Vestis Reports First Quarter 2026 Results and Reaffirms Fiscal 2026 Outlook

Vestis Corporation (NYSE:VSTS), a leading provider of uniforms and workplace supplies, today announced its results for the first quarter ended January 2, 2026.

First Quarter 2026 Highlights

• Revenue of $663.4 million
• Operating Income of $16.6 million
• Net Loss of $6.4 million or $(0.05) per diluted share
• Adjusted Net Income* of $13.1 million or $0.10 per diluted share
• Adjusted EBITDA* of $70.4 million
• Cash Flow Provided by Operating Activities of $37.7 million, Free Cash Flow* of $28.3 million, and Adjusted Free Cash Flow* of $42.9 million
• Available liquidity of $316.7 million including $41.5 million Cash and Cash Equivalents on hand

Management Commentary

"Our first quarter results reflect a solid start to our fiscal 2026 and strong execution against our business transformation plan focused on unlocking operating leverage while elevating the customer experience," said Jim Barber, President and CEO. "Based on our performance to date and initiatives underway, we are reaffirming our fiscal 2026 outlook and expect continued sequential improvements in quarterly Adjusted EBITDA throughout the year."

"We have made meaningful progress advancing our operational excellence priorities," continued Barber. "During the quarter we saw significant improvements in plant productivity, on-time deliveries and customer satisfaction. Moving forward, we are driving continued standardization across the network, strengthening service quality, and better aligning resources across our footprint where we are encouraged by the pace of improvement in service consistency."

"Commercially, we are focused on improving revenue quality," concluded Barber. "Momentum from progress to date, coupled with investment in new customer and product segmentation tools, is expected to drive increased profitability as we progress through the year."

Strategic Business Transformation

During the first fiscal quarter of 2026, the Company launched a strategic business transformation plan ("the Plan") designed to make the Company more customer focused, agile and efficient – while positioning it for long-term profitable growth. Once fully implemented, the Plan is expected to generate annual operating cost savings of at least $75 million by the end of fiscal 2026 and to enhance revenue. The Plan is on track and structured around three strategic priorities: Operational Excellence, Commercial Excellence and Asset & Network Optimization.

• Operational Excellence: During the first quarter, the Company executed on its initiative to reduce costs in our plant operations while improving service quality. These efforts resulted in a 7% improvement in plant productivity, a 3% improvement in on-time deliveries and a 12% reduction in customer complaints, when compared to the first quarter of 2025.
• Commercial Excellence: During the first quarter, the Company made progress in its implementation of critical decision support tools that will enable successful strategic execution and improved revenue quality. These initiatives will lay the foundation to establish improved commercial engagement, a more favorable product sales mix, a strategic pricing model and better customer penetration.
• Asset & Network Optimization: During the first quarter, the Company undertook market studies and analyzed key inputs for network optimization as it strategically evaluates its network of assets and the growth opportunities within its markets. In addition, the Company is actively marketing several non-core properties for sale to optimize its asset footprint. The Company intends to use proceeds of non-core properties sold to repay debt.

First Quarter 2026 Financial Performance

Revenue for the fiscal first quarter totaled $663.4 million, a decrease of $20.4 million year over year or 3.0% on flat total volume as measured by pounds processed through our market centers. The decrease in revenue versus the prior year period reflects a $17.9 million decrease in rental revenue, a $2.7 million decrease in direct sales revenue and a $0.2 million positive impact of foreign exchange on currency related to our Canadian business. The decrease in revenue versus the prior year period also reflects a decrease in revenue per pound, driven by changes in product sales mix within the Company's rental business, related to increases in certain workplace supplies products, such as linen, and attributable to commercial practices that were in place before our strategic business transformation but are no longer in effect.

Net loss for the fiscal first quarter totaled ($6.4) million or ($0.05) per diluted share, compared to net income of $0.8 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, during the first quarter of fiscal 2025, a decrease of $7.2 million. Net loss as a percentage of revenue, or net margin, was (1.0%) during the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to 0.1% in the prior year period.

Adjusted EBITDA* for the fiscal first quarter was $70.4 million, or 10.6% of revenue, compared to $81.2 million or 11.9% of revenue, in the first quarter of 2025. The decreases year over year are primarily attributable to a 2.8% decrease in revenue per pound, which was partially offset by improvements in operating expenses resulting from the Company's strategic business transformation.

