Aurora Cannabis (TSX:ACB) Q1 2027 Earnings Call

0:00 Greetings, and welcome to the Aurora Cannabis Inc. First Quarter twenty twenty seven Results Conference Call. All participants will be in a listen only mode and a question and answer session will follow the formal presentation. This conference call is being recorded today, Wednesday, 08/05/2026. I would now like to turn the conference over to your host, Kevin Nyland, Director of Strategic Finance and Investor Relations. Please go ahead, sir. Hello, and thank you for joining us. With me are Miguel Martin, Executive Chairman and CEO and Simona King, CFO. Earlier this morning, we filed our fiscal first quarter twenty twenty seven financials for the period ending 06/30/2026, and issued a news release containing our quarterly results. Our financial statements, MD and A and news release are available on our IR website and can also access via SEDAR plus and EDGAR.

0:50 In addition, you'll find a supplemental information deck on our IR website. Please note that we present our financials in accordance with IFRS and in Canadian dollars. Trader discussions will be referring to both GAAP and non GAAP adjusted results. We encourage you to review the reconciliation contained within the press release of our reported results under GAAP to corresponding non GAAP measures. Our discussion today serves as a reminder that certain matters could constitute forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties relating to our future financial or business performance.

1:21 Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in those forward looking statements. Risk factors that may affect actual results are detailed in our annual information form and other periodic filings and registration statements. These documents may similarly be accessed via SEDAR plus and EDGAR. Following our prepared remarks, we'll conduct a question and answer session that are covering elements. With that, I'll turn the call over to Miguel. Please go ahead. Thanks, Kevin. Aurora has become synonymous with medical cannabis in nationally legal markets because we spent years building the infrastructure, scientific capability, and regulatory expertise required to deliver reliable, scalable, and consistently high quality products to patients. Our dedicated focus on medical cannabis enables us to maximize opportunities in the industry's most attractive, durable, and profitable segment and should help us maintain and expand our leadership over time.

2:15 We are already a leading exporter and hold top tier market share positions in Canada, Germany, Poland, and Australia. We are also well positioned to export to other countries as the regulatory environment continues to open. We prioritize expanding our manufacturing capacity to support growth in the estimated $9,000,000,000 global medical cannabis market. There are only a handful of companies like Aurora that have the capabilities and certified pharmaceutical grade facilities required to reliably produce and sell directly into European and Australian medical channels. Our integrated approach to manufacturing and distribution reflects disciplined operational and financial management that drives lower production costs through strong yields, higher potency and continued operational efficiency.

3:03 Our cost base is structured to support top line growth and our continued investment in international expansion helps offset the near term headwind in revenue and gross profit contributions to our business stemming from the reduced back reimbursement rate in Canadian Medical. We continue to prioritize and maintain a strong balance sheet with ample cash and no debt. This gives us greater flexibility to navigate regulatory and competitive developments across Canada, Europe and other key international markets and lets us deploy capital thoughtfully to stay ahead of our competition. Here are some of the key highlights from this quarter. First, international medical cannabis net revenue rose 17% to $43,000,000 driven by strong performance in Germany. Notably, about 64% of our total net revenue was generated outside of Canada, up from 50% last year.

3:55 Second, our acquisition of Safari Flower Company and the recently announced certification of its EU GMP facility adds critical manufacturing capacity to serve the growing profitable international medical cannabis markets. Third, adjusted gross margin was 58% at the high expected annual range as we benefited from strong contributions from international markets. And finally, we ended the quarter with nearly 150,000,000 in cash, cash equivalents and short term investments with no debt. Our operational network is clearly a core differentiator for Aurora, further supported by the recently completed acquisition of Safari Flower Company and the investments we have made in genetics and plant science. As international medical cannabis markets continue to evolve, EU GMP certification remains a critical enabler for global strategy and supports long term profitable growth.

