Mercury Systems(MRCY) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Q4 2025 bookings reached a record $342 million, up 20% year over year, with a book-to-bill ratio of 1.25, resulting in a record backlog of $1.4 billion [7][18] - Q4 revenue was $273 million, reflecting a 9.9% increase year over year, while full year revenue totaled $912 million, up 9.2% year over year [7][22] - Q4 adjusted EBITDA was $51 million, a 65% increase year over year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.8% [20][12] - Full year adjusted EBITDA was $119 million, significantly up from the previous year, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.64 compared to a loss per share of $0.69 in the prior year [24][20] - Free cash flow for Q4 was $34 million, while full year free cash flow reached a record $119 million, compared to $26 million in the prior year [20][25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Significant contract awards in Q4 included $36.9 million for ground-based radar programs and a $22 million contract for sensor processing subsystems [10][11] - The company recognized $4.7 million of net adverse EAC changes in Q4, indicating ongoing improvements in program management and operations [8][12] - The focus on accelerating customer deliveries contributed approximately $30 million of revenue and $15 million of adjusted EBITDA planned for FY 2026 [9][12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The backlog grew by 6% year over year, reflecting solid execution across the company's production and development programs [7][18] - The company noted a positive market backdrop with increased defense budgets and demand for technology capabilities, particularly in the U.S. and European markets [82][103] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on four priorities: performance excellence, driving organic growth, expanding margins, and improving free cash flow [5][6] - The strategy includes simplifying and optimizing operations to achieve targeted adjusted EBITDA margins in the low to mid-twenty percent range [12][16] - The company aims to allocate factory capacity to programs with unbilled receivable balances to drive free cash flow, although this may have little impact on revenue [14][15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the company's leadership position and the expected ability to deliver results in line with target profiles of above-market growth and margin expansion [15][17] - For FY 2026, the company anticipates low single-digit revenue growth, with the first half expected to be relatively flat year over year [15][16] - Management highlighted the importance of ongoing discussions with customers regarding increased production quantities and acceleration of deliveries [82][103] Other Important Information - The company ended Q4 with $309 million in cash, driven by strong cash flow from operations [25] - Net working capital decreased by approximately $90 million year over year, demonstrating progress in reversing a multi-year trend of growth in working capital [27][28] Q&A Session Summary Question: Regarding factory capacity allocation tied to unbilled receivables - Management indicated that while this allocation is beneficial for free cash flow, it has little impact on revenue, and they expect to work through this headwind in FY 2026 [35][36] Question: Normalized level for net working capital - Management stated that a normalized level could be in the 35% range, with ongoing efforts to reduce working capital further [38][39] Question: Acceleration of revenues into Q4 - Management attributed the acceleration to improved execution and customer demand, emphasizing the importance of supply chain management [44][45] Question: Margin expectations for FY 2026 - Management expects adjusted EBITDA margins to approach mid-teens in FY 2026, with potential for expansion in the second half of the year [16][92] Question: Rationale behind not providing annual guidance - Management cited the need to quantify ongoing discussions and potential accelerations before providing specific guidance for FY 2026 [80][81] Question: Demand by product category and end market - Management noted strong demand across various segments, including land, sea, and space, with positive conversations with both domestic and European primes [102][103]