Industry Overview - The Zacks Domestic Auto industry encompasses companies involved in designing, manufacturing, and retailing various types of vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks, and electric vehicles [3] - The industry is highly consumer cyclic and is undergoing significant transformation due to technological advancements and rapid digitization [3] Key Themes Shaping the Industry - New vehicle sales remained strong in August, with a seasonally adjusted annual rate exceeding 16 million, but rising vehicle prices and tariffs may slow momentum as affordability weakens [4] - The Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cut may not significantly alleviate high auto loan costs, with meaningful relief not expected until 2026 or later [5] - Electric vehicle sales surged to a record 146,332 units in August, driven by the impending expiration of the $7,500 EV tax credit, but demand may sharply decline once the incentives are removed [6] Industry Performance - The Zacks Automotive – Domestic industry currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 147, placing it in the bottom 40% of approximately 250 Zacks industries, indicating a negative earnings outlook [7][8] - Despite the overall weakness, the Domestic Auto industry has outperformed the Zacks S&P 500 composite and sector over the past year, gaining 31% compared to 24% for the sector and 18% for the S&P 500 [10] Current Valuation - The industry is trading at an EV/EBITDA ratio of 45.27X, significantly higher than the S&P 500's 18.34X and the sector's 22.83X, reflecting the debt-laden nature of automotive companies [13] Company Highlights Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) - Blue Bird is a leader in low- and zero-emission school buses, with over 20,000 vehicles in operation and a strong demand for its products [17] - The company delivered a record 271 electric buses in the last quarter and raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance to $205-$215 million, indicating a margin of approximately 14.5% [18] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BLBD's fiscal 2025 and 2026 sales implies year-over-year growth of 8% each, with bottom-line estimates suggesting improvements of 17% and 3% respectively [19] Xos, Inc. (XOS) - Xos specializes in fully electric, zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks, with a growing customer base including major operators like UPS and FedEx [23] - The company reported a 50% year-over-year increase in deliveries, with revenues climbing 18.7% to $18.4 million, and generated positive free cash flow of $4.6 million [24] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for XOS's 2025 and 2026 sales implies year-over-year growth of 3% and 25.5% respectively, with bottom-line estimates suggesting improvements of 46% and 27% [25]

Company Updates - GreenPower Motor Company Inc. has had its shares reinstated for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange after the completion of a review of its annual filings [1] - The British Columbia Securities Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission revoked a cease trade order related to GreenPower's securities on July 31, 2025, which was due to the company's failure to file audited financial statements by the deadline [1] - The cease trade order did not affect trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange [1] Financial Information - GreenPower has entered into a revolving loan facility with a credit limit of up to $5 million, with a current outstanding balance of approximately $3.6 million [2] - The loan bears interest at a floating rate of US Prime +5% per annum and has a maturity date of January 26, 2027 [2] - During the year ended March 31, 2025, the company received loans totaling CAD $475,000 from FWP Holdings LLC, USD $250,000 from Koko Financial Services Inc., and CAD $675,000 from 0851433 BC Ltd., with accumulated unpaid interest of approximately CAD $146,000 [3] Related Party Transactions - Loans from FWP Holdings with a principal balance of CAD $3,670,000 matured on March 31, 2023, but the principal remains outstanding, generating accrued and unpaid interest of approximately CAD $440,000 [3] - The company received unsecured, non-interest-bearing advances of $150,000 from Koko and CAD $50,000 from FWP Acquisition Corp., which were repaid during the quarter ended June 30, 2025 [3] - A short-term loan of $125,000 was received from Countryman, a company beneficially owned by a director, which was subsequently repaid [3] Company Overview - GreenPower designs, builds, and distributes a full suite of all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, and cargo vans [4] - The company employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture vehicles that are purpose-built to be battery-powered with zero emissions [4] - GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada, and has primary operational facilities in southern California [4]