Net loss and Adjusted EBITDA* improved sequentially compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, when net loss was ($12.5) million or (1.8)% of revenue, and Adjusted EBITDA* was $64.7 million, or 9.1% of revenue. When compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, the improvements reflect the sequential improvement in cost per pound* and resulting operating leverage*, supported by the successful execution of the Company's business transformation plan.

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet

Net cash provided by operating activities during the first quarter of fiscal 2026 was $37.7 million and Free Cash Flow* was $28.3 million. Net cash provided by operating activities during the first quarter of fiscal 2026 includes $14.6 million in non-recurring cash payments associated with the Company's strategic business transformation plan. Excluding the impact of these payments, net cash provided by operating activities and Adjusted Free Cash Flow* increased by $48.5 million and $53.9 million, respectively, when compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2025. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities reflects a $12.7 million benefit from cash generated from working capital in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, a working capital improvement of $27.2 million when compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2025.

During the first quarter of 2026, we invested $9.4 million in property and equipment, the majority of which is related to investment in our plant operations, supporting the Company's operational excellence initiatives.

As of January 2, 2026, Vestis had total cash and excess availability under its revolving credit facility of $316.7 million as compared to $313.3 million at the end of the first quarter of 2025.

Fiscal Year 2026 Outlook

Today, the Company reaffirmed its outlook for fiscal 2026. The Company continues to expect fiscal 2026 revenue to be between flat to down 2% and Adjusted EBITDA* to be in the range of $285 million and $315 million. Additionally, the Company expects fiscal 2026 Free Cash Flow* to be in the range of $50 million to $60 million.

For fiscal 2026, the Company expects that Adjusted EBITDA* will improve approximately 5% on a sequential basis for each of the remaining quarters of the fiscal year, driven by the Company's business transformation efforts and a reduction in its operating cost per pound.

First Quarter 2026 Results Conference Call & Webcast

Vestis will host a conference call on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its fiscal first quarter 2026 results.

For a live webcast of the conference call and to access the accompanying investor presentation, please visit the investor relations section of the Company's website at www.vestis.com.

To participate in the live teleconference:

Unites States Live: 800-267-6316

International Live: 203-518-9783

Access Code: VSTSQ126

A replay of the live event will also be available on the Company's website shortly after the conclusion of the call.

