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CRH Public Ltd. Co.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 18 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 5 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year revenue and net income rose: Full-year 2025 revenues were $37.4bn, up 5%, and net income was $3.8bn, up 8%. Management attributed revenue growth to demand, commercial execution and acquisitions. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 11% for the year: Adjusted EBITDA was $7.7bn, up 11%, which the company tied to pricing momentum, acquisitions and cost control. Diluted EPS was $5.51, up 10%; pre-impairment EPS was $5.57, up 3%. Source
  • 2026 guidance ranges set above 2025: The 2026 ranges are net income of $3.9bn to $4.1bn and Adjusted EBITDA of $8.1bn to $8.5bn; the mid-point reconciles to Adjusted EBITDA of $8.3bn. Source
  • International Solutions profit up sharply in Q4: International Solutions Adjusted EBITDA rose 33% in the quarter and 23% for the year; the Q4 margin rose to 19.0% from 15.2%. Source
  • Infrastructure spending expected to support demand: Management expects favorable underlying demand across key end-markets, supported by public infrastructure investment and reindustrialization. Source
  • Operating cash flow and adjusted free cash flow rose: Net cash from operations was $5.6bn, up $0.6bn, and Adjusted Free Cash Flow was $5.0bn, up $0.8bn, driven by higher operating income and working capital management. Source
  • Net debt rose to $14.2bn: Net Debt was $14.2bn at year-end against $10.5bn a year earlier; total short and long-term debt was $17.7bn against $14.0bn. Source
  • Eco Material was the largest deal: The largest 2025 acquisition was Eco Material, a North American supplier of supplementary cementitious materials, for $2.1bn. Source

“2025 proved to be a year of significant progress for CRH, with double-digit Adjusted EBITDA* growth and a 12th consecutive year of margin* expansion”

Jim Mintern, Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net income SourceFY 2026$3.9bn to $4.1bnNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFY 2026$8.1bn to $8.5bnNew
Diluted EPS SourceFY 2026$5.60 to $6.05New
Capital expenditure SourceFY 20262.8 to 3.0 ($ billions)New
Guidance assumptions SourceFY 2026interest expense about $0.7bn; tax rate about 24%; about 675m diluted sharesNew
Quarterly dividend Sourcepayable April 8, 2026$0.39 per shareRaised from $0.37 per share (prior release)
Share buyback Sourcenot stated$0.3bnKept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Numeric 2026 guidance is given for net income, Adjusted EBITDA, diluted EPS and capital expenditure; the prior release gave only a qualitative 2026 view. Source
  • New: The release states CRH is a member of the S&P 500 Index; the prior release did not mention index membership. Source
  • New: CRH is reviewing its LSE-listed ordinary shares and preference share capital, a review not mentioned in the prior release. Source

Full-year results and growth drivers

  • Full-year revenue and net income rose: Full-year 2025 revenues were $37.4bn, up 5%, and net income was $3.8bn, up 8%. Management attributed revenue growth to demand, commercial execution and acquisitions. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 11% for the year: Adjusted EBITDA was $7.7bn, up 11%, which the company tied to pricing momentum, acquisitions and cost control. Diluted EPS was $5.51, up 10%; pre-impairment EPS was $5.57, up 3%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter revenue and net income grew: Fourth-quarter revenue was $9.4bn, up 6%, and net income was $1.0bn, up 46%, with a net income margin of 11.0%, up 300bps. Source
  • Other nonoperating income fell sharply: Other nonoperating income was $29m, against $258m a year earlier, when the prior year benefited from a non-recurring gain on divestitures. Source
  • 2026 guidance ranges set above 2025: The 2026 ranges are net income of $3.9bn to $4.1bn and Adjusted EBITDA of $8.1bn to $8.5bn; the mid-point reconciles to Adjusted EBITDA of $8.3bn. Source

Segments and regions

  • Americas Materials Solutions grew in both periods: Americas Materials Solutions revenue rose 9% in the quarter and 5% for the year; Adjusted EBITDA rose 9% and 7%, with the full-year margin at 23.5%. Source
  • Americas Building Solutions revenue dipped in Q4: Americas Building Solutions revenue fell 1% in the quarter on subdued residential demand and adverse weather, and rose 1% for the year. Adjusted EBITDA rose 2% and 6%. Source
  • International Solutions profit up sharply in Q4: International Solutions Adjusted EBITDA rose 33% in the quarter and 23% for the year; the Q4 margin rose to 19.0% from 15.2%. Source
  • International revenue lifted by acquisitions and pricing: International Solutions revenue rose 6% in Q4 and 8% for the year, with acquisitions and pricing offsetting the effect of recent divestitures. Source

“We enter 2026 with confidence and expect favorable end-market dynamics as well as the continued execution of our superior strategy to underpin another year of growth and value creation for our shareholders.”

