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Oil-Dri Corp of America (ODC)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Record quarter: Net Sales $127.9M (+15% YoY), Diluted EPS $2.25 (+50% YoY), Gross Margin 31.9% (~32%) up 400 bps YoY; Operating Income $21.2M (+61% YoY) .
  • Mix and volume drove strength: fluids purification revenues hit a record $30.1M (+37% YoY) on renewable diesel tailwinds; crystal cat litter gained distribution; Ultra Pet contributed $6.0M to topline growth and early synergies .
  • SG&A rose (+10% YoY) on compensation, R&D, a foreign VAT assessment, and credit reserves tied to several customer bankruptcies; interest expense increased due to Ultra Pet financing .
  • Corporate actions: two-for-one stock split approved (record date Dec 20; trading post-split from Jan 6); quarterly dividend declared at $0.155 (Common) reflecting split; 5–8% price increases implemented Nov 1 in industrial/automotive/sports .
  • Key catalysts: continued margin expansion from high value-added mix (fluids purification, crystals), disciplined supply chain execution (99.7% case fill), and accelerating crystal cat litter distribution; estimates context from S&P Global was unavailable, but trajectory suggests potential upward revisions to margin expectations (see Estimates Context) .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • “Record results for consolidated net sales, gross profit, and net income” with gross margin expanding ~400 bps to ~32% on volume, product mix, and operational efficiencies .
  • Fluids purification delivered an all-time high $30.1M (+37% YoY) on renewable diesel tailwinds; B2B segment Operating Income rose 54% to $17.1M .
  • Retail & Wholesale revenues reached $79.5M (+10% YoY); Ultra Pet contributed ~8% of segment growth with early synergy realization; operating income increased 18% to $13.4M .

What Went Wrong

  • SG&A increased 10% YoY to $19.6M on compensation, preliminary foreign VAT assessment, and segment-specific costs; R&W SG&A +21% driven by compensation, credit reserves for customer bankruptcies, acquisition amortization, and higher R&D (partially offset by lower advertising) .
  • Total other expense, net rose to $1.0M (vs $0.3M prior year), primarily due to interest on debt for Ultra Pet and an additional reserve related to the Georgia landfill capacity modification .
  • Domestic clay-based cat litter revenues declined 2% YoY (excluding co-packaged coarse), while Canada experienced cat litter softness; comparisons were influenced by a prior-year customer cyberattack affecting coarse litter demand patterns .

Financial Results

Summary vs Prior Quarters and Prior Year

MetricQ3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
Revenue ($USD Millions)$106.8 $113.7 $127.9
Gross Profit ($USD Millions)$30.1 $33.0 $40.8
Gross Margin (%)28.2% 29.0% 31.9%
Operating Income ($USD Millions)$10.4 $12.9 $21.2
Operating Margin (%)9.8% 11.3% 16.6%
Net Income ($USD Millions)$7.8 $8.5 $16.4
Diluted EPS ($, Common)$1.07 $1.17 $2.25
EBITDA ($USD Millions, Non-GAAP)N/AN/A$26.2

Segment Breakdown

Segment MetricQ3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
B2B Net Sales ($M)$36.2 $38.9 $48.4
B2B Operating Income ($M)$10.6 $12.9 $17.1
R&W Net Sales ($M)$70.6 $74.8 $79.5
R&W Operating Income ($M)$10.9 $9.7 $13.4

KPIs

KPIQ3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
Case Fill Rate (%)99.7 99.7 99.7
Net Sales per Ton ($/ton)N/AN/A$594
Cash from Operations ($M)N/AN/A$10.9

Note: EBITDA is non-GAAP; reconciliation provided in company materials . Case fill rate and net sales per ton were shared during the call .

Actual vs Consensus (Q1 2025)

MetricConsensus (S&P Global)Actual
Revenue ($USD Millions)Unavailable (SPGI limit reached; values would be from S&P Global)*$127.9
Diluted EPS ($)Unavailable (SPGI limit reached; values would be from S&P Global)*$2.25

*Values would be retrieved from S&P Global; consensus data was unavailable at time of request.

