Littelfuse, Inc. (LFUS) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Access earnings results, analyst expectations, report, slides, earnings call, and transcript.
Overview
The earnings call highlights strong financial performance, with significant free cash flow and cash on hand, and a low net debt-to-EBITDA leverage. Despite a noncash goodwill impairment, the electronics segment showed strong growth. The Q&A session revealed positive momentum in the data center and industrial markets, and strategic focus on high-growth areas. However, management's reluctance to provide full-year guidance for 2026 and vague responses on certain metrics slightly temper the overall positive outlook. The acquisition of Basler and strategic partnerships further bolster the positive sentiment, suggesting a likely stock price increase.
Key Financial Performance
Revenue Revenue in the fourth quarter was $594 million, up 12% year-over-year and up 7% organically. The Dortmund and Basler acquisition contributed 3% to sales growth, while FX was a 2% tailwind.
Adjusted EBITDA Margin Adjusted EBITDA margin finished at 20.5%, up 480 basis points year-over-year, reflecting meaningful operational leverage.
Adjusted Diluted Earnings Fourth quarter adjusted diluted earnings were $2.69.
Operating Cash Flow Operating cash flow was $139 million in the fourth quarter.
Free Cash Flow Free cash flow was $120 million in the fourth quarter.
Cash on Hand Ended the quarter with $563 million of cash on hand.
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Leverage Net debt-to-EBITDA leverage was 1.2x at the end of the quarter.
Dividend Returned $19 million to shareholders via dividend in the fourth quarter.
Noncash Goodwill Impairment Charge The impairment charge of $301 million was recorded for the IXYS and Dortmund acquisitions due to weaker sales and profitability than originally expected amid persistent soft market conditions.
Electronics Products Segment Sales Sales for the quarter were up 21% year-over-year, led by strong passive products organic sales and growth contributions from protection semiconductor products.
Electronics Products Segment Adjusted EBITDA Margin Adjusted EBITDA margin of 23.7% was up 370 basis points year-over-year, reflecting favorable year-over-year passive and protection volume leverage.
Transportation Products Segment Sales Fourth quarter sales increased 1% year-over-year but declined 1% organically. Passenger vehicle organic sales growth was more than offset by softer commercial vehicle volumes.
Transportation Products Segment Adjusted EBITDA Margin Adjusted EBITDA margin was 16%, reflecting focus on driving margin expansion in a continued soft transportation market environment.
Industrial Products Segment Sales Sales increased 4% year-over-year but declined 1% organically for the quarter. Improved energy storage, utility and grid infrastructure, renewables, and data center demand was more than offset by lower HVAC demand.
Industrial Products Segment Adjusted EBITDA Margin Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA margin was 16.2%.
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Operating Highlights
Basler Electric acquisition: Closed in December, strengthens high-power capabilities and expands position in grid and utility infrastructure and data center markets.
Data center solutions: Secured a significant design win for a static transfer switch for a 2-megawatt UPS bypass and power distribution unit application, shipments to begin in 2026.
Grid and utility infrastructure: Position bolstered by Basler acquisition; $3 trillion expected investment in grid modernization through 2030.
Data center market: Undergoing architectural shift to high-power systems; design wins more than doubled in 2025.
Operational excellence: Delivered 12% year-over-year revenue growth in Q4 2025, with adjusted EBITDA margin up 480 basis points to 20.5%.
Semiconductor business optimization: Sharpening focus on high-value, high-growth applications; rationalizing portfolio and aligning manufacturing strategy.
Strategic priorities: Focused on high-power and high-energy density solutions, customer-centric sales model, and operational excellence.
Basler Electric integration: Expected to contribute $130-$135 million in revenue and $0.10-$0.15 adjusted earnings in 2026.
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Risk or Challenges
Goodwill Impairment Charge: A $301 million noncash goodwill impairment charge was recorded for the IXYS and Dortmund acquisitions due to weaker sales and profitability than originally expected, reflecting persistent soft market conditions.
Power Semiconductor Business Challenges: The power semiconductor business is undergoing a strategic shift to focus on high-value and high-growth applications, requiring portfolio rationalization and manufacturing footprint optimization to address profitability and resilience issues.
Transportation Products Segment: The segment experienced a 1% organic sales decline in the fourth quarter, driven by softer commercial vehicle volumes and continued soft market conditions expected into 2026.
Industrial Products Segment: Organic sales declined by 1% in the fourth quarter due to lower HVAC demand, despite growth in energy storage, utility and grid infrastructure, renewables, and data center demand.
Market Conditions Impact: Persistent soft market conditions are impacting sales and profitability, particularly in the power semiconductor and transportation segments.
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Guidance & Outlook
Revenue Growth: The company expects to deliver double-digit first-quarter revenue growth in 2026, supported by a robust backlog and fourth-quarter bookings up more than 20% year-over-year. Full-year 2026 revenue from the Basler acquisition is anticipated to contribute between $130 million and $135 million.
Earnings Expansion: Significant earnings expansion is projected for the first quarter of 2026, with EPS expected to range between $2.70 and $2.90, including a $0.03 contribution from the Basler acquisition.
Market Trends and Growth Opportunities: The company anticipates double-digit growth and strong profitability in the grid and utility infrastructure market, supported by the Basler acquisition. Approximately $3 trillion is expected to be invested in grid modernization through 2030. The data center market is undergoing a significant architectural shift to high-power systems, with Littelfuse's content opportunity expected to more than double in next-generation architectures. Shipments for a significant design win in the data center market are slated to begin in the first half of 2026.
