Financial Performance & Outlook - Lamb Weston's Q2 2026 net sales increased by 1% compared to Q2 2025, which includes a favorable foreign currency impact of $24 million[28, 30] - North America net sales were flat, with volume up by 8% but price/mix down by 8%[30, 31] - International net sales increased by 4%, but decreased by 1% on a constant currency basis, with volume up by 7% and price/mix down by 8%[31] - Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $9 million, while adjusted gross profit decreased by $16 million[32] - The company reaffirms its fiscal year 2026 outlook, projecting net sales between $635 billion and $655 billion, and adjusted EBITDA between $1 billion and $12 billion[47] Cash Flow & Capital Allocation - The company has approximately $83 million in cash and cash equivalents, and $135 billion available under its revolving credit facility[39] - Net cash provided by operating activities for the first half of fiscal year 2026 was approximately $530 million, with capital expenditures of $156 million[39] - Free cash flow was $375 million, and the company returned $92 million to shareholders through dividends ($52 million) and share repurchases ($40 million)[39] - The board authorized a 3% increase in the quarterly dividend[9, 46] Strategic Initiatives - The company is executing its "Focus to Win" strategy, which includes a cost savings program expected to yield $100 million in savings in fiscal year 2026 and $250 million by the end of fiscal year 2028[9, 19] - Lamb Weston is optimizing its global supply chain, including restarting curtailed production in North America to meet higher demand[9, 15]

Financial Performance - Net sales were $1659 million, flat compared to Q1 F25, but down 1% at constant currency[14, 26] - Adjusted diluted EPS was $074, a decrease of 5% compared to Q1 F25[14] - Adjusted EBITDA increased by 1% to $302 million[14, 15] - Free cash flow was $273 million[14] Volume and Pricing - Overall volume increased by 6%[15] - Price/mix decreased by 7% in constant currency[15] - North America volume increased by 5%, while price/mix decreased by 7%[28] - International volume increased by 6%, while price/mix decreased by 6% in constant currency[28] Strategic Initiatives and Outlook - The company is implementing "Focus to Win" program, including a Cost Savings Program[11] - Capital expenditures for FY26 are forecasted to be approximately $500 million[40] - The company reaffirms its fiscal 2026 outlook, with net sales projected between $635 billion and $655 billion, and adjusted EBITDA between $10 billion and $12 billion[11, 47] Cash Flow and Capital Allocation - The company has approximately $99 million in cash and equivalents and $13 billion available under its revolving credit facility[39] - Net debt is approximately $39 billion, with a net debt to adjusted EBITDA leverage ratio of 31x[39] - The company returned $62 million to shareholders, including $52 million in dividends and $10 million in share repurchases[40]