Jim Mintern, Chief Executive Officer

Products, volumes and customers

  • Asphalt and readymix volumes rose in Q4: In Americas Road Solutions, Q4 asphalt volumes rose 7% with flat pricing, while readymixed concrete volumes rose 1% and pricing rose 4%. Source
  • International aggregates and cement volumes rose: International aggregates volumes rose 7% and cement volumes 2% in Q4, with cement pricing up 1% and aggregates pricing in line. Source
  • Data centers and energy lifted building solutions: Building and Infrastructure Solutions revenue rose 1% in Q4, with communication and energy performing solidly and data center activity increasing. Source
  • Outdoor Living revenue fell on residential activity: Outdoor Living Solutions revenue fell 2% in Q4, reflecting subdued residential activity and adverse weather. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Margins expanded for the year: Net income margin was 10.1%, up from 9.9%, and Adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.5%, up from 19.5%. Source
  • Americas Materials margin flat in Q4: Americas Materials Solutions Q4 Adjusted EBITDA margin was 24.7%, unchanged year on year, while Americas Building Solutions margin rose 40bps. Source
  • Cost control cited across segments: Management cited disciplined cost management and operational efficiencies as drivers of segment Adjusted EBITDA growth. Source
  • Aggregates pricing rose on adverse mix: Full-year aggregates pricing in Americas Materials rose 4%, which the company says reflects adverse mix effects; cement prices rose 1%. Source
  • Depreciation and amortization charges rose: Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment reached $2.2bn, primarily reflecting acquisitions and higher growth capital expenditure. Source

Demand and 2026 market view

  • Infrastructure spending expected to support demand: Management expects favorable underlying demand across key end-markets, supported by public infrastructure investment and reindustrialization. Source
  • Residential new-build expected to stay subdued: Repair and remodel activity is expected to be resilient, while new-build residential is expected to remain subdued. Source
  • Guidance excludes one-off items: The 2026 guidance excludes significant one-off items, including impairments and unforeseen events, as well as possible further trade policy changes. Source
  • Normal weather and calm policy assumed: The 2026 view assumes normal seasonal weather and no major political or macroeconomic dislocations. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow and adjusted free cash flow rose: Net cash from operations was $5.6bn, up $0.6bn, and Adjusted Free Cash Flow was $5.0bn, up $0.8bn, driven by higher operating income and working capital management. Source
  • Net debt rose to $14.2bn: Net Debt was $14.2bn at year-end against $10.5bn a year earlier; total short and long-term debt was $17.7bn against $14.0bn. Source
  • Year-end liquidity and credit rating: Year-end cash was $4.1bn, and management expects to maintain a strong investment-grade credit rating. Source
  • Cash returned to shareholders reached $2.2bn: Management said CRH returned $2.2bn to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and buybacks. Source

Acquisitions and growth investment

  • 38 acquisitions completed for $4.1bn: CRH completed 38 acquisitions in 2025 for $4.1bn and cites significant financial capacity for the pipeline of further deals. Source
  • Eco Material was the largest deal: The largest 2025 acquisition was Eco Material, a North American supplier of supplementary cementitious materials, for $2.1bn. Source
  • Growth capex of $1.7bn invested: Growth capital expenditure of $1.7bn was directed to high-return, low-risk projects that management says drive organic growth and performance. Source

Listings, index and people

  • LSE listing and preference share review: The review may lead to delisting of LSE shares and 7% preference shares; the NYSE primary listing is outside its scope. Source
  • S&P 500 membership noted: The release states CRH is a member of the S&P 500 Index; the prior release did not mention index membership. Source
  • Workforce grew to 83,000: CRH describes its team as 83,000 people across 4,000 locations, up from 80,000 in the prior release. Source

Coming up, as management said on 18 February 2026

  • LSE listing review due in Q1 2026: The company expects to complete the review of its LSE ordinary shares and preference shares in the first quarter of 2026 and update shareholders then. Source
  • Dividend payment on April 8: The $0.39 quarterly dividend is payable on April 8, 2026, to shareholders registered on March 6, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Aggregates volumes, International Solutions (FY 2025) Source+5%
Cement volumes, Americas Materials Solutions (Q4 2025) Source+1%
Aggregates volumes, Americas Materials Solutions (FY 2025) Source+4%
Readymixed concrete volumes, Americas Materials Solutions (FY 2025) Source+3%
Construction backlog, Americas Materials Solutions (FY 2025) Sourceahead of prior year

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Ongoing subdued residential demand, together with adverse weather in certain markets, offset gains in Americas Building Solutions revenue in the quarter. Source
  • External: The 2026 guidance does not include the effect of possible further changes to global trade policies. Source
  • Financial: Interest expense rose to $810m from $612m, which the company attributes mainly to higher gross debt balances. Source
  • Regulatory: The review of LSE listings could result in delisting of some ordinary shares and 7% preference shares, and cancellation of preference shares subject to shareholder approval. Source
  • External: Weather affected volumes earlier in the year for Americas Materials Solutions, which the company says pricing and acquisitions more than offset. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management says the quarterly dividend declared is in line with its policy of consistent long-term dividend growth. Source
  • Not stated: The prior release expected favorable 2026 market dynamics; the current release repeats an expectation of favorable end-market dynamics.
  • Not stated: Management reiterates it expects to maintain an investment-grade rating; the prior release cited BBB+ or equivalent with each main rating agency. 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.