Lindsay Corporation (LNN) Earnings Call Transcript & Summary

Good morning, and welcome to the Lindsay Corporation Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Randy Wood, CEO and President. Please go ahead.

Thank you, and good morning, everyone. Welcome to our fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Earnings Call. With me today are Alicia Pfeifer and Brett Coburn, our Co-interim Chief Financial Officer. I want to begin by recognizing our global team for their strong execution, resilience and operational discipline throughout the year as we remain focused on our priorities, strengthening operational performance improving our cost structure and making targeted investments that enhance our competitive position and support long-term growth. From expanding our agricultural technology offerings and manufacturing capabilities to pursuing strategic acquisitions and developing new infrastructure solutions, our actions are designed to position Lindsay to generate sustainable value through the market cycle. In irrigation, we executed extremely well in project markets, while remaining disciplined in challenging North America and Brazil markets. In infrastructure, our team continued to leverage improving market fundamentals and stable financing conditions to deliver growth. That same operating discipline is reflected in our safety performance. Safety is a core 1 Lindsay value, and this year, we achieved a total recordable incident rate below 1.0, representing a world-class level of performance. Our Norfolk, Goleta, France and Italy operations each achieved perfect safety record for the year. I'm extremely proud of these accomplishments and [girl] to our employees around the world for their continued commitment to work safely every day. We also strengthened our financial position by actively managing pricing, implementing structural cost reductions and driving operational efficiencies. In June, we executed a global restructuring plan focused on streamlining operations and simplifying the organization. We expect these actions to generate $8 million in net annualized cost reductions after reinvesting a portion of the savings in our highest priority growth initiatives. The resulting leaner operating model should improve efficiency and drive stronger operating leverage as market conditions improve. In North America, we saw encouraging signs of improvement in the fourth quarter with irrigation revenues increasing 11%, driven primarily by higher unit volumes and storm damage. [Imprinting] commodity prices also supported stronger customer sentiment early in the quarter with corn moving above $5 per bushel. While commodity prices have receded recently and market conditions remain below what we would consider mid-cycle, the improvement we saw during the quarter reinforces our confidence that demand can recover as farm economics strengthen. For that recovery to become more sustained, growers will need greater forward visibility and improved net farm income. Until then, we expect irrigation equipment investment to remain relatively subdued. Our agricultural technology business continued to build momentum, reflecting strong execution against our innovation strategy. Annual recurring revenue grew approximately 11% year-over-year, extending our 5-year CAGR to more than 15%. [Through] solutions such as [field met and Filmed Advisor], we are expanding our relationships with growers beyond the initial equipment sale, providing technology that helps customers improve productivity, optimize water usage and make more informed operating decisions. The continued growth of this business demonstrates our ability to build recurring revenue streams, deepen customer relationships and create additional opportunities for long-term growth. In Brazil, near-term irrigation demand continues to be constrained by high interest rates, limited credit availability and softer crop economics with election-related uncertainty also contributing to some delayed purchasing decisions. However, we are seeing encouraging signs of underlying demand. Expectations for drier conditions in the north are increasing grower interest in irrigation, and quotation activity has improved year-over-year. We view this as a positive leading indicator, although a more meaningful recovery will depend on improvement in financing conditions and grower economics. In the MENA region, our team completed all scheduled equipment shipments despite ongoing regional