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Core Molding Technologies Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 10 March 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 5 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose on tooling: Fourth-quarter net sales were $74.7 million, up 19.5%, as tooling revenue reached $19.3 million against $2.5 million. Product sales fell 7.8% to $55.4 million. Source
  • Full-year sales fell 9.5%: Full-year net sales were $273.8 million, down 9.5%; tooling revenue was $41.6 million, against $11.3 million. Product sales were $232.2 million, down 20.2%. Source
  • Truck product sales declined sharply: Truck product sales were $21.0 million in the fourth quarter against $34.2 million, and $101.3 million for the year against $163.9 million. Source
  • Fourth-quarter gross margin lower: Fourth-quarter gross margin was $11.3 million, or 15.2% of net sales, against 15.8%. Full-year gross margin was 17.4%, against 17.6% in 2024. Source
  • Business wins of $63 million: The company won $63 million of business in fiscal 2025, most of it new to Core; over 65% of the new wins are outside Truck and Powersports. Source
  • Truck cycle recovery expected in 2026: Management expects the Truck cycle to begin recovering in the second half of 2026, with momentum continuing through 2027. Source
  • Operating cash flow and free cash flow: Operating cash flow was $19.2 million for the year; free cash flow was $1.9 million, after $17.3 million of capital expenditures. Source
  • Matamoros and Monterrey expansion projects: The 2026 focus is expanding Matamoros and bringing the planned Monterrey plant online, which management said is supported by current business. Source

“Fiscal 2025 was intensely focused on our Invest For Growth Must Win Battle - and we delivered as stated.”

David Duvall, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total net sales Sourcefiscal 2026 compared with fiscal 2025flat to up approximately 5%New
Net sales Sourcefiscal 2027over $300 millionNew
Incremental revenue from pipeline Sourceover the next several years$150 millionNew
Property, plant and equipment spending Sourcefiscal 2026$25 million to $30 millionNew
Mexico expansion spending Sourcefiscal 2026$18 million to $20 millionNew
Gross margin target Sourcelong-term17% to 19%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Total sales guidance for 2026 appears for the first time in these documents; the prior release gave 2025 guidance of down 10% to 12%. Source
  • New guidance: Capital spending guidance for 2026 is $25 million to $30 million; the prior release gave a 2025 range of $10 million to $12 million. Source
  • Ended: The 2025 sales guidance period closed: full-year net sales fell 9.5%, against the prior release's expectation of down 10% to 12%. Source
  • New: Proprietary sheet molding compound was launched into Building Products, with close to $10 million of revenue in 2025. Source
  • Guidance kept: The 17% to 19% gross margin target range was kept; the prior release referred to the same range. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose on tooling: Fourth-quarter net sales were $74.7 million, up 19.5%, as tooling revenue reached $19.3 million against $2.5 million. Product sales fell 7.8% to $55.4 million. Source
  • Full-year sales fell 9.5%: Full-year net sales were $273.8 million, down 9.5%; tooling revenue was $41.6 million, against $11.3 million. Product sales were $232.2 million, down 20.2%. Source
  • Full-year net income and EPS lower: Net income was $11.2 million, or $1.29 per diluted share, against $13.3 million, or $1.51. Adjusted net income was $13.2 million, or $1.52 per diluted share. Source
  • Operating income in both periods: Fourth-quarter operating income was $3.6 million, 4.8% of net sales, against $0.9 million and 1.4%. Full-year operating income was $14.2 million, 5.2% of net sales. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin unchanged: Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $30.7 million, 11.2% of net sales, the same margin as 2024. Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA was $7.6 million, 10.2% of sales. Source

Segments and product markets

  • Truck product sales declined sharply: Truck product sales were $21.0 million in the fourth quarter against $34.2 million, and $101.3 million for the year against $163.9 million. Source
  • Powersports sales rose in fourth quarter: Power sports product sales were $17.5 million in the fourth quarter against $12.2 million, and $63.5 million for the year against $68.4 million. Source
  • Building products rose, industrial fell: Building products sales were $5.6 million in the fourth quarter against $2.7 million. Industrial and Utilities was $5.5 million against $6.3 million. Source

“In fiscal 2026, our focus is on execution: expanding the Matamoros facility and bringing the planned Monterrey plant online - on time and on budget.”

