Microchip Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Sales Down Y/Y, Shares Drop

Core Insights - Microchip Technology (MCHP) reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 non-GAAP earnings of 27 cents per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.5% but down 49.1% year over year [1] - Net sales reached $1.08 billion, a decrease of 13.4% year over year, but surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.06%. Sequentially, revenues increased by 10.8% [1][8] Financial Performance - Non-GAAP gross margin contracted by 560 basis points year over year to 54.3%, but expanded by 240 basis points sequentially [5] - Non-GAAP operating margin declined to 20.7% compared to 31.5% in the year-ago quarter, although it expanded by 670 basis points sequentially [6] - Cash flow from operating activities was $275.6 million, up from $205.9 million in the previous quarter, while free cash flow was $257.7 million compared to $191.7 million [9][8] Segment and Geographic Breakdown - Sales from Mixed-signal Microcontroller, Analog, and Other segments accounted for 49.5%, 29.4%, and 21.1% of net sales, respectively [3] - Direct sales constituted 53% of total sales, while distribution accounted for 47%. Geographically, revenues from the Americas, Europe, and Asia contributed 28.6%, 21%, and 50.4% to net sales, respectively [4] Guidance and Outlook - For the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Microchip expects net sales to be approximately $1.13 billion (+/- $20 million), reflecting a sequential growth of about 5.1% [10] - Non-GAAP earnings are anticipated to be between 30 cents and 36 cents per share, with gross margins expected to be between 55% and 57% [11][10] Shareholder Returns - Microchip returned approximately $245 million to shareholders through dividends in the fiscal first quarter, announcing a quarterly dividend of 45.5 cents per share [9]