Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Hexcel generated $456 million in sales and adjusted diluted EPS of $0.37 in Q3 2025, unchanged year over year, reflecting challenging conditions due to slower seasonal sales and continued destocking by commercial OEMs [10][24] - Gross margin for Q3 2025 was 21.9%, down from 23.3% in Q3 2024, impacted by tariffs and inventory reduction actions [10][26] - Adjusted operating income in Q3 was $44.8 million, or 9.8% of sales, compared to $52.9 million, or 11.6% of sales in the prior year [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Commercial aerospace sales were $274.2 million, a decline of 7.3% year over year, primarily due to destocking on the Airbus A350 program [11][24] - Sales for defense, space, and other segments totaled $182 million, an increase of 11.7% on a constant currency basis, driven by strong demand across various platforms [12][25] - Other commercial aerospace sales increased by 9.3% year over year, led by regional jets [11][24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The backlog for commercial aircraft has grown from 13,000 units before the pandemic to over 15,000 today, indicating strong demand [6][7] - Air traffic has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, supporting the outlook for increased production rates in the aerospace sector [6][7] - The company expects to exit 2025 fully aligned with commercial aircraft build rates, positioning for growth in 2026 and beyond [7][35] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Hexcel's strategic focus remains on advanced material science, particularly in the aerospace and defense markets, as it navigates a dynamic environment [5][6] - The company is committed to driving productivity through automation, digitalization, and robotics, while also managing costs and realizing price gains [16][17] - Hexcel plans to return excess cash to stockholders, as demonstrated by a new $600 million share repurchase program [21][37] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed growing confidence in a sustained ramp-up in production based on customer discussions and actions, despite a slow recovery from the pandemic [6][7] - The company anticipates strong free cash flow generation, forecasting over $1 billion in cumulative free cash flow from 2025 to 2028 [17][37] - Management acknowledged the impact of tariffs and ongoing destocking but remains optimistic about future growth driven by increased production rates [14][32] Other Important Information - The divestiture of the Neumarkt, Austria plant was completed, which will not contribute to sales in Q4 2025 or beyond [14][33] - The company is managing headcount closely, with expectations to begin hiring again in early 2026 as production rates increase [15][17] - The company has not repurchased any stock during Q3 2025 but plans to utilize cash generation to repay borrowings from the accelerated share repurchase program [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you talk about the $500 million growth related to manufacturer production rates? - Management indicated that the long-term contract with Airbus for the A350 provides a foundation for capital investments, but inflation has impacted margins [42] Question: What should be the debt or interest costs for 2026 in light of the ASR? - Management suggested that debt will decrease rapidly after the first quarter, with an estimated interest rate of about 5.5% [44] Question: Can margins be higher if commercial aero revenue is higher than in 2024? - Management confirmed that margins can increase, but there is work to offset natural inflation [57] Question: How does the company plan to manage potential continued destocking? - Management plans to lag hiring in response to demand and utilize inventory as a cushion for unexpected demand spikes [59] Question: Is there an opportunity to recapture incremental tariff costs in the future? - Management noted that there are provisions to recover some costs, particularly for export or military use, and they are working on shifting foreign supply to domestic sources [76] Question: How big is the inventory cushion currently? - Management indicated that inventory levels have been running high, with a current cushion of about 90 days, aiming to reduce it to a steady state of 70 days [81]

Hexcel (NYSE:HXL) Q3 2025 Earnings Call October 23, 2025 09:00 AM ET Speaker3Hello, and thank you for standing by. My name is Tiffany, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Hexcel third quarter earnings call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a question and answer session. If you would like to ask a question during that time, simply press star, then the number one on you ...

