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Mativ Holdings, Inc.: 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 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales rose on organic growth: Fourth-quarter sales were $463.1 million, up 1.0% reported and 1.9% organic. Full-year sales were $1,987.0 million, up 0.3% reported and 2.5% organic. Source
  • Filtration margin rose 300 basis points: FAM adjusted EBITDA rose 26.2% to an 18.7% margin. Favorable net price versus input cost, higher volume/mix and lower SG&A were partly offset by higher manufacturing costs. Source
  • Price versus input cost drove margins: Management attributed the year-over-year results to disciplined execution, prudent inventory management, favorable price versus input cost and steadfast SG&A expense management. Source
  • Full-year operating cash flow up 41%: Full-year cash from operations was $133.8 million, up 41%. Capital spending and software costs totaled $40.0 million for the year. Source
  • Valuation allowance lifted GAAP result: A decrease in the valuation allowance on tax attributes produced a $110.4 million fourth-quarter benefit. The company adjusted this out of adjusted EPS, at $1.98 per share. Source
  • Goodwill impairment of $411.9 million: Goodwill impairment expense was $411.9 million for 2025 and none in the fourth quarter. Goodwill on the balance sheet fell to $57.6 million from $465.6 million. Source

“We also generated record free cash flow in 2025, more than double the amount compared to last year.”

Shruti Singhal, Mativ President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Quarterly cash dividend SourcePayable March 27, 2026; record date March 13, 2026$0.10 per shareKept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The fourth-quarter release footnote refers to costs of CEO and CFO transitions. The third-quarter release referred only to CEO transition costs. Source
  • Ended: The fourth-quarter list of non-GAAP exclusions does not name inventory step-up expense. The third-quarter list included it.

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales rose on organic growth: Fourth-quarter sales were $463.1 million, up 1.0% reported and 1.9% organic. Full-year sales were $1,987.0 million, up 0.3% reported and 2.5% organic. Source
  • Sales and EBITDA below third quarter: The third-quarter release showed sales of $513.7 million and adjusted EBITDA of $66.8 million. Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA was $53.5 million, with margin of 11.6%. Source
  • Full-year GAAP loss after impairment: Full-year GAAP loss was $337.4 million, or $(6.19) per diluted share, reflecting the goodwill impairment. Adjusted EPS was $0.70 and adjusted EBITDA was $224.7 million. Source
  • Fourth-quarter GAAP income exceeded adjusted: Fourth-quarter GAAP income was $100.8 million, or $1.80 per diluted share. Adjusted income was $8.5 million and adjusted EPS was $0.15. Source
  • Third-quarter volume gains in both segments: The third-quarter release credited organic volume increases in both segments, along with price versus input cost management, for the year-over-year gain.

Segment performance

  • Filtration sales up 5.6%: Filtration & Advanced Materials sales were $177.2 million, up 5.6%, on higher volume/mix and favorable currency, partly offset by lower selling prices. Source
  • Filtration margin rose 300 basis points: FAM adjusted EBITDA rose 26.2% to an 18.7% margin. Favorable net price versus input cost, higher volume/mix and lower SG&A were partly offset by higher manufacturing costs. Source
  • Filtration GAAP margin after restructuring: FAM fourth-quarter GAAP operating profit was $16.2 million, a 9.1% margin, and included $1.3 million of restructuring expenses. Source
  • Adhesive sales down on volume: Sustainable & Adhesive Solutions sales were $285.9 million, down 1.7% reported and 0.3% organic. Lower volume/mix more than offset currency and higher selling prices. Source
  • Adhesive margin rose 130 basis points: SAS adjusted EBITDA rose 8.7% to a 13.6% margin, on lower manufacturing costs and favorable net price versus input cost, partly offset by lower volume/mix and higher distribution costs. Source
  • Full-year adhesive organic growth 4.0%: Full-year SAS sales were $1,219.5 million, up 0.4% reported. The release shows 4.0% organic growth for SAS and 0.1% for FAM. Source

“We continue navigating an environment of anemic market demand and dynamic trade and macro-economic policies.”

