Today: 18 July 2026
Celsius Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) shares slip as lower-cost debt highlights margin pressures
17 July 2026
2 mins read

Celsius Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CELH) shares slip as lower-cost debt highlights margin pressures

NEW YORK, July 17, 2026, 16:11 EDT

  • Celsius ended regular U.S. trading at $28.99, falling 3.3%.
  • The spread on the $694.75 million term loan has been reduced by 25 basis points.
  • A preliminary estimate places the value of one quarterly gross-margin point at $7.83 million, which is 18 times greater than the first quarterly interest saving.

Celsius closed at $28.99 on Friday, dropping 3.3% in regular trading. Despite securing a lower-cost term loan, shares fell 5.3% over the week.

The company on Wednesday reduced the loan spread by 25 basis points and refinanced $694.75 million with no prepayment penalty.

With the principal unchanged, the adjustment reduces annualised pre-tax interest by roughly $1.74 million. This initial estimate does not account for fees, amortisation or tax. The benefit is significant.

However, it is not the key driver for earnings. A single gross-margin point on first-quarter revenue represents roughly $7.83 million in gross profit, which is 18 times greater than the original quarterly interest savings.

MeasureValueInvestor comparison
New term loan$694.75 millionPrincipal disclosed
Immediate spread cut25 basis points$1.74 million in annualised pre-tax savings
Initial quarterly saving$0.43 million3.7% of interest cost in first quarter
One first-quarter gross-margin point$7.83 million gross profit18.0 times the quarterly saving
Full conditional cut50 basis points in total$3.47 million in annualised pre-tax savings

Initial estimates assume a fixed principal and do not take into account fees, taxes or planned amortisation.

The comparison covers various accounting items and does not represent net-income guidance.

Celsius posted first-quarter revenue of $782.6 million, representing a 138% rise from the same period last year. The majority of the growth was driven by acquisitions.

Gross margin dropped by 400 basis points to 48.3% in the quarter. Alani Nu and Rockstar were added to the portfolio, both carrying lower margin profiles.

Celsius’s main brand increased 6% compared with the previous year. Alani Nu posted revenue of $368.1 million, as Rockstar added $66.6 million.

Alani Nu saw an increase in orders after joining PepsiCo, Inc.’s distribution network.

CEO John Fieldly described the first quarter as “a defining period.” He stated it reflected “the power of our brands and the strength of our growth model.” Celsius Holdings

Sell-side sentiment became more cautious as well. Stifel Financial Corp. analyst Matthew Smith maintained a Buy rating at $45 on Thursday. Previously, the company had reduced its price target from $62.

Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:MNST) ended the week little changed. Celsius lagged behind by roughly 5.4 percentage points. During the same period, the Nasdaq Composite declined 2.9%.

A widespread selloff on Friday intensified pressure on U.S. growth stocks as chip sector losses deepened a risk-off mood, sending the Nasdaq down 1.4%.

No Celsius investor events are scheduled this week. The company’s next earnings date is still unannounced. An external projection suggests August 6.

Retail trends and ratings actions are now the primary short-term focus. If ratings are upgraded, the loan spread may decline by an additional 25 basis points. This would bring estimated annual savings to around $3.47 million.

Risks: The debt continues to be floating-rate and the further price reduction is conditional. Increases in commodity costs, sluggish core sales or a shift to lower-margin products could rapidly offset the savings.

The refinancing slightly boosts cash flow, though the primary challenge is still growing the brand and maintaining a steady recovery in gross margin.

Michał Rogucki is a senior markets reporter at TS2.tech, specializing in stocks, technology and macroeconomic developments. A graduate of Humboldt University of Berlin, he previously worked in investment research and market analysis before transitioning to financial journalism. He covers the trends and events that matter most to investors worldwide.

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