Newell Brands Inc. (NWL)

Newell Brands reported third-quarter 2026 net sales of $1.9 billion on 30 October, up 3.7 percent from a year earlier 1. It was the second straight quarter of sales growth, and the company raised its full-year sales outlook 1.

The quarter still ended in a net loss of $81 million, because of a $101 million non-cash charge that cut the recorded worth of a tradename, a brand name the company carries as an asset 1.

The company's own adjusted measure, which leaves out charges like that one, put operating margin at 9.8 percent against 8.9 percent a year earlier 1.

The company's outlook is net sales growth of 1 percent to 3 percent in the fourth quarter and 2 percent to 3 percent for 2026 1.

On 20 October it named Guillermo Beade chief operating officer, effective 26 October, with worldwide responsibility for sales, central marketing and supply chain 4.

Debt stood at $4.8 billion at the end of the quarter 1. The finance chief said the company anticipates cutting total debt and factoring, the sale of customer bills for cash, by a couple hundred million dollars this year 1.

The company began in 1903 in Ogdensburg, New York, as a maker of metal curtain rods 93.

It grew by buying brands: Sanford, maker of Sharpie and Expo, in 1992, and Calphalon cookware in 1998 9.

In 1999 it bought Rubbermaid and Graco in a deal worth $5.8 billion and became Newell Rubbermaid 9.

The largest step came on 15 April 2016, when it acquired Jarden for total consideration of $18.7 billion, counting cash paid, shares issued and debt assumed 8.

In the third quarter of 2018 the company recorded goodwill impairment charges of $3.9 billion, a write-down of what it had paid for past deals above the worth of their assets 8.

Net income for 2018 was a loss of $6,917.9 million, after a plan announced that year to sell non-core businesses 8.

During 2018 it sold Goody, Jostens, Pure Fishing, Rawlings and Waddington to shrink the portfolio and cut debt 8.

In 2023 the company finished a capability assessment that set its present strategy, and Chris Peterson became chief executive in May of that year 3.

Net sales then fell from $7,582 million in 2024 to $7,204 million in 2025, a drop of 5 percent, on soft demand in every segment, lost shelf space and product line exits 3.

New tariffs added about $114 million to the 2025 cost of products sold, and the company booked a net loss of $285 million 3.

In December 2025 it announced a productivity plan to cut over 900 jobs, mostly office roles 3.

Home and Commercial Solutions

Home and Commercial Solutions is the largest segment, with net sales of $3,772 million in 2025, down 7.3 percent 3. It sells kitchen appliances under Crockpot, Mr. Coffee and Oster, food storage under Rubbermaid, FoodSaver and Sistema, Calphalon cookware, Yankee Candle home fragrance and commercial cleaning products 3.

In the third quarter its net sales were $1.01 billion, with core sales up 6.0 percent in Kitchen, Home Fragrance and Commercial 1. The segment lost $37 million at the operating line because of the tradename charge 1.

Learning and Development

Learning and Development holds Sharpie, Paper Mate, Elmer's and Dymo writing and labeling products plus Graco and NUK baby gear 3. Its 2025 net sales were $2,691 million, down 1.0 percent, with operating income of $464 million 3.

In the third quarter net sales were $692 million, with growth in Writing and a roughly flat Baby business 1. The Baby unit relies on a single outside supplier for products that make up most of its sales 3.

Outdoor and Recreation

Outdoor and Recreation sells Coleman, Campingaz, Contigo, Bubba and Marmot gear and apparel 3. Net sales were $741 million in 2025, down 6.7 percent, with an operating loss of $25 million 3.

Third-quarter net sales were $169 million, a core sales decline of 6.4 percent 1. It is the one segment still shrinking 1.

Customers, sites and people

Amazon accounted for about 17 percent of 2025 net sales and Walmart for about 13 percent 3. The company employed about 21,900 people at the end of 2025 and ran about 40 manufacturing facilities, 15 of them in the U.S. 3.

Chris Peterson is president and chief executive and Mark Erceg is chief financial officer 3. Guillermo Beade joined as chief operating officer on 26 October 2026 4.

Tariffs, debt and legal matters

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on 20 February 2026 that the emergency-powers law does not allow the tariffs imposed under it, and the company received about $107 million of refunds in the third quarter 2.

In July and August it signed an $800 million asset-based credit line due 2031 and sold $600 million of 6.250% notes due 2031 to redeem 6.375% notes due 2027 762.

Over 100 entities, the company and its Berol subsidiary among them, were named responsible parties at the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site on the Lower Passaic River, where the EPA estimated remedies at about $1.80 billion 2.

The company does not expect its share of payments under the consent decree to be material 2.

The umbrella, in words

The brands include Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Graco, Coleman, Yankee Candle, Paper Mate, FoodSaver, Dymo, EXPO, Elmer's, Oster, NUK, Spontex and Campingaz 3. It sells Ball canning products under a license from Ball Corporation and holds rights to the Breville name for small appliances in Europe 3.

Its subsidiaries listed in the annual report include Jarden LLC, Jarden Receivables LLC, Berol Corporation, Graco Children's Products Inc. and Ignite Holdings LLC, all owned 10.

Jarden Receivables is the entity through which the company sells customer bills under a facility renewed on 2 October 2026 5.

Large holders reported to the company as of 5 March 2026 were BlackRock with 13.5 percent, Pzena Investment Management with 11.6 percent and Vanguard with 10.6 percent 11.

The company owned about 40 manufacturing sites, leased about 90 percent of its properties and ran about 235 stores, mostly Yankee Candle shops 3.

For the fourth quarter the company guides to net sales growth of 1 percent to 3 percent, normalized operating margin of 8.4 percent to 9.0 percent and normalized earnings per share of $0.17 to $0.19 1.

For 2026 it expects net sales growth of 2 percent to 3 percent, a normalized operating margin of 10.0 percent to 10.4 percent and normalized earnings per share of $0.74 to $0.76 1.

It revised its operating cash flow outlook to about $150 million, citing the end of its non-qualified pension plans and lower proceeds from factoring 1.

The productivity plan is expected to bring $75 million to $90 million of restructuring charges, most of them by the end of 2026, with employee separations abroad through 2026 3.

The finance chief said deleveraging remains a top priority 1. The renewed receivables facility ends on 1 October 2027 5.

Mr. Beade is to join the executive committee and build a more connected global structure for sales, marketing and supply chain, according to the company 4.