Neogen Corp (NEOG) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Macroeconomic Challenges and ...

GuruFocus.com
10 Apr
  • Revenue: $221 million for the third quarter.
  • Core Revenue Growth: 20 basis points, excluding foreign currency, acquisitions, and discontinued product lines.
  • Foreign Currency Impact: Headwind of 310 basis points compared to the prior year.
  • Food Safety Segment Revenue: $153 million, down 3.2% year-over-year.
  • Animal Safety Segment Revenue: $68 million, with a core revenue decline of 2.6% year-over-year.
  • Gross Margin: 49.9%, a decrease of 120 basis points from the previous year.
  • Adjusted EBITDA: $49 million, representing a margin of 22%.
  • Adjusted Net Income: $21 million.
  • Adjusted Earnings Per Share: $0.10.
  • Free Cash Flow: Outflow of approximately $14 million for the quarter.
  • Debt: Gross debt of $900 million, with 61% at a fixed rate.
  • Cash Position: $128 million.
  • Full Year Revenue Outlook: Approximately $895 million.
  • Full Year Adjusted EBITDA Outlook: Approximately $195 million.
  • Capital Expenditures: Expected to be approximately $100 million for the year.
  • Full Year Free Cash Flow Outlook: An outflow of approximately $20 million.
  • Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with NEOG.

Release Date: April 09, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • Neogen Corp (NASDAQ:NEOG) achieved a 7% core revenue growth in its Food Safety segment, indicating a solid underlying business despite market challenges.
  • The company successfully completed the refinancing of its Term Loan A, extending the maturity by close to three years and realizing 60 basis points of interest rate savings.
  • Neogen Corp (NASDAQ:NEOG) has made significant progress in the integration of its transformational acquisition, with sample collection recovering to prior production levels.
  • The company is focusing on its differentiated bovine genomics product offering, which has shown growth despite challenges in other areas of the genomics business.
  • Neogen Corp (NASDAQ:NEOG) is taking actions to accelerate the building of a more profitable and focused business, with potential portfolio actions expected to be accretive to margins and prioritized for debt repayment.

Negative Points

  • Neogen Corp (NASDAQ:NEOG) faced a challenging macroeconomic environment, with uncertainty in global trade and potential recession concerns impacting customer confidence and inventory commitments.
  • The company's third-quarter results were below expectations, with core revenue growth of only 20 basis points and a foreign currency headwind of 310 basis points.
  • The Animal Safety segment experienced a core revenue decline of 2.6%, with notable softness in China due to macroeconomic uncertainty.
  • Neogen Corp (NASDAQ:NEOG) is dealing with challenges in its genomics business, which has been a headwind for the past seven quarters, resulting in a mid-single-digit decline in core revenue.
  • The company is updating its full-year revenue outlook to approximately $895 million, reflecting a softer market backdrop and the uncertain impact of tariffs.

Q & A Highlights

Q: How much of the lowered guidance is due to macroeconomic factors versus execution issues like sample handling? A: David Naemura, CFO: The lowered guidance is primarily due to macroeconomic headwinds. We saw broader softening as the quarter progressed, with about $6 million below expectations, $4 million of which was due to macro uncertainty, including $2 million from China. Sample handling was slightly below expectations but not a major factor.

Q: Can you clarify the impact of tariff headwinds? Are they affecting margins or sales volume? A: John Adent, CEO: The tariff impact is market-specific. In China, for example, 40% of our Animal Safety products come from the US, which could be affected by tariffs. We are analyzing each market to mitigate impacts. David Naemura, CFO: The tariff impact could be around $30 million, with two-thirds from China. We expect some impact on both margins and sales volume, but we are working on mitigating actions.

Q: Are the distributors' hesitancy to commit to inventory concentrated in the US or global? A: John Adent, CEO: The hesitancy is global. Distributors are cautious due to uncertainty, especially around tariffs, and are not aggressively increasing inventories.

Q: What are the mission-critical objectives for Neogen to deem the year a success? A: John Adent, CEO: Key objectives include derisking Petrifilm manufacturing, increasing sample handling production to meet demand, and aligning cost structures with current revenue levels. David Naemura, CFO: Portfolio actions are also important for focusing on attractive markets and improving margins.

Q: How should we think about the global genomics business going forward? A: David Naemura, CFO: We entered the year with a roughly $90 million global genomics business. Our focus is on the differentiated bovine business, which is in the $50 million range and has shown growth. We are moving away from less profitable segments.

Q: Can you quantify the impact of destocking and potential for a bounce-back? A: David Naemura, CFO: We didn't see destocking but rather hesitancy to take inventory. The $6 million shortfall included $4 million from broader uncertainty, with $2 million from China. The situation remains dynamic with potential for changes.

Q: How are you addressing the cost structure given the current revenue levels? A: John Adent, CEO: We are actively aligning costs with revenue levels. We've already restructured the genomics business and are evaluating other areas to ensure costs fit the current revenue environment.

Q: What should we keep in mind for fiscal 2026? A: David Naemura, CFO: Key factors include cost actions to impact exit rates, portfolio adjustments, and progress on integration items like sample handling. Revenue growth will be a major focus, and we'll provide more guidance in the summer.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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