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Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. (CPS)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q2 2025 delivered margin expansion and an outlook raise: Adjusted EBITDA rose to $62.8M (8.9% margin), up from $50.9M YoY; GAAP net loss improved to $(1.4)M and adjusted EPS turned positive at $0.06 .
  • Management raised full‑year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA guidance to $220–$250M (from $200–$235M), while keeping sales at $2.7–$2.8B and trimming net cash taxes to $25–$30M .
  • Execution remains strong: 100% of 317 customer scorecards were green; lean/purchasing savings of $25M and restructuring savings of ~$4M in Q2 drove performance despite softer volumes and inflation .
  • Liquidity healthy at $272.8M (cash $121.6M; undrawn ABL availability), and management expects positive FY free cash flow with a net leverage ratio below 4x by year‑end, aided by working capital unwind and potential refinancing .
  • Near‑term stock catalysts: guidance raise, continued margin trajectory toward ~10% exit run‑rate by Q4, tariff pass‑through agreements, and improving customer schedules into Q3–Q4 .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Operational excellence and customer service at all‑time highs: 100% of 317 customer scorecards green; launch scorecards 97% green; world‑class safety with 0.26 incident rate and 44 plants at zero incidents in H1 .
  • Cost actions delivered: $25M lean/purchasing savings and ~$4M restructuring savings YoY in Q2; Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 170 bps YoY to 8.9% despite lower volumes .
  • Commercial progress and awards: $77.1M net new business in Q2 (H1 total $132.0M), including wins aligned to hybrid/BEV platforms; Ford Supplier of the Year; strategic collaboration with Renault’s EmBlem project leveraging FlexiCore and Flush Seal .

What Went Wrong

  • Top‑line modestly softer: Q2 sales declined 0.3% YoY to $705.973M on unfavorable volume/mix and net price adjustments, partly offset by FX .
  • Free cash outflow in Q2: Free cash flow of $(23.352)M, reflecting normal seasonality, higher cash interest, and working capital build (AR normalization from strong Dec collections), expected to unwind in H2 .
  • Macro/tariff uncertainty persists: Global trade policy/tariff changes still a near‑term forecasting overhang; management expects tariff pass‑through/recoveries but acknowledges potential production volume impacts .

Financial Results

MetricQ4 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025
Sales ($USD Millions)$660.753 $667.069 $705.973
Gross Profit ($USD Millions)$82.020 $77.178 $93.051
Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Millions)$54.283 $58.715 $62.765
Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%)8.2% 8.8% 8.9%
Diluted EPS (GAAP) ($)$2.24 $0.09 $(0.08)
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($)$(0.16) $0.19 $0.06

Estimate comparison (S&P Global consensus; Q4 shown for trend):

MetricQ4 2024 EstimateQ4 2024 ActualQ1 2025 EstimateQ1 2025 ActualQ2 2025 EstimateQ2 2025 Actual
Revenue ($USD Millions)$679.9*$660.753 $665.0*$667.069 $687.0*$705.973
Primary EPS ($)$0.06*$(0.16) $(0.754)*$0.19 $(0.056)*$0.06
EBITDA ($USD Millions)$63.6*$54.961† $48.0*$47.409† $57.0*$63.786†
  • Values retrieved from S&P Global.
  • †EBITDA (unadjusted) reconstructed from press release/8‑K reconciliation tables: Q4 2024 $55.705M EBITDA vs $54.283M adjusted; Q1 2025 $56.702M EBITDA vs $58.715M adjusted; Q2 2025 $59.913M EBITDA vs $62.765M adjusted .

Q2 2025 vs estimates: Revenue beat; Primary EPS beat; Adjusted EBITDA beat (vs EBITDA consensus proxy).

  • Bolded in context: *Revenue +2.8% vs est ($705.973M vs $687.0M), *EPS beat (0.06 vs −0.056), *EBITDA beat (~$63.8M vs $57.0M)**.

Segment breakdown (Q2 2025):

SegmentSales ($USD Thousands)Sales YoY ($USD Thousands)Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Thousands)Adjusted EBITDA YoY ($USD Thousands)
Sealing Systems$364,368 $(578) vs $364,946 $40,345 +$5,310 vs $35,035
Fluid Handling Systems$322,430 $(312) vs $322,742 $26,997 +$10,715 vs $16,282

KPIs and cash metrics:

KPIQ4 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025
Net New Business Awards ($USD Millions)$181.4 FY 2024 context $55.0 $77.1 (H1 total $132.0)
Free Cash Flow ($USD Millions)$63.238 $(32.394) $(23.352)
Capital Expenditures ($USD Millions)$11.484 $17.543 $7.772
Cash & Equivalents ($USD Millions)$170.035 $140.368 $121.620
Total Liquidity ($USD Millions)$339.2 $300.1 $272.8

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
SalesFY 2025$2.7–$2.8B $2.7–$2.8B Maintained
Adjusted EBITDAFY 2025$200–$235M $220–$250M Raised
Capital ExpendituresFY 2025$45–$55M $45–$55M Maintained
Cash RestructuringFY 2025$20–$25M $20–$25M Maintained
Net Cash InterestFY 2025$105–$115M $105–$115M Maintained
Net Cash TaxesFY 2025$30–$35M $25–$30M Lowered

