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KEWAUNEE SCIENTIFIC CORP /DE/ (KEQU)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q2 FY25 revenue decreased 5.3% year over year to $47.8M, while diluted EPS increased to $1.01 from $0.93; gross margin expanded to 29.2%, driven by stronger Domestic segment performance, despite International site delays in India .
  • Backlog reached a record $184.4M (+26% YoY), positioning KEQU for continued delivery strength; management emphasized healthy demand and channel execution .
  • Corporate costs were elevated due to $1.54M of acquisition-related professional fees tied to the Nu Aire deal; adjusted EPS was $1.41 for the quarter, highlighting underlying strength ex one-time items .
  • No formal numerical guidance was provided; however, Nu Aire (acquired Nov 1) will be included starting Q3 FY25 and is a key catalyst for revenue mix, margin trajectory, and market reach .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Domestic segment delivered higher sales and earnings on improved product demand: Domestic sales +6.5% YoY to $36.4M; segment EBITDA up to $6.84M from $5.23M . “Domestic segment operating performance improved… as a result of higher product demand” — CEO Thomas D. Hull III .
  • Gross profit increased YoY and gross margin expanded to 29.2% (from 26.7%), demonstrating pricing/productivity gains and cost containment .
  • Record backlog of $184.4M underpins future visibility; management sees “continued vitality and investment” and expects “another strong year” .

What Went Wrong

  • International sales declined 30.1% YoY to $11.4M due to construction site delays in India, impacting timing of deliveries and segment profitability (EBITDA fell to $0.59M from $1.64M) .
  • Corporate segment loss widened (pre-tax loss $2.44M vs. $1.24M prior year), primarily from acquisition-related professional fees and SOX 404(b) readiness costs, weighing consolidated EBITDA .
  • Operating income fell YoY (to $4.43M from $5.11M), with EBITDA margin compressing to 10.2% from 11.2% as International headwinds offset Domestic strength .

Financial Results

Consolidated Quarterly Comparison

MetricQ2 FY24 (Oct 31, 2023)Q1 FY25 (Jul 31, 2024)Q2 FY25 (Oct 31, 2024)
Revenue ($USD Millions)$50.436 $48.393 $47.764
Gross Profit ($USD Millions)$13.468 $12.488 $13.952
Operating Income ($USD Millions)$5.109 $2.575 $4.434
Net Income - (IS) ($USD Millions)$2.732 $2.193 $3.008
Diluted EPS - Continuing Operations ($USD)$0.93 $0.74 $1.01
EBITDA ($USD Millions)$5.662 $3.325 $4.883
Gross Profit Margin %26.7% 25.8% 29.2%
EBIT Margin %10.1% 5.3% 9.3%
EBITDA Margin %11.2% 6.9% 10.2%
Net Income Margin %5.4% 4.5% 6.3%

Notes: Margins calculated from cited revenue and profit figures.

Non-GAAP Adjustments (Quarter)

MetricQ2 FY24Q1 FY25Q2 FY25
Adjusted Net Earnings ($USD Millions)$2.830 $2.770 $4.197
Adjusted Diluted EPS ($USD)$0.93 $0.93 $1.41
Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Millions)$5.662 $4.055 $6.423
Acquisition-related Professional Fees ($USD Millions)$0.73 $1.540

Segment Breakdown

Segment MetricQ2 FY24Q1 FY25Q2 FY25
Domestic Sales ($USD Millions)$34.185 $35.523 $36.409
Domestic Segment Net Earnings ($USD Millions)$3.054 $2.871 $4.524
Domestic Segment EBITDA ($USD Millions)$5.230 $4.738 $6.838
International Sales ($USD Millions)$16.251 $12.870 $11.355
International Segment Net Earnings ($USD Millions)$0.525 $0.463 $0.356
International Segment EBITDA ($USD Millions)$1.635 $0.696 $0.592
Corporate Pre-tax Loss ($USD Millions)$(1.243) $(1.992) $(2.444)
Corporate EBITDA ($USD Millions)$(1.203) $(2.109) $(2.547)

