SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, today reported results for the third quarter 2026.
Third Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights
- Revenue of $5.8 billion, an increase of 2%, compared to $5.7 billion in the third quarter of 2025
- Total company growth over market of 4 percentage points, with 4 percentage points in Seating and 2 percentage points in E-Systems
- Net income increased 26% to $137 million and adjusted net income increased 23% to $185 million, compared to $108 million and $150 million, respectively, in the third quarter of 2025
- Core operating earnings of $256 million, an increase of 6%, compared to $241 million in the third quarter of 2025
- Earnings per share of $2.74 and adjusted earnings per share of $3.71, compared to $2.02 and $2.79, respectively, in the third quarter of 2025
- Earnings per share increased 36% year-over-year and adjusted earnings per share increased 33% year-over-year, reflecting higher earnings and the benefit of our share repurchase program
- Net cash provided by operating activities of $329 million and free cash flow of $158 million, compared to $444 million and $307 million, respectively, in the third quarter of 2025
- Delivered positive operating performance in both segments; â40 basis points in Seating and â120 basis points in E-Systems
- Repurchased $175 million of shares, achieving our full-year target of $350 million, and paid $38 million in dividends
- Cash and cash equivalents at quarter-end of $889 million and total liquidity of $2.9 billion
Third Quarter 2026 Business Highlights
- Expanded our Seating leadership position through significant new complete seat awards, including a key replacement program and a future program with a North American automaker in North America, our largest complete seat award in India with Mahindra & Mahindra, an award with a Chinese luxury EV automaker in China and awards with BYD in Indonesia and Thailand; a ComfortFlex⢠award with Mercedes; and ComfortMax Seat⢠and FlexAir® awards with JLR
- Continued to grow our core E-Systems products with a conquest award on a commercial and passenger van with a North American automaker in Europe and multiple conquest and new wire awards with customers in China
"Lear delivered improved year-over-year revenue and core operating earnings for the fourth consecutive quarter despite lower industry production. These results keep us on track to deliver our full-year earnings guidance. We continue to win significant new business awards, including complete seats for two important programs with a North American automaker, our largest complete seat award in India with Mahindra & Mahindra, where we are the market leader, and complete seats for future programs with a Chinese luxury EV automaker and with BYD. We continue to grow in E-Systems with a conquest electronics award on a commercial and passenger van in Europe, and both conquest and new wire awards with multiple customers in China," said Ray Scott, Lear's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our complete seat facility in Orion, Michigan, is on track to launch early next year. This is our most sophisticated plant and a showcase for the next phase of our technology roadmap driven by IDEA by Learâ¢. Our strong cash generation enabled us to achieve our full-year share repurchase target of $350 million, driving continued earnings per share growth while sustaining our dividend. We remain committed to returning cash to shareholders, as demonstrated by our expanded share repurchase authorization to $1.5 billion, which has been extended through December 31, 2029."
Third Quarter Financial Results
(in millions, except per share amounts)
In the third quarter, global vehicle production was down 2% compared to a year ago, with North America down 5%, Europe up 1% and China down 7%. Global vehicle production was down approximately 2% on a Lear sales-weighted basis(2).
Sales in the third quarter were $5.8 billion, up 2% year-over-year. Sales excluding the impact of commodities, foreign exchange and tariff recoveries were also up 2%, reflecting the addition of new business and commercial recoveries, partially offset by lower production on key Lear platforms and the wind-down of non-core electronics programs.
Core operating earnings were $256 million, or 4.4% of sales, as compared to $241 million, or 4.2% of sales, in 2025. Earnings were impacted by commercial recoveries, restructuring and IDEA by Lear⢠savings, partially offset by lower production on key Lear platforms, and increases in engineering and launch costs.
In the Seating segment, margins and adjusted margins were 5.5% and 6.3% of sales, respectively, as compared to 5.6% and 6.1%, respectively, in 2025. In the E-Systems segment, margins and adjusted margins were 3.5% and 4.8% of sales, respectively, increased from 2.9% and 4.2%, respectively, in 2025.
Net income was $137 million, an increase of 26%, compared to $108 million in 2025. Adjusted net income was $185 million, an increase of 23%, compared to $150 million in 2025.
Earnings per share were $2.74 and adjusted earnings per share were $3.71, as compared to $2.02 and $2.79, respectively, a year ago. Earnings per share increased 36% year-over-year and adjusted earnings per share increased 33% year-over-year, reflecting higher earnings and the benefit of our share repurchase program.
In the third quarter of 2026, net cash provided by operating activities was $329 million and free cash flow(1) was $158 million, decreasing from $444 million and $307 million, respectively, in 2025.
(1) For more information regarding our non-GAAP financial measures, see "Non-GAAP Financial Information" below.
(2) The global and regional production changes are based on Mobility Global estimates. The production change on a Lear sales-weighted basis is calculated using Lear's prior year regional sales mix and third quarter fiscal calendar. Management believes this provides a more meaningful comparison of the Company's global revenue growth relative to global vehicle production.
Share Repurchase Program
During the third quarter of 2026, Lear repurchased 1,375,917 shares of our common stock for a total of $175 million. At the end of the third quarter, we had a remaining share repurchase authorization of approximately $1.5 billion, which reflects approximately 26% of our total market capitalization at current market prices.
Since initiating the share repurchase program in 2011, we have repurchased 64.9 million shares of our common stock for a total of $6.3 billion at an average price of $96.38 per share. This represents a reduction of approximately 62% of our shares outstanding since the time we began the program.
2026 Financial Outlook
We adjusted our 2026 financial outlook to reflect changing production schedules for key platforms and their impact on our business. We are maintaining our full year outlook for core operating earnings as we anticipate our strong operational execution and the additional savings from our restructuring actions will offset the impacts from lower revenue and higher commodity and other input costs.
At the midpoint of our guidance range, we have assumed that full-year global industry production will be approximately 1% lower than in 2025 on a Lear sales-weighted basis. The industry volume assumptions underlying our 2026 financial outlook are derived from several sources, including internal estimates, customer production schedules and the most recent Mobility Global production estimates for our vehicle platforms.
Our outlook excludes any future impact of potential changes to tariffs or Company or industry-wide production disruptions.
Our 2026 financial outlook is summarized below:
The financial outlook is based on full year average exchange rates of $1.15/Euro and 6.80 RMB/$.
Certain of the forward-looking financial measures above are provided on a non-GAAP basis. The Company does not provide a reconciliation of such forward-looking measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP because to do so would be potentially misleading and not practical given the difficulty of projecting event-driven transactional and other non-core operating items in any future period. The magnitude of these items, however, may be significant.
Third Quarter 2026 Conference Call and Webcast Information
A conference call and webcast will be held to discuss Lear's third quarter 2026 financial results and related matters on October 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The webcast link for the conference call will be available through Lear's investor relations webpage at ir.lear.com. In addition, the conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-877-883-0383 (domestic) or 1-412-902-6506 (international) with Conference I.D. 5619744. The webcast replay will be available two hours following the call.
Non-GAAP Financial Information
In addition to the results reported in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) included throughout this press release, the Company has provided information regarding "pretax income before equity income, interest, other expense, restructuring costs and other special items" (core operating earnings or adjusted segment earnings), "pretax income before equity income, interest, other expense, depreciation expense, amortization of intangible assets, restructuring costs and other special items" (adjusted EBITDA), "adjusted net income attributable to Lear" (adjusted net income), "adjusted diluted net income per share attributable to Lear" (adjusted earnings per share), and "free cash flow" (each, a non-GAAP financial measure).