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Revenue/EPSFY2025Not providedNot providedMaintained (no formal guidance)
Advertising SpendFY2025N/AExpected lower vs FY2024Lowered (directional)
Industrial/Automotive/Sports PricingEffective Nov 1, 2024N/A+5% to +8% price increaseRaised prices
Dividend (per share)Payable Mar 7, 2025Prior cadence$0.155 (Common), $0.1165 (Class B) reflecting splitMaintained increase cadence; reset per split
Stock SplitRecord Dec 20, 2024; post-split Jan 6, 2025N/AApproved 2-for-1 split (stock dividend)Implemented
OI&E (Interest/Other)FY2025N/AHigher interest expense tied to Ultra Pet debt; landfill reserve notedHigher OI&E costs
Tax RateFY2025N/ANo formal guidance; tax expense disclosedNo guidance
CapExFY2025Ongoing investmentsContinued significant manufacturing infrastructure investmentsMaintained/increased

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q3 2024)Previous Mentions (Q4 2024)Current Period (Q1 2025)Trend
Fluids Purification & Renewable Diesel$22.3M (+26% YoY); North America demand, new plants Record $25.0M (+11% YoY), renewable diesel tailwinds Record $30.1M (+37% YoY); continued tailwinds; new plants coming online in 2025; SAF momentum Strengthening
Crystal Cat Litter (Ultra Pet)Acquisition closed May 1; immediate accretion expected Accretive in Q4; growing distribution of Cat’s Pride crystals 8% of R&W growth; integrated systems; early synergies; expanded banners/distribution Accelerating
Supply Chain ExecutionN/AN/ACase fill 99.7%; >90% on-time for 7 quarters; S&OP/IBP improvements Strong and stable
Pricing/Inflation DisciplineN/AN/AIndustrial price increases (5–8%); prevent forward-buying; costs rise annually in mining Active management
Animal Health (Amlan)-17% YoY; macro pressures; product mix shift Record $8.0M in Q4 (+39% YoY) on LatAm demand $6.2M (-3% YoY); China distributor transition effects; growth in LatAm/NA; trials ongoing Mixed; improving ex-China
AI/Data AnalyticsN/AN/AInvesting in AI for transaction automation; ops next Emerging initiative

Management Commentary

  • “We have once again achieved record results for consolidated net sales, gross profit, and net income…delivered a 400-basis point year-over-year expansion in our gross margins, propelling our margins to 32%.” — Daniel S. Jaffee, CEO .
  • “Strong gross profit performance…as [fluids purification] becomes a bigger part of our portfolio, we see the upswing in gross profit.” — Susan Kreh, CFO .
  • “Over the past 10 quarters, Oil-Dri has exceeded the highest customer expectation of 98% for fill rate and we are now regularly performing at 99.7%.” — Aaron Christiansen, VP Operations .
  • “New renewable diesel plants are expected to come online in ’25…we look forward to a very strong ’25 and beyond.” — Bruce Patsey, GM Fluids Purification .
  • “We have integrated the Ultra Pet acquisition into our ERP…synergies…begin to unlock.” — Susan Kreh, CFO .

Q&A Highlights

  • Amlan growth trajectory: Management expects continued growth in North America and Latin America; China numbers are confounded by the master distributor transition last year with normalization showing strong Q1 performance ex-transition effects .
  • Pricing and inventory behavior: Company disciplines ordering patterns to prevent forward-buying ahead of price increases; ongoing cost pressures in mining necessitate periodic price actions .
  • AI investments: Focused near-term on automating transaction processing (AP, customer service), with next opportunities in operations .
  • Renewable diesel expansion: Latin America expected to add plants in calendar 2026–2027; no known Indonesia plants currently; opportunity pipeline remains robust .

Estimates Context

  • Wall Street consensus estimates (S&P Global) for Q1 2025 Revenue and EPS were unavailable at time of request due to SPGI rate limits; therefore, beat/miss vs consensus cannot be assessed. Values would be retrieved from S&P Global if accessible.*
  • Implications: The sustained gross margin at ~32%, record fluids purification revenues, and accretive Ultra Pet integration suggest estimates may need to reflect higher mix-driven profitability and segment momentum, especially in B2B and crystals, while incorporating higher OI&E costs from acquisition-related interest .

*Values retrieved from S&P Global.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Mix-led margin expansion appears durable, with fluids purification and crystals scaling and driving gross margin up 400 bps YoY to ~32% .
  • B2B and R&W both posted record sales and higher operating income; Ultra Pet integration is progressing well with synergies and distribution expansion .
  • SG&A and OI&E headwinds (compensation, VAT, credit reserves, acquisition amortization, interest) are manageable against topline and margin strength; advertising expected lower in FY2025 .
  • Supply chain performance (99.7% fill, strong on-time) supports repeat orders and retailer trust, underpinning growth in both branded and private label .
  • Structural tailwinds in renewable diesel (and emerging SAF) support fluids purification records and forward demand, with new plants anticipated during FY2025 and beyond .
  • Corporate actions (2-for-1 split, sustained dividends, price increases) reflect confidence and may broaden investor base while supporting pricing power in industrial channels .
  • Near-term trading: Narrative favors quality-of-earnings (mix, efficiency) and defensible cash generation despite higher interest expense; monitor segment growth trajectories and cost discipline through FY2025 updates .