Second Quarter 2025 Highlights (Comparisons are year-over-year ("YoY"), unless otherwise noted) MILWAUKEE, July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Global water technology company A. O. Smith Corporation ("the Company") (NYSE: AOS) today announced its second quarter 2025 results. Key Financial Metrics A. O. Smith announces second quarter 2025 results. Post this "During the second quarter, our team delivered continued steady growth in commercial boilers and achieved another sequential quarter of North America water hea ...

© 2024 The Eastern Company 1 Ryan Schroeder President and Chief Executive Officer Change agent committed to accelerating operational and financial improvements and drive growth through M&A 2 • 20+ years of experience in manufacturing and leadership roles • Joined Eastern in 2024 • Previously CEO of Plaskolite LLC (2020-2023) and President of IMI Norgren (2016-2020) • Experience in a variety of roles at Parker Hannifin (2003-2016) • MBA University of Minnesota and BA from Michigan State University 2024 Resul ...

Summary of Adient's Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Adient - **Industry**: Automotive Supplier - **Key Executives Present**: Jerome Dorlak (President and CEO), Mark Alswell (CFO) [1] Core Points and Arguments Value Creation Strategy - Adient focuses on capital allocation and operational excellence to create sustainable value for stakeholders [2][3] - The company has undertaken portfolio management to eliminate non-value-adding elements since 2018, including recent divestitures [3][4] Financial Performance - Q2 earnings showed strong cash generation, aligning with expectations [4][6] - Adient maintains a flexible capital structure with a leverage ratio target of 1.5 to 2 times, allowing for share buybacks [6][8] - The company repurchased $25 million worth of shares in Q1 and expects continued positive cash flow [6][8] Regional Market Conditions - **Americas**: Stability in customer production schedules noted, with expectations for improved business performance [9][10] - **Europe**: More stability compared to the previous year, with ongoing restructuring efforts expected to yield long-term benefits [10][24][25] - **China**: Stability exists, but domestic growth is limited; Adient is diversifying its customer base to mitigate risks [11][27][28] - **Asia (ex-China)**: Strong demand for Adient products despite tariff risks, with a significant market share in Thailand [11][12] Tariff Impact - Adient's tariff exposure was previously estimated at $12 million, primarily from China, but is expected to decrease due to recent trade developments [13][14] - The company is proactively reshoring production to reduce tariff exposure and believes it will emerge as a winner in the long term [15][18] Market Dynamics and Competition - Adient sees potential for consolidation in the seating industry but has not observed significant movement in this area [34][36] - The company is focused on innovation and maintaining a competitive edge through R&D investments, particularly in advanced seating functionalities [30][66] Margin Opportunities - Current margins in Europe are around 3%, with a target of reaching 5% over the next few years through restructuring [45][46] - In the Americas, there are opportunities to roll off less profitable business, aiming for margins closer to the corporate average of 8% [50] Automation and Efficiency - Adient is investing in automation to improve efficiency and address labor scarcity, particularly in high-cost regions [51][53] - The company has seen positive returns on automation investments, with payback periods generally under two years [52][54] Future Outlook and Guidance - While the company has not updated its guidance, it remains optimistic about overall dynamics and cash generation for the remainder of the year [56][58] - The management emphasizes disciplined capital allocation, focusing on operations, shareholder returns, and potential inorganic growth opportunities [61][63] Additional Important Points - Adient's engineering capabilities in China are robust, with a local management team driving innovation [31][66] - The company is actively evaluating its portfolio for potential inorganic growth opportunities but currently sees no significant gaps [68]

Summary of Adtalem Global Education Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Adtalem Global Education - **Industry**: Post-secondary education, specifically healthcare-focused institutions - **Current Enrollment**: Approximately 92,000 to 94,000 students across five institutions, with 92% of programs in healthcare [1][5] Core Business and Strategy - **Mission**: Expand access to high-quality clinical careers for historically overlooked students and address critical workforce shortages in healthcare [4] - **Institutions**: - Chamberlain University: Largest nursing school in the U.S. with over 40,000 students [5] - Walden University: Fully online university with nearly 50,000 students, third largest nursing school [6] - Medical and Veterinary Schools: Two medical schools and one veterinary school serving about 4,500 students [6][7] - **Strategic Focus**: Operational excellence through a three-year strategy termed "growth