Balchem(BCPC) - 2025 Q4 - Annual Results

Financial Performance - Fourth quarter net sales reached $263.6 million, a 9.8% increase compared to the prior year quarter[4] - GAAP net earnings for the fourth quarter were $39.2 million, reflecting a 16.8% increase from the prior year quarter[4] - Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $67.9 million, up 8.1% year-over-year[4] - Full year net sales totaled $1.037 billion, an increase of 8.8% compared to the previous year[4] - Full year GAAP net earnings were $154.8 million, a 20.5% increase from the prior year[4] - Adjusted net earnings for the full year reached $167.9 million, up 17.4% from the previous year[4] Segment Performance - The Human Nutrition and Health segment generated fourth quarter sales of $166.1 million, a 12.7% increase year-over-year[7] - The Animal Nutrition and Health segment reported quarterly sales of $61.2 million, a 4.9% increase compared to the prior year quarter[8] - The Specialty Products segment achieved fourth quarter sales of $34.8 million, a 6.0% increase year-over-year[8] Cash Flow and Assets - Cash flows from operations for the full year were $216.6 million, with free cash flow of $173.6 million[4] - Cash and cash equivalents increased to $74,570 as of December 31, 2025, compared to $49,515 in 2024, representing a 50.6% growth[18] - Total assets rose to $1,686,252 as of December 31, 2025, a 7.1% increase from $1,575,371 in 2024[18] - Total current assets increased to $365,614 as of December 31, 2025, from $313,770 in 2024, marking a 16.5% rise[18] - Net cash provided by operating activities for Q4 2025 was $67,275 million, up from $52,317 million in Q4 2024, representing a 28.3% increase[29] - Free cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $173,637 million, compared to $147,210 million in 2024, reflecting an increase of 17.9%[29] Earnings and Taxation - Total earnings before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2025, reached $199,030, a 19.5% increase from $166,453 in 2024[17] - Net earnings for the year ended December 31, 2025, were $154,845, up 20.5% from $128,475 in 2024[20] - The effective tax rate for GAAP income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2025, was 22.2%, slightly down from 22.8% in 2024[27] Adjusted Financial Metrics - Adjusted net earnings for the year ended December 31, 2025, were $167,898, reflecting a 17.4% increase from $142,965 in 2024[24] - Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $274,854, a 9.8% increase from $250,348 in 2024[26] - The company reported a gross margin of $370,633 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $336,206 in 2024, indicating a 10.2% increase[24] Capital Expenditures and Financing - Capital expenditures for Q4 2025 were $(16,053) million, compared to $(12,549) million in Q4 2024, indicating a 28.5% increase in capital spending[29] - The company utilized $152,810 in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $133,815 in 2024, indicating an increase in cash used for financing[20] Non-GAAP Measures - Amortization expenses for intangible assets and finance leases are excluded from non-GAAP financial measures to facilitate evaluation of current operating performance[29] - Transaction and integration costs related to acquisitions are excluded from adjusted EBITDA calculations to provide clearer financial comparisons[29] - Restructuring costs are also excluded from non-GAAP measures to enhance the comparability of financial results[29] - An asset impairment charge in 2024 was related to the write-off of an equity method investment, which is excluded from adjusted EBITDA calculations[29] - Gains and losses on rabbi trust assets related to the nonqualified deferred compensation plan are excluded from non-GAAP financial measures due to their inconsistency[29] - The impact of ASU 2016-09 resulted in the recognition of excess tax benefits as a reduction to the provision for income taxes, which is excluded from adjusted income tax expense calculations[29] - The company believes that excluding inconsistent items from non-GAAP measures is useful for investors to compare current and historical financial results[29]