WESCO International(US:WCC)2026-02-10 16:02Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q4 2025, the company achieved record sales of $6.1 billion, a 10% increase year-over-year, with 9% organic growth [6][11] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $409 million, up 10% year-over-year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 6.7% [11][12] - For the full year 2025, sales totaled $23.5 billion, an 8% increase, with organic sales also up 9% [12][14] - Adjusted EPS for Q4 grew 8% to $3.40, while for the full year, it increased 6% to $12.91 [11][14] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Communications and Security Solutions (CSS) reported organic sales growth of 14% in Q4, with a backlog increase of nearly 40% [15][16] - Electrical and Electronic Solutions (EES) saw organic sales up 9% in Q4, with adjusted EBITDA growing 16% [22] - Utility and Broadband Solutions (UBS) had organic sales growth of 3% in Q4, with a backlog increase of 23% year-over-year [24][25] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Data center sales reached $4.3 billion for the full year, up approximately 50%, representing about 18% of total sales [17][18] - Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) showed growth momentum, with three consecutive quarters of sales growth, while Public Power customers continued to face challenges [24][50] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on capital allocation, prioritizing debt reduction and share repurchases, while also investing in technology-enabled business transformation [8][37] - The strategic outlook for 2026 includes expected sales growth of 5% to 8%, with organic sales between 4% and 7% [34][36] - The company plans to increase its annual common stock dividend by over 10% to $2 per share [8][37] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in outperforming the market in 2026, driven by strong demand in data centers and improving trends in other segments [7][40] - The company anticipates continued growth in grid services, expecting double-digit growth in 2026 [25][78] - Management acknowledged challenges in the Public Power segment but expects a return to growth by the end of 2026 [50][76] Other Important Information - The company has made significant progress in its digital transformation, being recognized by Fortune with a top 10 ranking in AI among Fortune 500 companies [9] - The company reported a free cash flow of $54 million for 2025, with expectations for improvement in 2026 [30][37] Q&A Session Summary Question: Clarification on pricing and its impact on EBITDA margins - Management explained that while they are seeing an increase in price notifications from suppliers, they do not include these in their outlook due to uncertainty in timing [43][46] Question: Concerns about UBS performance and competitive pressures - Management clarified that the challenges in UBS are primarily due to Public Power customers facing inventory normalization and competitive pricing pressures, but they expect growth in 2026 [49][50] Question: Data center growth expectations for 2026 - Management indicated that they expect consistent activity levels in data centers throughout 2026, with mid-teens growth anticipated [54][56] Question: Free cash flow expectations for 2026 - Management provided a range of $500 million to $800 million for free cash flow in 2026, highlighting improvements in cash collection [60][62] Question: Backlog trends and engagement in mega projects - Management confirmed that all business units grew their backlog in Q4, with a robust opportunity pipeline for mega projects [65][81]