with purpose," focusing on marketing, enrollment, retention, pricing, and programs [8][10] Financial Performance - **Enrollment Growth**: Total enrollment has grown sequentially for nine straight quarters [9] - **Revenue and Profitability**: Revenue growth has been primarily organic, with profitability improving significantly over the years [11] - **Earnings Per Share**: Attractive growth in earnings per share due to improved profitability and effective balance sheet management [11] Key Metrics and Achievements - **Leading Grantor**: Number one grantor of nursing and MD degrees in the U.S. [12] - **Alumni Success**: Strong employability and low cohort default rates, reflecting the quality of education and job placement [14] - **Diversity**: Largest producer of Black and Latino physicians in the U.S. [19] Market Environment - **Demand Trends**: Normalized demand environment post-COVID, with a growing competitive landscape in healthcare education [21][22] - **Competitive Moat**: Strong brand equity, clinical relationships, and regulatory approvals allow for uncapped student enrollment across states [23] Institutional Branding - **Chamberlain vs. Walden**: Distinct branding strategies allow for capturing different market segments; Chamberlain focuses on pre-licensure nursing while Walden targets post-licensure [24][26] Pricing Strategy - **Pricing Philosophy**: Chamberlain is positioned as a premium brand, while Walden operates as a more affordable option, allowing for a diverse enrollment mix [26][27] - **Price Optimization**: Adjustments made to pricing based on market conditions and enrollment trends [28][29] Future Growth and Sustainability - **Growth Drivers**: Focus on student success, maximizing existing capacity, and introducing new programs in new geographies [35][36] - **Operating Leverage**: Ability to grow revenues without proportional increases in expenses, targeting 100 basis points of margin improvement annually [38][39] Regulatory Environment - **Current Landscape**: Favorable regulatory conditions for proprietary higher education, with potential positive changes in legislation that could benefit Adtalem [47][50] - **Concerns**: Proposed cuts to education funding and loan programs, but the company believes it can manage these challenges through alternative financing options [51][53] Conclusion - **Outlook**: The company is optimistic about sustaining growth and profitability, with plans for future investor updates and projections [44][45]

Core Insights - Americold announced a series of executive leadership appointments to enhance operational execution, deepen customer relationships, and unlock global growth opportunities [1][8] Leadership Changes - Rob Chambers has been appointed as the new President, overseeing global operations with increased P&L responsibility [2] - Bryan Verbarendse will succeed Chambers as President, Americas, leading business development and operations across North and South America [4] - Richard Winnall will take charge of the Global Commercial Committee and Operations Committee, working closely with the President, Americas [6] Executive Backgrounds - Rob Chambers has 12 years of leadership experience at Americold, previously serving as Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer and has a background in commercial finance [3] - Bryan Verbarendse joined Americold in August 2023 and has over 31 years of experience in retail and wholesale grocery supply chain [5] - Richard Winnall has been with Americold since 2019, holding various leadership roles and bringing extensive experience from DHL Supply Chain and Linfox [7] Strategic Focus - The leadership appointments reflect Americold's commitment to operational excellence and customer-centric growth [8] - The company aims to harmonize commercial and operational standards globally, ensuring consistent KPIs and scalable systems [6] Company Overview - Americold is a leader in temperature-controlled logistics real estate, owning and/or operating 238 warehouses with approximately 1.4 billion refrigerated cubic feet of storage across multiple regions [9]

Core Insights - Shimmick Corp. reported a revenue of $122 million for Q1 2025, a slight increase from $120 million in Q1 2024, with a gross margin improvement from $(16) million to $5 million [4][5][20] - The company experienced a net loss of $10 million, significantly reduced from a net loss of $33 million in the same quarter last year, indicating improved operational performance [5][20] - Shimmick's backlog stands at approximately $740 million, with over 87% attributed to Shimmick Projects, reflecting strong demand in critical infrastructure sectors [5][20] Financial Performance - Revenue for Shimmick Projects was $93 million, up from $90 million year-over-year, driven by new projects and clean-up efforts [8][9] - Adjusted net loss improved to $(7) million from $(29) million year-over-year, with adjusted diluted loss per share at $(0.22) compared to $(1.15) [21][20] - Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased by 11% to $14 million, attributed to the ongoing transformation plan [5][15] Project Segmentation - Shimmick Projects, focusing on water, climate resilience, energy transition, and sustainable