Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported consolidated sales of $2.7 billion for Q2 2025, a decrease of $115 million or 4% from the same quarter last year, primarily due to lower sales volume in the Access and Transport segments [18] - Adjusted operating income was $313 million, down slightly from the prior year, with an adjusted operating income margin of 11.5%, consistent with the prior year despite lower sales [18][19] - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) was $3.41, an increase of 2.1% over the prior year [7][19] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $49 million, significantly higher than the net use of cash of $251 million in the previous year [19] Business Segment Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Access segment delivered resilient adjusted operating income margins of 14.8% on sales of $1.26 billion, despite a sales decline of $151 million compared to last year [19] - The Vocational segment achieved an adjusted operating income margin of 16.3% on $970 million of sales, reflecting a 220 basis point increase from last year due to improved price-cost dynamics [20] - The Transport segment improved its operating income margin to 3.7% from 2.1% last year, despite a revenue decrease of $93 million to $479 million [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Market conditions for access equipment in North America were in line with expectations, with sales volume in Europe experiencing a decline [19][20] - The company noted a return to normative levels in the book-to-bill ratio, indicating a stable demand environment [45] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims for a compound annual revenue growth rate of 7% to 10% and transformative margin expansion of 200 to 400 basis points by 2028 [10] - The strategy focuses on accelerated innovation in autonomy, electrification, and intelligent connected products, supported by favorable long-term trends [6][10] - The company signed a three-year sole source contract for the FMTV program with the Department of Defense, which is expected to yield favorable returns [10][11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in offsetting tariff impacts through mitigation strategies and local production initiatives [39] - The company anticipates a more limited impact from tariffs compared to previous quarters, projecting adjusted EPS for the year to be in the range of $11 per share on revenues of approximately $10.6 billion [22] - Management highlighted strong demand in infrastructure and data center projects, which are expected to drive future growth [47][48] Other Important Information - The company has increased its outlook for free cash flow from a range of $300 million to $400 million to a range of $400 million to $500 million, reflecting recent tax changes and improved operating performance [22] - Share repurchases for the year are expected to increase significantly, with nearly $70 million repurchased year-to-date [19][77] Q&A Session Summary Question: Access segment margin expectations for the second half - Management indicated that the second half results would be influenced by seasonality and expected cost impacts from tariffs, particularly in Q4 [28][30] Question: Clarification on tariff impacts - Management acknowledged ongoing tariff headwinds but expressed confidence in their mitigation strategies and local production advantages [39] Question: Expectations for Access revenues and margins - Management expects Access revenues to return to normal seasonality, with a strong third quarter followed by a dip in the fourth quarter [86] Question: Vocational segment performance - Management confirmed that the strong performance in the fire segment is expected to continue, with ongoing investments in capacity [68] Question: Capital allocation and share buybacks - Management outlined a framework prioritizing maintaining a strong balance sheet, organic growth, and share repurchases, even at current stock price levels [98]