KPIs and Balance Highlights

KPIQ2 FY24Q1 FY25Q2 FY25
Backlog ($USD Millions)$146.3 (as of Oct 31, 2023) $159.4 $184.4
Working Capital ($USD Millions)$52.144 (prior-year Q2 end) $56.012 $59.965
Total Cash on Hand ($USD Millions)$25.186 $29.664
Short-term Debt ($USD Millions)$3.627 $0.805
Long-term Debt ($USD Millions)$28.293 $28.047
Debt-to-Equity Ratio0.68-to-1 0.59-to-1

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
RevenueFY25None providedNone providedMaintained (no formal guidance)
Margins (Gross/EBITDA)FY25None providedNone providedMaintained (no formal guidance)
OpExFY25None providedNone providedMaintained (no formal guidance); note acquisition-related fees impacted Q2
Tax RateFY25None providedNone providedMaintained (no formal guidance)
Segment-specificFY25None providedNone providedMaintained (no formal guidance)
DividendsFY25None providedNone providedMaintained (no formal guidance)

Management emphasized backlog strength and Nu Aire inclusion from Q3 FY25 but did not provide numerical ranges .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

Note: No Q2 FY25 earnings call transcript was available in our corpus [List: 0 earnings-call-transcript].

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q4 FY24, Q1 FY25)Current Period (Q2 FY25)Trend
Supply chain / India site delaysQ1 FY25: India site delays pushing deliveries Continued delays in India impacting International sales Persistent headwind
Backlog / DemandQ4 FY24: backlog up to $155.6M; strong quoting Backlog at record $184.4M; demand remains healthy Strengthening
Corporate costs / one-time itemsQ4 FY24: pension termination and valuation allowance reversal (non-recurring) Acquisition-related professional fees ($1.54M) and SOX 404(b) readiness costs Near-term elevated; expected to normalize
Domestic performanceQ4 FY24: improved productivity/cost containment Higher product demand driving sales/earnings Positive
Strategic M&A (Nu Aire)Announced Nov 1, 2024; $55M acquisition Not in Q2 results; included from Q3 FY25 Integration catalyst ahead

Management Commentary

  • “Our financial performance for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 was strong… Domestic segment operating performance improved… as a result of higher product demand” — Thomas D. Hull III, President & CEO .
  • “Customer construction site delays in India on multiple projects continue to impact our ability to ship products and deliver services” .
  • “Our backlog remains very healthy… positions the company well to deliver another strong year” .
  • On Nu Aire: “Nu Aire… will be included going forward, beginning with our third quarter fiscal year 2025 results… the company incurred expenses related to the acquisition of $2.3 million in the current fiscal year” .

Q&A Highlights

No Q2 FY25 call transcript available; no Q&A themes could be extracted [List: 0 earnings-call-transcript].

Estimates Context

  • Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) for Q2 FY25 EPS and revenue was unavailable at the time of this analysis due to data access limits; no estimate comparison can be presented. Values from S&P Global were not retrieved — estimates unavailable.
  • Implications: Given YoY EPS growth and gross margin expansion, and International delays shifting revenue timing, analysts are likely to reassess FY25/26 models to incorporate Nu Aire’s contribution from Q3 and delivery timing normalization in India .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Domestic demand resilience and margin expansion offset International timing issues, yielding stronger EPS despite lower sales; focus on maintaining gross margin gains into Q3 .
  • International site delays in India remain the principal near-term headwind; watch for catch-up deliveries and backlog conversion rates in H2 FY25 .
  • Corporate costs elevated due to acquisition and compliance; adjusted metrics show underlying operating strength — monitor normalization of non-core fees .
  • Record backlog ($184.4M) is a positive leading indicator; execution on backlog conversion will be critical for sustaining revenue and EBITDA momentum .
  • Nu Aire integration (from Q3) is a strategic catalyst that can broaden product mix, distribution reach, and potentially support margin trajectory; assess synergy realization and cross-sell .
  • Balance sheet improving (lower short-term debt; debt-to-equity down to 0.59:1) provides flexibility for integration and growth initiatives .
  • Near-term trading: stock likely sensitive to updates on India project timing and early Nu Aire contribution; medium-term thesis centers on operational synergies, backlog conversion, and sustaining margin discipline .