CORE MOLDING TECHNOLOGIES INC (CMT)

Item 2.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which are subject to the "safe harbor" created by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). As a general matter, forward-looking statements are those focused upon future plans, objectives or performance as opposed to historical items and include statements of anticipated events or trends and expectations and beliefs relating to matters not historical in nature. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and are subject to uncertainties and factors relating to Core Molding Technologies' operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Core Molding Technologies' control. Words such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “expect,” “intend,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “encouraged,” “confident” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These uncertainties and factors could cause Core Molding Technologies' actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Core Molding Technologies believes that the following factors, among others, could affect its future performance and cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-Q:

•dependence upon certain major customers as the primary source of Core Molding Technologies’ sales revenues and the potential loss of any major customers due to the completion of existing production programs with those customers or otherwise;

•business conditions in the plastics, transportation, power sports, utilities and commercial product industries (including changes in demand for production);

•the availability and price increases of raw materials;

•general economic, social, regulatory (including foreign trade policy) and political environments, including uncertainties surrounding volatility in financial markets;

•the imposition of new or increased tariffs and the resulting consequences;

•safety and security conditions in Mexico;

•fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;

•costs and other resources related to Core Molding Technologies' efforts to expand its customer base and grow its business, and provide on-time delivery to customers;

•the Company’s decision to pursue new products and initiatives to quote and execute manufacturing processes for new business, acquire raw materials, address inflationary pressures, regulatory matters and labor relations;

•the ability to successfully identify, evaluate and manage potential acquisitions and to benefit from and properly integrate and completed acquisitions;

•ability to accurately quote and execute manufacturing processes for new business; the actions of competitors, customers, and suppliers;

•failure of Core Molding Technologies’ suppliers to perform their obligations;

•inflationary pressures; new technologies; regulatory matters;

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•labor relations and labor availability as well as possible work stoppages or labor disruptions at one or more of our union locations or one of our customer or supplier locations;

•the loss or inability of Core Molding Technologies to attract and retain key personnel;

•federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations (including engine emission regulations);

•the availability of sufficient capital;

•the ability of Core Molding Technologies to provide on-time delivery to customers, which may require additional shipping expenses to ensure on-time delivery or otherwise result in late fees and other customer charges; risk of cancellation or rescheduling of orders;

•inadequate insurance coverage to protect against potential hazards; equipment and machinery failure; product liability and warranty claims;

•cybersecurity incidents or other similar disruptions impacting Core Molding Technologies or significant customers and/or suppliers; and

•other risks identified from time to time in Core Molding Technologies’ other public documents on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those described in Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.

Description of the Company

Core Molding Technologies and its subsidiaries operate in the engineered materials market as one operating segment as a molder of thermoplastic and thermoset structural products. The Company produces and sells molded products for varied markets, including medium and heavy-duty trucks, power sports, building products, industrial and utilities and other commercial markets. Core Molding Technologies has its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and operates six production facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Business Overview

General

The Company’s business and operating results are directly affected by changes in overall customer demand, operational costs and performance and leverage of our fixed cost and selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") infrastructure.

Product revenue fluctuate in response to several factors, including many that are beyond the Company’s control, such as general economic conditions, interest rates, government regulations, consumer spending, raw material cost inflation, labor availability, and our customers’ production rates and inventory levels. The Company's customers operate in many different markets with different cyclicality and seasonality.

Operating performance is dependent on the Company’s ability to manage changes in input costs for items such as raw materials, labor, and overhead operating costs. The Company has certain contractual commitments that restrict its ability to pass through changes in input costs to certain customers. As a result, during periods of significant increases or decreases in input costs operating results may be impacted.

Performance is also affected by manufacturing efficiencies, including items such as on time delivery, quality, scrap, and productivity. Market factors of supply and demand can impact operating costs. In periods of rapid increases or decreases in customer demand, the Company is required to ramp operational activity up or down quickly, which may impact manufacturing efficiencies more than in periods of steady demand.

Operating performance is also dependent on the Company’s ability to effectively launch new customer programs, which are extremely complex in nature. The start of production of a new program is the result of a process of developing new molds and assembly equipment, validation testing, manufacturing process design, development and testing, along with training and often hiring employees. Meeting the targeted levels of manufacturing efficiency for new programs usually occurs over time as the

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Company gains experience with new tools and processes. Therefore, during a new program launch period, start-up costs and inefficiencies can affect operating results.

Business Outlook

Looking forward, based on industry analyst projections, customer forecasts, cyclical demand, anticipated program launches and price changes, the Company expects revenues for the calendar year 2026 to increase by approximately 0 to 5 percent as compared to 2025 and the second half of 2026 to be greater than the first half of 2026. The Company also expects a consistent mix in 2026 as compared to 2025 between product revenues and tooling project revenues as new programs launch during 2026. During the second half of 2026, the Company expects to incur incremental one-time costs of approximately $500,000 in connection with the Mexico Expansion Project, related to press relocations and temporary overlap of two facility leases in Monterrey. The expense will primarily be incurred during the third quarter of 2026 and will be recorded in Selling, General and Administrative expenses.

