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IMAX Q1 Revenue Falls, EPS Beats, Cash Flow Rebounds

5/1/2026

48 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

IMAX Beats EPS

IMAX Corp. posted Q1 CY2026 revenue of $81.38 million, a 6.1% YoY decline, meeting estimates.
Adjusted EPS of $0.17 beat the $0.15 estimate, but EBITDA of $26.81 million fell short of the $29.22 million forecast.
Free cash flow rose to $1.90 million, reversing a $7.67 million loss from the same quarter last year.
Sell-side analysts expect 10.8% revenue growth and EPS of $1.48, an 18.2% increase, over the next 12 months.

Summary

IMAX Expands

IMAX is adding 42 auditoriums in 10 countries, including 10 Hoyts screens in Australia.
CEO Rich Gelfond is resuming duties after pneumonia, confirming his health is improving.
CFO Natasha Fernandes said Disney’s Infinity Vision offsets the lack of an IMAX brand on Avengers releases.
Fernandes expects a Chinese box office in 2026 with IMAX titles such as “The Odyssey” and “Dune: Part III.”

Summary

IMAX Holds Steady

IMAX's shares held steady in after-hours trading at roughly $38 per share.
The company reaffirmed its target of $1.4 billion in global IMAX grosses for the fiscal year.
This quarter, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Michael” have generated $61.7 million in IMAX ticket sales.
“The Odyssey” will be the first feature filmed entirely with IMAX cameras, marking a technical milestone for the brand.

History

Historical Context

In 1971 IMAX opened its first permanent theater, the Cinesphere at Ontario Place in Toronto, attracting over 1 million visitors that season. Founded in 1967 by Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor and Robert Kerr, the firm launched digital IMAX in 2008, expanding to 1,759 theaters in 90 countries by 2025. CEO Richard Gelfond now adds dozens of auditoriums worldwide, echoing the original growth model.

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IMAX Beats EPS

IMAX Corp. posted Q1 CY2026 revenue of $81.38 million, a 6.1% YoY decline, meeting estimates.
Adjusted EPS of $0.17 beat the $0.15 estimate, but EBITDA of $26.81 million fell short of the $29.22 million forecast.
Free cash flow rose to $1.90 million, reversing a $7.67 million loss from the same quarter last year.
Sell-side analysts expect 10.8% revenue growth and EPS of $1.48, an 18.2% increase, over the next 12 months.

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