Morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us for The Toro Company's first quarter 2026 earnings conference call. Rick, Edric, and Angie will provide an overview of our first quarter results, which were released earlier this morning, and discuss our priorities and outlook for the remainder of fiscal 2026. We capitalized on market opportunities and customer demand, drove operational excellence, and leveraged our portfolio of leading brands for profitable growth and competitive advantage. We reported better than expected adjusted earnings per share of $0.74, up from $0.65 a year ago, due to higher earnings in our professional segment, which represents about 80% of our portfolio.
We expanded our hydrovac excavation solutions through our acquisition of Tornado Infrastructure Equipment, further strengthening our capabilities. We generated free cash flow of $14.6 million, resulting in an impressive free cash flow conversion rate of 22% in a quarter where our seasonal preparations typically result in a net use of cash. We repurchased approximately $95 million of common stock, reflecting our commitment to return value to shareholders. In summary, through strong execution of our strategic priorities throughout the first quarter, we drove favorable sales and earnings growth and further strengthened our financial position.
During the first quarter, our teams were prepared to deliver snow and ice products and capitalize on incremental demand as a series of winter storms hit in major population areas. This operational agility and strong execution not only contributed to excellent Q1 top-line growth but also positions us well for robust performance in these categories in the back half of this year. We also continue to invest in underground and specialty construction, reflecting our expectations of multi-year growth in these businesses. As a natural adjacency to our existing businesses, its complementary offering enables us to expand our growth opportunities in this market.