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- Valmont beat second-quarter expectations with net sales up 6.5% to $1.12 billion and diluted EPS up 25.8% to $6.14, driven mainly by strong Infrastructure performance. Management said the company is executing well and raised its full-year sales and earnings outlook.
- Infrastructure was the key growth engine, led by 33.9% growth in North America Utility and 16.6% growth in Coatings. Demand tied to grid modernization, power needs, data centers and electrification is helping support a multiyear investment cycle.
- Agriculture remains weak, especially overseas, with sales down 15.8% as North American farm spending stayed cautious and Middle East projects were delayed by conflict. Even so, the segment's operating margin improved to 16.5% on cost discipline, and Valmont still expects full-year Agriculture sales to hold steady.
Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI) reported higher second-quarter 2026 sales and earnings, driven by strength in its Infrastructure segment, particularly North America Utility and Coatings, while Agriculture remained pressured by weaker equipment demand and delayed projects in the Middle East.
President and CEO Avner Applbaum said the company delivered "a strong second quarter" reflecting execution of its strategy. He cited a 6.5% increase in net sales, a 130-basis-point expansion in adjusted operating margin and a 25.8% increase in adjusted earnings per share. Based on the results, Valmont raised its full-year sales and earnings outlook.
"Infrastructure delivered another high-quality quarter, led by 34% growth in North America Utility and 17% growth in Coatings," Applbaum said. He added that commercial execution, pricing discipline and investments in capacity and throughput helped convert customer demand into profitable growth.
Infrastructure Strength Drives Revenue Growth
Executive Vice President and CFO John Schwietz said consolidated net sales rose 6.5% year over year to $1.12 billion. Operating income increased to $166.1 million, while operating margin expanded to 14.8%. Diluted earnings per share rose 25.8% to $6.14. Schwietz said the tax rate remained steady at approximately 26%.
Infrastructure sales increased 14.8% year over year to $879 million. North America Utility sales rose 33.9%, driven by higher pricing and volume growth. Applbaum said demand in Utility continues to be supported by investment in grid modernization, power demand, data centers and electrification, adding that customer discussions suggest the market is in the early stages of a multiyear investment cycle.
North America Coatings sales increased 16.6%, supported by infrastructure and data center demand. Applbaum said the Coatings business is benefiting from higher internal volumes and growing third-party infrastructure demand, supported by Valmont's galvanizing network.
North America Lighting and Transportation sales declined 2.4% due to lower volumes. Applbaum said Transportation markets remain healthy, while Lighting is being affected by softer residential and commercial construction activity. North America Telecom sales fell 26.1% as carrier spending slowed following the peak of the 5G deployment cycle.
International Infrastructure sales increased 7.4%, helped by favorable foreign exchange and a slight increase in volume. Applbaum said Valmont is pursuing initiatives to strengthen its international businesses, though he described the process as still in its early stages.
Agriculture Margins Improve Despite Lower Sales
Agriculture sales declined 15.8% year over year to $244 million. North America sales decreased 2.3%, with reduced volumes partly offset by favorable pricing. International Agriculture sales dropped 28.9%, primarily due to lower Middle East volumes. Schwietz said that outside the Middle East, international Agriculture sales were relatively flat.
Despite the sales decline, Agriculture operating margin improved 90 basis points to 16.5%. Schwietz attributed the improvement to disciplined cost and risk management, and said the actions taken position the segment to expand margins when agricultural markets recover.
Applbaum said global agriculture market conditions remain challenging. In North America, tighter farm economics continue to constrain capital spending. In Brazil, a recently announced government crop plan reduced financing rates for irrigation equipment, but total funding allocated to irrigation is below last year's level. In the Middle East, the ongoing conflict is causing delays in certain customer projects.
Valmont said it is focusing on higher-value opportunities within Agriculture, including aftermarket and technology solutions. Applbaum said aftermarket parts sales grew approximately 6% in the quarter, while technology services increased 7%, despite softer equipment demand.
Company Raises 2026 Outlook
Valmont raised its full-year 2026 net sales guidance to a range of $4.3 billion to $4.45 billion. At the midpoint, Schwietz said that represents approximately 6.7% revenue growth for the year. The company increased its Infrastructure sales outlook to a range of $3.4 billion to $3.5 billion, while maintaining its Agriculture outlook.
The company also raised its diluted earnings per share outlook to a range of $22.25 to $23.50. At the midpoint, Schwietz said the guidance represents nearly 20% growth in adjusted EPS. He said the higher earnings outlook reflects continued strength in North America Utility and Coatings, supported by volume growth and favorable pricing.
Schwietz said raw material and freight costs are expected to remain elevated through the rest of the year, but pricing actions and operational execution are expected to support Infrastructure operating margins at levels consistent with the first half of 2026. In Agriculture, he said margins are expected to moderate in the second half due to normal seasonality.
Valmont maintained its capital expenditure outlook of $170 million to $200 million, with spending weighted toward the second half of the year as it continues investing in capacity expansion.
Cash Flow and Capital Allocation
Valmont generated operating cash flow of $148 million in the quarter and ended the period with approximately $139 million in cash. Schwietz said net debt leverage remained close to one times.
The company invested $36 million in capital expenditures during the quarter, primarily to support Utility capacity expansion. It also repaid the remaining $60 million outstanding on its revolving credit facility and returned $75 million to shareholders, including $60 million of share repurchases and $15 million in dividends. At quarter end, approximately $451 million remained available under Valmont's share repurchase authorization.
Management Addresses Telecom, Inflation and Utility Demand
During the question-and-answer portion of the call, CJS Securities analyst Chris Moore asked about visibility in Telecom following the segment's weaker quarter. Applbaum said Telecom is a quick-turn business with limited backlog visibility and that Valmont did not anticipate the second-quarter softness at the start of the year. He said carriers have shifted spending and are being more disciplined with capital allocation. Valmont now expects Telecom to be down in the teens for the year.
Asked about Agriculture in the Middle East, Applbaum said Valmont manufactures from its Dubai facility and has a flexible model to scale for projects. However, he said regional activity is currently minimal due to the conflict, with customers delaying projects. He said the long-term demand for food security in the region remains compelling.
Stifel analyst Nathan Jones asked whether Valmont was seeing signs of improvement in Agriculture. Applbaum said he would not characterize the market as showing "green shoots," but said the company is seeing stabilization outside the Middle East. Schwietz said a 16% margin is sustainable for a second quarter in Agriculture, though margins are expected to move into the low teens in the back half of the year due to seasonality.
In response to questions about Infrastructure margins, Schwietz said sequential growth in Infrastructure was driven mostly by price, with a volume component. He said material cost inflation accelerated in the second quarter and is expected to affect the third quarter as well. Later, he said steel was up 27% to 30% year to date and diesel was up 45% year to date, depending on the measure used.
Applbaum said the inflationary pressure is manageable and does not change customer demand, Valmont's competitive position or its long-term margin trajectory. He also said demand remains strong across transmission, distribution and substations in the Utility business, with capacity constraints more important than demand limitations in determining growth.
About Valmont Industries (NYSE:VMI)
Valmont Industries, Inc (NYSE: VMI) is a diversified industrial manufacturer specializing in infrastructure and agricultural products. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the company engages in the design, production and distribution of engineered products that support water management, power transmission, lighting and traffic infrastructure. Valmont's solutions range from center-pivot and lateral-move irrigation systems to utility poles, transmission towers, lighting structures and highway traffic signal support structures.
The company operates through several core business segments.
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