transportation, showed a gross margin of $5 million, a significant recovery from $(1) million [9][12] - Legacy and Foundations Projects revenue decreased slightly to $29 million from $30 million, with a gross margin improvement from $(15) million to $(1) million [11][12] - The company is winding down Legacy Projects, which are expected to continue to decline in revenue throughout 2025 [10][11] Future Outlook - The company anticipates a strong bidding activity for the remainder of 2025, with nearly $2 billion in projects expected to come to market [5][22] - Guidance for Shimmick Projects revenue growth is projected between 10% to 15%, with overall gross margin expected between 9% and 12% [23] - Legacy Projects and Foundations Projects revenue is expected to be between $50 million and $60 million, with gross margins ranging from (5)% to (15)% as these projects are completed [23]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the third fiscal quarter, total revenue was $57 million, an increase of 15.9% or $7.8 million compared to the prior year, primarily driven by revenue from company-owned salons due to the Align acquisition [26][29] - Adjusted EBITDA grew 33% year-over-year to $7.1 million, while operating income increased by 23% to $5 million [5][29] - Cash from operations improved by $6.5 million year-over-year, totaling $6.2 million for the quarter, marking the second consecutive quarter of positive cash flow [6][33] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Align Salon Group acquisition contributed positively to results, although its impact was modest in the quarter as the focus was on integration and planning [7][26] - Same store sales for the consolidated company saw a decline of 1.1%, with Supercuts reporting a 1.1% increase, while SmartStyle experienced a 7.4% decline [10][12] - The company-owned salons segment's adjusted EBITDA improved by $1.6 million year-over-year to $843,000, primarily due to the Align acquisition [31] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted that the timing of Easter negatively impacted sales by approximately 1.1%, suggesting that without this effect, sales would have been roughly flat for the quarter [11] - April same store sales showed improvement, with Supercuts delivering a 4.5% increase and the entire consolidated system demonstrating a 2.8% increase compared to the previous year [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a comprehensive transformation aimed at building a more resilient and efficient business model, prioritizing operational stability and profitability [3][4] - Key strategic priorities include optimizing the sales and profitability of company-owned salons and executing a holistic transformation agenda for the Supercuts brand [17][19] - The company aims to enhance brand perception and operational excellence through a structured roadmap that includes evolving brand strategy, unlocking omnichannel growth, and scaling operational excellence [19][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the long-term value of the strategic initiatives being implemented, despite acknowledging the challenges of declining salon traffic and new guest visits [13][25] - The company anticipates that calendar year 2025 will be the last year of significant closures, with a focus on stabilizing and growing the business moving forward [27][29] - Management highlighted the importance of disciplined cost management and capital allocation to navigate current challenges and support future growth [14][36] Other Important Information - The company reported a net closure of 49 salons during the quarter, primarily related to underperforming locations, while also shifting approximately 300 locations from franchise to corporate salon counts due to the Align acquisition [27][28] - The company expects adjusted G&A expenses to be approximately $40.5 million for fiscal year 2025, with a run rate projected between $43 million to $45 million [32] Q&A Session Summary Question: Understanding the accounting for Align - Management confirmed that while royalty fees in the franchise segment decreased, EBITDA in the company-owned segment increased, reflecting the impact of the Align acquisition [39][40] Question: Updates on store closings for this year - Management indicated that the pace of anticipated closures is in line with previous guidance, with expectations for fewer closures in the future [46][47] Question: Impact of remodeled stores on same store sales - Management noted that remodeled stores have seen a modest lift of about 5% in same store sales, with some locations achieving over 20% sustained price increases post-remodel [53][55] Question: Plans for cash allocation - Management stated that the priority is to pay down debt, maintain liquidity, and evaluate opportunities for capital deployment based on business needs [57][63]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for the first quarter was $68.4 million, a decrease of 6% year-over-year and down 2% sequentially from the fourth quarter [11] - Gross profit dollars were $10.9 million, a 22% decrease from last year but a 2% increase sequentially from the fourth quarter [13] - SG&A expenses were $11.4 million, an increase of $1.6 million