Shruti Singhal, Mativ President and CEO

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Price versus input cost drove margins: Management attributed the year-over-year results to disciplined execution, prudent inventory management, favorable price versus input cost and steadfast SG&A expense management. Source
  • Unallocated expense up on employee timing: Adjusted unallocated expense was $(18.6) million in the quarter, up $1.3 million, mainly from the timing of employee-related expenses. Source
  • Interest expense fell on lower balances: Interest expense was $17.0 million against $19.7 million a year earlier, mainly on lower average balances of floating-rate debt. Source

Cash flow and debt

  • Full-year operating cash flow up 41%: Full-year cash from operations was $133.8 million, up 41%. Capital spending and software costs totaled $40.0 million for the year. Source
  • Fourth-quarter free cash flow of $8.0 million: Fourth-quarter operating cash flow was $19.3 million and free cash flow was $8.0 million, against $1.9 million of free cash flow a year earlier. Source
  • Inventory reduction added working capital cash: Working capital was an $8.4 million source of cash for the year, from lower inventories and higher payables and other current liabilities, partly offset by receivables. Source
  • Net debt at $934.0 million: Total debt was $1,018.2 million at year-end with $84.2 million of cash, leaving net debt of $934.0 million, compared with $931.8 million at September 30. Source
  • Liquidity about $515 million: Total liquidity was about $515 million, made up of $84 million of cash and $431 million of revolver availability. Debt matures on a staggered basis from 2027 to 2029. Source

“We remain focused on delivering for our customers, improving our leverage and balance sheet by generating significant cash flow, and capturing volume and share gains that validate our go-to-market strategy.”

Shruti Singhal, Mativ President and CEO

Dividends and capital spending

  • No share repurchases in quarter: The company did not repurchase any shares during the fourth quarter. Source
  • Capital spending lower than 2024: Full-year capital spending and software costs totaled $40.0 million. Fourth-quarter capital spending was $11.3 million, against $22.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash dividends paid slightly higher: Full-year cash dividends paid were $22.3 million, against $21.6 million in 2024. Source

Tax and non-cash items

  • Valuation allowance lifted GAAP result: A decrease in the valuation allowance on tax attributes produced a $110.4 million fourth-quarter benefit. The company adjusted this out of adjusted EPS, at $1.98 per share. Source
  • Goodwill impairment of $411.9 million: Goodwill impairment expense was $411.9 million for 2025 and none in the fourth quarter. Goodwill on the balance sheet fell to $57.6 million from $465.6 million. Source
  • Purchase accounting cost per share: Purchase accounting expenses, mainly non-cash amortization of acquired intangibles, were $0.24 per share in the fourth quarter. Source

Strategy and execution

  • Progress toward path to growth: Management said 2025 brought progress on company performance while the company built a path to future profitable growth. Source
  • Urgency and commitments to customers: In the third-quarter release, management said the company operated with an increased pace of execution and urgency to deliver on customer commitments.
  • Strategic priorities described as on track: The third-quarter release said the company was on the right track on its strategic priorities and on the commercial and operational goals set at the start of 2025.

Leadership and realignment costs

  • Realignment costs of $2.3 million: Fourth-quarter organizational realignment and integration costs were $2.3 million, tied to CEO and CFO transitions and the realignment plan. Source
  • Realignment plan costs for the year: Realignment plan costs, including advisory fees and system-related initiatives, totaled $13.7 million for the year, against $4.5 million in 2024. Source
  • Third-quarter cost description: The third-quarter release described its realignment costs as including advisory fees, system-related initiatives and CEO transition costs.

Coming up, as management said on 18 February 2026

  • Faster execution into 2026: Management said it is excited about the path ahead in 2026 and will continue to increase its pace of execution. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited anemic market demand, along with dynamic trade and macro-economic policies, as the environment it is operating in. Source
  • Financial: Other income (expense) moved mainly on foreign currency, compared with gains on asset sales in the prior year period. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: The third-quarter release said the company was on the right track to deliver on these priorities and goals.

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.