NEW YORK, Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Lineage, Inc. (NASDAQ: LINE). Shareholders who purchased shares of LINE during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery. NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of LINE during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled ...

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]