Thales S.A. (THLLY) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
The aerospace-and-defense company's sales increased 6.7% in reported terms and 7.8% organically, as demand for military equipment and satellite systems remained high.
RC Fornax PLC's (AIM:RCFX) place on Thales' niche supplier framework matters far more for what it signals than for any immediate revenue impact. The shares rose as much as 6% in early trading.
RC Fornax PLC (AIM:RCFX), the defence engineering consultancy, has been selected by Thales UK to join its niche supplier framework for sonar and naval architecture work. The agreement, awarded after a competitive bidding process, runs for three years with an option for a further two-year extension.
Thales S.A. (THLLY) M&A Call Transcript
Thales said it signed an agreement with the Gorge family for their combined stake, valuing Exail at $4.46 billion, including debt.
Thales remains a buy, with a 17% upside to a $319.42 price target, driven by robust defense and aerospace growth. Defense is the primary growth engine, with Q1 2026 sales up 14.3% organically, supported by strong order intake and European security modernization. Despite supply chain constraints and commercial avionics headwinds, THLEF's diversified exposure and resilient end markets underpin long-term demand.
Thales S.A. (THLLY) Q1 2026 Sales/Trading Call Transcript
The aerospace-and-defense company reported higher orders as wars in Ukraine and Iran prompt governments to strengthen their air defenses with new systems and radar technology.
Thales S.A. is rated Hold due to AI disruption fears and commercial sector exposure, despite strong defense positioning. AI advancements threaten THLLY's cybersecurity and SOC business, with Claude LLM and agentic startups accelerating industry disruption. Geopolitical risks and the Iran war pose uncertainty for THLLY's commercial aerospace segment, impacting airline capex and supply chains.
Thales remains a buy, targeting 12%–27% upside based on 2026–2027 earnings and higher EV/EBITDA multiples. THLLY delivered 7.6% sales growth and 14% organic EBIT growth in 2025, with margin expansion and 27% higher free cash flow. 2026 guidance targets 5–7% sales growth, 12.6–12.8% EBIT margins, and 95–100% free cash flow conversion, with defense and aerospace leading.
France's Thales said on Wednesday it had launched a new integrated air and missile defence system, tying together existing capabilities and incorporating artifical intelligence.