Why Brightview Holdings Stock Wilted on Wednesday

The Motley FoolFeb 5, 2026 12:21 AM

Key Points

Analysts were expecting it to post a profit in its inaugural quarter of the new fiscal year. It didn't.
And while it beat the consensus revenue estimate, its growth wasn't spectacular.
10 stocks we like better than BrightView ›

The landscape in front of BrightView Holdings (NYSE: BV) wasn't looking particularly smooth or handsome on Hump Day. Shares of the landscaping specialist tumbled by 7% in value that trading session, "thanks" to a quarterly earnings report that displeased market players.

Surprise net loss

BrightView took the wraps off its first quarter of fiscal 2026, revealing after market close Tuesday that it earned $614.7 million for the period. That was an improvement of nearly 3% year over year. On the flip side, the company's net loss in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) deepened by 46% to $15.2 million, or $0.01 per share.

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Person looking at laptop screen with head in hands.

Image source: Getty Images.

That meant a mixed quarter for BrightView, as its revenue came in well above the consensus analyst estimate of just over $591 million. However, pundits tracking the stock expected the company to be profitable, to the tune of $0.02 per share under GAAP.

BrightView is in the latter stages of implementing the One BrightView strategy, which aims to streamline its operations and modernize its large vehicle fleet, among other measures. It quoted CEO Dale Asplund as saying that the first quarter was "driven by sustained momentum in our key performance indicators, reflecting the progress we continue to make in transforming our business."

Not enough change

In its earnings release, BrightView reaffirmed its guidance for the full fiscal year. It continues to believe it will book revenue of $2.67 billion to $2.73 billion, which, at the upper end of the range, would translate into 2% annual growth. Non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) should land at $363 million to $377 million. No bottom-line guidance was offered.

I think a transformation plan should transform a business, and I'm just not seeing this with BrightView. The tepid revenue growth anticipated for full-year 2026 isn't all that inspiring, either. For the moment, I don't consider this stock particularly compelling.

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Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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