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JACOBS SOLUTIONS INC. (J)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Solid start to FY25: revenue growth and significant margin expansion on an adjusted basis; GAAP EPS was negative due to a $145M unrealized mark-to-market loss on Jacobs’ Amentum (AMTM) stake; adjusted EPS was $1.33 and adjusted EBITDA rose 24% YoY, with adjusted EBITDA margin at 13.5% .
- Backlog climbed 18.9% YoY to $21.8B; TTM book-to-bill at 1.3x. Note: the press release cites Q1 book-to-bill of 1.0x, while management on the call cited 1.4x; both refer to strong TTM momentum and should be cross-checked against methodology .
- FY25 guidance: adjusted EPS raised to $5.85–$6.20 (from $5.80–$6.20); adjusted net revenue growth mid-to-high single digits, adjusted EBITDA margin 13.8–14.0%, reported FCF conversion >100% reiterated .
- Capital returns accelerated: $202M repurchased in Q1; Board approved a new $1.5B authorization (largest in company history) and increased the quarterly dividend to $0.32/share (+10% YoY), supportive of share count and EPS leverage going forward .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Adjusted profitability improved materially: adjusted EBITDA up 24% YoY to $282M; adjusted EBITDA margin reached 13.5%, ~200 bps higher YoY, driven by mix, cost controls, and operating leverage .
- Robust demand in Water and Life Sciences drove growth; management highlighted double‑digit pipeline growth and strong bookings underpinning backlog and visibility .
- Capital allocation stepped up: $202M of buybacks in Q1; new $1.5B repurchase authorization; dividend lifted to $0.32/share (+10% YoY) .
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What Went Wrong
- GAAP results impacted by non-cash items: a $145M mark-to-market loss on Amentum reduced GAAP EPS to ($0.10); tax rate volatility (GAAP 107.5%) also pressured reported earnings .
- Advanced Manufacturing softness offset Life Sciences strength; management expects Advanced Manufacturing to improve in 2H as projects ramp, but near-term remains mixed .
- FX and seasonality headwinds: Q2 adjusted EBITDA margin expected below Q1 due to holiday timing; FX (GBP) remains a monitoring item for translation risk .
Financial Results
Segment breakdown (Q1 FY2025 vs. prior year):
KPIs and other items:
Note on book-to-bill: Management discussed shifting to trailing 12-month metrics for better signal; reported Q1 book-to-bill differs between the press release (1.0x) and call commentary (1.4x), likely due to calculation approach; TTM remains the more consistent indicator .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We started FY25 with solid performance across our business, led by strong Water and Life Sciences revenue growth… we’ve increased our adjusted EPS outlook early in our fiscal year.” – Bob Pragada, CEO .
- “Q1 adjusted EBITDA was $282 million… adjusted EBITDA margin during Q1 came in strong at 13.5%, an increase of approximately 200 basis points year-over-year.” – Venk Nathamuni, CFO .
- “We repurchased $202 million of our shares… Board… approved a new $1.5 billion share repurchase authorization… dividend $0.32 per share” – Venk Nathamuni, CFO .
- “Life Sciences… GLP‑1, monoclonal antibodies, antibody drug conjugates and cutting-edge R&D programs… Data centers continue to be a real positive… double‑digit growth” – Bob Pragada, CEO .
- “We now anticipate Q2 adjusted EBITDA margin to be below that of Q1… expect a nice step up in margins as we head into the second half” – Venk Nathamuni, CFO .
Q&A Highlights
- Macro/policy and demand: Customers’ sentiment remains positive; pipeline up double digits; limited federal exposure (<10%, mostly DoD infrastructure); deregulation in some cases accelerates projects .
- Margin drivers: Cost control, operating leverage, earlier lifecycle engagement (higher value mix), global delivery; Q2 seasonal dip then 2H acceleration toward 13.8–14.0% full‑year target .
- PA Consulting: Margins strong; revenue growth to improve as UK public sector procurements finalize; US private sector growing double digits .
- Backlog metric: Management will emphasize TTM book‑to‑bill to smooth quarter-to-quarter lumpiness from large awards; backlog up 19% YoY .
- TSA and costs: TSA profitable; opportunity to optimize costs post‑TSA; restructuring for FY25 expected $75–$95M, steady cadence .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) for Q1 FY2025 revenue and EPS was not available at time of analysis due to data access limits. As a result, we cannot provide a definitive beat/miss vs. consensus for Q1 FY2025. We will update when S&P Global consensus can be retrieved.
- Management’s updated FY2025 adjusted EPS range ($5.85–$6.20) implies ~14% growth at the midpoint; adjusted EBITDA growth ~15% at the midpoint, guiding to accelerating profitability through 2H .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Underlying momentum intact: strong adjusted margin expansion and backlog growth position Jacobs for 2H margin step-up and FY25 EPS growth despite GAAP volatility from AMTM mark-to-market .
- Water and Life Sciences remain core growth engines; Advanced Manufacturing should improve into 2H as projects ramp; data centers are a growing contributor .
- Capital returns as a catalyst: higher dividend and $1.5B authorization support share count and EPS; company intends to repurchase aggressively in Q2 .
- Guidance credibility: low-end EPS raised early in the year; visibility supported by 19% YoY backlog growth and robust pipelines; seasonal Q2 margin dip expected before 2H acceleration .
- Mix, cost, and delivery model underpin multi-year margin story; FX (GBP) and seasonal cadence are manageable watch items .
- Note the book-to-bill discrepancy (press release 1.0x vs. call 1.4x) reinforces management’s shift to TTM measures; TTM at 1.3x remains the cleaner signal of demand .
Additional Relevant Q1 FY2025 Press Releases
- New $1.5B share repurchase authorization (largest in company history) .
- Dividend increased to $0.32 per share (+10% YoY) .
Appendix: Source Cross-References
- Q1 FY2025 press release and GAAP/Non‑GAAP reconciliations .
- Q1 FY2025 earnings call transcript (prepared remarks and Q&A) .
- Q4 FY2024 results and call for baseline comparisons and initial FY2025 guidance .