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TETRA TECH INC (TTEK)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Record revenue ($1.42B, +16% Y/Y), record net revenue ($1.20B, +18% Y/Y), and record backlog ($5.44B, +15% Y/Y). GAAP EPS was $0.00 due to a $115M legal contingency; adjusted EPS was $0.35 (+25% Y/Y) and management stated it was above guidance and consensus .
- Guidance updated: FY25 net revenue range lowered at the low end ($4.365B–$4.765B) and FY25 adjusted EPS range set at $1.37–$1.52; Q2 FY25 net revenue guided to $1.0B–$1.1B and EPS $0.30–$0.33 .
- Government Services Group (GSG) net revenue grew sharply to $601M; margin was 13.9% (15.4% ex-Ukraine). Commercial International Group (CIG) margin reached ~13%; DSO remained best-in-class at 55.9 days .
- Stock reaction catalysts: USAID work pause and program reviews, offset by accelerating state/local disaster response and resilient water infrastructure demand; dividend increased and buybacks resumed ($25M in Q1) .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- “Record high quarterly revenue and backlog, and record high first quarter adjusted operating income and EPS” with adjusted EPS $0.35 (+25% Y/Y) .
- Strong segment execution: GSG net revenue reached $601M (first time above $600M) with margin 13.9% (15.4% excluding Ukraine), and CIG margin increased ~50 bps to ~13%, reflecting mix shift and pricing discipline .
- Operational quality and cash discipline: DSO at 55.9 days; backlog expanded to $5.44B on multiple large USACE awards, underpinning visibility into water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure pipelines .
What Went Wrong
- Legal settlement charge ($115M) depressed GAAP operating income to $22.5M and GAAP EPS to $0.00; adjusted operating income was $137.5M and adjusted EPS $0.35 .
- USAID and certain federal programs paused for review by the new U.S. administration, causing FY25 net revenue guidance low end to be reduced and introducing near-term uncertainty .
- GSG margin mix headwind from cost-reimbursable Ukraine work (13.9% reported vs ~15.4% excluding Ukraine) .
Financial Results
Quarterly progression and comparisons
Notes: Q2–Q3 FY25 include adjustments/exclusions as disclosed; see source tables for details .
Segment breakdown (Q1 2025)
KPIs and cash metrics
Estimates vs. Actual (Q1 2025)
Values retrieved from S&P Global were unavailable due to request limit; management stated adjusted EPS was above consensus .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Record high quarterly revenue and backlog, and record high first quarter adjusted operating income and EPS” highlighting momentum in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure .
- “Operating income was $138M… adjusted EPS $0.35… above our own guidance range and… above consensus… backlog grew to $5.44B, up 15% Y/Y” .
- “Net revenue in GSG increased to $601M… driven by higher-than-anticipated work in Ukraine… GSG margin 13.9% (15.4% excluding Ukraine)… CIG delivered a 13% margin” .
- “DSO of about 55.9 days… net debt leverage 1.33x; 1.05x adjusted… reinstituted $25M buyback… average interest rate reduced to 3.44%” .
Q&A Highlights
- USAID exposure and guidance mechanics: Midpoint assumes ~$400M USAID FY25 with ~$200M in Q1; demobilization scenarios bracketed; expectation many projects resume given national security alignment (e.g., Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia) .
- Disaster response ramp: Expect ~$40–$50M incremental FY25 revenue from California fires; higher-margin work offsets USAID pause impact on EPS .
- Federal mix outlook: DoD budgets/funding intact; federal IT modernization (~10% of revenue) positioned to grow; limited impact beyond USAID, minor EPA research pauses .
- Litigation: Hunters Point settlement decision intended to eliminate prolonged legal costs; $115M charge recognized in Q1 .
- Capital allocation/M&A: Strong pipeline focused on technical leaders in water/environment across APAC/NA/UK/EU; opportunistic buybacks given leverage near low end .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus for Q1 FY25 revenue and EPS was unavailable due to API request limits; management indicated adjusted EPS ($0.35) exceeded internal guidance and market consensus .
- Given stronger state/local and international demand, and higher-margin disaster response, estimate revisions may bias upward for FY25 adjusted EPS high end while net revenue remains conservatively bracketed due to USAID pause .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Underlying demand remains robust; record net revenue and backlog underpin visibility across water, environment, and resilient infrastructure despite USAID review headwinds .
- Mix shift toward higher-margin disaster response and disciplined execution drove adjusted EPS above guidance; management raised FY25 EPS high end to $1.52 .
- Segment performance resilient: GSG growth strong with temporary margin headwind from Ukraine; CIG margins expanding per plan .
- Cash discipline intact: DSO ~56 days and leverage near low end provide flexibility for increased buybacks and targeted M&A .
- Near-term trading: Expect volatility around USAID developments; watch state/local disaster response cadence and USACE awards as positive offsets .
- Medium-term thesis: Structural tailwinds (coastal protection, water scarcity, digital modernization) and record backlog support 6–10% organic growth and margin expansion targets articulated at investor day .
- Monitor disclosures: Q2/Q3 updates on USAID resumption/termination and disaster response contribution; continued clarity on non-GAAP adjustments (legal contingency, any impairments) .