uncertainty, and we recognized approximately $70 million of revenue during the fiscal year. The remaining balance is for services revenue in the region, which we expect to recognize over the next 12 to 24 months. Our ability to provide equipment, technology and ongoing service support is an important differentiator in these large-scale projects. We also believe this services-based model deepens our customer relationships and generate longer-term revenue, and as our installed base expands, we see opportunities for additional technology adoption, aftermarket products and ongoing services as standing the value of these projects beyond the initial equipment sale. In infrastructure, we continue to deliver solid growth and strong operating performance, driven by our road safety products business. This marked our third consecutive quarter of growth as [continued road] infrastructure investments supported healthy demand. While the Infrastructure Investments in Jobs Act expired at the end of September, funding has been extended through the end of the calendar year. Looking ahead, as the Build America 250 Act progresses, we remain confident in the underlying infrastructure funding environment and the long-term growth opportunity it provides for our business. We're also encouraged by the momentum in Road Zipper leasing and continue to pursue additional project opportunities. Turning to our outlook. In North America, elevated fuel and fertilizer costs continue to pressure farm economics, but a sustained improvement in net farm income and customer confidence would provide an important catalyst for broader recovery in irrigation investments. We continue to see Brazil as one of the most compelling long-term growth markets for global irrigation, although financing availability and election uncertainty remain important factors in near-term demand, the underlying fundamentals to support our confidence in the market's long-term growth potential. Consistent with that view, we signed a definitive agreement to acquire Septoria Irigasal, a leading Brazilian manufacturer of hose real in irrigation equipment. This targeted investment builds on our existing capabilities in the region and advances two strategic priorities: capitalizing on growth opportunities in Brazil and creating incremental value for customers through a broader portfolio of irrigation solutions. We leave hose reels are a natural complement to our Zomatic center pivots, particularly for smaller and irregularly shaped fields and applications such as sugarcane, where Sutorial has strong customer relationships. Over time, we see opportunities to leverage our existing dealer network to expand sartorial reach, introduce thematic solutions to Sartoria customers and grow the business across Latin America. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the come months. Our success in MENA continues to reinforce our confidence in the long-term opportunity in the region, supporting food security and water conservation. While the project pipeline remains active, we do not currently anticipate any large project awards to begin delivery in fiscal 2027. In infrastructure, we expect continued growth in road safety products, supported by ongoing infrastructure investment and new product introductions. We expect Road Zipper leasing to remain generally in line with fiscal 2026 while the project pipeline remains active with a number of opportunities under development. Our major capital investment at the Linde, Nebraska facility continues to progress with our next-generation galvanizing operation expected to be online before calendar year-end. Together with our two mill investment, these capabilities are designed to improve safety increase capacity and productivity and provide greater operating flexibility across the cycle. We believe the added capacity also creates new growth opportunities by enabling us to expand our contract manufacturing business and serve growing demand for galvanizing services throughout the Midwest. Lastly, I want to thank Alicia and Brett for their leadership and commitment as interim co-CFOs.I Together with our Board, we've made strong progress in our CFO search and are very pleased with the caliber of candidates we have evaluated. We're now in the final stages of the process and expect to announce our selection in the coming weeks. With that, I'd like to turn the call over to Alicia to discuss our fiscal fourth quarter and full year financial results. Alicia?