year-over-year and $1.3 million sequentially [15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The decrease in revenue was attributed to client attrition and lower volumes at select larger clients, with client attrition contributing approximately $7 million to the decline [12] - New clients secured during 2024 finished the first quarter at approximately 80% of their anticipated run rate, expected to provide incremental growth in revenue and gross profit [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced lower volumes in the industrial sector, which may continue to affect volumes for several quarters [12] - Demand for services from existing clients remains strong, with opportunities to expand services in the long term despite current volume decreases [12][26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on generating cash, improving profitability, lowering debt, and increasing operating efficiency [8] - A cultural shift towards operational excellence is being implemented, emphasizing performance and accountability across the organization [20][21] - The company aims to enhance shareholder value through a series of changes in cost structure, management team, and operating philosophy [10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management remains optimistic about the potential for growth despite current economic uncertainties, expecting both top and bottom line growth for 2025 [27] - The company is monitoring its markets closely, particularly the industrial sector, and believes there are long-term opportunities with existing clients [26][27] Other Important Information - The company completed the sale of a non-core part of the RWS business, generating $5 million in cash used to reduce debt [7] - Cash at the end of the first quarter was $1.4 million, with approximately $21 million of available borrowing capacity [16] Q&A Session Summary Question: Any notable KPIs to highlight as you focus on execution moving forward? - Management has started to baseline all processes and identified weaknesses, implementing changes to improve operational efficiency [31] Question: Are you seeing any increase in weakness in your end markets? - No significant change in market weakness has been observed, but demand and volumes are slightly down [39] Question: How do you plan to bring down DSO? - Strategies include improving billing efficiency and increasing visibility into missing invoices [47][49] Question: Any notable changes in end customer behavior or volumes? - No significant changes outside the industrial segment; there has been an uptick in demand for services [54] Question: What caused customer attrition? - Attrition has been primarily related to customers being acquired with different programs in place [57] Question: What is the expected timeline for evaluating the impact of new initiatives? - A year from now, the company expects to look significantly different, with results beginning in Q2 and more substantial impacts in Q3 and Q4 [71] Question: How much of the revenue decline is due to existing customers versus new ones? - The majority of the revenue decline is attributed to new clients added throughout 2024 [95]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Organic revenues grew slightly, in line with previous guidance, while OIBDA was $64 million and AFFO was $24 million [8][19] - Consolidated adjusted OIBDA totaled about $64 million, a 3% decline versus the prior year, but excluding certain costs, adjusted OIBDA would have increased [18][19] - Total net leverage was 4.8 times, within the target range of four to five times [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Billboard revenues were down 1%, impacted by the exit of a large New York billboard contract, while digital billboard revenues increased by 5.4% [8][9] - Transit revenues grew by 2.6%, with strong growth in New York MTA offset by weakness in other franchises [9][10] - Combined digital revenue performance grew almost 7%, representing nearly 33% of total organic revenues, up from about 31% last year [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Local revenues were down 3% year-on-year, while national revenues grew by 4%, driven by improved advertising sales efforts [11][12] - The strongest billboard region was identified as the South, while the West, particularly LA, faced challenges [10][44] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on four strategic imperatives: optimizing sales strategies, modernizing workflows, driving new demand from non-out-of-home advertisers, and ensuring operational excellence [7][22] - The management is committed to unlocking significant potential within the company and improving cost efficiencies [7][18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The management expects second quarter revenues to be similar to the first quarter, with billboard revenues flattish to slightly down and transit up low to mid-single digits [22] - Despite economic uncertainties, there are no indications of cancellations or a likely recession, with expectations for mid-single-digit growth in reported 2025 consolidated AFFO [19][22] Other Important Information - The company announced a $0.30 cash dividend payable on June 30 