Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported record earnings with adjusted operating income of $153 million, a 31% increase year-over-year compared to $117.2 million in the same quarter of 2025 [5][17] - Adjusted operating margin for the SAO segment reached 32%, up from 26.3% a year ago and 30.5% in the prior quarter, marking the fifteenth consecutive quarter of margin expansion [6][21] - Earnings per diluted share was $2.43 for the quarter, representing a record quarter for profitability [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - SAO segment net sales excluding surcharge were $533.9 million, up 5% year-over-year but down 3% sequentially due to planned maintenance [20] - PEP segment net sales excluding surcharge were $87.2 million, down 10% sequentially and down 6% year-over-year, with operating income of $9.4 million [23][24] - Aerospace and defense sales were up 1% sequentially and 11% year-over-year, with bookings accelerating by 23% sequentially [11][12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The aerospace supply chain is experiencing strengthening demand, particularly in the engine submarket, which saw a 14% sequential increase in sales [11][41] - Medical end-use market sales were down 20% sequentially and 16% year-over-year, primarily due to volatility in medical distribution [12][13] - Energy end-use market sales were down 5% sequentially but up 8% year-over-year, with order intake increasing by 41% in the quarter [14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on expanding profitability and margins through productivity improvements and pricing actions, particularly in the SAO segment [22][48] - The brownfield expansion project is underway, with construction activities on schedule and expected to accelerate in the second half of fiscal year 2026 [26][27] - The company aims to maintain a balanced capital allocation approach, investing in growth while returning cash to shareholders through stock buybacks and dividends [49] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the full-year earnings guidance, projecting operating income of $660 million to $700 million for fiscal year 2026, representing a 26% to 33% increase over the previous year [46] - The aerospace market is expected to see significant demand increases, driven by higher build rates from OEMs like Boeing and Airbus [48][49] - Management noted that the pricing environment for nickel-based superalloys remains favorable due to supply-demand imbalances [35][36] Other Important Information - The effective tax rate for the quarter was 15.4%, lower than anticipated, with expectations for the full fiscal year to be between 21% to 23% [19] - The company generated $39.2 million in cash from operating activities but reported negative adjusted free cash flow of $3.4 million due to capital expenditures [26][28] Q&A Session Summary Question: What has happened to jet engine alloy lead times? - Lead times remain extended, with expectations for them to push out again due to recent positive developments in the Boeing supply chain [57] Question: How are fastener demand trends tracking? - Fastener sales were down 7% sequentially but up 40% year-over-year, with strong order intake expected for calendar year 2026 [63] Question: Can you elaborate on the duration of the new LTAs? - The five new LTAs range from two to five years, with expectations that contract lengths will remain consistent with current levels [68] Question: What is the outlook for defense demand? - The company is seeing strong demand across various defense segments, with a focus on increasing performance through innovative alloys [74] Question: Is there an expectation for continued growth in aerospace bookings? - Management anticipates continued growth in aerospace bookings, with a strong upward trend expected over the next several quarters [90]

Core Insights - Carpenter Technology reported a significant increase in fiscal 2026 Q1 earnings, with profit growing 40% to $2.43 per share and sales reaching $733.7 million, up 2% year-over-year [1]. Financial Performance - Fiscal 2026 Q1 profit increased by 40% to $2.43 per share [1] - Sales totaled $733.7 million, reflecting a 2% increase compared to the previous year [1] Market Position - Carpenter Technology's stock experienced a notable rise following the earnings report, indicating strong market performance [1]. - The company has achieved a Relative Strength Rating upgrade, suggesting improving technical performance [2]. Industry Recognition - Carpenter Technology's Composite Rating has climbed to 96, indicating a strong position within the industry [4].

October 23, 2025 CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION 1 st Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Earnings Call © 2025 CRS Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Cautionary Statement Forward-looking statements This presentation contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those projected, anticipated or implied. The most significant of these uncertaint ...