Thank you, Randy, and good morning, everyone. Total revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 were $161.6 million, an increase of 5% compared to the fourth quarter last year. Net earnings for the quarter were $11.3 million or $1.10 per diluted share compared to net earnings of $10.8 million or $0.99 per diluted share in the fourth quarter last year. Total revenues for the full year 2026 were $635.9 million, a decrease of 6% compared to the prior year. Net earnings were $55.7 million compared to $74.1 million in the prior year. Earnings per share were $5.33 per diluted share, a decrease of 21% compared to the prior year. Full year results reflected lower revenues in both segments as the Irrigation segment was negatively impacted by the lower comparative project size in the MENA region and lower sales volumes in North America and Brazil. Full year 2026 infrastructure results were affected by lower Road Zipper System project sales as the prior year included a $20 million project that we did not expect to repeat in 2026. We partially offset by sales growth of road safety products. Turning to our quarterly segment results. Irrigation segment revenues for the fourth quarter increased 4% and to $133.7 million compared to the prior year. North America irrigation revenues for the fourth quarter increased 11% to $55.4 million. The increase in revenues resulted primarily from higher unit sales volume, while average selling prices were comparable to the prior year. Higher unit sales volumes were supported by near-term improvement in agricultural commodity prices, which strengthened demand and slightly higher storm damage replacement volume compared to the prior year. In international irrigation markets, revenues for the fourth quarter were $78.3 million, a level that was comparable to prior year. Increases in project sales in the MENA region and higher sales volume in other developed markets were largely offset by the decrease in volumes from Brazil. In the MENA region, as Randy mentioned, we completed equipment delivery for the $80 million project during the quarter. Total irrigation segment operating income for the fourth quarter was $17.3 million, comparable to the prior year. Operating margin was 12.9% of sales compared to 13.7% of sales last year. The decrease in operating margin resulted from higher input costs, which were partially offset by reductions in operating expenses compared to the prior year. For the full fiscal year, total irrigation segment revenues decreased 5% to $541.5 million. North America irrigation revenues of $262.1 million decreased 4%, primarily due to lower unit sales volume compared to the prior year as weaker agricultural commodity pricing continued to weigh on farm incomes and demand. International Irrigation revenues of $279.3 million decreased 5%, primarily a function of the smaller overall project scale in the MENA region and the lower sales volumes in Brazil. The favorable impact of foreign currency translation was approximately $12.1 million compared to the prior year. International irrigation revenues exceeded North America irrigation revenues for the second consecutive fiscal year, highlighting the value of our geographic diversification and the strong growing demand for irrigation outside of North America. Operating income in the Irrigation segment for the full fiscal year was $80.1 million, a decrease of 17% compared to the prior year, and operating margin of 14.8% of sales compared to 17.1% of sales in the prior year. The decrease in operating income resulted primarily from lower revenues, while the decrease in operating margin was a function of lower unit volume and the resulting lower fixed cost absorption as well as higher input costs. Infrastructure segment revenues for the fourth quarter increased 13% to $27.8 million. The solid increase in revenues resulted primarily from higher sales of road safety products, which were partially offset by lower Road Zipper System sales and lease revenues compared to the prior year. Infrastructure segment operating income for the fourth quarter increased 41% to $5 million. Infrastructure operating margin for the quarter was 17.9% of sales up compared to 14.4% of sales in the fourth quarter last year. Higher operating income and operating margin resulted from higher revenues and a more favorable margin mix of revenues compared to the prior year. For the full fiscal year, infrastructure segment revenues decreased 13% to $94.4 million. The decrease was primarily due to a $20 million Road Zipper System project in the prior year that did not repeat. Infrastructure operating income for the full fiscal year was $16 million compared to $26.3 million in the prior year. Operating margin for the year was 17% of sales compared to 24.3% of sales in the prior year. The decrease in operating income and operating margin resulted from the nonrepeat of last year's project sale. Excluding the impact of the large Road Zipper project sale in the prior year, revenue and operating income for the infrastructure business increased 11% and 12%, respectively, compared to the prior year. Turning to the balance sheet and liquidity. Our total available liquidity at the end of the fourth quarter was $239.8 million. which included $189.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and $50 million available under our revolving credit facility. Free cash flow for the year was 62% of net earnings and included capital expenditures of $40.2 million. As Randy mentioned in his opening remarks, we have entered into a definitive agreement to purchase 100% of Septoria. We expect to fund the transaction with cash on hand and closing is subject to the fulfillment of customary conditions expected to occur in the upcoming months. During fiscal 2026 we returned $96.1 million to shareholders, including $80.7 million of share repurchases and $15.4 million of dividends, representing approximately 173% of net earnings. During the year, our Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program of up to $150 million. Our repurchases this year exhausted a prior $250 million authorization and the $100 million available under this current program. Our strong balance sheet and cash flow generation provides the flexibility to execute against our capital allocation priorities. We remain focused on deploying capital where we believe it can generate attractive long-term returns, including investments in productivity, innovation and strategic growth opportunities while continuing to return capital to shareholders. We believe this balanced approach reflects our commitment to maintaining financial discipline in creating sustainable shareholder value throughout the cycle. This concludes my remarks. And I will now turn the call over to the operator to take your questions.

