H.B. Fuller reports Q1 EPS 55c, consensus 59c

Reports Q1 revenue $809.2M, consensus $825.4M. "Despite challenging demand conditions, particularly in Construction Adhesives, our team executed exceptionally well to deliver solid first quarter results that were in-line with our expectations," said Celeste Mastin, CEO. "The diversification of our portfolio enabled us to deliver stable organic sales and diligent management of price and raw material dynamics drove significant gross margin improvement year-on-year and sequentially. Overall, this resulted in strong adjusted EBITDA performance and led to higher adjusted EBITDA margin year-on-year. Consistent with our strategic focus of continuously improving operational efficiency, we are implementing prudent and decisive actions to align our cost structure with lower volume expectations for 2023. These actions will lower our cost structure and improve the capacity utilization of our manufacturing network, allowing us to more effectively meet market needs and expand margins in-line with our long-term strategic plan. As we look ahead, we remain confident we will achieve our full-year guidance. We began to see margin expansion, driven by a combination of favorable price and raw material dynamics, and we expect this benefit to accelerate as we progress through the year and meaningfully benefit adjusted EBITDA margin. With our unique advantages and a more optimized cost structure, we are well positioned to continue creating value for shareholders and achieve our financial expectations for the year and beyond."