MS
MATRIX SERVICE CO (MTRX)·Q4 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q4 FY2025 revenue rose 14% year over year to $216.38M, but reported EPS of $(0.40) and adjusted EPS of $(0.28) reflected discrete charges tied to legacy disputes, a court ruling, labor overruns, and restructuring; FY2026 revenue guided to $875–$925M (+17% midpoint) supported by ~$1.4B backlog and ~85% of FY2026 revenue already in hand .
- Versus Wall Street consensus for Q4: revenue missed ($216.38M vs $232.25M), EPS missed (adjusted $(0.28) vs $0.02), and EBITDA missed (actual negative vs positive estimate) as discrete items reduced revenue ($6.4M), net income ($14.9M), and adjusted EBITDA ($11.5M) (S&P Global estimates; see tables) .
- Backlog ended Q4 at $1.382B; book-to-bill 0.9x for the quarter, with Utility & Power Infrastructure strong at 1.7x; cash from operations was $40.7M and liquidity improved to $284.5M with no debt .
- FY2025 guidance was reduced earlier (Q2 and Q3), then delivered $769.3M; management expects sequential revenue and profitability improvement through FY2026 as cost actions lower break-even to $210–$215M/quarter and SG&A run-rate to ~$16.5M/quarter .
- Stock narrative catalysts: robust FY2026 growth, backlog quality and award momentum in Utility/LNG, plus operational realignment; headwinds include lingering legal/arbitration outcomes and project timing amid macro/tariff uncertainty .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Utility & Power Infrastructure gross margin expanded to 9.1% (from 4.2%) on strong execution and better overhead absorption; awards were $121.9M with a 1.7x book-to-bill, indicating healthy demand in LNG peak shaving and substations .
- Backlog remained near-record at $1.382B, supporting FY2026 revenue guidance with ~85% already booked and underway; CFO cited strong liquidity and extended credit facility maturity to 2029 .
- CEO emphasized alignment and streamlining (“flatten the organization”) to improve win/execute/deliver, positioning for sustained profitable growth in specialty E&C, with targeted pursuit in storage/LNG, electrical infrastructure, and data-center-adjacent power needs .
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What Went Wrong
- Discrete items: $6.4M legacy arbitration revenue reduction, $3.8M crude terminal labor productivity charge, $1.3M unfavorable court decision, and $3.4M restructuring costs drove adjusted EBITDA to $(4.8)M and masked underlying improvements .
- Storage & Terminal Solutions gross margin turned negative (−1.1%) despite revenue growth, reflecting the crude terminal productivity issues and legacy recovery shortfall; segment GM fell vs prior year .
- FY2025 revenue guidance was cut twice (Q2 and Q3) due to permitting/start delays, policy uncertainty, and exit of a small T&D service line; Q4 EPS missed consensus materially, highlighting estimate risk in quarters with discrete charges .
Financial Results
Segment breakdown (revenue and gross margin):
KPIs:
Estimate vs actual (S&P Global; asterisks denote S&P data):
Notes: Latest quarter (Q1 FY2026) actuals are shown where available from S&P Global in the estimates tool; for company-reported actuals, refer to the company’s Q1 materials (not in scope of this Q4 recap). Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Q4 beats/misses vs consensus:
- Revenue: $216.38M vs $232.25M → miss .
- EPS: $(0.28) adjusted vs $0.02 → miss .
- EBITDA: $(4.82)M adjusted vs $2.62M → miss .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We expect revenue growth to be approximately 17% at the midpoint of our guided range in fiscal 2026 supported by our robust backlog of multi-year projects which represents 85% of this midpoint.” — John Hewitt, CEO .
- “We incurred $3.4 million in restructuring costs…these actions…reduced our annual overhead cost structure by approximately $12 million.” — Kevin Cavanah, CFO .
- “The revenue run rate has now reached a level that supports positive earnings…under-recovered construction overhead reducing from 620 bps in Q1 to 160 bps in Q4.” — Kevin Cavanah .
- “Where we are going to play a role…is the demand for additional power generation everywhere, and the demand for backup power and the fuel for that power related directly to data centers, the AI computing, advanced manufacturing.” — John Hewitt .
Q&A Highlights
- Project timing/macro: Management still sees an “overhang” but only a few projects directly affected; tariffs/material escalation handled in pricing/contracting .
- Book-to-bill outlook: Management believes a ~1.0x book-to-bill is attainable, with awards likely skewed to $50–$150M “bread-and-butter” projects in FY2026 .
- Profitability path: High confidence in return to profitability given quality backlog and projects underway; lower break-even ($210–$215M/quarter) enhances earnings power .
- Cash/liquidity: Cash build supported by upfront payments on long-term projects; balance sheet can fund execution and growth .
- Cost savings: ~$12M annual overhead reduction split ~50/50 between construction overhead and SG&A; SG&A expected ~$16.5M/quarter in FY2026 .
Estimates Context
- Q4 FY2025 missed consensus on revenue and EPS due to discrete items and margin compression in Storage; Utility segment execution and backlog strength mitigate medium-term concerns (S&P Global estimates; see table).
- Estimate revisions likely to reflect FY2026 revenue ramp and lower break-even/SG&A run-rate; however, arbitration outcome and potential restructuring costs in Q1 FY2026 are near-term variables .
Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Backlog and awards provide strong visibility: ~$1.382B backlog and ~85% of FY2026 revenue already in hand underpin guided growth; Utility/LNG tailwinds are intact .
- Near-term earnings cadence: Expect similar revenue to Q4 in Q1 FY2026, improving through the year; lower break-even and SG&A run-rate support operating leverage as volume grows .
- Discrete items transitory: Q4 charges from legacy disputes and a court ruling should not recur; arbitration decision expected FY2026 with anticipated positive cash inflow .
- Segment mix matters: Utility margins are resilient; Storage margins should normalize as discrete impacts fade; Process margins vary with work mix .
- Capital position supports execution and growth: $284.5M liquidity and no debt, plus credit facility extended to 2029, enable backlog delivery and potential inorganic opportunities .
- Watch catalysts: LNG upgrades/peak shaving awards, substation/interconnect projects tied to data-center power demand, arbitration resolution, and quarterly margin progression .
- Estimate risk: Consensus appears sensitive to discrete items; better transparency on non-GAAP adjustments and project timing should help reduce volatility (S&P Global estimates).
Bolded beats/misses and all quantitative comparisons are anchored to company filings and S&P Global consensus where available.