Core Insights - Carpenter Technology Corporation reported record operating income of $153.3 million for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, marking a 31% increase year-over-year and surpassing the previous record set in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 [4][5][8] - The Specialty Alloys Operations (SAO) segment achieved an adjusted operating margin of 32.0%, up from 26.3% in the same quarter last year, representing the fifteenth consecutive quarterly margin increase [4][5][34] - Demand in the Aerospace and Defense end-use market accelerated, with bookings increasing 23% sequentially, reflecting a strengthening supply chain and higher build rates [4][5][43] Financial Performance - Net sales for Q1 FY2026 were $733.7 million, a 2% increase from $717.6 million in Q1 FY2025, while net sales excluding surcharge were $603.1 million, up 4% year-over-year [7][43] - Operating income for the quarter was $153.3 million, compared to $113.6 million in the prior year, with earnings per diluted share rising to $2.43 from $1.67 [8][18] - The SAO segment generated $170.7 million in operating income, a 27% increase year-over-year, while the Performance Engineered Products segment reported operating income of $9.4 million [5][24] Cash Flow and Capital Allocation - Cash generated from operating activities was $39.2 million, slightly down from $40.2 million in the same quarter last year, while adjusted free cash flow was negative $3.4 million due to increased capital expenditures related to a brownfield expansion project [9][40] - The company executed $49.1 million in share repurchases during the quarter, with a remaining authorization of $249.0 million under its $400.0 million repurchase program [10][41] Outlook - For the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, the company anticipates operating income between $152 million and $156 million, with a full-year outlook of $660 million to $700 million, representing a 26% to 33% increase over fiscal year 2025 [5][6] - The company is committed to achieving an operating income target of $765 million to $800 million for fiscal year 2027, supported by ongoing market dynamics and capacity expansions [6][10]

Core Insights - Afarak Group reported a 51.4% decrease in overall production for Q3 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to reduced mining activity in South Africa following the sale of the Zeerust mine [3][8]. Production Summary - Specialty segment production increased by 23% compared to Q3 2024, with Specialty Alloys production rising by 28.3% year-on-year [2][4]. - Processing volumes saw a 24.4% increase in Q3 2025 compared to the same quarter of the previous year [4]. - Mining activity in South Africa dropped significantly by 67.9% year-on-year, while Turkish mining activity increased by 41.3% over the same period [8]. Demand and Price Trends - Demand for Chrome Ore remains strong in China, with major South African ferro-chrome producers reducing production, leading to higher ore exports and increased ferro-chrome production in China [5]. - Cr Ore prices in China improved during Q3 2025, and world market prices for both high and low carbon ferrochrome are gradually recovering [6]. Challenges and Opportunities - The weakening of the US dollar is impacting the bottom line for chrome products, which are traded as US dollar commodities [6]. - Discussions regarding a possible export quota for Chrome Ore from South Africa have recently resumed, indicating potential regulatory changes [6].

Core Insights - Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS) is set to report its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on October 23, with sales estimated at $729 million, reflecting a 1.6% increase year-over-year [1][4] - The earnings consensus estimate for CRS is $2.13 per share, indicating a year-over-year growth of 23.1%, with a 1.4% upward revision in the past 60 days [1][4] Earnings Performance - CRS has a history of exceeding Zacks Consensus Estimates, achieving an average surprise of 8.4% over the last four quarters [3][4] - The reported earnings for the last four quarters were $2.21, $1.88, $1.66, and $1.73, with respective surprises of 8.87%, 8.05%, 6.41%, and 10.19% [4] Market Dynamics - The growth in aerospace, defense, and medical applications is expected to positively influence CRS's performance in fiscal 2026 [7] - Increased demand in aerospace submarkets is anticipated as supply chains adapt to rising travel needs [7] Challenges and Mitigating Factors - CRS faces challenges from labor and chip shortages, which may impact performance [8] - However, gains from productivity improvements, higher prices, and an enhanced product mix are expected to offset these challenges [8] Segment Performance Expectations - Specialty Alloys Operations segment sales are projected at $688 million, a 6.6% increase from the previous year, with an operating profit expected to rise to $165 million from $134.5 million [9] - Performance Engineered Products segment net sales are anticipated to grow by 3.3% year-over-year to $104 million, with an operating profit expected to increase to $11.2 million from $7.3 million [10] Stock Performance - CRS shares have appreciated by 55.6% over the past year, significantly outperforming the industry average growth of 25.5% [11]

