Company Overview and Strategy - Americold is a global leader in the cold storage industry, operating a network of strategically located warehouses [7, 83] - The company's strategy focuses on solutions, operational excellence, and experienced leadership [7, 83] - Americold has a capital allocation strategy supported by a blue-chip customer base and unique partnerships [7, 83] Financial Performance and Highlights - The company's total enterprise value is $8.7 billion, with an equity market capitalization of $4.8 billion as of June 30, 2025 [13] - LTM Pro Forma Core EBITDA is $626 million [13] - The company experienced a (1.5)% change in total same-store revenue and a (4.2)% change in same-store NOI for Q2 2025 [13] - Adjusted FFO grew by 34% from $299 million in 2021 to $405 million in LTM Q2 25 [15] Infrastructure and Operations - Americold operates approximately 237 warehouses globally, with a total capacity of approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet [11] - The company has a development pipeline of approximately $1 billion in current projects [18, 49] - Americold's operating system (AOS) ensures best practices across the entire warehouse network [18, 52] Growth Drivers and Market Position - The company has strong same-store warehouse revenue and NOI growth [63, 64] - Americold is a global leader in a highly fragmented market, holding 18% of the North American market share and 6% of the global market share [58, 59]

Core Viewpoint - A securities class action lawsuit has been filed against Lineage, Inc. for alleged material misrepresentations in its IPO registration statement, impacting investors who purchased shares during the IPO [1][7]. Allegations Against Lineage, Inc. - The lawsuit claims that Lineage's Registration Statement for its IPO, effective on July 24, 2024, contained significant misrepresentations regarding the company's business state and industry trends [7]. - It is alleged that Lineage falsely claimed that COVID-19 had accelerated growth in cold storage demand, which would benefit the company in the long term [7]. - The company reportedly concealed ongoing business challenges, including: - Customers destocking inventory that was built during the pandemic [7]. - A market-wide shift towards maintaining leaner inventories [7]. - Increased overall cold storage supply affecting occupancy rates and pricing power, particularly due to unsustainable price hikes imposed by Lineage [7]. Impact on Investors - Investors have a legal deadline until September 30, 2025, to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the case [3].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Q1 2025 AFFO per share was $0.34, in line with expectations, despite lapping unusually high counter-cyclical inventory levels from the previous year [18] - The board approved a 5% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.23 per share, reflecting confidence in operational resilience and cash flow generation [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Same store economic occupancy declined approximately 270 basis points sequentially from Q4 2024, reflecting a return to normal seasonality and ongoing market softness [10] - Rent and storage revenue from fixed commitment contracts increased to 60%, achieving a goal set three years ago when it was under 40% [10][22] - Same store rent and storage revenue per economic occupied pallet increased approximately 2% year-over-year, while same store services revenue per throughput pallet increased over 3% [13][20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Michigan consumer sentiment index is now below levels seen during the 2008 financial crisis, indicating a significant drop in consumer confidence [8] - Economic occupancy is expected to range from negative 200 basis points to flat compared to 2024, with throughput volume expected to be in the range of negative 1% to positive 1% [32][33] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on four key operational priorities and continues to execute well despite near-term challenges [9] - A high-quality, low-risk development pipeline of about $1 billion is being managed, with several projects announced, including expansions in Canada and New Zealand [14][15][30] - The company aims to creatively deploy capital to unlock customer growth opportunities, as seen in the recent acquisition in Houston [17][25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that while direct impacts from tariffs are modest, indirect impacts on consumer confidence are significant, leading to a revised outlook for the year [9][47] - The macroeconomic environment is changing, with higher tariffs and lower consumer confidence affecting demand and inventory levels [32][47] - Despite challenges, management remains confident in the company's operational model and ability to create long-term value [40] Other Important Information - The company completed a public bond offering of $400 million with an interest rate of 5.6%, which will be used to repay a portion of revolver borrowings [38] - The company is strategically exiting five facilities this year, consolidating business into owned locations to reduce costs [36] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of tariffs on demand - Management acknowledged that while direct impacts from tariffs are modest, indirect impacts on consumer confidence are significant, leading to a slowdown in expansion plans [47] Question: Pricing strategy amidst demand headwinds - Management expressed confidence in maintaining pricing due to the value provided to customers, despite competitive pricing pressures [48][50] Question: Monitoring the spread between physical and economic occupancy - Management noted that fixed commitments have grown, indicating continued customer engagement despite the gap between physical and economic occupancy [55][56] Question: Guidance comparison and inventory levels - Q1 results were in line with expectations, and the change in guidance was due to overall seasonality and timing of new business rather than Q1 operations [70][71] Question: Customer churn and inventory management - Management reported that customer churn remained low, with a general lowering of inventory across the system due to decreased demand [81][82] Question: Sales pipeline execution amidst customer caution - Management