Core Insights - Celestica Inc. reported strong second-quarter 2025 results with adjusted earnings and revenues exceeding Zacks Consensus Estimates [1][8] - The growth was primarily driven by the Connectivity & Cloud Solutions (CCS) segment, supported by management's focus on innovation and AI advancements [1][8] - The company raised its full-year 2025 revenue, earnings, and free cash flow outlook based on solid Q2 performance [8][10] Financial Performance - Quarterly net income reached $211 million or $1.82 per share, a significant increase from $95 million or 80 cents per share in the same quarter last year [2] - Non-GAAP net earnings improved to $161.2 million or $1.39 per share, up from $108 million or 90 cents per share year-over-year, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 15 cents [2] - Revenues for the quarter were $2.89 billion, reflecting a 21% year-over-year increase, surpassing management's guidance and Zacks Consensus Estimate by $223 million [3][8] Segment Performance - The CCS segment's revenues grew 28% year-over-year to $2.07 billion, driven by strong demand in the Communications end market, accounting for 71.6% of total revenues [4][5] - The Communications end market saw a 75% revenue increase to $1.64 billion, supported by demand for networking products [5] - The Advanced Technology Solutions (ATS) segment reported revenues of $819 million, a 7% increase, contributing 28.4% to total revenues [6] Cash Flow & Liquidity - Operating cash flow for the quarter was $152.4 million, up from $99.6 million in the prior year, with free cash flow at $119.9 million compared to $65.6 million last year [7] - As of June 30, 2025, the company had $313.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and long-term debt of $848.6 million [7] Guidance - For Q3 2025, Celestica expects revenues between $2.875 billion and $3.125 billion, with non-GAAP earnings per share projected in the range of $1.37 to $1.53 [9] - The full-year 2025 revenue forecast has been raised to approximately $11.55 billion, with non-GAAP adjusted earnings expected to be $5.50 per share [10]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly state an investment rating for the industry or specific companies within it Core Insights - Capital expenditure (Capex) for AI infrastructure is expected to remain strong, driven by tier-2 clouds and large enterprises diversifying their spending on data center equipment [2][3] - The transition to 800G networking is anticipated to dominate through 2026, with Ethernet potentially scaling up in networking opportunities [2][5] - Data center equipment spending is diversifying across more cloud players, with a forecasted growth rate of approximately 18% CAGR from 2024 to 2029, reaching around $925 billion [3] Summary by Sections Data Center Equipment Spending - Cloud Provider capex is projected to grow significantly, with more cloud players expected to spend over $5 billion annually, enhancing vendor customer base diversity [3] - Hyperscalers are likely to continue favoring best-of-breed networking providers, while tier-2 cloud providers will prefer full-stack solutions [3] Networking Trends - The transition to 800G is ongoing, with AI players at various stages, and the revenue recognition timeline for networking vendors has lengthened from 1-2 quarters to 2-4 quarters [5] - Vendor diversity for switching silicon is becoming increasingly important for AI workloads, with Cisco and Juniper expected to gain market share [5] Market Dynamics - The report highlights relative strength in Asia and Middle Eastern sovereign AI initiatives, indicating a robust market for data center equipment [3] - Concerns regarding data center switching market share, particularly for Arista, are viewed as somewhat exaggerated [2]

Core Industry Insights - The electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry is highly competitive and rapidly evolving, driven by factors such as AI, data center expansion, consumer electronics growth, 5G adoption, IoT proliferation, and automotive innovation [4] - Both Celestica Inc. and Jabil Inc. are strategically positioned in this evolving EMS landscape, with domain-specific expertise in core areas [4] Jabil Inc. Highlights - Jabil is experiencing significant growth in AI-related revenues, projected to reach $8.5 billion by 2025, reflecting a 50% year-over-year growth [5] - The AI data center market is expected to grow from $15.02 billion in 2024 to $93.60 billion in 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 26.8% [6] - Jabil plans to invest $500 million in the Southeast U.S. to expand manufacturing capabilities and workforce development for the cloud and AI data center infrastructure market [6] - The company generated $326 million in adjusted free cash flow in Q3 and anticipates over $1.2 billion in adjusted free cash flow for the full year 2025, indicating efficient working capital management [7] - Jabil faces challenges from weak demand in renewable energy and EV verticals, as well as competition from Celestica and others [8] Celestica Inc. Highlights - Celestica is witnessing growth in its Connectivity & Cloud Solutions (CCS) segment, driven by strong demand for 400G and 800G switches [9][10] - The company is focusing on product diversification and innovation, with strategic collaborations with industry leaders like AMD and Broadcom expected to yield long-term benefits [10] - Celestica's strong R&D capabilities allow it to produce high-volume electronic products and complex technology infrastructure products [11] - The introduction of innovative products, such as the ES1500 enterprise access switch, positions Celestica for long-term growth [12] - However, the company faces margin pressures due to intensifying competition and significant customer concentration risk [13] Financial Performance and Valuation - Jabil's 2025 sales are estimated to grow by 0.58%, with EPS growth of 10.13%, while Celestica's sales and EPS are expected to grow by 13.15% and 30.15%, respectively [14][16] - Over the past year, Celestica's stock has gained 152.6%, while Jabil's has increased by 85.2% [17] - Jabil's shares trade at a forward P/E ratio of 20.42, which is lower than Celestica's 28.98, making Jabil more attractive from a valuation standpoint [17] Investment Outlook - Jabil holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), while Celestica has a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating a stronger investment outlook for Jabil [19][21] - Both companies are expected to benefit from the growing AI proliferation across industries, but Jabil's broader portfolio, robust cash flow, and strategic investments provide it with a competitive edge [21]

