Kewaunee Scientific Reports Results for Fiscal Year and Fourth Quarter

STATESVILLE, N.C., June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Kewaunee Scientific Corporation (NASDAQ:KEQU) today announced results for its fourth quarter and its fiscal year ended April 30, 2025.

Fiscal Year 2025 Fourth Quarter Results

Sales during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 were $77,148,000, an increase of 36.1% compared to sales of $56,702,000 from the prior year’s fourth quarter. Pre-tax earnings for the quarter were $7,149,000 compared to $1,347,000 for the prior year quarter. Net earnings for the quarter were $4,850,000 compared to net earnings of $11,026,000 for the prior year quarter. Diluted earnings per share were $1.63 compared to diluted earnings per share of $3.71 in the prior year quarter. EBITDA¹ for the quarter was $9,671,000 compared to $2,265,000 for the prior year quarter.

The Company’s order backlog was $214.6 million on April 30, 2025, a slight decrease from $221.6 million on January 31, 2025, and an increase from $155.6 million on April 30, 2024.

Prior Year Quarter Non-Recurring Transactions:

During the fourth quarter of the previous fiscal year, two non-recurring transactions were recorded that impacted reported earnings and EBITDA which management believes should be considered when analyzing our financial results for the two most recent fiscal years. First, the Company successfully annuitized its pension obligation, which had been in a frozen state since 2005. Terminating the pension resulted in a one-time, non-cash expense and reduction to EBITDA in the quarter of $4,019,000 and a corresponding one-time book tax benefit related to the Company’s release of accumulated tax benefits of $3,870,000. The second non-recurring adjustment related to the partial release of the Company’s valuation allowance, resulting in an additional tax benefit of $6,583,000 being recorded during the fourth quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Excluding the two non-recurring transactions, prior year fourth quarter adjusted pre-tax earnings were $5,366,000. Prior year adjusted net earnings were $4,592,000 and prior year adjusted diluted earnings per share was $1.55. Prior year adjusted EBITDA was $6,284,000.

Current Quarter Adjustments for Professional and Other Fees Related to the Nu Aire Transaction, Integration, and Purchase Accounting: 

Within the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, the Company continued to incur costs associated with the acquisition and integration of Nu Aire, Inc. (“Nu Aire”) by Kewaunee Scientific Corporation on November 1, 2024. We believe communicating these impacts and reporting adjusted financial metrics for our fourth quarter fiscal year 2025 helps investors better understand our financial performance.

Acquisition, integration, and purchase accounting costs in the aggregate in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 reduced pre-tax earnings by $1,258,000 and reduced EBITDA by $650,000.

After adjusting for these costs, adjusted pre-tax earnings for the quarter were $8,407,000 compared to adjusted pre-tax earnings of $5,366,000 for the prior year quarter, an increase of 56.7%. Adjusted net earnings were $5,814,000 compared to adjusted net earnings of $4,592,000 in the prior year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $10,321,000 compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $6,284,000 in the prior year quarter. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $1.95 compared to adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.55 in the prior year quarter. Further details are presented in the Adjusted Consolidated Statement of Operations Reconciliation schedule.

Fourth Quarter Segment Results and Discussion:

Domestic Segment – Domestic sales for the quarter were $55,490,000, an increase of 54.7% from sales of $35,859,000 in the prior year quarter. Domestic segment net earnings were $5,099,000 compared to $3,410,000 in the prior year quarter. Domestic segment EBITDA was $8,755,000 compared to $5,506,000 for the prior year quarter. Domestic segment sales and profitability improved versus the prior year’s fourth quarter, driven by higher manufacturing volumes than the prior period and the incorporation of Nu Aire’s results.

International Segment – International sales for the quarter were $21,658,000, an increase of 3.9% from sales of $20,843,000 in the prior year quarter. International segment net earnings were $1,607,000 compared to $1,138,000 in the prior year quarter. International segment EBITDA was $2,427,000 compared to $1,734,000 for the prior year quarter. The impact of customer site delays that have been experienced during the fiscal year decreased in the fourth quarter resulting in an increase in deliveries and billings for the quarter.

