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LITTELFUSE INC /DE (LFUS)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Littelfuse delivered a clean beat: revenue $613.4M (+9.8% y/y) vs S&P Global consensus ~$572.2M, and adjusted EPS $2.85 vs ~$2.33, with broad-based strength and margin expansion across segments . Q2 beats reflect volume leverage, improved operations, and a tariff timing benefit that will reverse in Q3 .
- Transportation and Industrial margins inflected sharply (Transportation operating margin 15.6% vs 9.0% y/y; Industrial 19.2% vs 11.4% y/y) on execution and mix; Electronics grew 10% with passives +14% organically and power semis still soft (-5% organic) .
- Q3 guide: revenue $610–$630M and adjusted EPS $2.65–$2.85; management cited strong backlog, book-to-bill >1, and the highest bookings run-rate since 1H’22; dividend raised 7% to $0.75/qtr ($3.00 annualized) .
- Strategic narrative strengthening: accelerating design wins in data center, grid storage, and high-voltage applications; new global ops team driving “best-in-class” practices; net leverage 1.1x, FCF conversion 114% YTD supports capital deployment .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Broad beat on the P&L: revenue $613.4M (+9.8% y/y) and adjusted EPS $2.85 (+45% y/y), with adjusted EBITDA margin up 280 bps to 21.4% . CFO: “Adjusted EBITDA margin finished at 21.4%, up 280 basis points... reflecting strong conversion on higher sales growth [and] improved operational performance” .
- Transportation and Industrial margin step-up: Transportation operating margin 15.6% (+660 bps y/y) and Industrial 19.2% (+780 bps y/y), with data center, grid storage, industrial safety and HVAC driving Industrial; volume leverage and ops initiatives lifted Transportation .
- Demand indicators improved: “book-to-bill again tracked above one,” and “bookings exited the quarter at the highest run rate since the first half of 2022” (CEO) . Dividend raised 7% to $0.75/share, reinforcing cash return discipline .
What Went Wrong
- Power semiconductors remained a drag: Electronics passives +14% organically and protection improved, but power semis declined 5% organically, holding Electronics margins flat y/y (Adj. EBITDA 21.6%) .
- Non-operating FX hit GAAP: $10.4M non-operating FX loss in Q2 (part of $0.55 EPS of non-GAAP adjustments), tempering GAAP profit despite strong operations .
- Tariff timing: ~$0.15 EPS benefit in Q2 expected to reverse as a sequential headwind in Q3 (CFO) . Management also flagged ongoing macro/trade uncertainty despite improved near-term visibility .
Financial Results
Segment net sales and profitability:
- Revenue by segment ($USD Millions)
- Operating margin by segment (%)
Selected KPIs and cash/leverage:
- Free cash flow: Q2 $72.6M vs $50.3M prior year; YTD FCF $115.2M; YTD FCF conversion 114% .
- Net leverage: Consolidated net leverage ratio 1.1x; Net debt $547.6M .
- Dividend: $0.75/share payable Sep 4, 2025 (up from $0.70) .
Guidance Changes
Notes: Littelfuse provides guidance on a non-GAAP basis .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “Book-to-bill again tracked above one… bookings exited the quarter at the highest run rate since the first half of 2022” .
- CEO: “We are seeing an accelerating pipeline… several new data center design wins… position us well for continued strong data center sales growth” .
- CFO: “Adjusted EBITDA margin finished at 21.4%, up 280 basis points… strong conversion on higher sales growth, improved operational performance” .
- CFO on tariff timing: “about a $0.15 [EPS] benefit… in Q2 that’s going to reverse… in Q3 and be a bad guy sequentially” .
Q&A Highlights
- Segment margins: Analysts probed Transportation and Industrial margin upside vs history; management attributed gains to operating leverage, best-practice scaling, and focused execution; cautioned margins won’t be linear but see further upside in Transportation .
- Tariff timing & guide: ~$0.15 EPS benefit in Q2 reverses in Q3; Q3 guide flow-through ~38% with stock/variable comp and tax headwinds year-over-year .
- Data center exposure: Data center becoming more important; design wins span liquid cooling, on-board protection, power distribution; focus on higher energy density across the chain .
- Power semis outlook: Orders stabilizing; sequentially positive momentum expected; differentiation increases at higher power/energy density .
- Demand cadence: Q3 outlook assumes Electronics and Industrial up sequentially; Transportation seasonally down 2–3% due to shutdowns; organic growth ~6% y/y in Q3 .
Estimates Context
- Q2 2025 vs S&P Global consensus:
- Revenue: Actual $613.4M vs ~$572.2M consensus* → beat .
- Adjusted/Normalized EPS: Actual $2.85 vs ~$2.33 consensus* → beat .
- Adjusted EBITDA: Actual ~$131.1M vs ~$111.0M consensus* → beat .
- Forward look: Q3 2025 guidance ($610–$630M; $2.65–$2.85 adjusted EPS) aligns with continued y/y growth; management highlighted an EPS headwind from stock/variable comp and FX/commodities (~$0.08) offset by operational performance .
Values marked with an asterisk (*) are retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Clear beat-and-raise cadence: Broad-based top-line/margin upside with Q3 guide implying continued growth; near-term EPS optics tempered by known tariff timing and comp/tax effects rather than core fundamentals .
- Structural margin improvement underway: Transportation and Industrial margins re-rating on volume and operational excellence; Electronics mix improves as power semis stabilize and passives/protection lead .
- Secular growth positioning firming: Accelerating design wins in data center, grid storage, and high-voltage applications reinforce multi-technology value proposition and cross-segment go-to-market strategy .
- Cash returns + balance sheet optionality: Dividend up 7%; net leverage ~1.1x and >100% FCF conversion support continued M&A, capex, and buybacks .
- Watch items: Non-operating FX can add GAAP noise; tariff timing swings create quarterly EPS volatility; power semis recovery pace key for Electronics margin trajectory .
- Trading implication: Positive estimate revisions likely on revenue/EBITDA; shares may respond to data center narrative, segment margin momentum, and sustained bookings strength; monitor Q3 execution vs comp/tax headwinds.
Citations
- Q2 press release and financial schedules:
- Form 8-K and exhibits (press release, slides, reconciliations):
- Q2 2025 earnings call transcript:
- Q1 2025 press release and transcript for sequential context:
S&P Global disclaimer: Consensus estimates (marked with *) were retrieved from S&P Global.