Optical Cable reports margin expansion and 50% backlog growth in Q1

Optical Cable (NASDAQ:OCC), a leading manufacturer of a broad range of fiber optic and copper data communication cabling and connectivity solutions, today announced financial results for its first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended January 31, 2026.

Consolidated net sales for the quarter reached $16.4 million, a 4.4% increase over the $15.7 million reported in the same period last year.

This growth was fueled by steady demand across both enterprise and specialty markets.

Notably, international sales saw an 18% surge, while domestic U.S. sales remained relatively flat.

The company’s focus on manufacturing operating leverage yielded a significant improvement in profitability metrics.

Gross profit rose 16.1% to $5.4 million, pushing gross margins to 32.7%—up from 29.4% a year ago.

This expansion reflects the positive impact of spreading fixed costs over higher production volumes, particularly within its fiber optic cable production lines.

While OCC recorded a net loss of $398,000 ($0.05 per share), this represented a substantial narrowing from the $1.1 million loss reported in Q1 2025.

Selling, General, and Administrative (SG&A) expenses edged up slightly to $5.6 million, primarily due to increased personnel costs and shipping fees.

On the balance sheet, cash on hand declined to $126,000, though the company’s sales order backlog surged to $10.4 million—a more than 50% increase compared to the prior year.