Strong Newport News Shipbuilding Performance Drives HII's Q4 Results

Core Insights - Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) reported a fourth-quarter 2025 earnings per share (EPS) of $4.04, reflecting a 28.3% increase from $3.15 in the same quarter last year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.72 by 8.6% [1] - For the full year 2024, HII's EPS was $15.39, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.06 and up from $13.96 in the previous year [2] Total Revenues - HII's total revenues for the fourth quarter reached $3.48 billion, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.06 billion by 13.7% and showing a 15.7% increase from $3 billion in the prior year, driven by higher sales across all major business segments [3] - For the full year 2025, revenues amounted to $12.48 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $12.07 billion and increasing by 8.2% from $11.54 billion in the previous year [4] Operational Performance - The company reported segmental operating income of $195 million in the fourth quarter, up from $103 million in the same quarter last year, with an operating margin expansion of 218 basis points to 5.6% [5] - The growth in operating income was attributed to strong performance across all three business segments [5] Segmental Performance - Newport News Shipbuilding: Revenues totaled $1.89 billion, a 19.1% year-over-year increase, with operating income rising 121.1% to $84 million, driven by higher volumes in submarines and aircraft carriers [6] - Ingalls Shipbuilding: Revenues reached $889 million, up 20.8% year over year, with operating earnings of $68 million, a 47.8% increase, primarily due to higher sales volumes from amphibious assault ships and surface combatants [7] - Mission Technologies: Revenues were $731 million, reflecting a 2.5% year-over-year increase, driven by higher volumes from warfare systems, global security, and unmanned systems [8] Financial Update - As of December 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents totaled $774 million, down from $831 million a year earlier, while long-term debt remained stable at $2.70 billion [11] - Cash generated from operating activities was $1.20 billion, significantly higher than $0.39 billion a year ago, with free cash flow of $800 million compared to $40 million in the prior year [11] 2026 Guidance - HII expects shipbuilding revenues to be between $9.7 billion and $9.8 billion, with Mission Technologies revenues projected between $3.0 billion and $3.2 billion [12] - The company anticipates capital expenditures to be 4-5% of sales and free cash flow in the range of $500 million to $600 million [12]