Company Overview - GreenPower Motor Company Inc. designs, builds, and distributes a range of all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, and cargo vans [2] - The company employs a clean-sheet design approach to manufacture vehicles that are purpose-built for battery power with zero emissions, integrating global suppliers for key components [2] - GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada, and has primary operational facilities in southern California [2] Recent Developments - The company has delayed the implementation of its share consolidation from August 28, 2025, to September 8, 2025, which involves a consolidation ratio of one new common share for every ten old common shares [1] - The implementation of the share consolidation is subject to receiving all required approvals from the Nasdaq Stock Exchange [1]

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Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved record sales and adjusted EBITDA for Q3 2025, with adjusted EBITDA at $58 million, a 20% increase compared to the previous year [10][23][26] - Revenue for Q3 reached $398 million, which is $65 million or 20% higher than the prior year [11][23] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $52 million, significantly higher than the previous year [23][30] - The company raised its full-year guidance for adjusted EBITDA to $210 million, reflecting a 14.5% margin [33][42] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company sold 2,467 buses in Q3, marking a 15% increase year-over-year [23] - Electric vehicle (EV) sales reached a record 271 units, which is 33% higher than the previous year [25][26] - Parts revenue remained flat at $26 million year-over-year [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The backlog at the end of Q3 was nearly 4,000 units, indicating a slight decrease due to tariff uncertainties [24][25] - The average selling price for buses increased by approximately $7,700 per unit compared to the previous quarter [14][26] - The company noted that the fleet is aging, leading to a heavy replacement cycle, which is expected to drive future demand [13][54] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on enhancing its manufacturing strategy, including automation and production efficiency improvements [6][9] - Investment in differentiated products and features is planned to drive top-line growth [9][10] - The company aims to maintain a competitive edge in alternative-powered vehicles, particularly in the EV segment [7][36] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the long-term outlook for EVs, despite current demand softening due to tariff uncertainties [7][16] - The company is well-positioned to navigate tariff impacts to achieve a margin-neutral outcome [10][90] - Management believes the current order drop is temporary and expects a pickup in orders as tariff uncertainties stabilize [54][90] Other Important Information - The company has initiated production at its new MicroBird plant, which will double small bus capacity [18][19] - A new share repurchase program of up to $100 million has been approved, reflecting strong cash flow generation [32][45] - The company is also working on a new commercial chassis, expected to enter production in 2026 [20][21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Order and backlog commentary - Management noted that the drop in backlog was consistent with industry trends and attributed it to tariff uncertainties, which are expected to stabilize [50][52][54] Question: Operational improvements and margin sustainability - Management confirmed that operational improvements have contributed to margin stability and that they are less sensitive to product mix changes [58][60] Question: EV sales visibility and backlog - The company has 500 EV units in backlog and projects to sell about 200 units in Q4, with additional opportunities expected from EPA funding [68][70] Question: Pricing strategy and market conditions - Management discussed their pricing strategy, emphasizing that tariffs are viewed as a tax and that customers understand the need for price adjustments [88][92] Question: Long-term growth outlook and chassis orders - Management highlighted that the new commercial chassis and MicroBird expansion will contribute to revenue growth and profitability [98][99]

Core Points - GreenPower Motor Company Inc. has closed the fifth tranche of its secured term loan offering, amounting to U.S. $250,000, on July 4, 2025 [1] - The net proceeds from the loans will be allocated towards production costs, supplier payments, payroll, and working capital [2] - The loans are secured by a general security agreement on the company's assets and will bear an interest rate of 12% per annum for a term of two years [3] - As part of the loan agreement, the company issued 304,878 non-transferable share purchase warrants and 60,975 shares to one of the lenders [4] - The loans and related transactions are considered "related party transactions" but are exempt from formal valuation and minority approval requirements [5] - All securities issued in connection with the loans will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the closing date [6] - GreenPower provided a quarterly update indicating that it issued 216,007 common shares at an average price of U.S. $0.45 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of U.S. $97,964 [7]

