Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Daktronics reported a net income of $17.5 million or $0.35 per fully diluted share for the second quarter of FY26, a 25.4% increase on a fully adjusted basis compared to the previous year [24][25][26] - Operating income for the quarter was $21.6 million, up from $15.8 million in the same quarter last year, with a gross profit margin of 27% and an operating margin of 9.4%, both improved from the previous year [25][26][27] - The company incurred $8.8 million in tariff expenses during the second quarter, compared to $1.5 million in the same quarter of the previous year [26][27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Live Events segment saw a 26.5% order growth year-over-year, driven by major projects in Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer [9][10] - The Transportation segment experienced a 15% growth in orders, attributed to increased demand for intelligent transportation systems and aviation projects [12] - The International segment orders increased by 23.6% year-over-year, with strong demand in the Middle East and Europe [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company completed several large-scale installations, including projects in Miami, Baltimore, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi, contributing to a 12% growth in orders across all business segments [8][9] - The product backlog stood at $321 million, a 36% increase year-over-year, providing a multi-quarter revenue runway [9][30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Daktronics is enhancing its global manufacturing footprint with a new facility in Saltillo, Mexico, aimed at increasing production capacity and flexibility [15][39] - The company is focused on innovation, with plans for significant product launches, including next-generation LED street furniture and advanced indoor video displays [16][18] - The strategic price adjustments and value-based pricing initiatives are designed to maintain premium positioning while protecting margins [19][26] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the typical seasonal slowdown in the third quarter due to holidays but expressed confidence in the strong backlog and ongoing growth initiatives [35][63] - The company is committed to executing its transformation plan, which is expected to deliver sustainable growth and improved profitability [37][39] Other Important Information - The company announced the appointment of Ramesh Jayaraman as the new President and CEO, effective February 1, 2026, emphasizing his transformational leadership experience [41][42][43] - Daktronics plans to hold an investor day in early April to provide further insights into its strategy and performance [36] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you discuss the expected revenue conversion from backlog and margin profile? - Management highlighted that a higher percentage of the backlog is in the Live Events segment, which typically has longer conversion times due to customized orders [49][50] Question: Can you provide a breakdown of margin improvements? - The operating margin improvements are primarily attributed to value-added pricing and operational efficiencies, despite the impact of increased tariff expenses [55][56] Question: How does the new Mexico plant affect capacity and investment? - The Mexico facility is a small operation that complements existing U.S. production, with plans for growth based on demand [58][59] Question: How do you see working capital management trending? - Management indicated that while improvements have been made, further significant enhancements in working capital efficiency may be limited [60] Question: How should we think about the third quarter softening given the backlog? - The softening is primarily due to fewer available workdays during the holiday season, but the strong backlog will support future revenue [63]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Daktronics reported a net income of $17.5 million or $0.35 per fully diluted share for the second quarter of FY26, a 25.4% increase on a fully adjusted basis compared to the previous year [24][25] - Operating income for the quarter was $21.6 million, up from $15.8 million in the same quarter last year, with a gross profit margin of 27% and an operating margin of 9.4%, both improved from the previous year [25][26] - The company incurred $8.8 million in tariff expenses during the second quarter, compared to $1.5 million in the same quarter last year, impacting margins [26][27] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The live events segment saw a 26.5% order growth year-over-year, contributing significantly to the overall order growth of 12% across all business segments [8][9] - The transportation business orders grew by 15% year-over-year, driven by increased demand in intelligent transportation systems and aviation [12] - The international business experienced a 23.6% increase in orders, particularly in the Middle East and Europe [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company completed several large-scale installations, including projects for Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball, enhancing its market presence [8] - The commercial business continued to show strong growth, particularly in on-premise advertising, which remained up double digits year-over-year [10] - The out-of-home advertising segment saw a 5% decrease in orders year-over-year, primarily due to fewer large projects awarded [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Daktronics is enhancing its global manufacturing footprint with a new facility in Saltillo, Mexico, aimed at increasing production capacity and flexibility [15] - The company is focused on innovation, with several