The Company continues to monitor evolving geopolitical tensions involving Iran and any potential impact such developments may have on global supply chains, such as cost and availability. While disruptions could create volatility in the costs of certain inputs used in the Company's manufacturing processes, the Company maintains contractual raw material adjustment mechanisms with many of its customers that allow for changes in material costs to be passed through, which may help mitigate the financial impact of such fluctuations.

The Company also continues to monitor developments related to the upcoming review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement ("USMCA") and other potential changes in North American trade policy. To date, the Company has not experienced any material disruption to production schedules related to these developments and believes its diversified North American manufacturing footprint, long-standing customer relationships, and strong balance sheet positions the Company well to respond to changes in the evolving trade environment while continuing to support future growth initiatives.

Results of Operations

Three Months Ended June 30, 2026, as Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2025

Net revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 totaled $62,729,000 and $79,239,000, respectively. Included in net revenue were tooling project revenue of $1,839,000 and $17,606,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Tooling project revenue are sporadic in nature and fluctuate in regard to scope and related revenue on a period-to-period basis. Product revenue, excluding tooling project revenue, for the three months ended June 30, 2026 were $60,890,000 compared to $61,633,000 for the same period in 2025. The change in product revenue is primarily the result of lower demand from the medium and heavy-duty truck, including transitioning the Company's business with Volvo from existing programs that the Company currently supplies to new programs that the Company does not support, offset by demand increase in the building products market and new program launches. The Company's product revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 by market are as follows (in thousands):

Gross margin was approximately 20.3% of revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2026 and included a favorable one-time capacity charge impacting gross margin by 90 basis points. Excluding the one-time gain gross margin was 19.4% of revenue for the same period compared to 18.1% of revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2025. Gross margin compared to last year was favorably impacted by product mix and operating efficiencies of 4.0%, offset by fixed cost leverage of 2.2% and net changes in selling price and raw material costs of 0.5%.

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Selling general and administrative expense ("SG&A") was $10,433,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2026, which included severance expense of $487,000 and Mexico expansion related expense of $1,302,000. Excluding severance and Mexico expansion related expense, SG&A cost for the three months ended June 30, 2026 totaled $8,644,000 compared to $9,100,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2025.

Net interest expense to

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY

Core Molding Technologies and its subsidiaries operate in the engineered materials market as one operating segment as a molder of thermoplastic and thermoset structural products. During the year ended December 31, 2025 the Company's operating segment consisted of one component reporting unit. The Company produces and sells molded products for varied markets, including medium and heavy-duty trucks, power sports, building products, industrial and utilities and other commercial markets. Core Molding Technologies has its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and operates six production facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

General

The Company’s business and operating results are directly affected by changes in overall customer demand, operational costs, and performance and leverage of our fixed cost and selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") infrastructure.

Product sales fluctuate in response to several factors, including many that are beyond the Company’s control, such as general economic conditions, interest rates, government regulations, consumer spending, labor availability, and our customers’ production rates and inventory levels. Product sales consist of demand from customers in many different markets with different levels of cyclicality and seasonality. The Company's largest market, North American truck, which is highly cyclical, accounted for 44%, 56%, and 52% of the Company’s product revenue for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.

Operating performance is dependent on the Company’s ability to manage changes in input costs for items such as raw materials, labor, and overhead operating costs. The Company has certain contractual commitments that restrict its ability to pass through changes in input costs to certain customers. As a result, during periods of significant increases or decreases in input costs operating results may be impacted.

Performance is also affected by manufacturing efficiencies, including items such as on time delivery, quality, scrap, and productivity. Market factors of supply and demand can impact operating costs. In periods of rapid increases or decreases in customer demand, the Company is required to ramp operational activity up or down quickly, which may impact manufacturing efficiencies more than in periods of steady demand.

Operating performance is also dependent on the Company’s ability to effectively launch new customer programs, which are typically extremely complex in nature. The start of production of a new program is the result of a process of developing new molds and assembly equipment, validation testing, manufacturing process design, development and testing, along with training and often hiring employees. Meeting the targeted levels of manufacturing efficiency for new programs usually occurs over time as the Company gains experience with new tools and processes. Therefore, during a new program launch period, start-up costs and inefficiencies can affect operating results.

Business Outlook

Looking forward, based on industry analyst projections, customer forecasts, cyclical demand, anticipated program launches and price changes, the Company expects revenues for the calendar year 2026 to increase by approximately 0 to 5 percent as compared to 2025 and the second half of 2026 to be greater than the first half of 2026. The Company also expects a consistent mix in 2026 as compared to 2025 between product revenues and tooling revenues as new programs launch during 2026. In 2026, the Company expects to incur incremental one-time costs of approximately $2,500,000 in connection with the Mexico Expansion Project, primarily related to press relocations and the temporary overlap of two facility leases in Monterrey, as well as approximately $1,000,000 associated with the Company’s succession plan. Both expenses will primarily be incurred during the first half of 2026 and will be recorded in Selling, General, and Administrative expenses.

