FOSTER L B CO (FSTR)

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

(Dollars in thousands, except share data)

Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Many of the forward-looking statements provide management's current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Sentences containing words such as “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “expect,” “should,” “could,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” or their negatives, or other similar expressions of a future or forward-looking nature generally should be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events that involve inherent risks and uncertainties and may concern, among other things, the Company’s expectations relating to our strategy, goals, projections, valuations and impairments, and plans regarding our financial position, liquidity, capital resources, results of operations and decisions regarding our strategic growth initiatives, market position, and product development. While the Company considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory, and other risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. The Company cautions readers that various factors could cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Among the factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are risks and uncertainties related to: adverse economic conditions in the markets we serve, including recession, the volatility in the prices for oil and gas, tariffs, duties or trade wars, inflation, rising labor costs, project delays, and budget shortfalls, or otherwise; the disruption of government funding programs as a result of potential periodic government shutdowns; volatility in the global capital markets, including interest rate fluctuations, which could adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets on terms that are favorable to us; restrictions on our ability to draw on our credit agreement, including as a result of any future inability to comply with restrictive covenants contained therein; a decrease in freight or transit rail traffic; a decrease in construction activity; environmental matters and the impact of environmental regulations, including any costs associated with any remediation and monitoring of such matters; the risk of doing business in international markets, including compliance with anti-corruption and bribery laws, foreign currency fluctuations and inflation, global shipping disruptions, the imposition of increased or new tariffs, and trade restrictions or embargoes, or uncertainties relating to the imposition and enforcement of tariffs; our ability to timely effectuate our strategy, including cost reduction initiatives, including but not limited to the exit of certain product lines in the UK-based Tew Engineering business, and our ability to effectively integrate acquired businesses or to divest businesses, and to realize anticipated synergies and benefits; costs of and impacts associated with shareholder activism; the timeliness, cost, and availability of materials from our major suppliers, as well as the impact on our access to supplies of customer preferences as to the origin of such supplies, such as customers’ concerns about conflict minerals; labor disputes; emerging technologies, including those related to or arising from artificial intelligence, and resultant risks to our business and operations; cybersecurity risks such as data security breaches, malware, ransomware, “hacking,” and identity theft, either with respect to our systems or those of third parties on whom we rely, which could disrupt our business and may result in misuse or misappropriation of confidential or proprietary information, and could result in the disruption or damage to our systems, increased costs and losses, or an adverse effect to our reputation, business or financial condition; the continuing effectiveness of our ongoing implementation of an enterprise resource planning system; changes in current accounting estimates and their ultimate outcomes; the adequacy of internal and external sources of funds to meet financing needs, including our ability to negotiate any additional necessary amendments to our credit agreement or the terms of any new credit agreement, the Company’s ability to manage its working capital requirements and indebtedness; domestic and international taxes, including estimates that may impact taxes; domestic and foreign government regulations, including tariffs; our ability to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures; any change in policy or other change due to the results of the UK’s parliamentary elections and the U.S. presidential and congressional elections that could affect UK or US business conditions; other geopolitical conditions, including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and increasing tensions between China and Taiwan; a lack of, freezing of, or delay in state or federal funding for infrastructure projects; an increase in manufacturing or material costs, including volatility in steel prices, oil prices, and wage inflation; the loss of future revenues from current customers; any future global health crises, and the related social, regulatory, and economic impacts and the response thereto by the Company, our employees, our customers, and national, state, or local governments, including any governmental travel restrictions; and risks inherent in litigation and the outcome of litigation and product warranty claims. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual outcomes could vary materially from those indicated. Significant risks and uncertainties that may affect the operations, performance, and results of the Company’s business and forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those set forth under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, or as updated and/or amended by our other current or periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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The forward-looking statements in this report are made as of the date of this report and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as required by the federal securities laws.

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General Overview and Business Update

L.B. Foster Company is a global technology solutions provider of products and services for the rail and infrastructure markets. The Company’s innovative engineering and product development solutions address the safety, reliability, and performance needs of its customers' most challenging requirements. The Company is organized and operates in two reporting segments: Rail, Technologies, and Services (“Rail”) and Infrastructure Solutions (“Infrastructure”).

Product Line Exits

On August 30, 2023, the Company announced the discontinuation of its Bridge Products grid deck product line which was reported in the Steel Products business unit within the Infrastructure segment. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, the product line had net sales of $498 and $999, respectively. The Company completed all customer obligations in 2025.

