Green Plains Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Results for the First Quarter of 2026:
-
Net income attributable to
Green Plains of$32.9 million , or EPS of$0.42 per diluted share -
Adjusted EBITDA of
$71.5 million , inclusive of$16.3 million from the base business and$55.2 million in 45Z production tax credit value net of discounts and other costs - No recordable safety incidents during the first quarter of 2026
-
Lowered selling, general and administrative expenses to
$19.5 million for the first quarter of 2026 compared to both the prior quarter and first quarter of 2025 - Achieved strong utilization in the quarter from the eight operating ethanol plants of 97%
“The first quarter marked a meaningful inflection point compared to where the business stood a year ago. Our plants ran at a high level, ethanol margins improved, our co-products performed well, and our carbon program contributed significantly to earnings for the first full quarter with all three
“The financial foundation of the business is in a meaningfully better place than it was a year ago,” said
Results of Operations
Green Plains’ ethanol production segment sold 174.2 million gallons of ethanol during the first quarter of 2026, compared with 195.3 million gallons for the same period in 2025. The consolidated ethanol crush margin was
Consolidated revenues decreased
Net income attributable to Green Plains increased
During the first quarter of 2026, the company elected to early adopt ASU 2025-10, Accounting for Government Grants Received by Business Entities. Concurrently, the company elected to change its accounting policy related to the recognition of Section 45Z clean fuel production tax credits. The change in accounting policy results in the recognition of Section 45Z clean fuel production tax credits by analogy under the income model of ASU 2025-10, which results in a reduction of cost of goods sold in the statements of operations and recognition as production tax credits on the consolidated balance sheets. The company previously recorded the credits under ASC 740, Accounting for Income Taxes, which resulted in recognition within income tax benefit in the statements of operations and deferred income taxes, net in the consolidated balance sheets. The company determined that the income model under ASU 2025-10 is preferable because it better reflects the financial benefit of Section 45Z clean fuel production tax credits netted against the costs to produce the low-carbon fuels that the tax legislation was meant to incentivize. The company determined that retrospective adjustment to prior period financials is required. No Section 45Z clean fuel production tax credits were recognized during the first or second quarters of 2025, so no adjustments were made in the statements of operations; however, the company has reclassified balances previously reported as deferred income taxes, net, and other long-term liabilities to production tax credits on the consolidated balance sheets as of
Segment Information
The company reports the financial and operating performance for the following two operating segments: (1) ethanol production, which includes the production, storage, and transportation of ethanol, distillers grains, Ultra-High Protein, and renewable corn oil, in addition to CCS operations at our three
|
|
|||||||||
|
SEGMENT OPERATIONS |
|||||||||
|
(unaudited, in thousands) |
|||||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
||||||||
|
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
% Var. |
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Ethanol production |
$ |
393,359 |
|
|
$ |
497,772 |
|
|
(21.0)% |
|
Agribusiness and energy services |
|
58,605 |
|
|
|
109,829 |
|
|
(46.6) |
|
Intersegment eliminations |
|
(6,160 |
) |
|
|
(6,086 |
) |
|
1.2 |
|
|
$ |
445,804 |
|
|
$ |
601,515 |
|
|
(25.9)% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Gross margin |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Ethanol production (1) |
$ |
71,728 |
|
|
$ |
(5,692 |
) |
|
* |
|
Agribusiness and energy services |
|
16,218 |
|
|
|
8,731 |
|
|
85.8 |
|
|
$ |
87,946 |
|
|
$ |
3,039 |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Ethanol production |
$ |
23,218 |
|
|
$ |
21,035 |
|
|
10.4% |
|
Agribusiness and energy services |
|
31 |
|
|
|
598 |
|
|
(94.8) |
|
Corporate activities |
|
388 |
|
|
|
754 |
|
|
(48.5) |
|
|
$ |
23,637 |
|
|
$ |
22,387 |
|
|
5.6% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Operating income (loss) |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Ethanol production |
$ |
39,422 |
|
|
$ |
(39,550 |
) |
|
* |
|
Agribusiness and energy services |
|
13,832 |
|
|
|