[Operator Instructions] The first question comes from Nathan Jones with Stifel.

This is Adam Farley on for Nathan.

Hi, Adam.

My first question is going to be around price cost. So in recent months, we have seen renewed inflation with increases in material prices, freight, et cetera. Do you anticipate being price cost neutral in dollars, maybe at the margin line or somewhere in between? Is there any talk of the timing dynamics that we should consider maybe here in the near term?

Yes. Adam, this is Alicia. I think just in terms of pricing, we continue to pass along input cost increases to our customers. But it's pretty clear, our operating margins continue to be impacted I think kind of in the fourth quarter, specifically in North America, increased volume moving through the facility certainly helped from a favorable volume and fixed cost absorption perspective. Just however in the market, it's challenging to be able to keep up with the pricing in terms of covering the rising costs. So typically, when we do price, there's a delay in terms of how quickly that pricing becomes realized. So assuming we start to see some stabilization in input costs. We would anticipate it to take a couple of quarters for price realization to actually flow through.

Okay. That's helpful. And then looking at domestic irrigation, maybe here in the near term, how should we think about the market, just given the moves in the commodity prices, should we expect that sentiment to maybe oscillate with crop prices here in the short term? Are there other factors involved that maybe help as well?

Yes, Adam, this is Randy. I think a couple of perspectives on that one. I think we were pleased in the fourth quarter that when we did see some positive movement on commodity price, we saw a very near-term move in demand and volume. And I think the demand for us in the quarter, we did see some storm damage lift, but I was really pleased that we also saw some volume outside of the traditional storm volume market. So it does look like customers had a bump in sentiment. They were willing some guys maybe sold some crop at that $5-plus level and felt like they had locked in a profit, so they're willing to spend some of that. So I think we've said pretty consistently when farm economics improve, we're going to see that volume. And right now, there's a lot of that pent-up demand developing. Now obviously, commodity prices have come back here recently, and I wouldn't say that there's a lot of optimism in the market. But right now, we've got a lot of guys looking at their tax situation, planning for year-end planning with accelerated -- with depreciation and -- but I think it would be really tough to say that the market has turned, and we're back on the upswing. I think the language we used in the prepared remarks was subdued. And I think that's probably going to continue until we see a little more sustainable level of commodity price support and a little more sustained level of net farm income.

The next question comes from Brian Drab with William Blair.

First, on the international business. you made a point in the prepared remarks to say that you don't expect a large project to start shipping in fiscal '27. Wondering if you could just talk about the dynamics that are driving that comment? And obviously, I guess it has to do with the volatility in the region. And then can you set the -- do anything to set the bar for us for -- where you think that means international irrigation revenue goes in 2027? Because it kind of looks like the -- if you just take that project out and you're down pretty significantly, like double digits, like maybe around 20% year-over-year in fiscal '27, all else equal?

Yes. The volume internationally related to projects, obviously, we want to be as transparent as we can with what we see. And we still see active projects across the MENA region, whether it's North Africa, the Mid East. Central Asia. The tricky part is these things don't start and end within a quarter. If there's design and engineering specifications, there may be a competitive quoting and bidding process, once you won the project, then you move into confirmed letter of credit, and these can take months from the time you see the project to the time it's closed and we're talking to you guys about a confirmed project that we're going to recognize in revenue. So I think right now on the front end of all of that, we do see projects in that part of the world that are real people, real pieces of land, real geographies where we believe and expect projects are going to be designed and delivered got a track record here of identifying these projects and winning them and executing them extremely well. So we're at the table for almost anything that we would see in the region. And again, right now, there are several of those in the early stages. There may be project awards within the fiscal year. And if there are, we'll certainly be willing to talk about those. But right now, we don't see one large one that we expect is going to get right to the finish line and be recognized in revenue in fiscal '27. And that was the basis of the comments. If we look at what it means to 2017 results, I think it's pretty clear that if we had a $70 million project last year that we don't have this year, that's an immediate hole that we've got to cover. And I think we're comfortable saying that we're going to get at least half of that with some smaller projects that we do expect to kind of flow through the funnel. And to be honest, anything in that $10 million, $15 million, $20 million range, we're probably not going to identify specifically. That's kind of traditional project volume that we wouldn't talk about. But between smaller projects, some other growth initiatives, whether it's technology or other mature market initiatives, we would expect half of that $70 we'd cover with some self-help projects, Brian, but we don't see another $70 million project coming through in fiscal '27. But as that changes, we'll obviously continue to keep you updated.