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 6 [21] - The company plans to exit another large but marginally profitable billboard contract in Los Angeles, which is expected to have a limited impact on adjusted OIBDA and AFFO [15][18] Q&A Session Summary Question: What percentage of ad categories are goods versus services, and which is more resilient in the current environment? - Management noted that most of their categories are services, with some postponements observed in automotive, government, and retail sectors, but no significant reductions [26][28] Question: How is media and entertainment spending trending in LA, and is the exit of the LA contract related to the fire? - Management emphasized the importance of the media and entertainment category in LA and clarified that the exit was not related to fire incidents, focusing instead on profitable contracts [31][33] Question: What is the status of the MTA contracts and the impact of congestion pricing on transit growth? - The MTA contract increased slightly, and while it's hard to trace the impact of congestion pricing, there are indications of higher ridership [35][36] Question: Can you elaborate on potential cost savings or operational efficiencies? - Management clarified that the focus is on demand generation and modernizing the tech stack rather than just efficiency, aiming for a laser-like focus on growth drivers [41][43] Question: Are there differences across geographies in revenue trends aside from exited contracts? - The West has been challenging, while the South and Midwest are performing well, with the East benefiting from strong MTA transit performance [44]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Organic revenues grew slightly, in line with previous guidance, while OIBDA was $64 million and AFFO was $24 million [6][17] - Consolidated adjusted OIBDA totaled about $64 million, a 3% decline versus the prior year, but excluding certain costs, adjusted OIBDA would have increased [16][17] - The company expects reported 2025 consolidated AFFO to grow in the mid-single digit range despite an uncertain economic environment [17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Billboard revenues were down 1%, impacted by the exit of a large New York billboard contract, while digital billboard revenues increased by 5.4% [6][7] - Transit revenues grew by 2.6%, with strong growth in New York MTA offset by weaknesses in other franchises [7][8] - Combined digital revenue performance grew almost 7% and represented nearly 33% of total organic revenues, up from about 31% last year [9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The strongest categories during the quarter were legal, utilities, and financial, while weaker categories included health and medical, government and political, and CPG [8] - Local revenues were down 3% year-on-year, while national revenues grew 4% during the first quarter [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on four strategic imperatives: optimizing sales strategies, modernizing workflows, driving new demand from non-out-of-home advertisers, and ensuring operational excellence [5][6] - The management team is committed to unlocking significant potential within the company and improving cost efficiencies [12][41] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects second quarter revenues to be similar to the first quarter, with billboard revenues flattish to slightly down and transit up low to mid-single digits [20] - The company is optimistic about the second half of the year, with current pacing better than the first quarter [20] Other Important Information - The company announced a $0.30 cash dividend payable on June 30 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 6 [19] - Committed liquidity is over $600 million, with a total net leverage of 4.8 times within the target range [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: What percentage of your ad categories are goods versus services, and which is more resilient in the current environment? - Management noted that most of their categories are services, with postponements seen in automotive, government, and retail, but no significant reductions [24][26] Question: How is media and entertainment spending trending in LA, and is the exit of the LA contract related to the fire? - Management emphasized the importance of the media and entertainment category in LA and clarified that the exit was not related to fire but rather focused on profitability [30][32] Question: What is the latest on the MTA contracts and the impact of congestion pricing on transit growth? - The MTA contract increased slightly, and while it's hard to trace the impact of congestion pricing, ridership metrics seem to indicate higher activity [34][35] Question: Can you elaborate on potential cost savings or operational efficiencies? - Management highlighted that the focus is on resetting sales strategies and modernizing the tech stack to drive revenue and efficiency [40][41] Question: Are there differences across geographies in revenue trends aside from exited contracts? - The West has faced challenges, while the South and Midwest are performing well, particularly with MTA transit performance in the East [43]