2,433 |
|
|
* |
|
Corporate activities (2) |
|
(8,482 |
) |
|
|
(25,143 |
) |
|
(66.3) |
|
|
$ |
44,772 |
|
|
$ |
(62,260 |
) |
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Ethanol production (3) |
$ |
63,056 |
|
|
$ |
(19,416 |
) |
|
* |
|
Agribusiness and energy services |
|
14,011 |
|
|
|
3,156 |
|
|
* |
|
Corporate activities (2) |
|
(5,564 |
) |
|
|
(25,246 |
) |
|
(78.0) |
|
EBITDA |
|
71,503 |
|
|
|
(41,506 |
) |
|
* |
|
Restructuring costs |
|
— |
|
|
|
16,587 |
|
|
(100.0) |
|
Proportional share of EBITDA adjustments to equity method investees |
|
45 |
|
|
|
735 |
|
|
(93.9) |
|
|
$ |
71,548 |
|
|
$ |
(24,184 |
) |
|
* |
|
(1) Ethanol production includes |
|||||||||
|
(2) Corporate activities includes |
|||||||||
|
(3) Ethanol production includes |
|||||||||
|
* Percentage variance not considered meaningful |
|||||||||
|
|
||||||
|
SELECTED OPERATING DATA |
||||||
|
(unaudited, in thousands) |
||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
|||||
|
|
2026 |
|
2025 |
|
% Var. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ethanol production |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ethanol (gallons) |
174,196 |
|
195,328 |
|
(10.8 |
)% |
|
Distillers grains (equivalent dried tons) |
362 |
|
417 |
|
(13.2 |
) |
|
Ultra-High Protein (tons) |
54 |
|
68 |
|
(20.6 |
) |
|
Renewable corn oil (pounds) |
58,476 |
|
64,263 |
|
(9.0 |
) |
|
Corn consumed (bushels) |
58,802 |
|
66,264 |
|
(11.3 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Agribusiness and energy services (1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ethanol sold (gallons) |
176,145 |
|
255,721 |
|
(31.1 |
) |
|
(1) Includes gallons from the ethanol production segment. |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
CONSOLIDATED CRUSH MARGIN |
||||||
|
(unaudited, in thousands) |
||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
|||||
|
|
2026 |
|
2025 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Ethanol production operating income (loss) (1) |
$ |
39,422 |
|
$ |
(39,550 |
) |
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
23,218 |
|
|
21,035 |
|
|
Adjusted ethanol production operating income (loss) |
|
62,640 |
|
|
(18,515 |
) |
|
Intercompany fees and nonethanol operating activities, net (2) |
|
1,976 |
|
|
3,848 |
|
|
Consolidated ethanol crush margin |
$ |
64,616 |
|
$ |
(14,667 |
) |
|
(1) Ethanol production includes an inventory lower of cost or net realizable value adjustment of |
||||||
|
(2) Includes |
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of
Conference Call Information
On
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Management uses EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, segment EBITDA and consolidated ethanol crush margins to measure the company’s financial performance and to internally manage its businesses. EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization excluding the change in right-of-use assets and debt issuance costs. Adjusted EBITDA includes adjustments related to restructuring costs and our proportional share of EBITDA adjustments of our equity method investees. Management believes these measures provide useful information to investors for comparison with peer and other companies. These measures should not be considered alternatives to net income or segment operating income, which are determined in accordance with
About
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release (and oral statements made regarding the subjects of this communication), including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, may be considered forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, forward-looking statements contained in this communication include statements relying on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties and factors, many of which are outside the control of the company, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. The forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to the expected future growth, dividends and distributions; and plans and objectives of management for future operations. