Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported record high sales of $422 million for Q1 2026, a 2.1% increase from $413.2 million in the same quarter last year [12][13] - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $106.4 million, representing a margin of 25.2%, up from $94.1 million or 22.8% in the prior year [17][18] - Net income for Q1 was $170.9 million compared to $39.6 million in the prior year, with adjusted net income of $53.8 million or adjusted diluted EPS of $1.78, up from $44 million or $1.46 [17][19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Metal Coatings segment saw a 6% increase in sales due to higher steel volume processed, while Precoat Metals experienced a slight decline of 0.8% in sales due to inventory challenges [12][13][14] - Adjusted EBITDA margins for Metal Coatings were 32.9%, while Precoat Metals had margins of 20.7% [6][12] - The company incurred a $3.8 million restructuring charge related to the closure of a powder coating facility and divestiture of a plating facility [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Demand from infrastructure-related projects benefited the company across multiple end markets, particularly in construction and electrical sectors [20] - The aluminum transition in food and beverage packaging remains a key growth driver, with the new Greenfield plant ramping production [20] - Prepainted imports fell 38% year-over-year in May, indicating a positive impact from tariffs on domestic sourcing [38] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on disciplined execution of its strategic plan, including market share expansion and converting customers from post-paint to prepay [23] - Recent acquisitions, such as Canton Galvanizing, are aimed at scaling the galvanizing business and enhancing customer relationships [9][10] - The company plans to pursue regular and opportunistic share repurchases and has increased its quarterly cash dividend by 17.6% [19][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's financial position and growth trajectory, despite ongoing tariff uncertainties [56] - The company anticipates continued demand growth driven by infrastructure spending and reshoring initiatives [20][21] - Future sales and EBITDA guidance remains unchanged, with adjusted diluted EPS expected to increase by 10-20% over the previous fiscal year [24][23] Other Important Information - The company generated cash flow from operations of $314.8 million, including $273.2 million from the Avail divestiture [18] - The net leverage ratio improved to 1.7 times, down from 2.8 times in the prior year [19] - The company is committed to maintaining a disciplined capital allocation strategy focused on debt reduction and strategic acquisitions [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Did Q1 benefit from normalization in volumes? - Yes, about half of the recovery was from Q4 and the other half was organic growth [27] Question: What drove improved zinc utilization for Metal Coatings? - The team has been focusing on digital tools, training, and operational excellence, nearing theoretical zinc efficiency levels [28][29] Question: How are customer inventory levels impacting Precoat? - Customers are pulling down inventory, indicating true demand, despite overall market declines [36] Question: What is the outlook for Precoat given tariff impacts? - Precoat has been affected by tariffs, but margins are up, demonstrating adaptability in cost structure [72] Question: Will share repurchases increase in future quarters? - Yes, the company is committed to share buybacks and has a $100 million facility approved for this purpose [46] Question: What is the outlook for solar projects? - There is an expectation of a pull forward in solar projects due to recent legislative changes [81]

AZZ (AZZ) FY Conference May 06, 2025 10:30 AM ET Speaker0 Morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today, at the Oppenheimer conference. With us today from AZZ is David Nark, who's the chief marketing and communications and IR officer for the company. And just to give you a little background, AZZ is the leading independent galvanizing firm in The US. But with its recent acquisition, not so recent, couple about a year ago, they acquired Precoat Metals, and they're a leading player in now in the in the met ...