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Sterling Infrastructure, Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 3 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 7 raised. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 32% excluding RHB: Revenue was $689.0 million, up 32% from the prior-year quarter excluding RHB, which was deconsolidated on December 31, 2024. Source
  • Net income reached third-quarter record: Net income attributable to Sterling was $92.1 million, or $2.97 per diluted share, up 50% and 51% from the prior-year quarter. Source
  • E-Infrastructure revenue up 58%: E-Infrastructure Solutions revenue rose 58% and adjusted operating income 57%; legacy Site Development revenue rose 42%. Source
  • Building Solutions revenue slipped: Building Solutions revenue fell 1% and adjusted operating income fell 10%, with residential businesses affected by the housing slowdown. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 24.7%: Gross margin was 24.7%, up from 21.9% a year earlier, as the company shifted toward higher-margin service offerings. Source
  • Signed backlog up 34% same-store: Signed backlog grew 34% year over year on a same-store basis, with the CEC acquisition also adding to the total. Source
  • CEC acquisition closed in quarter: Sterling closed the CEC acquisition in the third quarter; CEC's adjusted operating income was in line with September expectations. Source
  • Quarterly operating cash flow $84 million: Operating cash flow in the quarter was $84 million, and management said the company remains in a positive net cash position. Source

“We believe 2025 will be another record year for Sterling as we continue to drive bottom line growth that outpaces top line growth.”

Joe Cutillo, Sterling’s Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFull year 2025$2.375 billion to $2.390 billionRaised from $2.10 billion to $2.15 billion
Net income SourceFull year 2025$270 million to $275 millionRaised from $243 million to $252 million
Diluted EPS SourceFull year 2025$8.73 to $8.87Raised from $7.87 to $8.13
EBITDA SourceFull year 2025$448 million to $453 millionRaised from $406 million to $421 million
Adjusted net income SourceFull year 2025$321 million to $326 millionRaised from $285 million to $294 million
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFull year 2025$10.35 to $10.52Raised from $9.21 to $9.47
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2025$486 million to $491 millionRaised from $438 million to $453 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2025 guidance was raised across revenue, net income, diluted EPS, EBITDA and adjusted measures. Source
  • New: CEC acquisition closed in the third quarter; the prior release described it as still progressing toward closing. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 32% excluding RHB: Revenue was $689.0 million, up 32% from the prior-year quarter excluding RHB, which was deconsolidated on December 31, 2024. Source
  • Net income reached third-quarter record: Net income attributable to Sterling was $92.1 million, or $2.97 per diluted share, up 50% and 51% from the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Adjusted earnings per share up 58%: Adjusted net income was $107.7 million, or $3.48 per diluted share, after excluding stock-based compensation, intangible amortization, acquisition costs and earn-out expense. Source
  • EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA both grew: EBITDA was $143.1 million, a new third-quarter record, and adjusted EBITDA was $155.8 million, up 47% from the prior year. Source

Segments and regions

  • E-Infrastructure revenue up 58%: E-Infrastructure Solutions revenue rose 58% and adjusted operating income 57%; legacy Site Development revenue rose 42%. Source
  • Transportation grew on Rocky Mountain demand: Transportation Solutions revenue rose 10% and adjusted operating income 40%; management cited solid demand in the Rocky Mountain and Arizona regions. Source
  • Building Solutions revenue slipped: Building Solutions revenue fell 1% and adjusted operating income fell 10%, with residential businesses affected by the housing slowdown. Source
  • Mix shift toward mission-critical projects: Management linked the margin profile to a shift toward large, mission-critical projects such as data centers and manufacturing. Source

“Our residential businesses continued to be impacted by the slowdown in the housing market, as prospective homebuyers are facing affordability challenges.”

Joe Cutillo, Sterling’s Chief Executive Officer

Margins and costs

  • Gross margin rose to 24.7%: Gross margin was 24.7%, up from 21.9% a year earlier, as the company shifted toward higher-margin service offerings. Source
  • GAAP operating margin rose to 18.2%: Total GAAP operating income was $125.3 million, a margin of 18.2% versus 14.7% a year earlier. Source
  • Acquisition and earn-out costs excluded: Acquisition related costs of $5.3 million and earn-out expense of $1.3 million were excluded from adjusted results. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Signed backlog up 34% same-store: Signed backlog grew 34% year over year on a same-store basis, with the CEC acquisition also adding to the total. Source
  • Combined backlog passed $3 billion: Combined backlog grew 44% and passed $3 billion for the first time in company history. Source
  • Visibility to a pool above $4 billion: Management said signed backlog, high-probability future phase work and CEC give visibility into a pool of work above $4 billion. Source

“As we have begun early discussions with our customers, we have even more confidence that the combination of CEC’s leading electrical services to high-growth markets and Sterling’s best-in-class site civil infrastructure services”

Joe Cutillo, Sterling’s Chief Executive Officer

Acquisition and strategy

  • CEC acquisition closed in quarter: Sterling closed the CEC acquisition in the third quarter; CEC's adjusted operating income was in line with September expectations. Source
  • Texas heavy highway business downsized: The company is shrinking its low-bid Texas heavy highway business, which management said is progressing to plan. Source

Cash, capital and returns to shareholders

  • Quarterly operating cash flow $84 million: Operating cash flow in the quarter was $84 million, and management said the company remains in a positive net cash position. Source
  • Cash balance at quarter end: Cash and cash equivalents were $306.4 million at September 30, 2025; nine-month operating cash flow was $253.9 million. Source
  • Share repurchases of $4.7 million: The company bought back $4.7 million of stock in the quarter. Source

Full-year guidance and its basis

  • Guidance midpoints show adjusted growth: Management said the revised midpoints represent 27% revenue growth as adjusted for RHB, 47% adjusted diluted EPS growth and 42% adjusted EBITDA growth. Source
  • Adjusted guidance excludes stock compensation: Adjusted guidance excludes non-cash stock-based compensation of about $24 million and intangible asset amortization of about $30 million. Source
  • RHB basis difference in amortization: Guidance includes about $7.5 million of intangible amortization tied to the basis difference from the RHB deconsolidation. Source

Coming up, as management said on 3 November 2025

  • Downsizing to keep aiding margins: Management expects the Texas heavy highway downsizing to keep benefiting margins through 2025 and into 2026, while weighing on backlog and revenue near term. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Backlog Source$2.58 billion
Combined backlog Source$3.44 billion
Book-to-burn, backlog excluding CEC Source1.23x
Book-to-burn, combined backlog excluding CEC Source1.76x

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Affordability challenges for homebuyers could keep residential demand soft in the near term, according to management. Source
  • Operational: The Texas heavy highway downsizing will weigh on backlog and revenue in the near term. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said the downsizing of the low-bid Texas heavy highway business is progressing to plan. Source
  • Met: Management said CEC's adjusted operating income was in line with its September expectations. 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.