American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

American Vanguard (NYSE:AVD) posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The basic materials company reported ($0.34) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.43), FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $116.75 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $135.00 million. American Vanguard had a negative return on equity of 4.13% and a negative net margin of 8.71%.

Here are the key takeaways from American Vanguard’s conference call:

• Second-quarter results weakened: Sales fell 9% year over year to $117 million, while adjusted EBITDA declined to $6.6 million from $11 million, pressured by lower international sales, higher freight costs and weaker factory absorption.
• U.S. operations continued to outperform, with first-half U.S. sales up 6% and specialty sales rising 10%; herbicides and biological solutions were areas of strength. Management said delayed cotton shipments moved into the third quarter and maintained its 2026 outlook.
• Cost-reduction initiatives are beginning to improve operating leverage: first-half gross margin expanded 100 basis points to 30%, operating expenses declined, inventories fell by $10 million year over year, and the Los Angeles plant rationalization is expected to save at least $4 million annually.
• Management reiterated its 2026 guidance of $530 million–$550 million in sales and $44 million–$48 million in adjusted EBITDA, while targeting more than $600 million of annualized revenue and double-digit EBITDA margins by the second half of 2028 through new products and efficiency improvements.
• International markets remain challenging because of adverse El Niño weather, inflation, raw-material costs and weaker demand in Brazil and Mexico. Net debt rose sequentially to approximately $225 million at quarter-end as seasonal working-capital needs increased.

American Vanguard Stock Performance

AVD opened at $2.31 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $66.09 million, a P/E ratio of -1.45 and a beta of 1.43. American Vanguard has a 52-week low of $2.05 and a 52-week high of $5.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 2.32. The business’s fifty day moving average is $2.66 and its 200-day moving average is $3.27.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Patrick E. Gottschalk purchased 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $2.70 per share, with a total value of $67,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 191,705 shares in the company, valued at $517,603.50. This trade represents a 15.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 5.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Vanguard

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AVD. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of American Vanguard by 15.0% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 22,456 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $129,000 after buying an additional 2,921 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of American Vanguard by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 126,269 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $482,000 after acquiring an additional 4,391 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in American Vanguard in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its stake in American Vanguard by 46.2% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 28,650 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $109,000 after acquiring an additional 9,055 shares during the last quarter. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in American Vanguard during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 79.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Vanguard from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Vanguard presently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

American Vanguard Company Profile

American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE: AVD) is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemical products for crop protection, turf and ornamental care, and public health pest control. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, the company offers a portfolio of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides designed for use across agricultural, turf and urban pest management applications. Its research and development efforts focus on novel chemistries and formulation technologies that address emerging pest resistance and regulatory requirements.

The company’s product lines include emulsifiable concentrates, wettable powders, granular formulations, baits and liquid concentrates sold under proprietary brand names.