During the second quarter of 2025, the Company announced the discontinuation of its Automation and Materials Handling (“AMH”) product line which was reported in the Technology Services and Solutions business unit within the Rail segment (the “AMH Exit”). For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, AMH had net sales of $813 and $1,220, respectively. The Company incurred a total of $1,351 in exit costs associated with the AMH Exit, which included $655 in inventory and fixed asset write-downs, $507 in personnel expenses, and $189 in other exit costs. Exit costs of $1,085 were recorded in “Cost of goods sold” and $266 were recorded in “Selling and administrative expenses” within our Rail segment. The Company completed the remaining customer obligations in 2025 and all exit costs were incurred in the second quarter of 2025.

During the second quarter of 2026, the Company announced the discontinuation of certain product lines within our Tew Engineering business (the “Tew Exit”) which was reported in the Technology Services and Solutions business unit within the Rail segment. The decision to exit was due to the Company's initiatives to scale back unprofitable product lines in the United Kingdom. The product lines had net sales of $292 and $1,189 for the three months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, and $1,252 and $1,834 for the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. The Company expects to complete remaining customer obligations by 2027. The Company has recognized a total of $2,270 in exit costs associated with the Tew Exit, which included $1,059 in inventory write-downs, $1,159 in personnel expenses, and $52 in other exit costs during the quarter. Exit costs of $2,084 were recorded in “Cost of goods sold” and $186 were recorded in “Selling and administrative expenses” within our Rail segment. In addition to the Tew Exit costs, the Company incurred corporate costs recorded in “Selling and administrative expenses” of $292 related to the execution of strategic initiatives.

Results of Operations

Second Quarter 2026 Compared to Second Quarter 2025

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Results Summary

Net sales for the three months ended June 30, 2026 decreased $5,008, or 3.5%, from the prior year quarter, driven by lower sales in both segments. Rail net sales declined $3,961, or 5.2%, while Infrastructure declined $1,047,

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

(Dollars in thousands, except share data unless otherwise noted)

Our Business

L.B. Foster Company is a global technology solutions provider of products and services for the rail and infrastructure markets. The Company’s innovative engineering and product development solutions address the safety, reliability, and performance needs of its customers' most challenging requirements. The Company is organized and operates in two reporting segments: Rail, Technologies, and Services (“Rail”) and Infrastructure Solutions (“Infrastructure”).

Our financial statements presented herein are prepared using accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”). Throughout Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (the “MD&A”), we refer to measures used by management to evaluate performance. We also refer to a number of financial measures that are not defined under US GAAP, including Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement), funding capacity, new orders, net, and backlog. The explanation at the end of the MD&A provides the definition of these non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of funding capacity to its most directly comparable respective US GAAP financial measure is presented in the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section below.

Product Line Exits

On August 30, 2023, the Company announced the discontinuation of its Bridge Products grid deck product line (“Bridge Exit”) which was reported in the Steel Products business unit within the Infrastructure segment. The Bedford, PA based operations supporting the product line completed all customer obligations as of December 31, 2025. For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the product line had $1,637 and $3,700 in sales, respectively. The decision to exit the bridge grid deck product line was a result of a weak bridge grid deck market condition and outlook due to customer adoption of newer technologies replacing the grid deck solution.

During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company announced the discontinuation of its Automation and Materials Handling product line (the “AMH Exit”) which was reported in the Technology Services and Solutions business unit within the Rail segment. The decision to exit this product line was due to the Company's initiatives to scale back businesses in the United Kingdom. The Company completed all remaining customer obligations in 2025. This product line had net sales of $1,843 and $5,230 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company has incurred a total of $1,351 in exit costs associated with the AMH Exit, which included $615 in inventory write-offs, $40 in fixed asset write-offs, $507 in personnel expenses, and $189 in other exit costs. Exit costs of $1,085 were recorded in “Cost of goods sold” and $266 were recorded in “Selling and administrative expenses” within our Rail segment. The Company does not expect to incur additional material exit costs associated with the AMH Exit.

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Full Year Results Comparison

Results of Operations

Fiscal 2025 Compared to Fiscal 2024 — Company Analysis

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased $9,244, or 1.7%, over the prior year. Infrastructure net sales improved $30,387, or 14.9%, over the prior year due to volume increases in both business units. Rail net sales declined $21,143, or 6.5% from the prior year due to softer demand for Rail Products in early 2025, as well as right-sizing activities and overall commercial weakness in the UK Rail business.

Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2025 declined $4,310, or 3.7%, from the prior year, and gross profit margins declined 110 basis points to 21.1%. The decline in gross profit was driven by Rail which declined $10,139 primarily due to lower sales volumes and weakness in the UK Rail business coupled with lower volumes for Rail Products. Rail gross profit was also impacted in 2025 by $1,085 of AMH Exit costs and $953 of costs associated with restructuring actions taken in the fourth quarter related to the UK businesses. Infrastructure gross profit improved $5,829 due to improved volumes in both business units and favorable business mix in Steel Products, partially offset by increased manufacturing costs in the Precast Concrete business including $2,246 in start up costs associated with our new precast facility in Florida. The prior year gross profit included a $815 gain realized on a facility sale.

Selling and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased $7,842, or 8.1%, from the prior year. The decrease was primarily attributed to declines of $3,037 in personnel costs, $988 in travel and entertainment costs, $1,053 in insurance costs, $1,834 in professional services costs, and $1,173 in legal costs. These declines were offset in part by an increase of $243 in restructuring charges. Selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales declined 180 basis points to 16.4% in 2025.

The $3,477 gain on sale of the former joint venture facility for the year ended December 31, 2024 was attributed to the Company's facility and land in Magnolia, Texas.

Amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased $1,317, or 28.5%, from the prior year due to acquired intangible assets becoming fully amortized during the year.

Other (income) expense - net was favorable by $1,496 compared to the prior year. Other expense - net for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributable to $1,722 of pension termination costs associated with the termination of the frozen L.B. Foster Company Merged Retirement Plan in the US.

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The Company’s effective income tax rate for 2025 was 57.4%, compared to (196.6)% in the prior year period. The Company's 2025 effective income tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to the impact of pre-tax losses in the United Kingdom, for which no income tax benefit was recognized due to a valuation allowance. The Company's 2024 effective income tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to the change in valuation allowance previously recorded against certain U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets. For further discussion on the valuation allowance, refer to Note 13 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Net income attributable to the Company for the year ended December 31, 2025 was unfavorable by $35,401 from the prior year period. The change in net income attributable to the Company was due primarily to a $31,937 favorable tax valuation allowance adjustment in 2024 and a higher effective tax rate in 2025 largely driven by the impact of pre-tax losses in the United Kingdom, for which no income tax benefit was recognized due to a valuation allowance, partially offset by improved operating income for the year ended December 31, 2025.

Results of Operations — Segment Analysis

Rail, Technologies, and Services

Rail net sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased $21,143, or 6.5%, from the prior year. The decrease was primarily due to softer demand in the first half of the year for the Rail Products business unit which decreased $19,441, or 9.4%, from the prior year. Technology Services and Solutions net sales decreased $14,231, or 26.8%, due to right-sizing activities and overall commercial weakness in the UK Rail business. Global Friction Management net sales improved $12,529, or 19.0%, over the prior year due to improved demand in markets served.

Rail gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased $10,139, or 14.0%, from the prior year and gross margins declined 180 basis points to 20.4%. The Rail Products business unit gross profit declined $2,561 due to lower volumes. The Technology Services and Solutions business unit gross profit declined $13,497 due to lower sales volumes, higher costs, unfavorable mix, and $1,085 of costs associated with the AMH Exit and $953 of costs associated with fourth quarter restructuring actions taken in the UK businesses. Partially offsetting these declines was an improvement in Global Friction Management gross profit of $5,919 over the prior year due to higher volumes and favorable mix.

Rail operating income for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased $6,320, or 28.8%, from the prior year. The decrease was driven by the decline in gross profit, partially offset by decreases in selling and administrative expenses of $2,600 due to lower personnel costs and amortization expense of $1,219.

For the year ended December 31, 2025, Rail had new orders, net of $338,039, an increase of $29,645 over the prior year. The increase was due to a 45.5% improvement in the Technology Services and Solutions business unit due to a large, multi-year order received in the UK business, a 16.8% improvement in the Global Friction Management business unit, and a 0.7% improvement in the Rail Product business unit. Backlog as of December 31, 2025 was $96,980, an increase of $34,531, or 55.3%, over the prior year. The increase was due to a 114.0% improvement in the Technology Services and Solutions business unit, a 68.8% improvement in the Global Friction Management business unit, and a 29.5% improvement in the Rail Products business unit.

Infrastructure Solutions

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