| | | | | |
| Item 2. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the historical financial statements and other financial information included elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections about our industry, business and future financial results. Our actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to the effects of changes in U.S. trade policy and trade agreements, along with increased tariffs as well as those discussed in the sections of our annual report entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors,” and those discussed in our Form 10-Q quarterly reports filed after such annual report (such as in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”)
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
MSA Safety Incorporated is the global leader in advanced industrial safety technology products and solutions. Driven by its singular mission of safety, the Company has been at the forefront of safety innovation since 1914, protecting workers and facility infrastructure around the world across a broad range of diverse end markets while creating sustainable value for shareholders. MSA Safety operates through its Accelerate strategy, leveraging the MSA Business System (MBS) to drive continuous improvement, profitable above-market growth, and balanced capital allocation within a high-performance culture.
The Company's comprehensive products and solutions, governed by rigorous safety standards across highly regulated industries, are used across a broad range of markets, including fire service, energy, utilities, construction, and industrial manufacturing, as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (“HVAC-R”). The Company's principal product categories are detection, fire service, and industrial personal protective equipment (“PPE”).
Detection includes fixed gas and flame detection (“FGFD”) systems and portable gas detection instruments; fire service includes self-contained breathing apparatus (“SCBA”), protective apparel and helmets; and industrial PPE includes industrial head protection and fall protection devices. In addition to its principal product categories, MSA continues to deploy and expand its MSA+™ ecosystem, a sophisticated Hardware-enabled Software-as-a-Service ("HeSaaS") model that provides a turnkey approach by integrating MSA’s hardware with cloud-based software and support services, while delivering recurring revenue.
A detailed listing of our significant product offerings in the aforementioned product groups above is included in MSA's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
We tailor our product and solution offerings and distribution strategy to satisfy distinct customer preferences that vary across geographic regions. To best serve these customer preferences, we have organized our business into four geographical operating segments that are aggregated into two reportable segments: Americas and International.
Americas. Our largest manufacturing and research and development facilities are located in the United States. We serve our markets across the Americas with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. Operations in the other countries within the Americas segment focus primarily on sales and distribution in their respective home country markets.
International. Our International segment includes companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”) and the Asia Pacific region. In our largest International subsidiaries (in Germany, France, U.K., Ireland and China), we develop, manufacture and sell a wide variety of products. In China, the products manufactured are sold primarily in China as well as in regional markets. Operations in other International segment countries focus primarily on sales and distribution in their respective home country markets. Although some of these companies may perform limited production, most of their sales are of products manufactured in our plants in Germany, France, the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Mexico, Morocco and China or are purchased from third-party vendors.
Corporate. Corporate expenses not allocated to the reportable segments consist of general and administrative expenses incurred in our corporate headquarters, costs associated with corporate development initiatives, legal expense, interest expense, foreign exchange gains or losses and other centrally-managed costs. General and administrative costs and overhead comprise the majority of the corporate related expenses.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Three Months Ended June 30, 2026, Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2025
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net Sales | Three Months Ended June 30, | | Dollar Increase | | Percent Increase |
| (In millions, except percentage change) | 2026 | | 2025 | |
| Consolidated | $503.3 | | $474.1 | | $29.2 | | 6.2% |
| Americas | 341.4 | | 320.1 | | 21.3 | | 6.7% |
| International | 161.9 | | 154.0 | | 7.9 | | 5.1% |
Net Sales. Net sales for the three months ended June 30, 2026, were $503.3 million, an increase of $29.2 million, or 6.2%, compared to $474.1 million in the same period of 2025. Please refer to the Net Sales table below for a reconciliation of the quarter over quarter sales change.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net Sales | Three Months Ended June 30, 2026 versus June 30, 2025 |
| (Percent Change) | Americas | International | Consolidated |
| GAAP reported sales change | 6.7% | 5.1% | 6.2% |
| Currency translation effects | (1.5)% | (2.4)% | (1.8)% |
| Less: Acquisitions | (0.7)% | (2.4)% | (1.2)% |
| Organic sales change | 4.5% | 0.3% | 3.2% |
Note: Organic sales change is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below. |
Net sales for the Americas segment were $341.4 million in the second quarter of 2026, an increase of $21.3 million, or 6.7%, compared to $320.1 million in the same period of 2025. Organic sales in the Americas segment increased 4.5% during the period, driven by double-digit growth in industrial PPE and high-single digit growth in detection partially offset by a decrease in fire service due to delayed Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) funding. M&C added $1.9 million of sales to the Americas segment during the period as compared to prior year.