4:50 Our investment in plant science and genetics has helped deliver meaningful reductions in the cost per gram to manufacture. Genetic differences alone can drive a yield improvement of up to 40 on the same cost base, a critical advantage in a capital intensive business. Consistency is equally important, particularly in highly regulated medical markets where product variability can disqualify items from market access altogether. Safari is an established EU GMP certified cultivator and manufacturer operating a 59,000 square foot purpose built indoor facility in Ontario. That strengthens our position as one of the largest Canadian exporters of medical cannabis. The acquisition gives us incremental EU GMP capacity that aligns with our existing global manufacturing network, strengthening our ability to meet the growing international demand for high quality EU GMP products.

5:42 This transaction was accretive to our adjusted EBITDA results during the first quarter and we intend to apply our plant science and operational expertise to drive incremental benefits through increased yields, lower manufacturing costs and additional supply of EU GMP flour to maximize the high margin opportunities in Europe and other key international markets. Now let's discuss our key medical cannabis markets individually. Germany is our largest and fastest growing international market. It's also one of the most rigorous markets with strict GMP standards required for access. We view these attributes as a competitive advantage rather than a barrier and one that has helped us build a stellar reputation with wholesalers, distributors, and pharmacists. The market is structured around flour and oil.

6:29 And unlike in other countries, Germany maintains meaningful separation between premium, core, and value tier pricing. We operate primarily in the premium and core segments, which represent the majority of our volume with all three segments continuing to grow. As new competitors enter Germany and pricing pressure increases, we've maintained our leading market share by adjusting pricing where appropriate and broadening our product line to include more value options. We also expect GMP standards to become increasingly stringent, a trend we believe favors experienced and established operators like Aurora. Our EU GMP certified facilities and integrated supply chain allow us to ship directly to Germany and continue supporting growing patient demand in the years ahead. Our leadership showed through this quarter with two of our proprietary cultivars continue to rank in the top five by sales.

7:19 Clear evidence of our brand equity that we've developed since first entering Germany in 2018. We're one of only three active in country producers of medical cannabis holding a production and R and D license under German cannabis law, giving us a strong foundation to directly serve the growing medical markets across Europe. To capture incremental share in this growing market and augment our EU GMP production, we are in the final phase of our expansion plans for our Lornen facility. These investments should increase product quality through the same industry leading genetics and operational playbook that has helped deliver incremental margin gains. The project is nearing completion and combined with the rollout of our proprietary cultivars is expected to double the site's annual flower output.

8:04 The German market has built a very mature and integrated medical cannabis framework. They have a well developed physician and pharmacy led network that supports patient access, which is further supported by proper manufacturing and distribution capacity, GMP level standards, and strong regulatory oversight. All those points to a system that's solid, well thought out, and highly integrated.

8:27 We continue to monitor the regulatory and legislative environment in Germany. And while there's been lots of discussion regarding potential changes, we believe that we have the skills and capabilities to navigate any potential revision successfully and come out stronger on the other side, similar to how we successfully navigated the changes in Poland last year. Speaking of Poland, we hold the number one market share position supported by strong commercial execution. We are encouraged by recent increases in annual import limits limits and the strong loyal patient base, which strengthens our growth outlook for this key highly regulated market. Success in Germany and Poland positions us well for other emerging regulated markets such as France, Ukraine, Switzerland, Spain and Austria as our capabilities are portable.

9:15 We will continue to focus on cultivation and wholesale where we believe the greatest margin opportunity exists rather than downstream channels like retail or telehealth. These sit outside our core competencies of weaving ever increasing regulatory standards into our operations. Our well established leadership in Australia is allowing us to shift our sales mix towards core and premium products, reflecting growing demand from both prescribing physicians and patients for higher tier options. Australia also offers one of the broadest product format ranges outside of North America, giving us the opportunity to fully leverage our diverse product portfolio beyond flower and oils. We are also encouraged by the growth we are seeing in New Zealand, another highly regulated market where patients are responding favorably to our growing product assortment.

