Centuri (CTRI) 8-KCenturi Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results, Initiates 2024 Guidance

“Centuri is well positioned for the future. We are engaging new customers and new projects through our growth strategy, and we’ll continue the cost savings initiatives led by incoming Interim President & CEO Paul Caudill. Together, these efforts have set the stage for continued growth and customer diversification. I want to thank the highly capable team at Centuri who will continue to lead our new stand-alone public platform and drive significant stakeholder value over the long-term," concluded Fehrman.

Financial results during the second quarter of 2024 declined on a year-over-year basis primarily driven by 1) several of Centuri's largest MSA clients reducing infrastructure spending due to unfavorable regulatory decisions or deferred hearings, 2) caution in spending among utilities due to a prolonged higher interest rate environment, 3) a seasonally uncharacteristic, higher margin bid job in the second quarter of 2023 that did not repeat, and 4) reduced offshore wind activities primarily due to the cancellation of a project in late 2023.

Centuri remains intensely focused on new business development initiatives. During the second quarter of 2024, the Company continued to execute its commercial strategy and had success in extending and securing new business across several service lines and regions, including notable strategic bid work wins that leverage Centuri's core competencies. Further, management finalized its detailed corporate and operating company overhead reviews, which will drive meaningful savings in 2025, and started the process of identifying savings through a comprehensive supply chain and asset utilization review program that is in its early stages. The focus on cost control and capital efficiency will remain at the forefront under the leadership of Paul Caudill, who played a key role as an advisor to the CEO in helping to develop and implement these programs.

Centuri will conduct a conference call today, Monday, July 29, 2024 at 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT to discuss its second quarter 2024 financial results, business highlights, and the Company’s previously disclosed leadership transition. Speakers on the call will include Bill Fehrman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Izenstark, Chief Financial Officer, and other members of management. The conference call will be webcast live on the Company's investor relations (IR) website at https://investor.centuri.com. The conference call can also be accessed via phone by dialing (800) 267-6316, or for international callers, (203) 518-9783. A supplemental investor presentation will also be available on the IR website prior to the start of the conference call. The earnings call will also be archived on the IR website and a replay of the call will be available by dialing (888) 562-0855 in the U.S., or (402) 220-7339 internationally. The replay dial-in feature will be made available one hour after the call’s conclusion and will be active for 12 months.

Centuri Holdings, Inc. was formed for the purpose of completing an IPO and other related transactions in order to carry on the business of Centuri Group, Inc., its predecessor for financial reporting purposes. Centuri Group, Inc. is a strategic utility infrastructure services company that partners with regulated utilities to build and maintain the energy network that powers millions of homes and businesses across the United States and Canada.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements can often be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “predict,” “continue,” “forecast,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “outlook,” “could,” “target,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “estimate,” “should,” “may” and “assume,” as well as variations of such words and similar expressions referring to the future. The specific forward-looking statements made herein include (without limitation) statements regarding our belief that the fundamentals of our business and services to our customers remain strong; our belief that, in the near term, the Company is well positioned to further implement its cost-focused initiatives while growing the business under the leadership of incoming Interim CEO Paul Caudill; our confidence that Centuri will benefit from multi-decade secular tailwinds in the energy and power infrastructure industries and the deployment of clean technologies, and that these forces are expected to drive growth with new and existing customers and support expansion into adjacent high growth service lines; our belief that the team at Centuri will continue to lead the Company and drive significant stakeholder value over the long-term; our estimation that awards secured in the quarter represent over $400 million in potential revenue; our expectation that our review of corporate and operating company overhead will result in meaningful savings, and our estimation that these savings will be $29 million annually; number ranges presented in our Full Year 2024 Outlook; and our belief that the current focus on cost control and capital efficiency will remain at the forefront under the leadership of Paul Caudill. A number of important factors affecting the business and financial results of Centuri could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, capital market risks and the impact of general economic or industry conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ also include (without limitation) those discussed in Centuri’s filings filed from time to time with the SEC. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by Centuri on its website or otherwise. Centuri does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise.

Backlog represents our expected revenue from existing contracts and work in progress as of the end of the applicable reporting period.

We prepare and present our financial statements in accordance with GAAP. However, management believes that EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow Conversion, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), and Adjusted Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share, all of which are measures not presented in accordance with GAAP, provide investors with additional useful information in evaluating our performance. We use these non-GAAP measures internally to evaluate performance and to make financial, investment and operational decisions. We believe that presentation of these non-GAAP measures provides investors with greater transparency with respect to our results of operations and that these measures are useful for period-to-period comparisons of results. Management also believes that providing these non-GAAP measures helps investors evaluate the Company’s operating performance, profitability and business trends in a way that is consistent with how management evaluates such matters.

EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted for (i) non-cash stock-based compensation expense, (ii) strategic review costs, and (iii) severance costs. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is defined as the percentage derived from dividing Adjusted EBITDA by revenue.

Free Cash Flow is defined as Adjusted EBITDA less net capital expenditures. Net capital expenditures is defined as capital expenditures, net of proceeds from sale of property and equipment. Free Cash Flow Conversion is derived from dividing Free Cash Flow by Adjusted EBITDA.

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) is defined as net income (loss) adjusted for (i) strategic review costs, (ii) severance costs, (iii) amortization of intangible assets, (iv) non-cash stock-based compensation expense and (v) the income tax impact of adjustments that are subject to tax, which is determined using the incremental statutory tax rates of the jurisdictions to which each adjustment relates for the respective periods. Adjusted Dilutive Earnings per Share is defined as Adjusted Net Income (Loss) divided by weighted average diluted shares outstanding.

Using EBITDA as a performance measure has material limitations as compared to net income (loss), or other financial measures as defined under GAAP, as it excludes certain recurring items, which may be meaningful to investors. EBITDA excludes interest expense net of interest income; however, as we have borrowed money to finance transactions and operations, or invested available cash to generate interest income, interest expense and interest income are elements of our cost structure and can affect our ability to generate revenue and returns for our stockholders. Further, EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization; however, as we use capital and intangible assets to generate revenues, depreciation and amortization are necessary elements of our costs and ability to generate revenue. Finally, EBITDA excludes income taxes; however, as we are organized as a corporation, the payment of taxes is a necessary element of our operations. As a result of these exclusions from EBITDA, any measure that excludes interest expense net of interest income, depreciation and amortization and income taxes has material limitations as compared to net income (loss). When using EBITDA as a performance measure, management compensates for these limitations by comparing EBITDA to net income (loss) in each period, to allow for the comparison of the performance of the underlying core operations with the overall performance of the company on a full-cost, after-tax basis.

As to certain of the items related to Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow Conversion, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), and Adjusted Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share: (i) non-cash stock-based compensation expense varies from period to period due to changes in the estimated fair value of performance-based awards, forfeitures and amounts granted; (ii) strategic review costs related to the separation of Centuri are non-recurring; and (iii) severance costs relate to non-recurring restructuring activities. Because EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Free Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow Conversion, Adjusted Net Income (Loss), and Adjusted Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share as defined, exclude some, but not all, items that affect net income (loss), such measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. The most comparable GAAP financial measure, net income (loss), and information reconciling the GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures, are set forth below. We are unable to provide reconciliations for forward-looking non-GAAP metrics without unreasonable efforts due to our inability to project non-recurring expenses.