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Kennametal Inc.: Q1 FY2027 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2027, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 3 new, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales rose 54 percent, organic too: Sales were $768 million, up from $498 million a year earlier. Organic growth matched reported growth, both at 54 percent. Source
  • Operating income margin reached 49.4 percent: Operating income was $379 million, against $38 million a year earlier. Restructuring and other charges, net, were $5.4 million. Source
  • Record first-quarter diluted EPS: Diluted EPS was $3.48 against $0.30 a year earlier, on 78.1 million diluted weighted average shares. Basic EPS was $3.55. Source
  • Infrastructure sales nearly doubled: Infrastructure sales were $370 million, with organic growth of 97 percent and a 1 percent currency effect. Operating income was $262 million, a 70.7 percent margin. Source
  • Raw material pricing timing drove gain: Favorable timing of raw material pricing against costs added about $323 million to operating income: about $65 million in Metal Cutting and $258 million in Infrastructure. Source
  • Operating cash flow turned negative: Year-to-date operating cash flow was negative $201 million against positive $17 million a year earlier, driven by working capital and supplier advance payments. Source
  • Free operating cash flow also negative: Year-to-date free operating cash flow was negative $212 million against negative $5 million a year earlier. Lower capital expenditures partly offset the working capital drag. Source

“We delivered excellent first quarter results, with sales up 54 percent and record first quarter diluted EPS of $3.48, driven primarily by the favorable timing of raw material-related pricing compared to costs and stronger Metal Cutting volumes”

Sanjay Chowbey, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Sales Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$785 - $815 millionNew
Adjusted EPS Sourcesecond quarter of fiscal 2027$1.20 - $1.50New
Sales Sourcefiscal 2027$3.33 - $3.45 billionKept
Adjusted EPS Sourcefiscal 2027$5.00 - $6.00Raised from $4.15 - $5.15
Free operating cash flow Sourcefiscal 2027approximately 20 percent of adjusted net incomeKept
Capital spending Sourcefiscal 2027approximately $85 millionKept
Adjusted EBITDA margin Sourcebeyond fiscal 2027, steady-state tungsten environment16 to 19 percentNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year adjusted EPS range moved to $5.00 - $6.00 from $4.15 - $5.15. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter sales range given; the prior release gave a first-quarter range only. Source
  • New: Updated longer-term view: 16 to 19 percent adjusted EBITDA margin profile beyond fiscal 2027, assuming tungsten stays at current levels. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales rose 54 percent, organic too: Sales were $768 million, up from $498 million a year earlier. Organic growth matched reported growth, both at 54 percent. Source
  • Operating income margin reached 49.4 percent: Operating income was $379 million, against $38 million a year earlier. Restructuring and other charges, net, were $5.4 million. Source
  • Record first-quarter diluted EPS: Diluted EPS was $3.48 against $0.30 a year earlier, on 78.1 million diluted weighted average shares. Basic EPS was $3.55. Source
  • Interest and tax costs increased: Interest expense was $11.5 million against $6.2 million, and other expense was $11.1 million. The tax provision was $82.3 million against $9.1 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • Infrastructure sales nearly doubled: Infrastructure sales were $370 million, with organic growth of 97 percent and a 1 percent currency effect. Operating income was $262 million, a 70.7 percent margin. Source
  • Metal Cutting sales rose 28 percent: Metal Cutting sales were $398 million, with organic growth of 29 percent partly offset by a 1 percent unfavorable business days effect. Operating income was $118 million, a 29.7 percent margin. Source
  • Americas led regional sales: Americas sales were $436.5 million, EMEA $204.5 million and Asia Pacific $127.1 million, up from $247.6 million, $153.3 million and $97.1 million. Source

“This performance reinforces our confidence in the fiscal 2027 sales Outlook and higher full year EPS expectations.”

Sanjay Chowbey, President and Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Raw material pricing timing drove gain: Favorable timing of raw material pricing against costs added about $323 million to operating income: about $65 million in Metal Cutting and $258 million in Infrastructure. Source
  • Credit and savings added to income: A $4 million production credit under the Inflation Reduction Act in Infrastructure and about $3 million of restructuring savings also added to operating income. Source
  • Impairment and write-off charges recorded: Tariffs, general inflation and higher compensation costs also weighed on operating income, alongside these two non-cash items. Source

Demand and volumes

  • Market conditions improved over year: Management said overall market conditions improved over the past year, supporting volume growth across its segments. Source
  • Metal Cutting volumes rose: Management cited higher Metal Cutting sales and production volumes, together with non-raw material pricing and tariff income, as drivers of operating income. Source
  • Infrastructure volumes were lower: Infrastructure operating income cites lower sales and production volumes as a partial offset, even though segment organic sales grew 97 percent. Source
  • Growth initiatives gaining traction: Management said it continues to gain traction on its growth initiatives. Source

“In a steady-state tungsten environment, we expect to deliver a 16 to 19 percent adjusted EBITDA margin profile”

Sanjay Chowbey, President and Chief Executive Officer

Cash flow, debt and capital returns

  • Operating cash flow turned negative: Year-to-date operating cash flow was negative $201 million against positive $17 million a year earlier, driven by working capital and supplier advance payments. Source
  • Free operating cash flow also negative: Year-to-date free operating cash flow was negative $212 million against negative $5 million a year earlier. Lower capital expenditures partly offset the working capital drag. Source
  • Inventories and long-term debt rose: Inventories were $1.62 billion at September 30, up from $1.11 billion at June 30. Long-term debt was $1.09 billion, up from $685 million, after $500 million of term debt borrowings. Source
  • Quarterly dividend held at $0.20: Cash dividends paid in the quarter were $15.2 million, against $15.1 million a year earlier. The declared quarterly dividend is $0.20, the same as the prior quarter. Source

Long-term targets and strategy

  • Investor Day targets remain baseline: The updated longer-term view takes the September 2023 Investor Day financial targets as its starting point. Source
  • Growth focus in selected end markets: Management said it has targeted growth over four years in Aerospace & Defense, Hybrid / EV powertrains and power generation to capture market share. Source
  • Growth expected beyond fiscal 2027: Management said improving markets and execution on strategic growth initiatives position the company for continued growth after fiscal 2027. Source

Reporting basis and non-GAAP measures

  • No adjustments in the quarter: The company reported no non-GAAP adjustments for the quarter. Prior-year first-quarter adjustments were restructuring charges and differences in projected annual tax rates. Source
  • Prior-year comparison shown adjusted: Prior-year figures are presented on an adjusted basis for comparison with the current reported quarter. Source
  • Forward non-GAAP measures not reconciled: Forward-looking FOCF, adjusted net income, adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted EPS are not reconciled to GAAP, citing uncertain currency, deal, restructuring and impairment effects. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Dividend payment date set: The $0.20 quarterly dividend is payable November 23, 2026 to holders of record at the close of business on November 9, 2026. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Management cited working capital needs, including higher inventory values from tungsten price increases and advance payments to suppliers, as the driver of negative operating cash flow. Source
  • External: The 16 to 19 percent margin range assumes tungsten stays at current levels, which management described as eightfold above the 2023 Investor Day level. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management reiterated the full-year sales range and raised the full-year adjusted EPS range. Source
  • Not stated: Management said underlying market and strategic growth assumptions are largely unchanged from the September 2023 Investor Day. Source
  • Not stated: Return on invested capital and FOCF are expected to be consistent with previously communicated targets. 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.