Group 1 - TimesSquare Capital Management's "U.S. Mid Cap Growth Strategy" reported a gross return of 13.13% and a net return of 12.91% for Q2 2025, underperforming the Russell Midcap® Growth Index which returned 18.20% [1] - The fund's performance was attributed to double-digit returns in equities driven by improved global economic activity [1] - Carpenter Technology Corporation (NYSE:CRS) was highlighted as a key stock, with a one-month return of 0.61% and a 52-week gain of 52.72%, closing at $241.29 per share with a market capitalization of $12.505 billion [2] Group 2 - Carpenter Technology Corporation specializes in manufacturing engineered metals primarily for aerospace, and is part of a duopoly supplying high-performance alloys for jet engine combustion chambers [3] - The company benefits from a stronger balance sheet and higher margins compared to its competitor, with most revenues linked to spot-market prices allowing for flexible pricing strategies [3] - Despite its potential, Carpenter Technology Corporation is not among the top 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, with 78 hedge fund portfolios holding its stock at the end of Q2 2025, an increase from 55 in the previous quarter [4]

Market Overview - The U.S. equity markets have experienced a downturn recently, primarily due to a pullback in blue-chip tech stocks, which has negatively impacted the overall market [1] - The 10-year Treasury yield has increased to 4.2%, influenced by solid economic data, including a revision of second-quarter GDP growth from 3.3% to 3.8% [1][2] - Weekly jobless claims decreased to 218,000 from 232,000, contrasting with expectations of 235,000 claims, indicating a robust job market [1][2] Federal Reserve and Interest Rates - The strong job market and revised GDP estimates have raised concerns about the Federal Reserve's potential interest rate cuts, following a recent reduction of 25 basis points to a range of 4.00%-4.25% [2] - Investors are awaiting the personal consumption expenditures price index reports for August for further insights into the Fed's rate cut policy [2] Momentum Investing Strategy - Momentum investing is highlighted as a strategy to capitalize on current trends, based on the principle of "buying high and selling higher" [3] - This strategy aims to profit from the tendency to extrapolate current trends into the future before mean reversion occurs [3] Screening Parameters for Momentum Stocks - The screening process identifies stocks with the best percentage price change over the last 52 weeks, selecting the top 50 performers [5] - From these, the bottom 10 performers over the past week are chosen to identify those experiencing short-term pullbacks [6] - Stocks with a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) and a Momentum Style Score of B or better are prioritized, indicating a higher probability of success [7] Selected Stocks - Wolverine World Wide, Inc. has seen a 62.5% increase over the past year but experienced an 8.2% decline last week, holding a Momentum Score of B [9][11] - Carpenter Technology Corporation has risen 48.9% in the past year but fell 5.8% last week, also with a Momentum Score of B [12][13] - Astera Labs, Inc. has surged 266.5% over the past year but dropped 20.3% last week, backed by a Momentum Score of A [14][15]

