Advanced Drainage reports Q2 adjusted EPS $1.71, consensus $1.64

Reports Q2 revenue $780.2M, consensus $775.41M. Scott Barbour, President and Chief Executive Officer of ADS commented, “In the second quarter, we saw better than expected performance in the Infiltrator business and Allied products portfolio continue, despite demand headwinds from higher interest rates, credit tightening and economic uncertainty. Results from the ADS pipe portfolio remain in line with expectations. Importantly, we demonstrated the resilience of the business model through the 180 basis point expansion in Adjusted EBITDA margin, even with the lower demand environment. The margin performance this quarter benefited from sales mix, as well as previous investments in the business including automation and tooling, effective management of price/cost as well as continuous improvement within our operations.” “Demand for our innovative solutions continues to be driven by the secular trend of larger-scale and more frequent water-related climate events. ADS plays an important role in providing sustainable water management solutions, while additionally being a valued resource as regulations develop. The secular trend to manage storm water, combined with our material conversion strategy, gives us confidence in our strategic investments to support the long-term growth of the business. For instance, we announced this morning we are building a manufacturing facility in Lake Wales, Florida that will position us to continue to grow in Florida and the Southeast, a very important geographic region of the United States.” Barbour concluded, “With the first half of Fiscal 2024 behind us, we have narrowed our revenue target towards the upper end of the previous range and increased the Adjusted EBITDA mid-point guidance for the year. This reflects a continuation of demand trends experienced during the first half of the year, as well as confidence in our ability to manage margin performance, as demonstrated this quarter. Consistent with the previous guidance, our uncertainty remains as to the impact of tightening credit standards and higher interest rates on the non-residential and residential markets in the second half of the fiscal year. We will continue to focus on execution, delivering service to our customers and pursuing growth through attractive products, markets and partnerships, investing in capital and resources at both ADS and Infiltrator for when the market rebounds.”