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believe,” “intend,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “anticipate,” “could,” “estimate,” “plan,” “predict,” “project” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions). While the company believes that the assumptions concerning future events are reasonable, it cautions that there are inherent difficulties in predicting certain important factors that could impact the future performance or results of its business. Among the factors that could cause results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the failure to realize the anticipated results from the new products being developed or new technologies being deployed; the failure to realize the anticipated selling, general and administrative expense savings from restructuring; local, regional and national economic conditions and the impact they may have on the company and its customers; disruption caused by health epidemics; conditions in the ethanol and biofuels industry, including a sustained decrease in the level of supply or demand for ethanol and biofuels or a sustained decrease in the price of ethanol or biofuels, distillers grains, Ultra-High Protein, and renewable corn oil; competition in the ethanol industry and other industries in which we operate; commodity market risks, including those that may result from weather conditions, changes in government policies, and global political or economic issues; the financial condition of the company’s customers and counterparties; any non-performance by customers and counterparties of their contractual obligations; changes in safety, health, environmental and other governmental policy and regulation, including changes to tax laws such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tariffs, renewable fuel programs, tax credit programs, and low carbon programs; risks related to acquisition and disposition activities and achieving anticipated results; risks associated with merchant trading; the results of any reviews, investigations or other proceedings by government authorities; the performance of the company; and other factors detailed in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date they are made and the company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by securities and other applicable laws. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events. While the company’s management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the company’s control. These risks, contingencies and uncertainties relate to, among other matters, the risks and uncertainties set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
|
|
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|
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS |
|||||
|
(in thousands) |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
(unaudited) |
|
|
||
|
ASSETS |
|||||
|
Current assets |
|
|
|
||
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
95,719 |
|
$ |
182,319 |
|
Restricted cash |
|
87,425 |
|
|
47,813 |
|
Accounts receivable, net |
|
85,856 |
|
|
74,374 |
|
Inventories |
|
139,409 |
|
|
148,095 |
|
Production tax credits |
|
105,888 |
|
|
40,328 |
|
Prepaid expenses and other |
|
17,698 |
|
|
18,117 |
|
Derivative financial instruments |
|
10,279 |
|
|
11,494 |
|
Total current assets |
|
542,274 |
|
|
522,540 |
|
Property and equipment, net |
|
928,679 |
|
|
957,256 |
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets |
|
65,254 |
|
|
63,849 |
|
Other assets |
|
50,546 |
|
|
41,242 |
|
Total assets |
$ |
1,586,753 |
|
$ |
1,584,887 |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY |
|||||
|
Current liabilities |
|
|
|
||
|
Accounts payable |
$ |
88,591 |
|
$ |
134,912 |
|
Accrued and other liabilities |
|
68,291 |
|
|
66,828 |
|
Derivative financial instruments |
|
35,359 |
|
|
7,901 |
|
Operating lease current liabilities |
|
22,477 |
|
|
21,557 |
|
Short-term notes payable and other borrowings |
|
34,000 |
|
|
33,584 |
|
Current maturities of long-term debt |
|
69,316 |
|
|
3,924 |
|
Total current liabilities |
|
318,034 |
|
|
268,706 |
|
Long-term debt |
|
388,923 |
|
|
361,992 |
|
Operating lease long-term liabilities |
|
44,045 |
|
|
43,648 |
|
Carbon equipment liabilities |
|
12,869 |
|
|
104,217 |
|
Other liabilities |
|
31,857 |
|
|
34,353 |
|
Total liabilities |
|
795,728 |
|
|
812,916 |
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Stockholders' equity |
|
|
|
||
|
Total Green Plains stockholders' equity |
|
785,176 |
|
|
766,247 |
|
Noncontrolling interests |
|
5,849 |
|
|
5,724 |
|
Total stockholders' equity |
|
791,025 |
|
|
771,971 |
|
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity |
$ |
1,586,753 |
|
$ |
1,584,887 |
|
|
|||||||
|
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS |
|||||||
|
(unaudited, in thousands except per share amounts) |
|||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
||||||
|
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Revenues |
$ |
445,804 |
|
|
$ |
601,515 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Costs and expenses |
|
|
|
||||
|
Cost of goods sold (excluding depreciation and amortization expenses reflected below) |
|
357,858 |
|
|
|
598,476 |
|
|