About Vestis™

Vestis is a leader in the B2B uniform and workplace supplies category. Vestis provides uniform services and workplace supplies to a broad range of North American customers from Fortune 500 companies to locally owned small businesses across a broad set of end sectors. The Company's comprehensive service offering primarily includes a full-service uniform rental program, floor mats, towels, linens, managed restroom services, first aid supplies, and cleanroom and other specialty garment processing.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the securities laws. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, forecasts relating to discussions of future operations and financial performance and statements regarding our strategy for growth, future product development, regulatory approvals, competitive position and expenditures. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "potential," "outlook," "guidance," "anticipate," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "will," and "believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative versions of such words. Examples of forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the potential effects of our comprehensive actions to enhance both our commercial and operational processes, and our expectations regarding our fiscal year 2026 performance outlook. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may change at any time, and actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those that we expected. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict including, but not limited to: unfavorable macroeconomic conditions including as a result of government shutdowns, inflationary pressures and higher interest rates; the failure to retain current customers, renew existing customer contracts and obtain new customer contracts, which could result in continued stock volatility and potential future goodwill impairment charges; competition in our industry; our ability to comply with certain financial ratios, tests and covenants in our credit agreement, including the Net Leverage Ratio; our significant indebtedness and ability to meet debt obligations and our reliance on an accounts receivable securitization facility; our ability to successfully execute or achieve the expected benefits of our business transformation and restructuring plan and other measures we may take in the future; increases in fuel and energy costs and other supply chain challenges and disruptions, including as a result of military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East; implementation of new or increased tariffs and ongoing changes in U.S. and foreign government trade policies, including potential modifications to existing trade agreements and retaliatory measures by foreign governments; increased operating costs and obstacles to cost recovery due to the pricing and cancellation terms of our support services contracts; a determination by our customers to reduce their outsourcing or use of preferred vendors; the outcome of legal proceedings to which we are or may become subject, including securities litigation claims that could result in significant legal expenses and settlement and damage awards; risks associated with suppliers from whom our products are sourced; challenge of contracts by our customers; currency risks and other risks associated with international operations, including compliance with a broad range of laws and regulations, including the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; increases in labor costs or inability to hire and retain key or sufficient qualified personnel; continued or further unionization of our workforce; our expansion strategy and our ability to successfully integrate the businesses we acquire and costs and timing related thereto; natural disasters, global calamities, climate change, civil or political unrest, terrorist attacks, pandemics or other public health crises, and other adverse incidents; liability resulting from our participation in multiemployer-defined benefit pension plans; liability associated with noncompliance with applicable law or other governmental regulations; laws and governmental regulations including those relating to the environment, wage and hour and government contracting; unanticipated changes in tax law; new interpretations of or changes in the enforcement of the government regulatory framework; a cybersecurity incident or other disruptions in the availability of our computer systems or privacy breaches; stakeholder expectations relating to environmental, social and governance ("ESG") considerations which may expose us to liabilities and other adverse effects on our business; any failure by Aramark to perform its obligations under the various separation agreements entered into in connection with the separation; and a determination by the IRS that the distribution or certain related transactions are taxable. The above list of factors is not exhaustive or necessarily in order of importance. For additional information on identifying factors that may cause actual results to vary materially from those stated in forward-looking statements, see the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including "Item 1A-Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in "Item 1A-Risk Factors" of Part II in subsequently-filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we assume no obligation to update or revise such statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Vestis reports its financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but in this release and the non-GAAP reconciliations that follow, Vestis also uses the following non-GAAP measures: Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Basic Earnings Per Share ("EPS"), Adjusted Diluted EPS, Free Cash Flow, Adjusted Free Cash Flow, Net Debt, Net Leverage Ratio, Trailing Twelve Months Covenant Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted Operating Expenses (presented solely in the calculations of Cost Per Pound and Operating Leverage). Vestis believes that non-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with the corresponding U.S. GAAP financial measure, provide useful supplemental information to investors. Certain adjustment-based measures exclude items that management believes may not be indicative of or are unrelated to Vestis' core operating results. Vestis uses these non-GAAP financial measures with U.S. GAAP financial measures and other operating data to assist in the evaluation of its operating performance. Vestis believes that presentation of these measures also helps investors because the measures enable better comparisons of Vestis' historical results and allow investors to evaluate Vestis' performance based on the same metrics that Vestis uses to evaluate its performance and trends in its results. However, these measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for Vestis' results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Specifically, you should not consider these measures as alternatives to revenue, operating income, operating expenses, operating income margin, net income, net income margin or net cash provided by operating activities determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures also should not be considered as measures of cash available to Vestis to invest in the growth of Vestis' business or cash that will be available to Vestis to meet its obligations. Non-GAAP financial measures as presented by Vestis may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies because not all companies use identical calculations. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures are provided in the tables at the end of this release.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA represents net income adjusted for provision for income taxes; interest expense, net; and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), further adjusted for share-based compensation expense; severance; business transformation costs; separation related charges; securitization fees; loss (gain) on sale of equity investments; third party debt amendment fees; legal reserves and settlements; gains, losses, and other items impacting comparability. Adjusted EBITDA is presented to provide a more meaningful comparison of Vestis' operating performance by excluding items that management believes are not reflective of ongoing operations or that may obscure trends in the underlying business. Similar adjustments have been recorded in Adjusted EBITDA for earlier periods, and Vestis may record similar types of adjustments in future periods.

Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Basic EPS and Adjusted Diluted EPS

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) represents net income (loss) adjusted to exclude items not considered indicative of Vestis' core ongoing operations, including amortization expense, share-based compensation, severance charges, business transformation costs, separation-related charges, loss (gain) on sale of equity investments; third party debt amendment fees; legal reserves and settlements; gains, losses, and other items impacting comparability. Management believes this measure provides useful supplemental information by facilitating period-over-period comparisons of performance on a consistent basis.

Adjusted Basic EPS and Adjusted Diluted EPS represent Adjusted Net Income (Loss) divided by the weighted-average number of basic and diluted shares outstanding, respectively.

Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Free Cash Flow

Free Cash Flow represents net cash provided by operating activities adjusted for purchases of property and equipment and other items. Free Cash Flow is presented because it reflects the cash generated from operations after capital expenditures necessary to maintain and improve operations. Free cash flow does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures, as there may be other nondiscretionary cash requirements not reflected in this measure. Adjusted Free Cash Flow represents Free Cash Flow adjusted for cash paid for strategic business transformation initiatives, including transformation-related severance and third-party advisory fees.

Net Leverage Ratio, Net Debt, Covenant Adjusted EBITDA and Trailing Twelve Months Covenant Adjusted EBITDA

Net Leverage Ratio is defined in Vestis' credit agreement and is calculated as consolidated total indebtedness in excess of unrestricted cash (referred to herein as "Net Debt"), divided by the Trailing Twelve Months Covenant Adjusted EBITDA. Net Debt represents total principal debt outstanding, letters of credit outstanding, and finance lease obligations, less cash and cash equivalents. Covenant Adjusted EBITDA represents Adjusted EBITDA, as further modified by certain items specifically permitted under the credit agreement to assess compliance with its financial covenants. Trailing Twelve Months Covenant Adjusted EBITDA represents Covenant Adjusted EBITDA for the preceding four fiscal quarters. Vestis believes that Net Leverage Ratio and its components are useful to investors because they are indicators of Vestis' ability to meet its future financial obligations and are measures that are frequently used by investors and creditors.

Cost per Pound and Adjusted Operating Expenses

Cost per Pound represents the cost incurred to process laundry on a per-unit basis and is calculated as Adjusted Operating Expenses, as defined below, divided by the total pounds of laundry processed during the period. Management uses Cost per Pound to assess operating efficiency by evaluating how effectively resources are utilized relative to processing volume.

Adjusted Operating Expenses represent operating expenses as reported under U.S. GAAP, adjusted to exclude depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation expense, severance, business transformation costs, separation-related charges, legal reserves and settlements, and gains, losses, and other items that management believes are not indicative of ongoing operating performance. Adjusted Operating Expenses are presented solely as an input to the calculation of Cost per Pound and are not intended to be a standalone performance measure.

Operating Leverage per Pound ("Operating Leverage")

Operating Leverage per Pound represents Revenue per Pound less Cost per Pound. Management uses this metric as a supplemental indicator of unit-level profitability trends. The metric helps management assess operational efficiency by evaluating how effectively resources are used relative to volume handled. Operating Leverage is not a measure of profitability calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure is operating income on an aggregate basis.

Forward Looking Non-GAAP Information

This release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures that are forward-looking in nature, including our expected outlook for fiscal 2026 Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow. The most directly comparable forward-looking U.S. GAAP measures are net income and net cash provided by operating activities, respectively.

Vestis believes that a quantitative reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures cannot be provided without unreasonable efforts. Such reconciliation would require assumptions regarding the timing and likelihood of future events, including acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings, asset impairments, and other items that are difficult to predict and are outside of Vestis' control.

Accordingly, the most directly comparable forward-looking U.S. GAAP measures are not provided. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking non-GAAP measures.

Operational Metrics and Definitions

In addition to the non-GAAP financial measures described above, Vestis uses certain operational metrics to evaluate business performance, monitor trends, and support internal decision-making. These operational metrics are derived using a combination of U.S. GAAP financial information and operational data and are not themselves measures defined under U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, these metrics should be considered supplemental to, and not a substitute for, financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Management believes these operational metrics provide useful context for understanding changes in Vestis' operating performance, pricing discipline, and cost efficiency. However, these metrics may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies, as definitions and calculation methodologies may differ.

Revenue per Pound

Revenue per pound represents consolidated total revenue as reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP divided by total pounds of laundry processed for the period. Revenue per Pound uses U.S. GAAP revenue and does not reflect any adjustments. Management believes this metric provides useful insight into pricing and product mix relative to processing volume.

Pounds Processed

Pounds of laundry processed represents an operational measure derived from internal systems and management estimates and may involve judgment in its determination. Management believes the methodology used is reasonable and applied consistently from period to period.

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Investor

Stefan Neely or Bill Seymour

Vallum Advisors

615-844-6248

ir@vestis.com

Media

Danielle Holcomb

470-716-0917

danielle.holcomb@vestis.com