CI
Cactus, Inc. (WHD)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Cactus delivered solid Q1 with revenue $280.3M and adjusted EPS $0.73, both above S&P Global consensus ($272.2M and $0.69, respectively), while GAAP EBITDA of $84.3M was below the $89.1M consensus as corporate professional fees and a Pressure Control litigation reserve weighed on margins . EPS and revenue beats; EBITDA miss (S&P Global estimates)*.
- Pressure Control outperformed on record product sold per rig; Spoolable Technologies saw seasonally softer revenue but posted record Q1 orders and 30% q/q international growth, supporting a stronger Q2 outlook for that segment .
- Q2 guide: Pressure Control revenue down low-to-mid single digits vs Q1’s $190M; Spoolable up mid-to-high single digits; segment adjusted EBITDA margins stable (PC 33–35%, Spoolable 35–37%); corporate adjusted EBITDA charge ~$(4.5)M; FY25 net capex lowered to $40–$50M (from $45–$55M) .
- Strategic supply-chain pivot: management expects tariff impact neutralized by mid next year via Vietnam ramp and alternative sourcing; near-term margins may compress modestly but absolute profitability expected to hold given customer support and inventory position .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Record product per rig in Pressure Control drove 7.7% sequential revenue growth to $190M; segment outperformed company expectations .
- Spoolable Technologies booked record Q1 orders; international sales up 30% q/q with strongest Canada quarter since acquisition; first commercial sour-service pipe order shipped in April .
- Cash balance rose to $347.7M with no bank debt; dividend maintained at $0.13/share, reinforcing balance sheet strength and shareholder returns .
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What Went Wrong
- GAAP EBITDA missed consensus as corporate professional fees tied to growth initiatives rose $3.7M q/q (62.7%); Pressure Control margins dipped 20 bps from litigation reserves .
- Spoolable revenues -3.6% q/q on seasonally slow domestic activity; segment margins slipped on lower operating leverage .
- Working capital build (strong March revenues) and deferred cash tax payment weighed on cash conversion; inventory elevated to mitigate tariff impacts .
Financial Results
Results vs consensus (S&P Global): Revenue beat by $8.1M; Adjusted EPS beat by $0.04; GAAP EBITDA missed by ~$4.8M (corporate professional fees, litigation reserve) *.
Segment performance
KPIs and Cash
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Record levels of Pressure Control product revenues per rig combined with record first quarter bookings in our Spoolable Technologies business… support our expectations about our ability to continue to [outperform].” — Scott Bender, CEO .
- “By mid-next year, we expect the tariff impact to our business to be neutralized… ramping up production from our Vietnam facility and working with our customers to support these cost increases.” — Scott Bender .
- “Corporate and Other expenses were $9.6 million in Q1… from professional fees associated with the evaluation of growth initiatives with a focus on international expansion.” — Jay Nutt, CFO .
- “Sales to international locations were up 30% quarter-over-quarter… we also produced and shipped our first commercial order of sour service pipe.” — Scott Bender .
Q&A Highlights
- Tariff mitigation and timing: Management expects tariff neutrality by mid next year via Vietnam and sourcing actions; start-up costs in Vietnam are “de minimis”; Vietnam to fully replace China for U.S. supply post-API monogram .
- Customer support and pricing: Pull-forward requests were denied to protect pre-tariff inventory; management “very confident” customers will bridge interim cost gap—expect percentage margins to dip but maintain absolute profitability .
- Inventory and margin cadence: Pre-tariff inventory and rolling standard costs will smooth impacts; expect some margin compression in 2H as inventory turns (~2x/year) .
- Spoolable growth vectors: Strong Canada, first sour-service shipments, and Middle East H2S opportunity after qualifications; revenue base skewed to resilient majors/NOCs (~70%) .
- M&A posture: Market rich with PE-owned OFS assets; focus remains on core industry; FlexSteel-like opportunities possible .
Estimates Context
- Q1 2025 vs S&P Global consensus: Revenue $280.3M vs $272.2M* (beat); Adjusted/Primary EPS $0.73 vs $0.69* (beat); GAAP EBITDA $84.3M vs $89.1M* (miss). Corporate professional fees and a litigation reserve in Pressure Control pressured EBITDA; adjusted EBITDA was $93.8M .
- Implications: Street may lift revenue/EPS trajectories modestly on resilient segment margins and record orders in Spoolable; EBITDA forecasts likely recalibrated for near-term tariff/corporate cost drag and margin compression before Vietnam neutralization .
Results vs S&P Global consensus marked with *; Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Revenue/EPS beats with resilient segment margins despite macro/tariff headwinds; EBITDA softness is transitory and linked to corporate and reserve items .
- Clear tariff mitigation pathway (Vietnam, sourcing, customer support) targets neutrality by mid next year—key medium-term re-rating catalyst .
- Q2 setup: Pressure Control digestion (units per rig normalizing, rigs drifting lower) offset by seasonal/international strength in Spoolable; segment margins guided stable .
- Capex trimmed to $40–$50M (from $45–$55M) while funding supply-chain diversification and Baytown efficiencies—supportive for FCF and shareholder returns (dividend maintained) .
- Spoolable growth optionality: sour-service product, Canada momentum, and Middle East pipeline should support mix/volume even in a softer U.S. macro .
- Watch list: pace of API accreditation and Vietnam ramp, rig count declines vs guidance, steel input inflation pass-through, and cadence of corporate expenses .
Appendix: Additional Disclosures and Data
Other relevant press releases (Q1 2025)
- Earnings timing (April 15): set release and call schedule .
- Dividend (Jan 21): $0.13 per Class A share for March 20 payment .
- Q1 PR and 8-K: full financials and segment disclosures .
Non-GAAP adjustments in Q1 2025
- Transaction-related expenses: $3.5M; intangible amortization: $4.0M; stock-based comp: $6.1M; all detailed in reconciliations .
Notes:
- All non-GAAP metrics per company definitions and reconciliations .
- Estimates marked with * are from S&P Global; Values retrieved from S&P Global.