Core Viewpoint - The company's 1H25 results showed a revenue decline of 7.3% YoY to Rmb2.34 billion, while net profit attributable to shareholders increased by 6.8% YoY to Rmb204 million, aligning with expectations [1]. Financial Performance - Sales volume of high-speed steel, die steel, cutting tools, and titanium alloys experienced mixed results, with declines in high-speed steel (-10.4%), die steel (-5.2%), and cutting tools (-20.4%), while titanium alloys saw a significant increase of 65.2% YoY [1]. - The gross margin for high-speed steel rose by 1.5 percentage points to 15.6%, and for die steel, it increased by 0.5 percentage points to 13.8% due to domestic recovery and rising raw material prices [2]. - Conversely, the gross margin for cutting tools fell by 4.6 percentage points to 28.5% due to high raw material costs and intense price competition, while titanium alloys saw a price drop of 45.1% and a gross margin decline of 14.8 percentage points to 24.2% [3]. Foreign Exchange Impact - Foreign exchange gains increased to Rmb129.7 million in 1H25, attributed to the euro's sharp appreciation against the renminbi, impacting euro-denominated trade receivables [3]. Strategic Trends - The company is focusing on high-end product expansion and organic growth, with expectations for the titanium alloy business to significantly contribute to profits by 2026 [4]. - The firm has upgraded its smelting technology to produce various titanium alloy grades and aims to enhance competitiveness in the titanium alloy sector [4]. - The powder metallurgical products segment is expected to ramp up, with the company exploring new applications and establishing a joint venture to bolster its powder material business [5]. Financial Forecasts - Due to uncertainties in the export business for 2H25, the 2025 attributable net profit forecast has been reduced by 24.3% to Rmb366 million, while a new forecast for 2026 is introduced at Rmb538 million, anticipating growth from the alloy material business [6]. - The stock is currently trading at 17.0x and 11.4x P/E for 2025 and 2026, respectively, with a target price increase of 20% to HK$3.01, reflecting a 2026 P/E ratio of 13.8x and an upside potential of 20.8% [6].

Market Overview - U.S. stock markets have continued to rise in 2025, with major indexes achieving significant gains in August: Dow up 3.2%, S&P 500 up 1.9%, and Nasdaq Composite up 1.6% [1][2] - All three major indexes reached several all-time and closing highs, with positive investor sentiment driven by the absence of tariff-related concerns, weak labor market data, and indications of a possible rate cut by the Fed [2][8] Company Highlights CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (CRWD) - CRWD reported Q2 2025 adjusted EPS of $0.93, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.83, with total revenues of $1.17 billion, surpassing the estimate of $1.15 billion [7] - The company added a record $221 million in net new annual recurring revenues (ARR), bringing total ARR to $4.66 billion, a 20% increase year-over-year [7][8] - CRWD is focusing on securing AI agents and has launched new products like Signal, an AI detection engine, to enhance its cybersecurity offerings [10][12] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for CRWD are 20.9% and -9.9%, respectively, for the current year [13] Interactive Brokers Group Inc. (IBKR) - IBKR is expected to see a CAGR of 6.5% in total net revenues (GAAP) by 2027, supported by proprietary software development and expansion into emerging markets [14] - Recent initiatives include launching zero-commission U.S. stock trading in Singapore and extending trading hours for Forecast Contracts [15] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for IBKR are 8.8% and 11.4%, respectively, for the current year [16] Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD) - HOOD operates a financial services platform allowing users to trade various assets, including cryptocurrencies [17] - The company is expected to benefit from increased retail market participation, with trading revenues projected to improve [18] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for HOOD are 35.8% and 42.2%, respectively, for the current year [19] Carpenter Technology Corp. (CRS) - CRS specializes in premium specialty alloys and has expanded its additive manufacturing capabilities [20] - The company has experienced strong booking growth, indicating robust demand, and is well-positioned to invest in emerging technologies [21] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for CRS are 8.1% and 27.1%, respectively, for the current year [22] Sportradar Group AG (SRAD) - SRAD provides sports data services and reported Q2 2025 adjusted EPS of $0.17, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.04, with total revenues of $360.57 million, a 20.3% year-over-year increase [24][26] - The company offers a comprehensive suite of solutions for the sports betting industry, including live streaming and risk management services [25] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for SRAD are 24.3% and over 100%, respectively, for the current year [26]