Net sales for the International segment were $161.9 million in the second quarter of 2026, an increase of $7.9 million, or 5.1%, compared to $154.0 million in the same period of 2025. Organic sales in the International segment increased 0.3% during the period as double-digit growth in industrial PPE, primarily due to higher protective ballistic helmet sales in Europe, was mostly offset by a decline in detection largely driven by the conflict in the Middle East. Sales in fire service were consistent with prior year. M&C added $3.7 million of sales to the International segment during the period as compared to prior year.
The operating environment continues to be dynamic with continued macroeconomic, tariff and geopolitical uncertainty, particularly surrounding the conflict in the Middle East, and continued delays in 2025 AFG related fire service orders. We are maintaining our mid-single-digit organic sales growth outlook for full-year 2026. Strategic pricing actions in 2025 and 2026, along with moderate volume growth, support our outlook. Overall backlog remains healthy, supported by a double-digit year-over-year order increase in the quarter, and we have strong order momentum and second half demand pipeline, particularly in U.S. fire service. We are also projecting a mid-single-digit contribution from acquisitions.
Refer to Note 9—Segment Information to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I Item 1 of this Form 10-Q, for information regarding sales by product group.
Gross profit. Gross profit for the second quarter of 2026 was $249.3 million, an increase of $28.6 million or 12.9%, compared to $220.7 million in the same period of 2025. The ratio of gross profit to net sales was 49.5% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to 46.6% in the same quarter last year. The increase in gross profit margin reflects the strength of our MSA business system including price realization, productivity, and value added engineering efforts as well as favorable transactional foreign currency, and tariff refunds partially offset by inflation.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $114.1 million during the second quarter of 2026, an increase of $2.0 million or 1.8%, compared to $112.1 million in the same period of 2025. SG&A expenses were 22.7% of net sales during the second quarter of 2026 compared to 23.6% in the same quarter last year. SG&A for 2026 includes $2.0 million of additional expenses associated with M&C operations as compared to the prior year. SG&A also includes $1.7 million and $6.6 million of strategic transaction costs for the second quarter of 2026 and 2025, respectively. Organic SG&A increased by approximately $3.4 million or 3.2%, driven primarily by higher variable compensation and inflation, partially offset by discretionary expense management.
Please refer to the SG&A expenses table below for a reconciliation of the quarter over quarter expense change.
| | | | | |
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | Three Months Ended June 30, 2026, versus June 30, 2025 |
| (Percent Change) | Consolidated |
| GAAP reported change | 1.8% |
| Currency translation effects | (1.5)% |
| Acquisitions and related strategic transaction costs | 2.9% |
| Organic change | 3.2% |
Note: Organic SG&A change is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below. |
Research and development expense. Research and development expense was $19.2 million during the second quarter of 2026, an increase of $2.2 million, compared to $17.0 million in the same period of 2025. Research and development expense was 3.8% of net sales in the second quarter of 2026 and 3.6% in the second quarter of 2025.
During the second quarter of 2026 and 2025, we capitalized $3.7 million and $3.4 million of software development costs, respectively. Depreciation expense for capitalized software development costs of $3.3 million and $3.1 million for the second quarter of 2026 and 2025, respectively, was recorded in Costs of products sold on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
The Company's commitment to innovation is supported by a research and development pipeline focused on integrating advanced technology into core safety equipment. Approximately half of MSA’s R&D engineers are now focused on software development to support the expansion of its connected ecosystems and HeSaaS models. As we continue to invest a significant portion of our new product development into technology-based safety solutions, we anticipate that the historical relationship of research and development expense to net sales will continue to evolve; however, we do not anticipate reductions in the relative level of total spend on research and development activities on an annual basis. Total spend on both software development and research and development activities was $22.9 million and $20.4 million during the second quarter of June 30, 2026, and 2025, respectively.
Restructuring charges. Restructuring charges were $2.2 million and $0.5 million during the second quarter of 2026 and 2025, respectively. Charges in both periods were primarily related to initiatives to right-size the organization in response to macroeconomic conditions and footprint optimization.
Currency exchange. Currency exchange losses were $1.9 million in the second quarter of 2026 compared to $5.3 million in the same period of 2025. The currency exchange activity for both periods related primarily to foreign currency exposure on unsettled inter-company balances. Refer to Note 17—Derivative Financial Instruments to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I Item 1 of this Form 10-Q, for information regarding our currency exchange rate risk management strategy.