Summary of Conference Call Notes Industry Overview - **Industry**: New Materials in China - **Key Focus Areas**: Lithium, Uranium, Rare Earths, Solar Glass Key Points and Arguments Lithium Market - **Demand**: Year-to-date lithium demand has exceeded market expectations, driven by strong demand from Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and ongoing electric vehicle (EV) trade-in programs [2] - **Supply Risks**: Yichun lepidolite mines are undergoing resource reclassification, which may lead to temporary shutdowns. These mines collectively produce approximately 150,000 tons of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) annually [2] - **Cost Dynamics**: The cost curve for lepidolite mines is expected to rise due to increased royalties and fees, with cost support estimated at around RMB 70,000 per ton [2] Uranium Market - **Price Momentum**: Strong momentum in uranium prices is anticipated, supported by major investment vehicles like SPUT and Yellow Cake purchasing in the spot market. Long-term prices are expected to rise post-World Nuclear Symposium, with current spot prices around US$83 per pound [3] - **Supply Adjustments**: Production cuts from Kazatomprom and Cameco highlight ongoing supply risks, benefiting CGN Mining, which has increased its spot price exposure to 70% from 60% due to a renewed three-year contract [3] Rare Earths and Magnets - **Price Strength**: Rare earth prices are robust due to strong downstream demand and China's supply-side controls. Magnet producers are expected to pass price increases to customers, improving gross profit margins [4] - **Export Recovery**: Export volumes for magnet producers are normalizing, with anticipated improvements in shipment volumes and earnings in the second half of the year [4] Solar Glass Market - **Demand Decline**: Demand for solar glass has softened in October and is expected to weaken further into winter, leading to inventory build-up and downward pressure on prices [5] - **Earnings Impact**: The anticipated decline in solar glass prices could negatively affect company earnings if no supply-side controls are implemented [5] Additional Insights - **Equity Ratings**: Various companies within the new materials sector have been rated with "Overweight" or "Equal-weight" based on their market positions and expected performance [10][11] - **Price Target Adjustments**: Price targets for several companies have been adjusted based on updated earnings forecasts and market conditions, reflecting changes in commodity prices and company performance [19][20] - **Market Sentiment**: The overall sentiment in the new materials sector remains attractive, with potential upside from uranium recovery and stable demand in rare earths, despite challenges in lithium and solar glass markets [1][7] Conclusion The new materials sector in China is experiencing mixed dynamics, with strong demand in lithium and uranium markets, while facing challenges in solar glass. Companies are adjusting their strategies and forecasts in response to evolving market conditions, highlighting the importance of monitoring supply risks and price movements in this sector.

Core Viewpoint - The Carbontech 2025 International Carbon Materials Conference and Exhibition will be held from December 9-11, 2025, in Shanghai, focusing on "Material Innovation Driving Industrial Transformation" and covering the entire carbon materials industry chain [2] Group 1: Event Overview - The exhibition will feature specialized pavilions such as the N1 Semiconductor Carbon Materials Pavilion, showcasing breakthroughs in diamond and superhard materials for electronic devices and power semiconductors [2] - The N2 Energy and Equipment Carbon Materials Pavilion will display innovations in carbon materials for strategic fields like wind power, aerospace, automotive, hydrogen storage, and batteries [2] - The event will also host an application conference to explore cutting-edge developments in carbon materials across various sectors including ultra-precision processing, semiconductors, cultivated diamonds, eVTOL, smart robotics, and new energy vehicles [2] Group 2: Organizational Structure - The honorary chairman is Xue Qunji, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering [5] - The main organizer is DT New Materials, with co-organizers including the China Superhard Materials Network and various industry associations and research institutions [5] Group 3: Diamond Applications - The conference will focus on expanding diamond applications in ultra-precision processing, drilling, cutting, high-power heat dissipation, extreme sensing, quantum technology, and biomedicine [8] - Key topics will include advanced cutting technologies, precision grinding and polishing, laser precision processing, and micro-nano processing in additive manufacturing [10] Group 4: Carbon Fiber Industry - The Carbon Fiber High-End Equipment Manufacturing Conference will address the current market status, industry layout, and technological iterations of carbon fiber, emphasizing its applications in aerospace, automotive, and green energy [11] - Discussions will include the development trends of carbon fiber in various sectors, including the challenges and innovations in aerospace applications [12] Group 5: New Energy Carbon Materials - The New Energy Carbon Materials and Battery Conference will focus on overcoming technical bottlenecks in the new energy carbon materials field and expanding battery application scenarios [15] - Topics will cover the development of high energy density, high safety, and low-cost power battery technologies [17] Group 6: Application and Innovation - The Carbontech exhibition will feature a product display area to showcase leading terminal products and core components in the carbon materials field [19] - A new product launch area will be established to highlight industry-leading technological breakthroughs and innovations [19] - A research achievement display area will be set up to present cutting-edge, transformative research from global universities and research institutions [20] Group 7: Registration Information - Registration fees are set at ¥1200 for corporate or research representatives and ¥800 for students for online payment, with higher fees for on-site registration [22] - Payment methods include bank transfer and Alipay, with specific instructions provided for invoicing [22][23]

Financial Performance & Market Position - Hexcel's Last Twelve Months (LTM) sales as of September 2017 reached $1.945 billion[5] - Commercial Aerospace accounted for 72% of LTM sales[8] - Space & Defense represented 17% of LTM sales[9] - Industrial applications contributed 11% to LTM sales[9] - The company's backlog from Airbus and Boeing is currently worth almost $10 billion in sales[34] Growth & Investment - Hexcel is targeting markets with long-term growth potential[8] - The company is investing in research and technology with a double-digit investment strategy[18] - Hexcel completed $629 million in share repurchases since 2013[53] - Quarterly dividends increased 14% in 2017 to $0.125/share[53] Future Outlook - Hexcel anticipates sales to be just under $2 billion for 2017[52] - The company projects adjusted diluted EPS to be between $2.64 and $2.72 for 2017[52] - Hexcel is targeting >$100 million of free cash flow in 2017[53]