Hamilton Beach Brands Company (NYSE:HBB) Q3 2025 Earnings Call November 05, 2025 04:30 PM ET Speaker1Thank you for standing by. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to today's Hamilton Beach Brands Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a Q&A session. If you would like to ask a question during that time, press star followed by the number one on your telephone keypad. If your questio ...

Core Insights - The Zacks Automotive – Foreign industry presents a mixed landscape of opportunities and challenges, with varying growth trajectories across regions [1] Industry Overview - The foreign automotive industry is heavily influenced by economic conditions and business cycles, with key manufacturing countries including China, Japan, Germany, and India [2] - Technological advancements are reshaping the market, with a focus on stricter emission targets and the ramp-up of charging infrastructure, boosting green vehicle sales [2] Key Investing Themes - **China's Auto Market**: China's auto market is expanding, with domestic car sales increasing by 6.6% year-over-year to 2.27 million units in September 2025. Electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for 57.2% of total sales, up 15.5% from the previous year [3] - **Europe's Auto Industry**: Europe's auto industry faces challenges from trade tensions and competition, but new car registrations rose 0.9% year-to-date through September 2025, with a 10% increase in September alone [4] - **Japan's Car Industry**: Japan's auto market shows moderate growth, with a 5.1% increase in car sales year-to-date through September 2025, but the EV segment lags behind, with sales down 11.9% [5] - **India's Auto Sector**: India's auto retail sector grew by 3.4% year-over-year in the first half of FY26, supported by structural reforms and a shift towards electric mobility [6][7] Industry Performance - The Zacks Automotive – Foreign industry ranks 204, placing it in the bottom 16% of around 245 Zacks industries, indicating dull near-term prospects [8][9] - The industry has underperformed compared to the Auto, Tires, and Truck sector and the S&P 500, with an 11% increase over the past year compared to 20% and 41% for the sector and S&P 500, respectively [11] Valuation Metrics - The industry is currently trading at an EV/EBITDA ratio of 7.58X, significantly lower than the S&P 500's 19.13X and the sector's 24.23X [14] - Over the past five years, the industry has traded between 6.5X and 12.6X, with a median of 9X [15] Investment Opportunities - **Geely Automobile Holdings Limited**: Geely reported a 28% year-over-year increase in sales, surpassing 1 million vehicles for the first time in Q3 2025. Electrified vehicle sales surged 59% to 588,110 units, making up 58% of total sales [18][19] - **XPeng Inc.**: XPeng delivered over 190,000 vehicles in 2024, a 34% increase year-over-year, with Q3 2025 deliveries surging 149% to 116,007 units. The company is investing in future technologies, including flying cars and humanoid robots [23][24]

Core Insights - Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Company (HBB) shares have decreased by 23.2% since the first quarter of 2025 results, contrasting with a 0.63% increase in the S&P 500 index during the same period [1] - The company reported a revenue increase of 4% year-over-year, reaching $133.4 million, with a gross profit rise of 9% to $32.8 million and a net income of $1.8 million compared to a net loss of $1.2 million a year ago [2] - Operating profit improved significantly to $2.3 million from a loss of $0.9 million in the previous year, while SG&A expenses slightly decreased to $30.4 million [3] Financial Performance - Cash flow from operations was $6.6 million, a decline from $19.7 million the previous year, attributed to higher inventory levels and tougher comparisons in receivables collections [4] - The North America consumer business, particularly in the U.S., drove first-quarter gains, supported by positive at-home dining trends [5] - The Health segment, including HealthBeacon, generated $1.5 million in revenues and is expected to grow significantly due to a new partnership with OptumHealth [5][13] Strategic Developments - E-commerce accounted for approximately 40% of U.S. consumer sales, growing in the mid-single digits, while international revenues faced slight declines [7] - The company plans to launch a new premium brand, Lotus, targeting high-end home cooks with seven products set for release later in the year [6] - CEO Scott Tidey noted that 15% of U.S.-bound manufacturing has shifted away from China, with expectations for two-thirds to be sourced elsewhere by the end of 2025, which is projected to positively impact margins in 2026 [8][9] Outlook and Challenges - The company suspended forward guidance due to escalating tariff uncertainties, despite initial results positioning HBB on track to meet full-year targets [10][11] - Management remains confident in its mitigation strategies, including price increases and pre-buying inventory before tariffs took effect [11] - The company repurchased 141,435 shares for $2.7 million and paid out $1.6 million in dividends, indicating a commitment to shareholder returns [12]