Strategic Focus on High-Growth Applications: The company is sharpening its focus on high-value and high-growth applications in markets such as data center, battery energy storage, and grid and utility infrastructure. Portfolio rationalization and manufacturing strategy alignment are underway to reduce exposure to lower-value product families and improve profitability.
Free Cash Flow Conversion: The company targets free cash flow conversion of more than 100% in 2026.
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Shareholder Return Plan
Dividend Payment: In the quarter, we returned $19 million to shareholders via our dividend.
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Key Q&A
Q:What are the key incremental drivers for the data center market through 2026?
A:The data center market is seeing good progress with a dedicated sales team and a complete technology portfolio. Design wins have more than doubled in 2025, and there is momentum in higher voltage systems, which offer at least twice the opportunity. Basler also contributes with backup power generation solutions. The company is having deeper conversations with customers about next-generation architectures.
Q:What signs of recovery are being seen in the industrial market for 2026?
A:There is broader-based momentum in diversified industrial segments and industrial automation, except for residential HVAC, which remains soft. Bookings in Q4 were up 20%, and the book-to-bill ratio was above 1, indicating strong momentum.
Q:How is the company managing metals inflation and its impact on costs?
A:The company is focusing on supply chain opportunities, alternate procurement methods, and passing inflation costs to customers through pricing or surcharges. The goal is to be price-cost neutral for the full year, though there may be timing differences between quarters.
Q:What opportunities exist in partnerships or consortiums in the data center space?
A:The company is partnering with hyperscalers, chip providers, and the ODM ecosystem in Asia and Taiwan. They are active in platforms like Open Compute and standard-setting processes for high-power applications, ensuring participation across the ecosystem.
Q:What is the strategy for the power semiconductor business?
A:The strategy involves focusing on high-value, high-growth markets like data centers, battery energy storage, and grid utilities. The company is rationalizing its portfolio to focus on areas with meaningful share and optimizing its manufacturing footprint. Updates will be provided throughout the year.
Q:How is the integration of Basler progressing?
A:Basler is seen as a good cultural fit with strong engineering capabilities and market leadership in protection solutions. The company plans to leverage Basler's go-to-market capabilities in the utility industry to bring more of Littelfuse's portfolio into that space.
Q:What has changed in the last 90 days to improve the company's outlook?
A:The company is on a multiyear journey, making progress on its strategy and seeing broader market momentum. Operational execution has led to margin expansion across all segments, and there is a focus on optimizing the power semiconductor portfolio.
Q:Is double-digit growth for the full year 2026 reasonable?
A:While the company does not guide for the full year, Q1 guidance shows 7% organic growth and 15% total growth year-over-year. Broad-based industrial strength and strong momentum suggest positive dynamics for 2026.
Q:Review of Unclear Management Responses
A:Management avoided giving a direct answer to the specific quantitative impact of higher voltage systems in the data center market, stating that architectures are evolving and exact numbers cannot be provided. Additionally, they did not provide full-year guidance for 2026, leaving growth expectations somewhat vague.
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Earnings Word Cloud
The most frequently occurring keywords in this quarter's earning call
Abhi
Automotive digit
Day New
Day step
Electric power
Greg today
Investor Day
New York
Shipments momentum
Slide center
Slide content
Slide position
Today semiconductor
UPS bypass
acquisition grid
backlog
center infrastructure
center market
density
end priority
example
excellence
grid utility
infrastructure center
manufacturing
market power
momentum design
position market
power center
power protection
relationship
system
technology portfolio
transfer
update progress
utility infrastructure
LFUS Transcript
Littelfuse, Inc. (LFUS) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Positive1-28
The earnings call highlights strong financial performance, with significant free cash flow and cash on hand, and a low net debt-to-EBITDA leverage. Despite a noncash goodwill impairment, the electronics segment showed strong growth. The Q&A session revealed positive momentum in the data center and industrial markets, and strategic focus on high-growth areas. However, management's reluctance to provide full-year guidance for 2026 and vague responses on certain metrics slightly temper the overall positive outlook. The acquisition of Basler and strategic partnerships further bolster the positive sentiment, suggesting a likely stock price increase.
Littelfuse, Inc. (LFUS) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown10-29
The earnings call reveals mixed signals: while there's growth in sectors like data centers and industrial products, margins have declined, and there are execution issues in power semiconductors. The Q&A highlights internal challenges and unclear management responses. Despite positive guidance in some areas, the overall sentiment remains cautious due to margin pressures and strategic uncertainties, leading to a neutral stock price prediction.
Littelfuse, Inc. (LFUS) Presents At Jefferies Mining And Industrials Conference 2025 Transcript
Neutral9-3
Littelfuse, Inc. (LFUS) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Positive7-30
The earnings call reveals a positive outlook with strong growth potential in key segments like Industrial and Electronics, driven by megatrends and strategic diversification. Despite some challenges, such as tariff impacts and power semiconductor issues, management's focus on operational excellence and strategic growth initiatives, including data center and transportation expansion, supports a positive sentiment. The Q3 guidance indicates organic growth, and the company's confidence in its competitive positioning further bolsters a positive outlook for the stock price over the next two weeks.
LFUS Slides
LFUS Report
Frequently Asked Questions
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