Cogeco Q1 Earnings Call Highlights

Core Insights - Cogeco's performance in Canada is described as "solid and resilient," with positive year-over-year EBITDA trends and continued customer growth, although wireline competition has intensified during the holiday season, leading to expectations of modest wireline customer growth in the second quarter [1][4] - The U.S. market presents structural opportunities for Cogeco, with low penetration in parts of its footprint, and the company is selectively upgrading its network while launching a new digital brand [2][3] - The first-quarter fiscal 2026 results were in line with the company's plan, with improving customer metrics in the U.S. and steady performance in Canada [4] Financial Performance - Consolidated revenue fell approximately 4.9% and adjusted EBITDA declined about 3.7%, with free cash flow decreasing around 15.9% [5][14] - In Canada, Cogeco Connexion reported stable revenue with a 2% increase in adjusted EBITDA, adding 8,900 internet subscribers, although revenue per customer decreased due to fewer video and wireline phone subscribers [6][8][9] - In the U.S., Breezeline achieved its best customer metrics in 15 quarters, but revenue fell approximately 9.9% and adjusted EBITDA declined about 9.1% in Q1 [7][10][12] Customer Metrics - The U.S. turnaround is showing traction, with subscriber trends improving for the second consecutive quarter, particularly in Ohio, where internet subscriber additions totaled 2,600 [3][11] - Management expects the U.S. business to remain stable in Q2, with more significant improvements anticipated in the second half of fiscal 2026 [13][18] Capital and Dividends - The quarterly dividend was raised by 7% to CAD 0.987, and net debt to EBITDA ended the quarter at 3.2x, slightly up from 3.1x in Q4 [5][16] - Capital intensity was reported at 22.2%, up from 20.4% a year earlier, but management remains on track to meet full-year capital spending guidance [15]