greeksoup/ stock research

Latham Group, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 March 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 6 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose 14.5%: Fourth-quarter net sales were $100.0 million, up $12.7 million or 14.5%, led by fiberglass pool sales and higher autocover demand. Source
  • Full-year sales rose 7.4%: Full-year net sales were $545.9 million, up $37.4 million or 7.4%, from higher volumes across organic and acquisition growth and tariff-related price increases. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 24.4%: Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $99.8 million, reaching 18.3% of net sales, up 250 basis points. Fourth-quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $10.5 million, or 10.5% of sales. Source
  • Full-year gross margin rose 320 basis points: Gross margin was 33.4% for 2025, from production efficiencies and a margin benefit from the three Coverstar acquisitions. Source
  • U.S. in-ground market declined in 2025: Latham estimates the U.S. in-ground pool market declined at a low- to mid-single-digit rate in 2025, while Latham's net sales rose 7.4%. Source
  • 2026 U.S. starts seen roughly flat: Management projects U.S. in-ground pool starts roughly in line with 2025 levels in 2026, and expects Latham to keep outperforming the market. Source
  • Operating cash flow figures differ: The filed release shows fourth-quarter operating cash flow of $23.3 million and $63.4 million for 2025, plus a $12.0 million property deposit in investing. The other version [P] shows $11.3 million and $51.4 million, with no deposit line. Source
  • Freedom Pools acquisition completed: Latham completed the Freedom Pools acquisition, a fiberglass pool maker and installer in Australia and New Zealand. Source

“2025 marked another year of strong execution by the Latham team,”

Sean Gadd, President and CEO of Latham Group

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales SourceFY 2026$580 million to $610 millionKept
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFY 2026$105 million to $120 millionKept
Capital expenditures SourceFY 2026$42 million to $48 millionKept
Organic net sales growth SourceFY 2026mid-single-digitKept
U.S. in-ground pool starts (market projection) Source2026roughly in line with 2025 levelsKept
Freedom Pools contribution Sourceannualized, before acquisition synergiesapproximately $20 million net sales; approximately $4 million adjusted EBITDAKept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Latham completed the Freedom Pools acquisition on February 26, 2026, a fiberglass pool maker and installer in Australia and New Zealand. Source
  • Guidance kept: The FY 2026 guidance ranges in the earlier copy [P] match this release for net sales, Adjusted EBITDA and capital expenditures.

Results and growth drivers

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose 14.5%: Fourth-quarter net sales were $100.0 million, up $12.7 million or 14.5%, led by fiberglass pool sales and higher autocover demand. Source
  • Full-year sales rose 7.4%: Full-year net sales were $545.9 million, up $37.4 million or 7.4%, from higher volumes across organic and acquisition growth and tariff-related price increases. Source
  • Full-year net income turned positive: Full-year net income was $11.1 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, versus a net loss of $17.9 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in 2024. Source
  • Fourth-quarter net loss narrowed: Fourth-quarter net loss was $7.0 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, against $29.2 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, a year earlier. Net loss margin was 7.0%, against 33.4%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose 24.4%: Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $99.8 million, reaching 18.3% of net sales, up 250 basis points. Fourth-quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $10.5 million, or 10.5% of sales. Source

Product lines and Sand States traction

  • Fiberglass led in-ground growth: In-ground pool sales rose 15% in the fourth quarter. Fiberglass made up 76.5% of Latham’s in-ground pool sales in 2025. Source
  • Covers and liners grew too: Covers were $37.0 million in the fourth quarter and $160.8 million for 2025; liners were $12.7 million and $123.2 million. Management cites rising consumer and builder awareness. Source
  • Autocover demand added to sales: Fourth-quarter sales growth came mainly from a fiberglass pick-up, with autocover demand also increasing. Source
  • Florida traction in fiberglass: Florida, the initial Sand State target, saw fiberglass pool sales rise at a double-digit rate in 2025. New dealer sign-ups and Master Planned Community representation were added. Source

“A disciplined focus on strategic priorities enabled the Company to continue to outperform the U.S. in-ground pool market while driving meaningful margin expansion.”