10:03 Finally, let's turn to Canada. The first quarter marked the onset of revisions to the federal reimbursement program, which took effect April 1. As expected, this external regulatory shift impacted both our top line and adjusted gross profit. However, we are encouraged by our continued strong margins in our global medical cannabis business that supported the achievement of consolidated adjusted gross margins of 58%, which are at the higher end of our targeted range. These leading margins along with our historical ability to grow share in this business should therefore remain intact. Against this backdrop, we expect to expand share with new patients continue to enter the market. The revenue and adjusted EBITDA impact reflected in our first quarter performance and reaffirmed annual guidance is primarily a function of industry wide changes and not a reflection of underlying demand or our competitive position in the long term. In our view, we have the capabilities, high quality products, financial resources and resilience to successfully navigate this headwind and deliver profitable growth, while continuing to invest in growing international opportunities.

11:10 Finally, let me address the changing U. Regulatory landscape. We're watching developments in The US closely, particularly as recent uplisting activity and potential rescheduling create new possibilities. We see three areas of opportunity for us, expanded research collaboration following federal rescheduling, potential partnerships leveraging our GMP and medical grade manufacturing standards and longer term import export possibilities between The U. S. And the international medical markets we already serve. That said, we are encouraged by this renewed momentum and look forward to further regulatory clarity from the U. S. Administration in the coming months. Let me now turn the call over to Simona.

11:52 Thank you, Miguel. Our quarterly performance reflects the strategic decisions we have made to reallocate our resources to focus on global medical cannabis opportunities. While some of the year over year comparatives may appear less favorable, the results themselves are in line with our expectations, and we are purposely investing in our international business through strategic sales initiatives and EU GMP capacity expansion to support growth in our most profitable markets. Let's now review our fiscal first quarter twenty twenty seven compared to the prior year, and I will then reaffirm our fiscal year twenty twenty seven outlook. Net revenue was $67,600,000 which is inclusive of a 17% increase in international medical cannabis.

12:41 This growth was offset by the expected changes in Canadian medical net revenue and the planned exit from our lower margin Canadian consumer cannabis business.

12:52 Consolidated adjusted gross margin held strong at 58%, coming in at the high end of our annual guidance range. The change versus the prior year was primarily due to the expected changes in Canadian medical pricing, offset by strong international performance. Consolidated adjusted SG and A was reduced from $36,100,000 in the prior year to $35,100,000 this quarter.

13:20 This $1,000,000 reduction was driven primarily by lower general and admin spending, offset by slightly higher selling costs. Adjusted EBITDA was $3,400,000 compared to $10,800,000 in the prior year, while adjusted net income was $3,800,000 compared to $6,600,000 last year. The year over year changes primarily reflect lower adjusted gross profit before fair value adjustments, partially offset by improved SG and A performance and an increase in other income. Our balance sheet remains one of the strongest in the global cannabis industry. We held close to $150,000,000 in cash, cash equivalents and short term investments with no debt. We have ample liquidity and can be opportunistic with respect to investing in ourselves as needed, while also pursuing additional acquisitions.

14:14 Free cash flow was an outflow of $5,800,000 compared to an inflow of $6,800,000 from the prior year. This was mainly due to a reduction in gross profit before fair value adjustments of 9,700,000 Let me now reaffirm our outlook for fiscal twenty twenty seven ending 03/31/2027. It reflects the important steps that we've taken to strengthen the business and drive growth in the attractive global medical cannabis market. Recall that we view this as a transitionary year, and we remain optimistic in our long term trajectory. Fiscal twenty twenty seven is being shaped by changes in Canadian Medical that can be partially offset by international growth, as we demonstrated in Q1.

15:01 We are purposely investing in our international business to support growth in our most profitable market.

15:08 This includes our new wholly owned subsidiary, Safari Flower Company, a trusted cultivator and manufacturer of high quality medical cannabis, which provides incremental capacity to supply international markets such as Germany, Poland and The UK. For the fiscal second quarter, we expect revenue and adjusted EBITDA to be sequentially higher than in the fiscal first quarter. Thank you for your time. I'll now turn the call back to Miguel.

