L.b. Foster Posts 51% EBITDA Jump in Q2

L.b. Foster (FSTR 0.77%), a key player in infrastructure and technology-driven solutions for rail and construction markets, reported earnings for Q2 2025 on August 11, 2025. The most important takeaway from the release was strong operating profit and adjusted EBITDA improvement.—including a 51.4% rise in adjusted EBITDA—despite a modest GAAP revenue gain that missed consensus estimates by $0.9 million. Reported GAAP revenue was $143.6 million, compared to an analyst estimate of $144.5 million, and GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.27, compared to an analyst estimate of $0.53. Still, operating discipline and solid backlog growth led to an overall positive operational assessment for the period.

Source: Analyst estimates provided by FactSet. Management expectations based on management's guidance, as provided in Q4 2024 earnings report.

Understanding the Business and Current Strategic Focus

L.b. Foster is an engineering and product solutions company, supplying rail products, digital monitoring systems, and infrastructure components to freight and passenger railroads, energy pipeline operators, and broader civil construction customers. Its business is built around two main segments: Rail, Technologies, and Services, and Infrastructure Solutions. The Rail, Technologies, and Services segment includes components for trains and tracks, alongside digital monitoring platforms; Infrastructure Solutions delivers items such as precast concrete buildings and steel bridge products.

In the last year, it has focused heavily on modernizing both its core rail business and its construction materials offering. Its strategy prioritizes digital transformation, innovation, and the pursuit of higher-margin services. Key business drivers include dominance in the rail segment, technology adoption (like Total Track Monitoring systems for early detection of rail faults), cost management, and strong supply chain relationships—especially with domestic steel suppliers.

Quarter in Review: What Happened and What Moved the Needle

The second quarter saw L.B. Foster achieve modest GAAP revenue growth, but the real progress showed up in margins, cash generation, and business mix improvements. Operating income rose 67.9% year-over-year, thanks mainly to a disciplined approach to spending: selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses fell by 9.8%, lowering SG&A as a share of sales to 15.6%, 200 basis points better than a year ago.

Adjusted EBITDA—a measure of core profitability excluding factors like taxes, interest, and depreciation—increased 51.4%. This improvement came even as gross margin (GAAP) ticked down slightly due to one-off charges and restructuring costs. Free cash flow (non-GAAP) also swung to a positive $7.7 million from negative $7.0 million versus Q2 2024. Management highlighted that gross leverage ratio per the company's credit agreement dropped to 2.2x, down from 2.7x in Q2 2024, aided by lower debt and the completion of longstanding settlement obligations.

Within its segments, Infrastructure Solutions stood out. This unit—home to precast concrete products, steel components, and protective coatings—saw revenue rise 22.4%. Precast Concrete sales jumped 36.0% compared to the prior year quarter, following recent investments in new production capacity in Tennessee and Florida. Gross profit in the Infrastructure Solutions segment climbed nearly 25%, pushing segment operating income up 86.8%. Protective Coatings also reported a sharply higher backlog—up 36.8%—signaling greater demand in infrastructure and energy end-markets.

The Rail, Technologies, and Services segment, which generates the majority of group revenue, faced headwinds. Sales in that segment dropped 11.2% on a GAAP basis, with gross profit down 15.3%. Project deferrals, weaker volumes in rail products, and ongoing challenges in the UK all played a role. However, the company recorded a substantial rebound in new orders, with Rail segment backlog up 42.5% during the quarter and up 13.9% year-over-year, meaning future quarters could see a sales uptick if those orders convert as forecasted. Technology solutions—like Total Track Monitoring (early-warning digital rail monitoring systems) and Mark IV products—remained a bright spot, with management claiming the largest installed base in North America.

There were also several notable one-time or non-operational impacts: a much higher tax rate, due to UK losses without tax benefits, kept net income (GAAP) essentially flat despite improved profit from operations. The period was also marked by ongoing restructuring savings, which management estimates will yield $4.5 million per year starting in 2025, up from $2 million of benefit realized in 2024.

Cash management continued to be a strength, with total debt of $81.6 million as of quarter-end. The company continued deploying cash into both operations and its expanded $40 million share buyback program, a major step up from the prior $15 million authorization. L.b. Foster does not currently pay a dividend.

Outlook: What Lies Ahead

For fiscal 2025, Management provided guidance for fiscal year 2025, pointing to $545 million in net sales, 2.7% organic sales growth, and $42 million in adjusted EBITDA at the midpoint. Free cash flow (non-GAAP) is expected to be between $15 million and $25 million, with the second half of the year seen as especially robust. Segment-level gains are forecast especially in North American Rail (if backlogs convert on schedule) and continued growth in Infrastructure Solutions, led by expanded precast concrete capacity and protective coatings momentum.

There was no change in narrative about external risks: supply chain volatility, raw material cost swings, and lingering international demand uncertainty—especially in the UK rail and technology segment—remain on the watch list. Any project delays or further cost surprises could again mute bottom-line results. No new dividend policy updates were offered, and the company continues to focus excess capital on share buybacks and growth investments. Management did not provide precise quarterly profit targets.

Revenue and net income presented using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) unless otherwise noted.