Corporate Segment – Corporate segment net loss was ($1,856,000) for the quarter, as compared to net earnings of $6,478,000 in the prior year quarter. Corporate segment EBITDA loss for the quarter was ($1,511,000) compared to corporate segment EBITDA loss of ($4,975,000) for the prior year quarter. As mentioned above, the prior year quarter includes the impact of two non-recurring transactions that increased net earnings in the prior year quarter. Additionally, the current year quarter includes the impacts of professional service and other fees incurred in relation to the acquisition of Nu Aire, Inc., which closed on November 1, 2024, and costs incurred related to Sarbanes-Oxley 404(b) compliance readiness. Excluding these professional and other fees related to the acquisition of Nu Aire, Corporate segment adjusted EBITDA loss for the quarter was ($1,375,000) compared to Corporate segment adjusted EBITDA loss of ($956,000) for the prior year quarter.

“Kewaunee again delivered another strong quarter, closing out fiscal year 2025 on a high note. Our team continues to embrace the momentum we have generated in the market, delivering on our commitments to our customers, which continues to result in Kewaunee being the preferred supplier of choice for customers looking to furnish laboratory spaces,” said Thomas D. Hull, III, Kewaunee’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our strategy to emphasize investments in our product portfolio and manufacturing assets while strengthening our dealer and distribution relationships continues to drive performance improvement.”

Fiscal Year 2025 Full Year Results

Sales during fiscal year 2025 were $240,472,000, an increase of 18.0% compared to sales of $203,755,000 from the prior year. Pre-tax earnings for the fiscal year were $14,785,000 compared to pre-tax earnings of $13,119,000 for the prior year. Net earnings for the fiscal year were $11,405,000, compared to net earnings of $18,753,000 for the prior year. Diluted earnings per share was $3.83, as compared to diluted earnings per share of $6.38 in the prior fiscal year. EBITDA for the fiscal year was $21,613,000, compared to $16,646,000 for the prior fiscal year.

Prior Year Non-Recurring Transactions:

As discussed in the Company’s fourth quarter results above, two non-recurring transactions were recorded in the prior year fourth quarter that impacted reported earnings and EBITDA. Excluding these two non-recurring prior year fourth quarter transactions, adjusted pre-tax earnings for the prior fiscal year were $17,138,000. Prior year adjusted net earnings were $12,319,000 and prior year adjusted diluted earnings per share was $4.19. Adjusted EBITDA for the prior fiscal year was $20,665,000.

Current Year Adjustments for Professional and Other Fees Related to the Nu Aire Transaction, Integration, and Purchase Accounting:

Kewaunee successfully completed the acquisition of Nu Aire on November 1, 2024, marking a significant milestone in our strategic growth initiatives. During the fiscal year, the Company incurred costs associated with the acquisition and integration of Nu Aire. Fiscal year results were also impacted by purchase accounting related to the write-up of various assets on Nu Aire’s books. We believe that communicating these impacts and reporting adjusted financial metrics helps investors better understand our financial performance.

Acquisition, integration, and purchase accounting costs in the aggregate for fiscal year 2025 were a $6,042,000 reduction to pre-tax earnings and a $4,915,000 reduction to EBITDA.

After adjusting for these costs, adjusted pre-tax earnings for the fiscal year was $20,827,000 compared to adjusted pre-tax earnings of $17,138,000 for the prior year, an increase of 21.5%. Adjusted net earnings were $15,992,000 compared to adjusted net earnings of $12,319,000 in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal year was $26,528,000 compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $20,665,000 in the prior year. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $5.37 compared to prior year adjusted diluted earnings per share of $4.19. Further details are presented in the Adjusted Consolidated Statement of Operations Reconciliation schedule.

Fiscal Year Segment Results and Discussion:

Domestic Segment – Domestic sales for the fiscal year were $179,398,000, an increase of 30.7% from sales of $137,238,000 in the prior year. Domestic segment net earnings were $15,370,000 compared to $11,808,000 in the prior fiscal year. Domestic segment EBITDA was $25,580,000 compared to $19,146,000 for the prior year. Domestic segment sales and profitability improved versus the prior year as a result of higher manufacturing volumes and the incorporation of Nu Aire’s results.