15:38 Thanks, Simona. We've established one of the most attractive medical cannabis growth businesses in the world, anchored by a sizable footprint across all major countries and regions. To accelerate our global momentum, we are deploying targeted investments to rapidly expand GMP capacity, push a steady cadence of new product launches, seize additional market share and reinforce our leadership position. These actions are engineered to deliver sustained double digit revenue growth, maintain superior margins and drive higher EBITDA contributions over the coming years. Thank you all for your time today and for your continued confidence in Aurora. Thank you. We will now be conducting a question and answer session.

16:35 We'll We'll and now If you would like to ask a follow-up question, please rejoin the queue. One moment please while we poll for questions. Our first question comes from Bill Kirk with ROTH Capital Partners. Please proceed with your question. Good morning, everybody. I was hoping, Miguel and Simona, if you could give us some more details or specifics on the expectation for sequential revenue growth and the EBITDA improvement that you expect off 1Q. And in particular, are there any markets where you're confident that, that growth is going to be driven from? Or any cost savings opportunities that you have on the horizon that gives

17:26 you that sequential improvement confidence?

17:30 Great. And good morning, Bill. Let me start and then I'll let Simona pick up the backside of it. I think overall, it's going be similar to what you've seen. So the same markets where we see opportunities and we see growth will continue to be there. Obviously, there's a bit of a reset as it pertains to VAC, but we expect to grow share off of that. As you move offshore, we see opportunities in Poland and Germany and Australia and New Zealand. Clearly, Germany being the biggest is the most sort of obvious place for it. And as we said in our prepared remarks, we continue to find significant opportunities there because of the scarcity of high quality GMP flour, which is something that, you know, really we excel at. And so I think it's it's more of the same, so there won't be any real big surprises. And on the cost side, we continue to look for efficiencies.

18:18 The biggest do come from our genetic work and the production efficiencies we get out of our facilities. So as we said and we've said in the past, some of those genetics can yield up to 40% increase

18:31 and also have improvements in quality and potency and TERP scores and things like that that allow you to garner some higher economics. But Simona, anything you want to add to that? I think you covered it, Miguel. And maybe to reiterate that we're very encouraged by the strong growth that we're seeing in Germany. And we're happy to, especially in Q1, deliver on the the high end of our guidance range with our adjusted gross margins being at 58%. So again, reflecting what Miguel said that we see continued efficiencies in our manufacturing network. Perfect. And as a follow-up on that manufacturing network, you talked a lot about the importance of EU GMP and your medical standards and quality.

19:20 What do you think about The U. S. Growers who are confident they can export into international markets?

19:27 And would you think of them as potential extra competition in those markets?

19:31 Or would they be potential partners that you could help access your international supply chain?

19:38 You know, listen, I think it's a little early. Obviously, the regulatory construct that the MSOs and the SSOs operate in is totally different, than what we see, say, in Germany or Poland or New Zealand. And that's not to take anything away from them because I think there's some very strong operators there. What I do know is that we've been in Germany since 2018 and it's difficult. And it's not just the regs that exist today. As we've said, those standards continue to tighten. And so I think whether you come from The US or you come from Canada, it's

20:10 a challenge in order to get product consistently in there. The other thing for us, which is a big advantage, is we grow almost everything that we sell. So we control that network all the way through as opposed to, say, third party purchases or other aspects on it. And in terms of partnership, we you know, as we said in our comments, absolutely believe that there will be opportunities to partner. Our almost decade plus of large scale GMP manufacturing in a pharmaceutical setup for these countries lines up very well for what we're starting to see from the rescheduling

20:43 regulations coming out of The U. S. So we're hopeful, just like we partner with folks in Canada and internationally, that that would also extend to The U. S. Thank you. That's perfect. I'll jump back in the queue. Thank you, Bill.

