Fitness pulls ahead while Outdoor awaits new launches
- Fitness was 37 percent of Q2 2026 revenue and grew 25 percent year over year, remaining Garmin's main growth engine.
- Outdoor was 24 percent of Q2 2026 revenue and fell 2 percent, putting pressure on the second half product cycle.
- Aviation and Marine provide steadier specialty markets that can soften weakness in consumer hardware.
- Auto OEM was 9 percent of Q2 2026 revenue, with a major Mercedes-Benz program expected to ramp in 2027.
- Management expects higher memory costs to pressure gross margins in the second half of 2026.
Fitness is carrying the map
Garmin's story has shifted heavily toward Fitness. In Q2 2026, Fitness expanded to 37 percent of revenue and grew 25 percent year over year. Demand for advanced wearables remains the clearest reason to like the stock right now. The company is broadening its reach with the new CIRQL Smart Ring.
The watch point is Outdoor. It was 24 percent of Q2 2026 revenue and fell 2 percent because consumer auto and adventure watches faced a tough comparison. Management expects new products to lift Outdoor in the back half of 2026.
That makes the thesis easy to track. Bulls need Fitness to keep growing fast, Outdoor to return to growth after new launches, and Auto OEM losses to narrow before the Mercedes-Benz program ramps in 2027. Bears will argue Garmin is still a product-cycle hardware company if Outdoor misses that timeline and memory costs compress margins.
Hardware first, services building
Garmin makes most of its money by selling devices. These include watches, handheld outdoor devices, avionics for aircraft, marine electronics, and auto electronics sold to car makers. It sells through retailers, dealers, distributors, its own website, Garmin stores, and original equipment manufacturers, which are companies that install Garmin parts in their own products.
Subscriptions are still a smaller but important part of the model. Garmin Connect+ adds paid health and fitness insights. The company also recently acquired training platforms Training Peaks and TrainHeroic. Management says trial conversion is very high, but the company has not yet given the attach rate or revenue contribution.
The model works best when new products hit on time and carry strong margins. It can break when a major category gets stale, when customers wait for a next product cycle, or when input costs like memory rise unexpectedly.
Five markets, one brand
Fitness
This is Garmin's largest Q2 2026 segment. It includes wearables like the new CIRQL Smart Ring and advanced fitness watches, and it grew 25 percent in the quarter.
Outdoor
Outdoor includes adventure watches such as fēnix and Enduro. It has high margins, but Q2 2026 revenue fell, so the next product cycle is key.
Aviation
Aviation sells avionics to aircraft makers and aftermarket customers. It made up 13 percent of total revenue in Q2 2026.
Marine
Marine sells chartplotters, sonar, audio systems, and LED lighting. It provided 17 percent of revenue in Q2 2026.
Auto OEM
Auto OEM sells domain controllers and infotainment products to car makers. Revenue was flat in Q2 2026 before the Mercedes-Benz program ramps in 2027.
Connected services
Garmin is adding paid services like Garmin Connect+ and platforms like Training Peaks. The open question is how many users convert from trials into paying subscribers.
Q2 2026 revenue mix
The segment mix is from Garmin's Q2 2026 results. Fitness remains the largest segment, while Outdoor is large enough that a failed product cycle would matter.
What could break the story
Outdoor launch miss
High impact · Medium oddsManagement expects new product launches to improve Outdoor sales in the back half of the year. If those launches do not restart growth, the issue may be weaker demand or tougher competition, not just timing. That would hurt a high-margin segment and pressure the whole company story.
Memory cost margin squeeze
Medium impact · High oddsManagement warned that rising memory costs will act as a headwind to gross margins in the second half of 2026. If Garmin cannot pass these costs to consumers or offset them with volume, profits will fall short.
Fitness growth cools
High impact · Medium oddsFitness is now Garmin's main growth engine after 25 percent Q2 2026 revenue growth. That pace may be hard to repeat if wearable demand slows or competitors push harder. A slowdown would make the Outdoor recovery more important.
Auto OEM scale risk
Medium impact · Medium oddsAuto OEM has been a drag on profits, but the Mercedes-Benz domain controller program gives it a path to scale in 2027. The near term is still messy because management expects Auto OEM to return to an operating loss in late 2026.
Taiwan and supply chain shock
High impact · Low oddsGarmin has historically concentrated manufacturing in Taiwan. The new Thailand facility ramping in early 2027 should diversify this risk, but any disruption before then could raise costs or delay products.
In one breath
What does Garmin actually make?
Garmin makes GPS-enabled and sensor-based products. Its main areas are fitness wearables, outdoor watches and devices, aircraft avionics, marine electronics, and auto electronics.
Why is Garmin's Outdoor segment so important?
Outdoor is still a large, high-margin part of Garmin. It fell 2 percent in Q2 2026, and management says a second half recovery depends on new product launches.
Is Garmin becoming a subscription company?
Not yet. Garmin is adding paid services like Garmin Connect+, but hardware sales still drive the business. The key missing detail is how many users become paying subscribers.
What is the Mercedes-Benz catalyst for Garmin?
Garmin won a high-volume domain controller program with Mercedes-Benz that is expected to ramp in 2027. It could help Auto OEM scale, but Garmin still expects near-term Auto OEM revenue to decline as older programs end.
Sources and research notes
This page combines Finn's company research with public filings and other cited materials. The thesis is reviewed when material company information changes; Finn Scores use the latest available scoring data.
- Thesis reviewed
- August 23, 2026
- Score data
- September 27, 2026
- Reviewed by
- Shivam Bharuka
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