Cadre Holdings Inc. (NYSE:CDRE) is one of the undervalued aerospace and defense stocks to buy. On May 11, Cadre Holdings Inc. (NYSE:CDRE) delivered solid first-quarter 2026 results, including a record backlog.
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Backlog in the quarter rose to $355 million, up from $166 million at the start of the year. The significant increase was attributed to the blast attenuation seat contract award and the TYR acquisition. The company also recorded strong demand in duty gear and armor. Cadre Holdings is also seeing strong and recurring demand for its suite of leading mission-critical safety products amid heightened geopolitical tensions and increased defense spending.
First-quarter net sales soared to $155.4 million from $130.1 million in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was due to recent acquisitions, offset by timing-related fluctuations in orders. Gross profit increased to $60.2 million from $56.1 million a year ago. On the other hand, net income dropped to $2 million, compared to $9.2 million in Q1 2025, due to higher compensation, interest, and transaction expenses.
For the full year, Cadre Holdings expects net sales to range between $736 million and $758 million, with adjusted EBITDA between $136 million and $141 million.
Cadre Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CDRE) is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of safety and survivability equipment for law enforcement, first responders, and military personnel, focused on body armor, duty gear, and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) tools.
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