Freight car builder Greenbrier sees weaker Q2 earnings
Railcar maker Greenbrier wrestled with the twin issues of volume and mix in the second quarter as lower railcar deliveries weighed on revenue and profits, even though cash flow stayed solid. Fiscal Q2 2026 earnings for the Lake Oswego, Ore.-based supplier (NYSE: GBX ) saw weak earnings per share at $.47 versus $.89 in estimates, on revenue of $587.5 million that also fell below expectations. Cash flow checked in at a positive $159 million and fleet utilization neared 98%. Earnings from operations were about $25 million, or 4.3% of revenue, which points to margin pressure versus stronger recent quarters. “Greenbrier delivered resilient second quarter results in a low-volume environment,” said Chief Executive and President Lorie Tekorius, in an earnings release. “Our integrated business model, supported by disciplined execution and strong cash generation, continued to drive performance. We further strengthened our liquidity and balance sheet, providing flexibility while customer commitments remain measured and market conditions continue to evolve.” Management raised the quarterly dividend by 6% to $.34, which signals confidence in cash generation even amid a softer quarter. The company continued to emphasize strong liquidity and fleet utilization, suggesting the leasing side remained a stabilizer. Greenbrier updated guidance to 17,500-20,500 units from 15,350- 16,350 units, and revenue to $2.7-$3.2 billion from $2.4-$2.5 billion. Subscribe to FreightWaves’ Rail e-newsletter and get the latest insights on rail freight right in your inbox. Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here . Read more: Rising intermodal volume slows big four U.S. rail system No June swoon for surging rail traffic CSX marks unique status with DC 250 rail event UPDATED: Maersk shifts SoCal import containers to UP from BNSF Upcoming FreightWaves Events AI Supply Chain AI Symposium Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain. July 15, 2026 The Old Post • Chicago, IL Register Now FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals. October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026 The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now AI Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • The Old Post • Chicago, IL Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain. The Old Post • Chicago, IL Register Now FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals. The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now