Zebra Technologies Corporation (ZBRA) saw its stock price surge 17.72% during intraday trading on Tuesday. The significant upward movement followed the company's release of its first-quarter 2026 financial results, which substantially exceeded market expectations.
The workflow automation provider reported adjusted earnings per share of $4.75 for the quarter, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $4.25. Net sales reached $1.5 billion, also surpassing the expected $1.48 billion. Furthermore, the company raised its full-year 2026 sales growth forecast to a range of 10% to 14%, up from its previous outlook of 9% to 13% growth.
Chief Executive Bill Burns attributed the strong performance to robust demand for the company's automation technology, particularly in the manufacturing end market, and highlighted accelerating trends in e-commerce, automation, and Physical AI. The company also issued second-quarter guidance above analysts' estimates, expecting adjusted EPS between $4.20 and $4.50 versus the $4.14 consensus.