indicated strong execution on the sales pipeline, with approximately 50% of opportunities closed, although transitioning inventory may take longer in the current environment [94][95]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Q1 2025 AFFO per share was $0.34, aligning with expectations, despite facing unusually high counter-cyclical inventory levels last year [18] - The board approved a 5% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.23 per share, reflecting confidence in operational resilience and cash flow generation [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Same store economic occupancy declined approximately 270 basis points sequentially from Q4 2024, reflecting a return to normal seasonality and ongoing market softness [9] - Rent and storage revenue from fixed commitment contracts increased to 60%, achieving a goal set three years ago, which was under 40% at that time [9][22] - Same store rent and storage revenue per economic occupied pallet increased approximately 2% year-over-year, while same store services revenue per throughput pallet increased over 3% [12][20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Michigan consumer sentiment index is now below levels seen during the 2008 financial crisis, indicating a significant drop in consumer confidence [7] - Economic occupancy is expected to range from negative 200 basis points to flat compared to 2024, with throughput volume expected to range from negative 1% to positive 1% [34] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on four key operational priorities, including customer service, which remains a top priority to accelerate market share growth [8][20] - A high-quality, low-risk development pipeline of about $1 billion in opportunities is being managed, with several projects announced, including expansions in Canada and New Zealand [13][14] - The company is strategically exiting five facilities this year to consolidate business into owned locations, reducing costs significantly [36] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that while direct impacts from tariffs are modest, indirect impacts on consumer confidence are significant, leading to a revised outlook for the year [8][48] - The macroeconomic environment is changing, with expectations for AFFO per share now between $1.42 and $1.52 for the year [32] - The company remains confident in its ability to create long-term value despite current challenges, leveraging improved operating efficiencies and strategic partnerships [42] Other Important Information - The company completed a public bond offering of $400 million with an interest rate of 5.6%, which will be used to repay a portion of revolver borrowings [39] - The acquisition in Houston was driven by a significant retail customer win, increasing capacity in the market by approximately 36,000 power positions [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of tariffs on demand - Management indicated that while direct impacts from tariffs are modest, indirect impacts on consumer confidence are significant, leading to a slowdown in expansion plans among customers [48] Question: Pricing strategy amidst demand headwinds - Management expressed confidence in maintaining pricing due to the value provided to customers, despite observing pricing pressure from competitors [50] Question: Monitoring the spread between physical and economic occupancy - Management noted that fixed commitments have grown to 60% of revenue, indicating continued customer engagement despite the gap between physical and economic occupancy [58] Question: Development projects and lease-up expectations - Management clarified that several projects are not demand-driven but are aimed at improving supply chain efficiency, with no risk to ramp-up expected [66] Question: Q1 results compared to initial guidance - Management stated that Q1 results were in line with expectations, and the change in full-year guidance was due to overall seasonality and timing of new business [72]

Company Overview - Lineage Logistics (NASDAQ:LINE) is the global leader in cold storage with 3.1 billion cubic feet of dedicated real estate and has seen its stock price drop from $78 at IPO in June 2024 to $59.66 [1][3] - The current valuation at $59.66 represents a 17X multiple on consensus 2025 AFFO of $3.51, indicating that the stock has become more interesting at this lower price [3] Industry Overview - Demand for cold storage has been steadily increasing, driven by global food demand and a higher share of food distributed via temperature control [6][7] - The USDA projects continued growth in global food demand through 2050, influenced by population and income growth [7] - The cold storage industry is currently experiencing oversupply due to a significant increase in capacity (over 40% since 2019) and a slowdown in new building projects due to higher interest rates [18][24] Growth Potential - Lineage Logistics is positioned for growth through three main sources: occupancy recovery, margin expansion, and accretive consolidation [20][21] - Current physical pallet occupancy is at 78%, with potential for significant improvement as inventory levels normalize [19][25] - The company has a margin of 39%, with opportunities for improvement through operational efficiencies and automation [27][29] Operational Efficiency - Lineage is implementing a proprietary software called LinOS to optimize warehouse operations, which is expected to enhance efficiency and reduce labor costs [30][31] - The company currently has 82 out of 488 warehouses automated, with plans for further automation to improve margins [30] Market Position - As the market leader, Lineage has synergies in its customer network and can spread overhead costs over a larger revenue base, enhancing its competitive advantage [29] - The fragmented nature of the cold storage industry presents opportunities for Lineage to acquire smaller competitors and improve their operational efficiency [32] Long-term Outlook - The long-term fundamental outlook for cold storage remains strong, with Lineage's market leadership and operational efficiencies positioning it for potentially explosive growth [40] - The company anticipates a return to normal seasonality in inventory levels, which could significantly impact occupancy rates and overall performance [25][26]