L.B. Foster Announces 2025 First Quarter Results; Maintaining 2025 Full Year Financial Guidance Driven by Strong Order Book Development

In This Article:

L.B. Foster Company
L.B. Foster Company
  • Sales and profitability down from last year's exceptionally-strong first quarter due to lower demand in Rail Distribution; Infrastructure sales were up 5.0% year over year driven by Precast Concrete growth.

  • Strong order rates across the portfolio increased backlog1 $51.3 million, or 27.6%, during the quarter to $237.2 million; Backlog1 up $15.0 million, or 6.7% over last year, with improved profitability mix.

  • Maintaining full year financial guidance, with improving sales and profitability expected in second quarter.

PITTSBURGH, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- L.B. Foster Company (Nasdaq: FSTR), a global technology solutions provider of products and services for the rail and infrastructure markets (the "Company"), today reported its 2025 first quarter operating results.

First Quarter 2025 Highlights

 

Three Months Ended
March 31,

 



Change

 

2025

 

2024

 

2025 vs. 2024

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

Net sales

$

97,792

 

 

$

124,320

 

 

(21.3)%

Net (loss) income attributable to L.B. Foster Company

 

(2,110

)

 

 

4,436

 

 

(147.6)%

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

1,822

 

 

 

5,933

 

 

(69.3)%

Net cash used in operating activities

 

(26,136

)

 

 

(21,444

)

 

21.9%

Free cash flow1

 

(28,711

)

 

 

(24,156

)

 

18.9%

Total debt

 

82,498

 

 

 

78,085

 

 

5.7%

Gross Leverage Ratio1

 

2.5x

 

 

 

2.2x

 

 

0.3x

New orders1

$

149,064

 

 

$

132,385

 

 

12.6%

Backlog1

$

237,215

 

 

$

222,261

 

 

6.7%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Guidance

2025 Full Year Financial Guidance

Low

 

High

Net sales

$

540,000

 

 

$

580,000

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

$

42,000

 

 

$

48,000

 

Capital spending as a percent of sales

 

~2.0

%

 

 

~2.0

%

Free cash flow1

$

20,000

 

 

$

30,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CEO Comments

John Kasel, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "As mentioned in our 2024 year end earnings announcement back in March, we started 2025 with first quarter sales and profitability down versus last year. This was due to an exceptionally-strong first quarter last year for our Rail segment. Within the segment, Rail Products sales declined $23.7 million, or 44.7%, due to lower Rail Distribution volumes. Infrastructure sales grew 5.0% over last year and expanded operating results in the quarter driven by a 33.7% increase in Precast Concrete sales. Focusing on what we can influence in the short term, we drove cost controls which resulted in an 8.4% reduction in operating expenses versus last year, partially mitigating the impact of lower gross profit from the Rail Distribution sales decline. We also stepped up our stock buybacks to 168,911 shares in the first quarter, or 1.5% of outstanding common stock."