GAAP operating income. Consolidated operating income for the second quarter of 2026 was $112.0 million compared to $85.9 million in same period of 2025. The increase in operating income was primarily driven by higher gross profit and lower currency exchange losses partially offset by higher SG&A and restructuring charges as discussed further above.
Adjusted operating income. Americas adjusted operating income for the second quarter of 2026 was $109.1 million, an increase of $15.8 million or 16.9% compared to $93.3 million in the same period of 2025. The increase in adjusted operating income is primarily attributable to attributable to increased sales and higher gross profit driven by price realization, productivity, favorable transactional foreign currency, and tariff refunds, partially offset by higher SG&A expenses.
International adjusted operating income for the second quarter of 2026 was $25.1 million, an increase of $4.9 million, or 24.3%, compared to $20.2 million in the same period of 2025. The increase in adjusted operating income is attributable to higher gross profit driven by increased sales, productivity and favorable transactional foreign currency partially offset by higher SG&A expenses.
Corporate expenses for the second quarter of 2026 was $13.0 million, an increase of $1.0 million, compared to $12.0 million in the same period of 2025, driven by higher variable compensation and professional service fees, partially offset by discretionary expense management.
The following tables present a summary of adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted operating margin %, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA % by reportable segment. Adjusted operating margin % is calculated as adjusted operating income (loss) divided by net sales and adjusted EBITDA margin % is calculated as adjusted EBITDA divided by net sales.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (In thousands) | Americas | | International | Total Reportable Segments | | Corporate | | Consolidated |
Three months ended June 30, 2026 | | | | | | | | |
| Net sales | $ | 341,451 | | | $ | 161,876 | | $ | 503,327 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 503,327 | |
| GAAP operating income | | | | | | | | 111,959 | |
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | 109,095 | | | 25,061 | | 134,156 | | | (13,038) | | | 121,118 | |
| Adjusted operating margin % | 32.0 | % | | 15.5 | % | 26.7 | % | | | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 119,294 | | | 30,147 | | 149,441 | | | (13,038) | | | 136,403 | |
| Adjusted EBITDA % | 34.9 | % | | 18.6 | % | 29.7 | % | | | | |
Three months ended June 30, 2025 | | | | | | | | |
| Net sales | $ | 320,139 | | | $ | 153,977 | | $ | 474,116 | | | $ | — | | | $ | 474,116 | |
| GAAP operating income | | | | | | | | 85,862 | |
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | 93,320 | | | 20,158 | | 113,478 | | | (12,044) | | | 101,434 | |
| Adjusted operating margin % | 29.1 | % | | 13.1 | % | 23.9 | % | | | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 103,366 | | | 24,661 | | 128,027 | | | (11,514) | | | 116,513 | |
| Adjusted EBITDA % | 32.3 | % | | 16.0 | % | 27.0 | % | | | | |
Note: Adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted operating margin %, adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin % are non-GAAP financial measures and operating ratios derived from non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to Note 9—Segment Information to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I Item 1 of this Form 10-Q for reconciliation of total adjusted operating income from reportable segments to income before income taxes and table below for reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net income. See also the “Non-GAAP Financial Information” section below. |
A reconciliation of total adjusted EBITDA and total adjusted operating income from reportable segments to net income is presented in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Three Months Ended June 30, |
| (In thousands) | 2026 | | 2025 |
| Adjusted EBITDA from reportable segments | $ | 149,441 | | | $ | 128,027 | |
| Less: | | | |
| Depreciation and amortization | 15,285 | | | 14,549 | |
| Adjusted operating income from reportable segments | $ | 134,156 | | | $ | 113,478 | |
| Less: | | | |
| Corporate Expenses | 13,038 | | | 12,044 | |
| Currency exchange losses, net | 1,896 | | | 5,286 | |
| Restructuring charges (Note 4) | 2,209 | | | 488 | |
| Acquisition-related amortization | 3,377 | | | 3,153 | |
Transaction costs(a) | 1,677 | | | 6,645 | |
| | | |
| GAAP operating income | $ | 111,959 | | | $ | 85,862 | |
| Less: | | | |
| Interest expense | 7,951 | | | 8,116 | |
| Other income, net | (7,379) | | | (5,000) | |
| Income before income taxes | 111,387 | | | 82,746 | |
| Provision for income taxes | 25,193 | | | 19,973 | |
| Net income | $ | 86,194 | | | $ | 62,773 | |
(a)Transaction costs include advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees incurred during our evaluation or in connection with acquisitions and divestitures. These costs are included in Selling, general and administrative expense in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. |
| | | |
Total other expense, net. Total other expense for the second quarter of 2026 was $0.6 million, compared to $3.1 million for the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily related to increased pension income, a result of higher expected return on plan assets, and to a lesser extent slightly lower interest expense.
