channel currently. I would say that when you look at the last couple of weeks of sell-through, again, through October, it's still falling kind of that seasonal curve. And as the sell-through has picked up over the last couple of weeks, we're seeing a reaction from retailers to go ahead and replenish at those levels, which is what we would expect. So again, all of this is playing out as we thought it might, which is as that sell-through materializes, we're now seeing the orders reflect that from retail. So we stand ready to meet that demand and are looking forward to how that plays out over the next couple of months.

Okay. My last question is about margins. I know your margins are volume sensitive, so we're expecting to improve with the pickup in sales. But last year, I seem to recall you saying that the promotional environment was a little bit softer, not as intense as normal, and we should expect something normal this year. Can you -- do you think with the volume you're expecting in the fourth quarter, could gross margins be about what they were last year in the fourth quarter?

We believe so, yes. When you look at last year, we chose not to pursue a lot of deep discounts in last year's holiday. It was a little bit of a softer holiday. And so we chose to preserve a bit of margin there. When you look at this holiday, I think that we've been more promotional so far this year. You see that in some of the margin numbers, including the Q3 margin. There are more promotions in there than we did last year at this time. When you look ahead to Q4, I think it's going to be more of a normal holiday promotional environment. And -- but that being said, for the full year gross margin, we expect to be within our target range of mid- to high 30s.

The next question comes from Jack Codera of Maxim Group.

This is Jack Codera calling in for Jack Vander. If I could ask one more question. It seemed the sell-through traffic trends seem very positive. And you mentioned those 2 main segments being beneficiaries. I was wondering if PC accessories and some of your other segments, are they experiencing similar trends? Does it seem evident that it's just a good year in gaming or more GTA driven, which I assume would be more beneficial to console early because that's only releasing on console initially?

Sure. Jack, great question. Yes, when you look at the sell-through trends, we are seeing some nice movement across categories. For us, we talk obviously a lot about headsets and controllers. That's roughly 90% of our revenue, right? So when you look at our business, it is skewed even though those headsets are multi-platform, we see those 2 categories as the main contributors. When you look at categories like mice, keyboards, simulation, those have also seen some growth year-over-year. And we've been able to pick up some share, particularly in the SIM category this year as well. So that's encouraging for us, but it just has less of an impact on our overall revenue than the other 2 categories.

Okay. That's helpful. And one quick follow-up. I don't know if it's significant, but are you seeing any trends relative to geographies that may be worth tracking?

Sure. The U.S. has been pretty strong this year. You look at both headsets and controllers. Those are both up year-over-year year-to-date. And those are the 2 categories that we've seen accelerate more as we get into Q3 and into now the first part of Q4. When you look at other geographies, I would say that I would characterize the U.K. and Europe as being somewhat softer, still improving, but I would say that those regions are trailing a bit behind the U.S. markets. And for us, Asia is a much smaller piece of our overall revenue. Again, it's kind of low to mid-single-digit contributor. So not much impact there from what we're seeing in the Asia markets.

This concludes the question-and-answer session. I would like to turn the conference back over to Mr. Cris Keirn for any closing remarks.

Thank you, everyone, for your interest in Turtle Beach, and have a great day.

The conference has now concluded. Thank you for attending today's presentation. You may now disconnect.