Core Insights - Celestica, Inc. (CLS) reported a 20% year-over-year revenue increase to $2.64 billion in Q1 2025, driven by strong performance in the Connectivity & Cloud Solutions segment [1] - The company anticipates a revenue of $10.91 billion in 2025, reflecting a 13.15% year-over-year growth, supported by demand in the AI-data center infrastructure market [3] Group 1: Company Performance - CLS experienced significant growth in its High Performance Solutions product lines, with revenues up 99% year-over-year, primarily due to strong sales of 400G and 800G switches [1] - The introduction of innovative products like the ES1500 enterprise access switch and the DS4100 800G switch is enhancing CLS's market position [2] - Celestica's stock has increased by 165.5% over the past year, outperforming the industry growth of 94.7% [7] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Celestica faces competition from Sanmina Corporation and Jabil, Inc. in the electronics contract manufacturing services sector [4] - Sanmina reported $1.59 billion in revenues for Q2 2025, marking a 9.7% year-over-year growth, with a projected revenue of $8.1 billion for 2025 [5] - Jabil's Intelligent Infrastructure segment generated $3.4 billion in revenues, up 51% year-over-year, with an expected revenue of $29.05 billion for the current fiscal year [6] Group 3: Valuation and Estimates - Celestica's forward price-to-earnings ratio stands at 27.47, which is above the industry average [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Celestica's earnings for 2025 has remained unchanged over the past 60 days [9]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved revenues of $2.65 billion in Q1 2025, a 20% increase year-over-year, exceeding guidance [13][30] - Adjusted EPS for the quarter was $1.20, an increase of $0.37 or 45% year-over-year [14] - Adjusted operating margin reached 7.1%, marking the highest performance in the company's history, up 120 basis points [8][14] - Adjusted gross margin was 11.0%, up 110 basis points, driven by higher volumes and a favorable mix [14] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The CCS segment generated $1.84 billion in revenue, up 28%, driven by strong demand for networking switches [16] - The ATS segment revenue totaled $807 million, up 5%, primarily due to growth in the capital equipment business [15] - HPS revenue grew by 99% to just over $1 billion, accounting for 39% of total company revenue [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Communications end market revenues increased by 87%, driven by strong demand for HPS networking products [17] - Enterprise end market revenue decreased by 39%, better than the guidance of a mid-40s percentage decline, due to a technology transition in an AI/ML compute program [17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company raised its revenue outlook for 2025 from $10.7 billion to $10.85 billion, reflecting year-over-year growth of 12% [30] - The CCS segment is expected to grow in the high-teens percentage range in 2025, driven by hyperscaler customers [33] - The company is focusing on expanding its services component, particularly in higher-margin areas [73] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the macro environment has become increasingly dynamic due to trade policy uncertainty, but resilient demand remains [9][10] - The company is confident in its ability to navigate the current macro environment, supported by a globally diversified manufacturing network [40] - Management expressed optimism about the demand outlook for the remainder of 2025, citing strong customer feedback [30] Other Important Information - The company generated $94 million of free cash flow in Q1 2025, $26 million higher than the prior year [21] - The gross debt at the end of the quarter was $887 million, with a net debt position of $584 million [23] - The company repurchased $75 million of shares during the first quarter and an additional $40 million after the quarter [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Visibility with customers in CCS given uncertainty - Management indicated that visibility with hyperscaler customers remains strong, with no changes in CapEx plans due to tariffs [45][46] Question: Re-acceleration in enterprise side - Management expects a ramp in AI/ML compute transition starting in Q3 2025, contributing to growth in the enterprise segment [52] Question: Impact of tariffs on ATS - Management noted minimal impact from tariffs in ATS, with demand remaining strong [58] Question: Guidance for CCS communications - Management explained that flat sequential revenues are due to timing of programs, not a decline in demand [62][65] Question: 1.6T switch program updates - Management confirmed strong bookings and ongoing development, with mass production expected in the second half of 2026 [70][72] Question: Price elasticity and customer feedback on tariffs - Management reported that customers did not waver in their commitment to CapEx plans during elevated tariff periods [112] Question: Pipeline changes in the last month - Management stated that the pipeline remains strong, with no major changes due to tariffs [116] Question: Ramps and guidance interaction - Management indicated that sequential growth is expected in the second half of 2025, with ongoing strong demand for 800G programs [122] Question: Margin improvement in ATS - Management noted that margin-dilutive programs are reflected in guidance, with opportunities for further margin expansion in ATS [129]