new product launches planned, including next-generation LED street furniture and advanced indoor video displays [17][18] - The strategic price adjustments and value-based pricing initiatives are designed to maintain premium positioning while protecting margins [19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the strong backlog of $321 million, which is expected to provide a multi-quarter revenue runway [9][35] - The company anticipates a seasonally slower third quarter due to holidays but remains focused on year-over-year revenue growth [35] - The transformation plan is on track, with ongoing improvements in operational efficiencies and customer engagement [20][21] Other Important Information - The company has increased its share repurchase capacity to $25.7 million, reflecting a strong cash position of $138.3 million, up 20% year-over-year [33][34] - A new CEO, Ramesh Jayaraman, will officially start in February, bringing a focus on transformation and growth [41][43] Q&A Session Summary Question: How do you expect the backlog to convert to revenue over the fiscal year? - Management highlighted that a higher percentage of the backlog is in the live events segment, which typically has longer conversion times due to customized orders [49][50] Question: Can you quantify the margin improvements and their breakdown? - The operating margin improvements are attributed to value-added pricing and operational efficiencies, despite the impact of increased tariff expenses [54][55] Question: What is the expected capacity expansion from the new Mexico plant? - The Mexico facility is a small operation that complements existing U.S. production, with no plans to move work from the U.S. [58][64] Question: How do you see working capital management trending moving forward? - Management indicated that while improvements have been made, further significant enhancements may be limited, but revenue growth will positively impact working capital [60]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Daktronics reported a net income of $17.5 million or $0.35 per fully diluted share for Q2 FY26, a 25.4% increase on a fully adjusted basis compared to last year's adjusted net income of $13.9 million [22][23] - Operating income for the quarter was $21.6 million, up from $15.8 million in Q2 FY25, driven by revenue growth and structural cost savings [23][24] - Gross profit margin improved to 27% and operating margin reached 9.4%, both showing improvement from the previous year [23][24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The live events segment saw a 26.5% order growth year-over-year, contributing significantly to overall performance [8][9] - The transportation segment experienced a 15% increase in orders, driven by demand for intelligent transportation systems and aviation projects [11] - The international segment orders increased by 23.6%, with strong demand from the Middle East and Europe [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Overall, Daktronics achieved a 12% growth in orders across all business segments compared to the previous year [7] - The product backlog grew to $321 million, a 36% increase year-over-year, providing a multi-quarter revenue runway [8][27] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is enhancing its global manufacturing footprint with a new facility in Saltillo, Mexico, aimed at increasing production capacity and flexibility [13][36] - Daktronics is focused on innovation, with several new product launches planned, including advanced indoor video displays and next-generation digital billboards [15][17] - The company aims to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 7%-10% by FY28, with a target operating margin of 10%-12.5% [34] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the impact of tariff expenses, which increased to $8.8 million in Q2 FY26 from $1.5 million in the same quarter last year, but emphasized the company's ability to maintain profitability [24][25] - The third quarter is expected to be seasonally slower due to holidays, but management remains optimistic about year-over-year revenue growth [33][50] Other Important Information - The company is implementing a transformation plan that is on track to deliver tangible benefits, including improved operational efficiencies and customer engagement [19][20] - Daktronics has increased its share repurchase capacity to $25.7 million, reflecting a strong cash position of $138.3 million, up 20% from the previous year [31][32] Q&A Session Summary Question: How do you expect the backlog to convert to revenue over the fiscal year? - Management highlighted that a higher percentage of the backlog is in the live events segment, which typically has longer conversion times due to customized orders [41][42] Question: Can you quantify the margin improvements and their breakdown? - The improvements in operating margin are attributed to value-added pricing and structural cost efficiencies, despite the impact of increased tariff expenses [45][46] Question: What is the expected capacity expansion from the new Mexico plant? - The Mexico facility is a small operation that complements existing U.S. production, with no plans to move work from the U.S. to Mexico [47][51]

NASDAQ: DAKT DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS Fiscal Second Quarter 2026 Results Call December 10, 2025 CONTROL SYSTEMS SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT Forward-Looking Statements: In addition to statements of historical fact, this presentation contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and is intended to receive the protections of such laws. All statements, other than historical facts, included or incorporated in this release could be deemed forward-looking statements, particularly sta ...