Astec Industries(ASTE) - 2024 Q4 - Annual Results

Financial Performance - Record net sales of $359.0 million, an increase of 6.5$337.2 million in Q4 2023[4] - Strong net income of $21.1 million, up 41.6$14.9 million in Q4 2023; adjusted net income of $27.2 million, a 32.0$40.0 million, a 57.5% increase from $25.4 million in Q4 2023; record adjusted EBITDA of$47.9 million, up 46.9%[4] - Diluted EPS of $0.92, a 41.5$0.65 in Q4 2023; record adjusted EPS of $1.19, up 32.2$102.9 million, compared to $89.1 million in Q4 2023, reflecting a significant improvement in profitability[22] - Income from operations for Q4 2024 was$34.8 million, compared to $18.9 million in Q4 2023, with adjusted income from operations rising to$42.8 million from $26.3 million[43] - Adjusted operating margin improved to 11.9$248.8 million increased by 11.9% due to strong demand for asphalt and concrete plants[13] - Materials Solutions segment net sales of $110.2 million decreased by 4.1$248.8 million, while Materials Solutions segment sales decreased by 4.1% to $110.2 million[26] - The Infrastructure Solutions segment's operating adjusted EBITDA margin improved to 14.5$36.6 million and free cash flow of $32.1 million in Q4 2024[4] - Total liquidity of$228.1 million, consisting of $88.3 million in cash and cash equivalents and$139.8 million available for additional borrowings[13] - Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash increased to $90.8 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to$63.2 million at the end of 2023[32] - The company reported a net cash provided by operating activities of $23.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, down from$27.8 million in 2023[36] - Free cash flow for Q4 2024 was $32.1 million, down from$37.5 million in Q4 2023, while net cash provided by operating activities decreased to $36.6 million from$46.6 million[52] Debt and Backlog - Long-term debt rose to $105.0 million in 2024 from$72.0 million in 2023, indicating increased leverage[32] - Backlog decreased by 26.4% to $419.6 million compared to$569.8 million in Q4 2023[4] Future Outlook - For full year 2025, the company expects adjusted EBITDA in the range of $105 million to$125 million[4] Transformation and Restructuring - Transformation program costs for 2024 totaled $33.5 million, up from$29.7 million in 2023, indicating ongoing investment in strategic initiatives[43] - The company is focused on restructuring efforts, with related charges of $9.5 million in 2024, compared to$7.7 million in 2023, aimed at simplifying operations[43] - Goodwill impairment charges of $20.2 million were recorded in 2024, reflecting challenges in the Materials Solutions reporting unit[43] Yearly Performance - For the year ended December 31, 2024, net sales were$1,305.1 million, a decline of 2.5% from $1,338.2 million in 2023[30] - Net sales for Q4 2024 were$359.0 million, an increase from $337.2 million in Q4 2023, while total net sales for the year decreased to$1,305.1 million from $1,338.2 million[43] - Total operating expenses decreased to$68.1 million in Q4 2024 from $70.2 million in Q4 2023, contributing to improved operating income[22]