CFO Chris Edmunds steps onto NYSE Live to break down record-breaking Q1 2026 results – and the numbers speak for themselves.
If you’re watching Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) move higher today, the catalyst is clear: the company just delivered a blowout first quarter, and CFO Chris Edmunds sat down with Kristen Scholer on NYSE Live this morning to walk investors through exactly what’s driving the momentum.
“Strong demand across our differentiated products… record contracted backlog of $498.1 million, providing confidence in our forecast as we move further into 2026.” – Peter Cannito, Chairman & CEO
Revenue surges 58% – both segments firing
Redwire posted $97 million in Q1 2026 revenue, up a remarkable 57.9% compared to the same period last year. The space segment contributed $52.7 million, while the defense tech segment generated $44.3 million – fueled heavily by the integration of Edge Autonomy, now fully rebranded under the Redwire name. This is no longer just a pure-play space company.
A backlog that tells the real story
The headline number investors are reacting to is the record backlog of $498.1 million – up 21.1% sequentially and 71.1% year over year. The book-to-bill ratio of 1.92 means that for every dollar of revenue Redwire recognized, it booked nearly two dollars in new orders. Space bookings alone hit $114.6 million. Defense bookings added $72 million. This is a company building a long runway.
What Edmunds said on NYSE Live
Appearing on NYSE Live this morning, CFO Chris Edmunds highlighted three takeaways for investors. First, gross margins improved meaningfully – reaching 26.6%, a sequential and year-over-year gain driven by disciplined portfolio management. Second, the company ended the quarter with record liquidity of $175.2 million ($145.2M cash + $30M undrawn credit facility). Third – and critically – Redwire reaffirmed its full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $450–500 million, implying 41.6% growth at the midpoint.
“We ended the quarter with record total liquidity of $175.2 million. With further line of sight into the rest of the year, we are pleased to reaffirm our 2026 revenue forecast.” – Chris Edmunds, CFO
The pipeline: space, defense, and beyond
Beyond the quarterly numbers, management outlined the growth vectors that investors are now pricing in. In space: VLEO satellites (SabreSat & Phantom), a quantum-secure constellation (QKDSat), the Andromeda refuelable GEO spacecraft program, lunar infrastructure including a lunar power grid, and bioprinting/SpaceMD capabilities. On the defense side: next-generation Stalker Block 40 drones (used by the U.S. Marine Corps) and the Penguin Mark III – both benefiting from resumed government budgets after the 2025 shutdown and surging European defense spending.
Bottom line
Redwire is rising today because the fundamentals justified it. A near-60% revenue jump, a record $498M backlog, improving margins, and full-year guidance held firm – all communicated clearly by Chris Edmunds on live television this morning. The market is simply catching up to the numbers.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.