Sean Gadd, President and CEO of Latham Group

Gross margin and cost structure

  • Fourth-quarter gross margin rose 340 basis points: Gross margin was 28.0%, against 24.6%, from volume leverage, lean manufacturing and value engineering. Source
  • Full-year gross margin rose 320 basis points: Gross margin was 33.4% for 2025, from production efficiencies and a margin benefit from the three Coverstar acquisitions. Source
  • Full-year SG&A rose 13.1%: SG&A was $122.6 million, up $14.2 million, mainly from sales and marketing, digital transformation and the Coverstar acquisitions. Source
  • Fourth-quarter SG&A rose on brand spend: Fourth-quarter SG&A was $31.4 million, up 15.6%, on sales and marketing for fiberglass pools and autocovers, and higher stock-based compensation. Source

Market demand and 2026 expectations

  • U.S. in-ground market declined in 2025: Latham estimates the U.S. in-ground pool market declined at a low- to mid-single-digit rate in 2025, while Latham's net sales rose 7.4%. Source
  • 2026 U.S. starts seen roughly flat: Management projects U.S. in-ground pool starts roughly in line with 2025 levels in 2026, and expects Latham to keep outperforming the market. Source
  • Revenue guidance rests on organic growth: Management expects mid-single-digit organic growth in fiberglass pools and autocovers, which it describes as categories with growth runway. Source

“For 2026, we are guiding to strong revenue growth despite our projection that U.S. in-ground pool starts remain roughly in line with 2025 levels”

Sean Gadd, President and CEO of Latham Group

Cash flow, debt and capital spending

  • Operating cash flow figures differ: The filed release shows fourth-quarter operating cash flow of $23.3 million and $63.4 million for 2025, plus a $12.0 million property deposit in investing. The other version [P] shows $11.3 million and $51.4 million, with no deposit line. Source
  • Year-end cash and leverage: Cash ended 2025 at $71.0 million. Total debt was $279.8 million, and the net debt leverage ratio was 2.1 times LTM Adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Capital spending rose in 2025: Capital expenditures were $25.4 million for 2025, against $20.1 million, and $9.2 million in the fourth quarter against $6.3 million. Source

Freedom Pools and strategic investment

  • Freedom Pools acquisition completed: Latham completed the Freedom Pools acquisition, a fiberglass pool maker and installer in Australia and New Zealand. Source
  • Freedom expected accretive to earnings: Management expects Freedom Pools to be immediately accretive, adding about $20 million of annualized net sales and $4 million of adjusted EBITDA before synergies. Source
  • Sand States marketing investment in 2026: Management plans to expand and refine branding and marketing spend in 2026, focusing on contractor and homebuilder engagement in the Sand States. Source
  • Growth spending weighs on EBITDA growth: Management says the 12.7% midpoint Adjusted EBITDA growth reflects operating leverage and includes higher spending on growth initiatives. Source

Leadership and people

  • Restructuring tied to executive changes: Restructuring charges were $0.4 million in the fourth quarter and $0.5 million for 2025, covering severance for executive management changes and other cost reduction costs. Source
  • About 1,850 employees across 30 sites: Latham reports approximately 1,850 employees on average across around 30 locations. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 March 2026

  • Dealer conversion programs in development: Management says it is developing programs to enhance dealer conversion and expand presence in target markets. Source
  • Transcript due after the call: Transcript to be posted on the investor relations site about three business days after the March 3, 2026 call. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Fiberglass share of in-ground pool sales Source76.5% in 2025
U.S. in-ground pool market (company estimate) Sourcelow- to mid-single-digit decline in 2025
U.S. in-ground pool starts (projection) Sourceroughly in line with 2025 levels in 2026

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: The company cannot give a 2026 Adjusted EBITDA to net income reconciliation without unreasonable effort, citing uncertain future income tax expense or benefit. 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.