Core Viewpoint - Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. reaffirms its net sales guidance for fiscal year 2026, projecting net sales between $6.35 billion and $6.55 billion at constant currency, with analysts expecting an average of $6.49 billion [1] Group 1: Financial Guidance - The guidance includes the anticipated impact of enacted tariffs by the U.S. and other governments but excludes potential effects of evolving trade policies, including future changes in tariffs or retaliatory measures [2] - The company is on track to deliver at least $100 million in expected savings and an additional $60 million in working capital improvements by the end of fiscal year 2026, as part of a Cost Savings Program expected to yield at least $250 million in annualized run rate savings by the end of fiscal year 2028 [3] Group 2: Dividend Declaration - The Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, payable on November 28, 2025, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 31, 2025 [4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the full year, net sales were $5.5 billion, a marginal increase compared to the prior year, driven by contributions from recent acquisitions [6] - Organic sales for the year were $5.2 billion, down 5.4% on a same-day basis compared to the prior year [7] - Net income for the full year was $115.5 million, including a $42.5 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge [7] - Adjusted EBITDA was $500.9 million, and free cash flow for the year was $336.1 million, representing 67% of adjusted EBITDA [7] - In the fourth quarter, net sales were $1.3 billion, with organic sales declining 8.3% per day [8][15] - Net income for the fourth quarter was $26.1 million, and adjusted EBITDA was $109.8 million, at the high end of the outlook [8][29] - Free cash flow generated during the quarter was $183.4 million, or 167% of adjusted EBITDA, marking the highest level of quarterly free cash flow conversion in the company's history [8][29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Ceilings saw volume improvement during the quarter, with sales up 6.4% compared to the prior year [8][22] - Wallboard sales for the quarter were $526.6 million, down 10.1% year-over-year, with a 12.1% decrease in volume partially offset by a 1% increase in price and mix [20][21] - Steel framing sales were $189.2 million, down 14.2% for the quarter, with volumes down 2.6% and price and mix down 10.2% [23] - Complementary product sales were nearly flat year-over-year, up 1.4% on a per-day basis, representing the twentieth consecutive quarter of per-day growth [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wallboard industry volumes were down 10% in the first calendar quarter, with high interest rates and policy uncertainty as primary impediments to growth [10] - U.S. residential revenues declined 6% per day compared to the prior year, with single-family volumes down 1.9% per day [18][19] - Multifamily revenues fell 32.4% and commercial revenues fell 10.1% on a per-day basis [18] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on four strategic pillars: expanding share in core products, growing complementary products, expanding the platform, and driving improved productivity and profitability [13] - A significant cost savings program has been executed, achieving $25 million in annualized cost savings in the fourth quarter, totaling $55 million for the fiscal year [14] - The company aims to maintain a disciplined approach to capital allocation, balancing stock buybacks with debt reduction while pursuing attractive M&A opportunities [32] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed cautious optimism about nearing the bottom of the cycle, with expectations for demand recovery as economic conditions improve [10][12] - The company anticipates that the near term will remain challenging, but expects to capitalize on long-term growth opportunities [13][39] - Management highlighted the importance of servicing customers and executing strategic priorities despite macroeconomic difficulties [33] Other Important Information - The company reduced net debt by more than 10% during the quarter, maintaining a target debt leverage range of 1.5 to 2.5 times [14] - Cash on hand was $55.6 million, with $631.3 million of available liquidity under the revolving credit facility [30] Q&A Session Summary Question: Sequential organic trends and expectations - Management noted improvements in the single-family market and share gains with larger customers, contributing to expectations of better performance [41][42] Question: Technology and efficiency optimization efforts - Management confirmed ongoing investments in digital initiatives and automation, which have contributed to cost reductions and improved service delivery [44][45][47] Question: Single-family dynamics and share gains - Management discussed leveraging scale to support builder partners and highlighted regional strengths contributing to share gains [52][56] Question: Margin dynamics and market dependency - Management indicated that half of the expected margin improvement is volume-related, while the other half is due to operational efficiencies [58][60] Question: Visibility into the single-family market - Management provided insights on lead times for orders and expressed confidence in a potential uptick in starts moving into the next selling season [66][68] Question: Impact of large homebuilders on distribution - Management emphasized gaining share with large builders due to service quality and efficiency, which positions the company well for future growth [77][80] Question: Return to office trends - Management expressed cautious optimism about future opportunities in tenant improvement work and office-to-residential conversions [82][84] Question: Wallboard pricing and industry dynamics - Management discussed the ability to pass through limited price increases and the resilience of pricing in the current environment [87][89]

Summary of Charles River Laboratories International (CRL) Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Charles River Laboratories International (CRL) - **Event**: 2025 Conference on June 04, 2025 Key Points Financial Performance - Q1 revenue decline was reported at **-1.8%**, which was better than expected [6] - Operating income (OI) margin improved by **60 basis points** [6] - Earnings per share (EPS) grew by **3%** [6] - Cost structure reduced by approximately **5%**, leading to cost savings of **$175 million** in 2025 and forecasted **$225 million** for 2026 [12][13] - Guidance for EPS improved by **€0.20** to a range of **€9.3 to €9.8** and revenue growth adjusted to **-4.5% to -2.5%** [7] Strategic Initiatives - A strategic review is underway to enhance shareholder value, involving a comprehensive analysis of all business segments [19][21] - The company is exploring potential mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as part of the strategic review [21] - Management believes the stock price is currently undervalued, particularly following recent FDA announcements [24] Business Segments Performance - **Manufacturing Solutions**: Targeting **30% margins** by the end of the year, driven by Biologics Testing and Microbial Solutions [26][27] - **Pharma Segment**: Strong bookings attributed to timing post-budget approvals, but revenue is still declining [36][37] - **Biotech Segment**: Two quarters of growth observed, but cautious outlook due to funding concerns in 2025 [38][39] Cost Management - Significant cost-saving measures include site consolidation, staffing reductions, and process improvements [12][14] - Approximately **20 sites** are being consolidated, maintaining service levels while reducing overall footprint [13] Regulatory Environment - The FDA's focus on non-animal methods (NAMS) is seen as an evolution in drug development, with CRL already generating **$200 million** in revenue from NAMS [50][51] - The company has invested in the Alternative Methods Advancement Program (AMAP) to further develop non-animal testing methods [51] Academic and Government Spending - Academic and government clients contribute about **6%** of CRL's revenue, with NIH funding being a small part of that [56] - No significant impact from government budget changes has been observed yet, but potential effects may be seen in 2026 [57][58] Market Trends - The company is observing a trend in pharma licensing, particularly with Chinese assets, but prefers work originating from the U.S. for preclinical activities [41][42] - Price pressures are expected to remain stable, with no major improvements anticipated in the near term [47] Additional Insights - The company is optimistic about future bookings and client engagement, particularly in the pharma sector [39][40] - Management is focused on maintaining operational efficiency while navigating a challenging market environment [9][10] This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the conference call, highlighting the company's financial performance, strategic initiatives, and market outlook.