The Company continues to monitor evolving geopolitical tensions involving Iran and any potential impact such developments may have on global supply chains, such as cost and availability. While disruptions could create volatility in the costs of certain inputs used in the Company’s manufacturing processes, the Company maintains contractual raw material adjustment mechanisms with many of its customers that allow for changes in material costs to be passed through, which may help mitigate the financial impact of such fluctuations.

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2025 compared to 2024

Net sales for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 totaled $273,798,000 and $302,378,000, respectively. Included in total sales were tooling project sales of $41,593,000 and $11,286,000 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. These sales are sporadic in nature and fluctuate in regard to scope and related revenue on a period-to-period basis. Product sales, excluding tooling project sales, for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $232,205,000 compared to $291,092,000 for the same period in 2024. The decrease in sales is primarily the result of lower demand from the medium and heavy-duty truck and power sports, including transitioning the Company's business with Volvo from existing programs that the Company currently supplies to new programs that the Company does not support, offset by new program launches and price increases.

The Company's product sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the same period of 2024 by market are as follows (in thousands):

Gross margin was approximately 17.4% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared with 17.6% for the year ended December 31, 2024. The gross margin percentage decrease was due to unfavorable product mix and production inefficiencies of 1.0% offset by net changes in selling price and raw material cost of 0.8%.

Selling, general and administrative expense ("SG&A") totaled $33,364,000 for the year ended December 31, 2025, which included severance expense of $1,455,000 and portfolio optimization related expense of $420,000. Excluding severance and portfolio optimization costs, SG&A cost for the year ended December 31, 2025 totaled $31,489,000 compared to $35,271,000, when excluding $1,294,000 of severance costs in 2024. Decreased SG&A expenses resulted primarily from lower bonus, labor and benefits of $2,044,000 and lower stock compensation of $761,000, offset by higher healthcare cost of $628,000.

Net interest expense totaled $1,000 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to net interest income of $193,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Company recognized interest income of $1,218,000 from investment of the Company's accumulated cash balances during the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $1,443,000 in 2024.

Income tax expense was approximately $3,482,000, or 23.7% of total income before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2025. Income tax expense was approximately $4,182,000, or 23.9% of total income before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024.

The Company recorded net income for 2025 of $11,195,000 or $1.29 per diluted share, compared with net income of $13,299,000 or $1.51 per diluted share for 2024.

Comprehensive income totaled $12,841,000 in 2025, compared with comprehensive income of $10,290,000 in 2024. The increase was primarily related to increase of foreign currency hedges of $4,605,000 offset by decreases in net income of $2,104,000.

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2024 compared to 2023

Net sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 totaled $302,378,000 and $357,738,000, respectively. Included in total sales were tooling project sales of $11,286,000 and $10,363,000 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. These sales are sporadic in nature and fluctuate in regard to scope and related revenue on a period-to-period basis. Product sales, excluding tooling project sales, for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $291,092,000 compared to $347,375,000 for the same period in 2023. The decrease in sales is primarily the result of lower demand from customers in all of the Company's significant markets.

The Company's product sales for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period of 2023 by market are as follows (in thousands):

Gross margin was approximately 17.6% of sales for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared with 18.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The gross margin percentage decrease was due to lower fixed cost leverage of 1.4% and unfavorable product mix and production inefficiencies of 1.3% offset by net changes in selling price and raw material cost of 2.3%.

Selling, general and administrative expense ("SG&A") totaled $36,565,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024, which included severance expense of $1,294,000. Excluding severance expense, SG&A cost for the year ended December 31, 2024 totaled $35,271,000 compared to $37,983,000 in 2023. Decreased SG&A expenses resulted primarily from lower bonus, labor and benefits of $2,380,000 and lower stock compensation of $426,000, offset by higher foreign currency translation of $1,336,000.

Net interest income totaled $193,000 for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to net interest expense of $1,011,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company recognized interest income of $1,443,000 from investment of the Company's accumulated cash balances during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $357,000 in 2023.

Income tax expense was approximately $4,182,000, or 23.9% of total income before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024. Income tax expense was approximately $5,422,000, or 21.3% of total income before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in tax expense percentage year-over-year was due to increase in foreign taxes and permanent compensation differences, offset by foreign direct investment tax deduction.

The Company recorded net income for 2024 of $13,299,000 or $1.51 per diluted share, compared with net income of $20,324,000 or $2.31 per diluted share for 2023.

Comprehensive income totaled $10,290,000 in 2024, compared with comprehensive income of $22,572,000 in 2023. The decrease was primarily related to decreases in net income of $7,025,000, foreign currency hedges of $2,674,000, and post retirement benefit plan adjustments of $2,747,000.

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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Cash Flow

The Company’s primary sources of funds have been cash generated from operating activities and borrowings from third parties. Primary cash requirements are for operating expenses, capital expenditures, repayments of debt, and acquisitions. The Company from time to time will enter into foreign exchange contracts and interest rate swaps to mitigate risk of foreign exchange and interest rate volatility. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had outstanding foreign exchange contracts and interest rate swaps with notional amounts totaling $66,856,000 and $19,843,000, respectively. At December 31, 2024,

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