Company Performance - Blue Bird (BLBD) closed at $42.88, reflecting a +2.17% increase from the previous day, outperforming the S&P 500 which gained 0.96% [1] - Over the past month, Blue Bird's shares have risen by 8.65%, while the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector has declined by 6.24% [1] Upcoming Financial Results - Analysts expect Blue Bird to report earnings of $0.9 per share, indicating a year-over-year decline of 1.1% [2] - Revenue is anticipated to be $375 million, representing a 12.49% increase from the same quarter last year [2] Full Year Projections - For the full year, earnings are projected at $3.74 per share, with revenue expected to reach $1.42 billion, reflecting changes of +8.09% and +5.61% respectively from the previous year [3] - Recent analyst estimate revisions suggest a positive outlook for the business [3][4] Valuation Metrics - Blue Bird has a Forward P/E ratio of 11.21, which is in line with its industry's Forward P/E [5] - The company has a PEG ratio of 0.95, compared to the Automotive - Domestic industry's average PEG ratio of 1.12 [6] Industry Context - The Automotive - Domestic industry is part of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector, which has a Zacks Industry Rank of 188, placing it in the bottom 24% of over 250 industries [7] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Core Viewpoint - GreenPower Motor Company Inc. is announcing the second tranche of a secured term loan offering totaling U.S. $500,000 to support its operations and production costs [1][2]. Group 1: Loan Details - The second tranche of U.S. $500,000 is expected to be closed with companies associated with the CEO and a Director of the Company [2]. - The net proceeds from the Loans will be allocated towards production costs, supplier payments, payroll, and working capital [2]. Group 2: Inducements for Loans - As an inducement for the Loans, the Company will issue non-transferable share purchase warrants to one of the Lenders, with the number of warrants based on the principal amount divided by the Market Price [3]. - Two Lenders will receive Loan Bonus Shares, calculated as 20% of the principal amount of the Loans divided by the Market Price [3]. Group 3: Related Party Transactions - The Lenders are considered "related parties" under Multilateral Instrument 61-101, and the Loans and associated securities are classified as "related party transactions" but are exempt from formal valuation and minority approval requirements [4]. Group 4: Securities Regulations - All securities issued in connection with the Loans will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the closing of the Initial Loan [5]. Group 5: Company Overview - GreenPower designs, builds, and distributes a range of all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, and cargo vans [6]. - The Company employs a clean-sheet design for its vehicles, ensuring they are purpose-built for battery power with zero emissions [6]. - GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada, and has primary operational facilities in southern California, with a NASDAQ listing since August 2020 [6].

Core Points - GreenPower Motor Company Inc. held its Annual General and Special Meeting (AGM) on May 23, 2025, where significant corporate decisions were made [1] - Shareholders elected all management's director nominees and re-approved the Company's 2022 Equity Incentive Plan [2] - BDO Canada LLP was appointed as the Company's auditors for the upcoming fiscal year [2] - The Board of Directors appointed Fraser Atkinson as Chairman and CEO, Brendan Riley as President, and Michael Sieffert as CFO and Corporate Secretary for the next year [3] Company Overview - GreenPower designs, builds, and distributes a range of all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, and cargo vans [4] - The Company employs a clean-sheet design approach to manufacture zero-emission vehicles, integrating global suppliers for key components [4] - GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada, with primary operational facilities in southern California, and it has been listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, completing its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020 [4]

Core Points - GreenPower Motor Company Inc. has closed the first tranche of a secured term loan offering amounting to U.S. $500,000 [1] - The net proceeds from the loan will be allocated towards production costs, supplier payments, payroll, and working capital [2] - The loan is secured by a general security agreement on the company's assets and will bear an interest rate of 12% per annum for a term of two years [3] - The company issued 1,086,956 non-transferable share purchase warrants to the initial lenders, allowing them to purchase shares at an exercise price of U.S. $0.46 for 24 months [4] - The initial lenders are considered related parties, and the transaction is exempt from formal valuation and minority approval requirements [5] - All securities issued in connection with the loan will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the closing date [6] Company Overview - GreenPower designs, builds, and distributes a range of all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, and cargo vans [7] - The company employs a clean-sheet design approach to manufacture zero-emission vehicles, integrating global suppliers for key components [7] - GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada, and has primary operational facilities in southern California, with a NASDAQ listing since August 2020 [7]