20:59 Our next question comes from Fabrizio Gomez with ATB Capital Markets. Please proceed with your question. Hi, good morning. Thanks for the question here. I guess, I want to talk about Germany because Miguel, you mentioned that, I guess, you're a senior, expect to see continued pricing pressure there.

21:22 Can you talk about the magnitude of that price pressure that you're seeing? And are prices coming down

21:31 steadily every quarter? Has that been lumpy and varied according to the availability of supply? And then the second point on Germany is potential revisions there in terms of the regulatory framework. If you could just talk about how you think the regulatory environment in Germany is going to evolve and how Aurora is positioned to potentially benefit from that? Thank you. Of course. And good morning, Fred. I think so first, let me talk about pricing in Germany. So as we mentioned in our prepared remarks, there really are three distinct sort of quality tiers in Germany articulated and we like that in a market. So you've got premium core and value. All of them are required to be GMP. So they hold a higher standard than maybe a non GMP market.

22:19 We see most of the pricing pressure in the value segment as to be expected. And actually, when you look at core and premium, because of the increasingly challenge that comes with these GMP standards getting more stringent, we see that pricing has been, held up quite well there. So I think while you

22:38 always are sort of seeing something in the value segment, on the higher ends you don't. And we also see since it's such a large self payer market that you don't see some of the pressure on the reimbursed side as maybe the reimbursement would change like you see in Canada under the VAC system. So I think we're pretty confident in that piece of it. And overall, when you think about some of the noise that we've heard from potential legislation, we'll know a lot more in the coming months. But usually when these things happen, it benefits those companies that have the sort of wherewithal and the persistence to stick through it. Obviously, the most obvious example is Poland when they made some changes in the telehealth platform there, which you're well aware of. We saw a short term dip.

23:27 And then for those companies like Aurora that were able

23:31 pivot and handle the regulatory changes, there was actually growth opportunities. And so if there were changes to the telehealth provisions in Germany, which seem a little less likely on some of the more severe ones, but we'll see, I think companies like Aurora actually stand to gain because it makes it that much more difficult for those that haven't dealt with it or are not prepared to manage it. Thank you. Appreciate that. You're very welcome, Fred.

24:00 Our next question comes from Ryan Neal with TD Cowen. Please proceed with your question. Hey, everyone. This is Ryan on for Derek and thanks for taking my questions. Just to start in the domestic market, can you isolate the impact of the lower reimbursement rates on revenue, gross profit and EBITDA? And have you seen any further changes in patient behavior or pricing since the initial adjustment? Let me take the second part of it and I'll let Simone pick up the first part. We've seen very little changes. I mean, because for the VAC patient, there is very little difference for them. Most of, if not the entirety of the pricing change has been handled by the LPs that service those critical patients. So from a format choice and selection and cadence and everything, it's pretty much unchanged.

24:50 But Simona, maybe you want to take the first part?

24:54 Yes. So we have seen an impact in Canadian Medical on our revenues versus the prior quarters. And that's a result of the reimbursement impact coming into effect on April 1, thirty percent reduction in reimbursement rates. And so that is as expected as we discussed last quarter, where we're anticipating these changes, and this is how Q1 has come in. It's coming from our expectations.

25:26 Great. And then just as a follow-up, how is the integration of Safari progressing?

25:30 And do you see any expected accretion and synergies in fiscal twenty twenty seven?

25:34 And are there any updates on sort of the operational or genetic improvements there? Yes. I mean, we saw contributions this quarter. We don't break out each of the facilities, and we're very pleased with the integration. I think the fact they just received their certification, which is valid for three years, was very exciting for us and we're thrilled. So more to follow in the coming quarters in terms of what it means, but early days on Safari are very encouraging. Great. Thanks. I'll re queue. Thank you, Ryan.

26:15 Our next question comes from Pablo Zuanic with Zuanic and Associates. Proceed with your question. Thank you and good morning everyone. Miguel, in my opinion, the industry did a very good job over the last four or five years in Canadian medical. The penetration with veterans, according to my numbers that I see, went from around four percent to eight percent over a four year period.