David Duvall, President and Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Fourth-quarter gross margin lower: Fourth-quarter gross margin was $11.3 million, or 15.2% of net sales, against 15.8%. Full-year gross margin was 17.4%, against 17.6% in 2024. Source
  • Full-year SG&A ratio rose: Full-year SG&A was $33.4 million, or 12.2% of net sales, against 12.1%. Excluding $1.9 million of one-time footprint optimization cost, it was $31.5 million, or 11.5%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter SG&A ratio fell: Fourth-quarter SG&A was $7.7 million, or 10.4% of net sales, against $9.0 million and 14.4% a year earlier. Source
  • One-time items excluded from adjusted results: Adjusted net income excluded a $563 thousand other one-time non-cash expense in the fourth quarter. Severance costs of $0.4 million, net of tax, were also excluded. Source

Demand and order book

  • Business wins of $63 million: The company won $63 million of business in fiscal 2025, most of it new to Core; over 65% of the new wins are outside Truck and Powersports. Source
  • Truck cycle recovery expected in 2026: Management expects the Truck cycle to begin recovering in the second half of 2026, with momentum continuing through 2027. Source
  • Visibility improving in current year: Management said end-market visibility is improving in the current year. Source

“Gross margins of 17.4%, within our previously communicated range, reflected stability despite lower volumes and operating leverage pressure.”

Alex Panda, the Company’s EVP and Chief Financial Officer

Cash, capital and returns to shareholders

  • Operating cash flow and free cash flow: Operating cash flow was $19.2 million for the year; free cash flow was $1.9 million, after $17.3 million of capital expenditures. Source
  • Capital spending on capacity and Mexico: Capital expenditures were $17.3 million: $10.8 million for capacity, automation, new programs and equipment, and $6.5 million for the Mexico expansion. Source
  • Year-end liquidity and undrawn facilities: Year-end cash was $38.1 million, with $25.0 million undrawn on the revolving credit facility and $25.0 million on the capex credit facility. Source
  • Debt below one times EBITDA: Term debt was $19.7 million at December 31, 2025; debt to trailing twelve months adjusted EBITDA was 0.64 times. Source
  • Share purchases and term loan payments: Share purchases used $3.2 million in fiscal 2025, against $2.9 million; term loan principal payments were $1.9 million. Source
  • Return on capital employed reported: Trailing twelve-month return on capital employed was 8.0%, and 10.2% excluding cash, against 9.9% and 13.1% for 2024. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Matamoros and Monterrey expansion projects: The 2026 focus is expanding Matamoros and bringing the planned Monterrey plant online, which management said is supported by current business. Source
  • Invest For Growth goals delivered: Management said fiscal 2025 was focused on the Invest For Growth Must Win Battle and that the company delivered as stated. Source
  • SMC launched into Building Products: Proprietary sheet molding compound was launched into Building Products, which management described as a large, growing addressable market. Source

Coming up, as management said on 10 March 2026

  • SMC wins to start production: Management said SMC compound wins, which drive the 2026 sales expectation, will start production by the end of the third quarter of 2026. Source
  • Monterrey plant and Matamoros expansion: Management said the Monterrey plant is planned to come online in 2026, on time and on budget, alongside the Matamoros expansion. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Business wins, fiscal 2025 Source$63 million
Medium and heavy-duty truck product sales, fiscal 2025 Source$101.3 million
Power sports product sales, fiscal 2025 Source$63.5 million
Proprietary SMC revenue in Building Products, fiscal 2025 Sourceclose to $10 million

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Truck is 44% of product sales, and management cited the Truck sector as the main driver of the 2025 sales decline. Source
  • Operational: Management named expansion of Matamoros and bringing the Monterrey plant online, on time and on budget, as the 2026 focus. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said the Invest For Growth Must Win Battle for fiscal 2025 was delivered as stated. Source
  • Met: Management said fiscal 2025 revenues declined 9.5%, as expected. Source
  • Met: Management said the 17.4% full-year gross margin was within the previously communicated range. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.