Plug Power Inc. PLUG is scheduled to release first-quarter 2026 results on May 11, after market close.
The company has a mixed earnings surprise history. Its earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice in the trailing four quarters and missed the mark in two, the average surprise being 9%.
Let’s see how things have shaped up for Plug Power this earnings season.
Factors to Note Ahead of PLUG’s Q1 Results
Revenues from services performed on fuel cell systems and related infrastructure are expected to have grown, driven by an increase in the sales of service parts, a surge in pricing of service agreements and an improvement in the scope of services provided to certain customers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for services performed on fuel cell systems and related infrastructure net revenues is pegged at $22.7 million, implying a 34.3% increase from the year-ago number.
Increased fuel prices and a rise in the number of customer sites with fuel contracts are expected to have aided revenues from fuel delivered to customers and related equipment in the first quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fuel delivered to customers and related equipment net revenues is pegged at $30.8 million, implying a 4.4% increase from the year-ago number.
Revenues from Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are expected to have been buoyed by an increase in pricing of the PPAs. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net revenues from the same is $27.4 million, indicating an increase of 18.1% from the prior-year quarter.
However, a decline in revenues related to hydrogen site installations, liquefiers and cryogenic equipment is expected to have adversely impacted the sales of equipment, related infrastructure and others. However, an increase in demand for electrolyzers is expected to have provided some relief. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net revenues from the sale of equipment, related infrastructure and others is $64 million, in line with the prior-year quarter.
Rising costs and operating expenses have been concerns for Plug Power for some time now. The impacts of high labor and raw material costs are likely to have affected its margin and profitability. Also, investments associated with product development and growth initiatives are expected to have hurt the company’s performance.
Given the company’s substantial international operations, foreign currency headwinds are likely to have marred its margins and profitability.
Amid this backdrop, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s first-quarter revenues is pegged at $142.5 million, indicating an increase of 6.6% from the year-ago quarter’s figure. The consensus estimate for adjusted earnings is pinned at a loss of nine cents per share compared with a loss of 21 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
Plug Power, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
Plug Power, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Plug Power, Inc. Quote
Earnings Whispers
Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for PLUG this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as elaborated below.
Earnings ESP: PLUG has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% as both the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at a loss of nine cents per share. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: PLUG presently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Performance of Other Companies
Graco Inc. GGG posted quarterly earnings of 66 cents per share in the first quarter of 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 75 cents per share. This compares with earnings of 70 cents per share a year ago.
Graco posted revenues of $540.1 million for the quarter, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.5%. This compares with year-ago revenues of $528.3 million.
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. SWK reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 80 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 61 cents. The bottom line increased 6.7% year over year.
Stanley Black’s net sales of $3.85 billion beat the consensus estimate of $3.74 billion. The top line increased 2.7% from the year-ago quarter.
Ingersoll Rand Inc. IR reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 77 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 74 cents. The bottom line increased 7% year over year.
Total revenues of $1.85 billion beat the consensus estimate of $1.83 billion. The top line increased 7.6% year over year.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