International Segment – International sales for the fiscal year were $61,074,000, a decrease of 8.2% from sales of $66,517,000 in the prior year. International segment net earnings were $2,902,000 compared to $3,055,000 in the prior fiscal year. International segment EBITDA was $4,475,000 compared to $5,715,000 for the prior year. The decrease in International segment profitability year over year was impacted by customer site delays that pushed out the timing of deliveries and billings.

Corporate Segment – Corporate segment net loss was ($6,867,000) for the fiscal year, as compared to net earnings of $3,890,000 in the prior fiscal year. Corporate segment EBITDA loss for the fiscal year was ($8,442,000) as compared to Corporate segment EBITDA loss of ($8,215,000) for the prior year. As discussed above, the prior year results include the impact of two non-recurring transactions that increased net earnings in the prior fiscal year. Additionally, the current fiscal year includes the impacts of professional service and other fees incurred in relation to the acquisition of Nu Aire and costs incurred related to Sarbanes-Oxley 404(b) compliance readiness. Excluding these professional and other fees related to the acquisition of Nu Aire, Corporate segment adjusted EBITDA loss for the fiscal year was ($5,053,000) compared to Corporate segment adjusted EBITDA loss of ($4,196,000) for the prior year.

Consolidated Working Capital Discussion:

Total cash on hand on April 30, 2025 was $17,164,000, as compared to $25,938,000 on April 30, 2024. The decrease in cash was primarily related to the completion of the Nu Aire acquisition, partially offset by overall improved operating performance. Working capital was $64,651,000 on April 30, 2025, as compared to $56,037,000 on April 30, 2024.

The Company had short-term debt of $4,773,000 as of April 30, 2025, as compared to $3,099,000 on April 30, 2024. Long-term debt was $60,730,000 on April 30, 2025, as compared to $28,479,000 on April 30, 2024. The building lease from the Company’s December 2021 sale-leaseback transaction accounts for $26,632,000 of the long-term debt on April 30, 2025 and $28,133,000 of the long-term debt on April 30, 2024. Long-term debt, net of the sale-leaseback transaction, was $34,098,000 on April 30, 2025 as compared to $346,000 on April 30, 2024. The Company’s debt-to-equity ratio on April 30, 2025 was 0.99-to-1, as compared to 0.70-to-1 on April 30, 2024. The Company’s debt-to-equity ratio, net of the sale-leaseback transaction, on April 30, 2025 was 0.57-to-1, as compared to 0.20-to-1 on April 30, 2024.

“Fiscal year 2025 was marked by exceptional performance from our Kewaunee team,” said Thomas D. Hull III, Kewaunee’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The Company delivered excellent financial results and closed the year with a robust and healthy backlog. These results reflect the consistent execution and dedication of our global team. They are also a testament to the valuable support of our channel partners, who bring our solutions to customers across multiple end markets – customers who rely on Kewaunee’s portfolio to advance their most critical priorities and create amazing laboratory spaces.”

“While our industry has been facing a period of instability driven by geopolitical uncertainty, unclear tariff policies and ongoing supply chain disruptions, Kewaunee has responded with resilience. Kewaunee’s culture is one of preparedness and a bias towards action which has enabled us to thrive in the midst of these uncertainties. We have a high performing culture and our teams view uncertainty as opportunity.”

“We also have the best channel partners in the business, and our collaborative way of working together is producing results in the marketplace as we continue to win our fair share of projects across all markets we serve. This has never been more evident than in the consistent strength of our backlog in recent fiscal years with strength across most end-markets.”

“In November of this past year, Kewaunee took a significant step forward in our growth journey with the acquisition of Nu Aire, Inc., a pioneer in laboratory equipment and biosafety solutions. This move was guided by a clear strategic intent: To bring together two market leaders with complementary strengths, shared values, and a common vision for the future of laboratory innovation. Nu Aire’s future is bright and we have never been more excited about the opportunity for Nu Aire to transform the same way Kewaunee has over the past five years.”

“As we look forward, we are not standing still and we expect to continue to grow both organically and inorganically. Our culture will continue to be a powerful force, fueling our ability to adapt, grow, and deliver lasting value for our customers, communities, partners, and shareholders. For business owners who care deeply about their legacy, their team, and the future of their company, Kewaunee offers more than capital – we offer stewardship, continuity, and a partner they can trust for the next chapter.”

 

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