Okay. That's great to know. Okay. Thank you. And then -- just one other question for now. You also mentioned in the prepared remarks that the highway funding within the current bill is going to expire at the end of 2026. But isn't -- there's a nuance to that, isn't there and there's the disbursements that could benefit you can persist quite a ways beyond 2026. Isn't that right? I'm just curious why you made a point to talk about that cutoff.

Yes. I think the money is going to carry over. So the faucet doesn't get turned off and all of a sudden projects stop, anything that's in the system is going to carry through and go forward. I think it's just something we keep an eye on the funding mechanism is critically important to that business and having any level of uncertainty is certainly something we work very closely with our government officials here in the state and in D.C. So I think it's just a recognition of a potential red flag in the future, Brian. But right now, we wouldn't expect that to have any impact, and we are still projecting to see some growth in that business through fiscal '27.

The next question comes from Ryan Connors with North Coast Research.

Wanted to start off, if I could, on the cost reduction side. Can you drill down for us on the exact nature of what those moves were where they fell from a segment perspective, whether they're operational back-office sales. Just curious what the nature of those cost-cutting initiatives.

Yes, I'll start and then let Alicia provide any additional granularity and really was all of the above. I think we sat with our leadership team and kind of projected forward understanding some of the project volume that wasn't going to repeat year-over-year. If we assume that there isn't going to be a significant recovery in the domestic U.S. market, we wanted to make sure continue to maintain business quality and control the things that we could control and really challenge everybody to look at how we're organized, how work gets done, and really restructured and simplified the organization. So we took cost out of a number of areas of the business, both on an SG&A basis and a COGS basis without impacting our ability to continue executing our key strategies. And in fact, some of the savings we generated through restructuring, we're reinvesting in the business, and it's really about resource allocation and making sure that we're being smart in how we run the company in the near term, but we certainly never want to limit our ability to respond to the recovery when it comes, and we certainly don't want to take oxygen away from many of the key initiatives, particularly in channel, technology and innovation. So I would say across the board, close look at the business, removing cost where it would impact our ability to operate or drive action of our strategies. -- really pleased with how everybody contributed. And I think we're going to see that flow through on a full year basis and Alicia anymore for any other you'd add.

Yes. I mean I think the only thing I would add, Ryan, is just making sure it's clear that any of the costs associated with this program were fully realized in the fiscal 2026 results. And so those identified savings will immediately start to materialize in the fiscal 2027.

Got it. Very helpful. wanted to talk also about the Sectorial acquisition. And interesting that it's a hose real technology. Is there anything we should read into that in terms of how you think the market is moving in Brazil, and should we read that to think that you think hose reels are strategically important in terms of the growth story there? And if so, why would that be? Because I guess I've always viewed those -- that system as being more kind of the not quite sophisticated or for larger operations as a traditional center pivot.

Yes, I can take that one. In Sartoria and hostiles in general, like a lot of other types of mechanized irrigation have a niche. They have a purpose and they are better in small in irregular shaped fields, where center pivots aren't necessarily going to be the best option from a design or cost per acre cost per hectare perspective. So hose rail certainly have a place, in fact, we've got a very robust postal business in Western Europe that we acquired as part of our Lindsay France expansion 20-plus years ago. So we've got experience in this space, understand how to design, engineer managed technology and hose reals. And I think Satorial really did two things. I think it expands the irrigation solutions that we can offer in all across Latin America, really, but it also gives us another option in Brazil. And we've talked a lot about Brazil having a long-term growth trajectory. And where we see hose rails in Brazil, they've got great penetration in the sugarcane market. And if you look at growing ethanol business there, sugarcane is going to continue to see good signs of growth, having a path to those customers now with both hose reels and center pivots, we think gives us a nice position of differentiation. If we can overlay technology like FieldNET and field net adviser some of these whole real companies, we think that creates another growth trajectory for us as well. So to me, this is an investment in a growing market in Brazil. It's an investment in expanding our irrigation portfolio that we think is going to give us more meaningful relationships with our customers in that part of the world.