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
|
19,537 |
|
|
|
42,912 |
|
|
Depreciation and amortization expenses |
|
23,637 |
|
|
|
22,387 |
|
|
Total costs and expenses |
|
401,032 |
|
|
|
663,775 |
|
|
Operating income (loss) |
|
44,772 |
|
|
|
(62,260 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Other income (expense) |
|
|
|
||||
|
Interest income |
|
2,920 |
|
|
|
1,003 |
|
|
Interest expense |
|
(11,485 |
) |
|
|
(8,913 |
) |
|
Other, net |
|
152 |
|
|
|
(1,515 |
) |
|
Total other expense |
|
(8,413 |
) |
|
|
(9,425 |
) |
|
Income (loss) before income taxes and income (loss) from equity method investees |
|
36,359 |
|
|
|
(71,685 |
) |
|
Income tax expense |
|
(2,916 |
) |
|
|
(106 |
) |
|
Income (loss) from equity method investees, net of income taxes |
|
22 |
|
|
|
(850 |
) |
|
Net income (loss) |
|
33,465 |
|
|
|
(72,641 |
) |
|
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests |
|
527 |
|
|
|
265 |
|
|
Net income (loss) attributable to Green Plains |
$ |
32,938 |
|
|
$ |
(72,906 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Earnings per share |
|
|
|
||||
|
Net income (loss) attributable to Green Plains - basic |
$ |
0.48 |
|
|
$ |
(1.14 |
) |
|
Net income (loss) attributable to Green Plains - diluted |
$ |
0.42 |
|
|
$ |
(1.14 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Weighted average shares outstanding |
|
|
|
||||
|
Basic |
|
68,841 |
|
|
|
64,069 |
|
|
Diluted |
|
84,135 |
|
|
|
64,069 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||||
|
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS |
|||||||
|
(unaudited, in thousands) |
|||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
||||||
|
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
Cash flows from operating activities |
|
|
|
||||
|
Net income (loss) |
$ |
33,465 |
|
|
$ |
(72,641 |
) |
|
Noncash operating adjustments |
|
|
|
||||
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
23,637 |
|
|
|
22,387 |
|
|
Inventory lower of cost or net realizable value adjustment |
|
— |
|
|
|
2,519 |
|
|
Other |
|
5,043 |
|
|
|
11,962 |
|
|
Net change in working capital |
|
(101,646 |
) |
|
|
(19,268 |
) |
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
(39,501 |
) |
|
|
(55,041 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Cash flows from investing activities |
|
|
|
||||
|
Purchases of property and equipment, net |
|
(6,448 |
) |
|
|
(16,710 |
) |
|
Proceeds from the sale of assets |
|
2,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
Investment in equity method investees |
|
— |
|
|
|
(4,000 |
) |
|
Net cash used in investing activities |
|
(4,448 |
) |
|
|
(20,710 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Cash flows from financing activities |
|
|
|
||||
|
Net payments - long term debt |
|
(1,046 |
) |
|
|
(480 |
) |
|
Net proceeds (payments) - short-term borrowings |
|
416 |
|
|
|
(3,436 |
) |
|
Other |
|
(2,409 |
) |
|
|
(3,125 |
) |
|
Net cash used in financing activities |
|
(3,039 |
) |
|
|
(7,041 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Net change in cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash |
|
(46,988 |
) |
|
|
(82,792 |
) |
|
Cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period |
|
230,132 |
|
|
|
209,395 |
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period |
$ |
183,144 |
|
|
$ |
126,603 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Reconciliation of total cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash |
|
|
|
||||
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
95,719 |
|
|
$ |
98,610 |
|
|
Restricted cash |
|
87,425 |
|
|
|
27,993 |
|
|
Total cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash |
$ |
183,144 |
|
|
$ |
126,603 |
|
|
|
||||||
|
RECONCILIATIONS TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES |
||||||
|
(unaudited, in thousands) |
||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended
|
|||||
|
|
2026 |
|
2025 |
|||
|
Net income (loss) |
$ |
33,465 |
|
$ |
(72,641 |
) |
|
Interest expense |
|
11,485 |
|
|
8,913 |
|
|
Income tax expense (benefit), net of equity method income taxes |
|
2,916 |
|
|
(165 |
) |
|
Depreciation and amortization (1) |
|
23,637 |
|
|
22,387 |
|
|
EBITDA |
|
71,503 |
|
|
(41,506 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Restructuring costs |
|
— |
|
|
16,587 |
|
|
Proportional share of EBITDA adjustments to equity method investees |
|
45 |
|
|
735 |
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
$ |
71,548 |
|
$ |
(24,184 |
) |
|
(1) Excludes amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets and amortization of debt issuance costs. |
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