Light vehicle production assumptions updated (North America 14.9M; Europe 16.7M; China 31.2M; South America 3.2M) reflecting July 2025 S&P Global forecasts .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicQ4 2024 (prior two quarters)Q1 2025Q2 2025Trend
Tariffs & Pass‑ThroughExpect to offset headwinds via efficiencies and pricing; initial 2025 guide set amid lower volume projections Systems in place; minor tariff timing hit; expect real‑time recovery; majority of parts under free trade Commercial negotiations largely complete; majority of direct tariff impacts recovered; focus returns to execution Improving clarity; mitigated cost impact
Operational Excellence & Digital ToolsCost savings from lean, restructuring drive margins World‑class safety; 99% quality scorecards green; $20M lean savings, $8M restructuring YoY 100% quality scorecards green; 97% launch scorecards; AI‑supported CS Factorysis rollout to plants Sustained excellence; broader digital deployment
Hybrid/BEV Product ContentEV/hybrid awards in 2024 new business Hybrid production raised in S&P forecasts; ~80% content uplift for hybrid; eCoFlow Switch Pump innovation Fluid Handling strategy leverages hybrid growth; ROIC targets; vertical/system integration upside not yet in plan Increasing content & pipeline visibility
Working Capital & Free Cash FlowStrong Q4 FCF; liquidity solid Seasonal cash use; AR build expected to normalize AR normalization from Dec overcollections; expect unwind; FY positive FCF despite ~$110M cash interest H2 cash tailwind expected
Capital Structure & RatingsCash interest elevated; refinancing potential ahead Moody’s outlook to positive; exploring options to refinance first/third lien notes; potential 100–300 bps savings depending on market ratings trajectory Constructive path to de‑risk balance sheet

Management Commentary

  • “We ended the second quarter with a record 100% of our total 317 customer scorecards for quality and service being green… A huge shout‑out to our manufacturing leadership team, our plant managers, and our plant employees for this remarkable result.” — Jeff Edwards .
  • “Lean initiatives in purchasing and manufacturing contributed $25 million in savings… restructuring initiatives added $4 million… despite lower sales and production volumes.” — Jon Banas .
  • “We’ve successfully reached agreements with our customers that will allow us to pass through or recover the majority of all direct tariff impacts on our business.” — Jeff Edwards .
  • “We ended the second quarter with a cash balance of approximately $122 million… total liquidity of approximately $273 million… we believe we are on track to achieve positive free cash flow for the full year… net leverage ratio below four times at the end of this year.” — Jon Banas .

Q&A Highlights

  • Long‑term growth visibility: Discussion of 2030 targets implies ~80% of incremental $1B revenue is already booked (net new business split across Sealing/Fluid), with further upside from system integration in Fluid Handling not yet in plan .
  • Margin trajectory: Management reiterated an “outside shot” of approaching ~10% adjusted EBITDA margins by Q4 exit rate, contingent on volumes (S&P forecasts viewed as conservative versus releases) .
  • Working capital mechanics: AR normalization from unusually strong Dec collections drove H1 outflow; expected to unwind fully in H2; cash interest ~$110–$115M FY but still positive FY FCF .
  • Refinancing optionality: Ratings path toward single‑B could reduce interest costs; potential 100–300 bps improvement depends on market conditions, aiding deleveraging .

Estimates Context

  • Q2 2025 vs consensus: Revenue $705.973M vs $687.0M* (beat); Primary EPS $0.06 vs $(0.056)* (beat); EBITDA ~$63.8M† vs $57.0M* (beat). Full table above.
  • Q1 2025 vs consensus: Revenue slight beat; Primary EPS beat; EBITDA slightly below the consensus proxy, but Adjusted EBITDA improved materially YoY .
  • Q4 2024 vs consensus: Misses on revenue and EPS; EBITDA below estimates amid FX/volume headwinds .
  • Values retrieved from S&P Global. †EBITDA actual reflects GAAP EBITDA reconciled from filings .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Guidance raise and margin momentum: Full‑year Adjusted EBITDA increased to $220–$250M, with Q2 margins expanding despite softer volumes—supporting a path toward ~10% exit run‑rate by Q4 .
  • Cost discipline is sticking: Lean and restructuring savings are recurring drivers; Expect continued margin expansion as higher‑contribution programs launch .
  • Tariff risk largely mitigated: Commercial agreements allow pass‑through of most direct impacts; remaining uncertainty is volume‑related rather than margin structure .
  • H2 cash inflection: Working capital unwind plus seasonality and undrawn ABL support management’s positive FCF view for 2025; liquidity ample at ~$273M .
  • Segment catalysts: Sealing and Fluid both show double‑digit YoY EBITDA gains; hybrid content and system integration underpin Fluid’s medium‑term margin/ROIC targets .
  • Balance sheet optionality: Ratings outlook improving (Moody’s to positive) and potential refinancing could lower cash interest (100–300 bps range), accelerating deleveraging below 4x by YE .
  • Trading stance: Near‑term narrative favors guidance raise and execution vs macro noise; watch releases vs S&P production forecasts—upside to volumes would leverage fixed cost base and flow through EBITDA .