26:42 How much higher can that go? What would you think is the natural cap on that percentage? Is there room to take that up much further? Thank you.

26:51 Paula, I think it's a difficult one because it's really, that behavior is really an interaction between that patient, the doctor, and then coming to the LP. I think clearly, you know, we've seen through our interactions with the veterans and and everything that we owe them that they're seeing a a strong benefit from that cannabis component, you know, as they leave the service. We're also seeing new patients join that system on a very regular basis. And those patients, you know, are all across different age spectrums

27:22 and and gender and different sort of indications. And so hard to say, you know, what is the the cap, as you've talked about, four to eight percent. I think the system, though, is is very healthy, and we see an opportunity for us to grow share in that because of the great service that we do offer them. The other part about that, which is very interesting, is the portability of those insights. Because that veteran interest in medical cannabis is not solely a Canadian condition. We see interest across the board, whether it's in Europe, The US, or in New Zealand and Australia. And those veteran communities are very well connected because in many cases they serve with each other in those different markets. So we're excited beyond just what we're seeing in Canada from those learnings and those insights. But again, the portability of that because it's a very specific sort of activity and service level required to take care of that critical patient. So I think there's benefits across the board even those outside of Canada.

28:21 Thank you. Just a quick follow-up. Obviously, you've been you are the first or you've been among the first in entering a lot of these overseas markets. But in the case of UK and correct me if I'm wrong, I think you've been slower than other people, right? And that market has very quickly vertically integrated downstream LPs controlling online pharmacies, clinics. Can you talk more about, am I right, you've been slow in The UK and can you still catch up there? Thank you. Yeah, with all due respect, I wouldn't describe it as slow. Don't think we've been slow at all. Our real sort of focus is on the genetics, the development, and the manufacturing of these medications. And in The UK, you're right, there's been a lot of movement on the clinic side and on the pharmacy side. Those are not areas of focus for us.

29:12 But as the regs have started to change in The UK through interactions we have with the MHRA, we feel very confident about our position there. What we do know is that The UK is once again a place where high quality premium medical products are valued, particularly in the self payer market. And Aurora having, you know, some of the largest supply of those GMP products for that market, I think, will be just fine. So I think, you know, as things sort of ebb and flow, you can't look at things in the short term. I think you have to look at things in the long term. And I think we've proven across almost 12 plus countries that very stringent standards benefit us and we're seeing that in The UK and we think that will play out over the coming quarters.

30:01 Thank you. You're very welcome. Our next question comes from Ryan Neal with TD Cowen. Please proceed with your question. Hey, everyone. Just one more for me. Curious if on you have any recent progress in Australia as you transition to more of the core and premium offerings there and how that's evolved in response? Know, right. It's a great question. I I think that, you know, what we're seeing in Australia is a very interesting dynamic because it allows more than flour and oils, and we're seeing a lot of quality. Having been there, you know, for almost a decade and, right, predominantly focused in what they call the concession market, which is a bit of the value market. We're starting to see strong progress in core and premium.

30:47 And it's a country where cannabis is moving pretty quickly, and so we're excited about that as well. Right next to it is New Zealand. And I know that wasn't your question, but there's a lot of efficiencies and synergies and having success in Australia. And New Zealand's a bit more difficult from a regulatory standpoint, which lines up well for us. So I think when you combine the two, we're very encouraged about what the opportunities there are. And it's also a wonderful jumping off spot for that part of the world as medical cannabis gains more sort of mainstream acceptance. So we're bullish on both the opportunities that present themselves in that market, but also what it means for us in markets next door. Great. Thanks everyone. Thank you, Ryan. We've reached the end of our question and answer session. I would now like to turn the floor back over to Mr. Martin for closing comments.

31:41 Operator, thank you very much and our appreciation to everyone's coverage of Aurora. We're incredibly excited about the future and we look forward to sharing that with you in the coming quarters. All the best. Thank you. This concludes today's teleconference. You may disconnect your lines at this time. Thank you for your participation.