Income taxes. The reported effective tax rate for the second quarter of 2026 was 22.6% compared to 24.1% in the same period of 2025. The decrease from the prior year was primarily driven by benefits associated with the finalization of initial global minimum corporate tax return filings (referred to as Pillar 2).
We are subject to regular review and audit by both foreign and domestic tax authorities. While we believe our tax positions will be sustained, the final outcome of tax audits and related litigation may differ materially from the tax amounts recorded in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
Net income. Net income was $86.2 million for the second quarter of 2026, or $2.23 per diluted share, an increase of approximately 40%, compared to $62.8 million, or $1.59 per diluted share, in the same period of 2025.
Six Months Ended June 30, 2026, Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2025
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net Sales | Six Months Ended June 30, | | Dollar Increase | | Percent Increase |
| (In millions, except percentage change) | 2026 | | 2025 | |
| Consolidated | $967.0 | | $895.5 | | $71.5 | | 8.0% |
| Americas | 666.7 | | 613.3 | | 53.4 | | 8.7% |
| International | 300.3 | | 282.2 | | 18.1 | | 6.4% |
Net Sales. Net sales for the six months ended June 30, 2026, were $967.0 million, an increase of $71.5 million, or 8.0%, compared to $895.5 million in the same period of 2025. Please refer to the Net Sales table for a reconciliation of the period over period sales change.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net Sales | Six Months Ended June 30, 2026, versus June 30, 2025 |
| (Percent Change) | Americas | International | Consolidated |
| GAAP reported sales change | 8.7% | 6.4% | 8.0% |
| Currency translation effects | (1.7)% | (4.7)% | (2.7)% |
| Acquisitions | (1.2)% | (4.7)% | (2.3)% |
| Organic change | 5.8% | (3.0)% | 3.0% |
Note: Organic sales change is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below.
Net sales for the Americas segment were $666.7 million in the six months ended June 30, 2026, an increase of $53.4 million, or 8.7%, compared to $613.3 million in the same period of 2025. Organic sales in the Americas segment increased 5.8% during the period, driven by growth in all three product groups with high single digit expansion in both detection and industrial PPE. M&C added $7.3 million of sales to the Americas segment during the period as compared to prior year.
Net sales for the International segment were $300.3 million in the six months ended June 30, 2026, an increase of $18.1 million, or 6.4%, compared to $282.2 million in the same period of 2025. Organic sales in the International segment decreased 3.0% during the period, resulting from declines in detection and fire service largely driven by order timing, economic conditions in Europe, and the conflict in the Middle East, partially offset by growth in industrial PPE, primarily due to higher protective ballistic helmet sales in Europe. M&C added $13.3 million of sales to the International segment during the period as compared to prior year.
Refer to Note 9—Segment Information to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I Item 1 of this Form 10-Q, for information regarding sales by product group.
Gross profit. Gross profit for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was $468.9 million, an increase of $54.8 million or 13.2%, compared to $414.1 million in the same period of 2025. The ratio of gross profit to net sales was 48.5% during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to 46.2% in the same period of 2025. The increase in gross profit margin is primarily related to price realization, productivity, product mix, and favorable transactional foreign currency, partially offset by higher net tariffs and inflation and additional amortization related to the M&C acquisition.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $221.8 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, an increase of $15.8 million or 7.6%, compared to $206.0 million in the same period of 2025. Overall, SG&A expenses were 22.9% of net sales during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to 23.0% of net sales in the same period of 2025. SG&A for 2026 includes $8.0 million of additional expenses associated with M&C operations as compared to the prior year. SG&A also includes $3.9 million and $8.1 million of strategic transaction costs in the six months ended 2026 and 2025, respectively. Organic SG&A increased $7.7 million or 3.9%, driven primarily by higher variable compensation, higher professional service costs, and inflation, partially offset by discretionary expense management.
Please refer to the selling, general, and administrative expenses table for a reconciliation of the period over period expense change.
| | | | | |
| Selling, general, and administrative expenses | Six Months Ended June 30, 2026, versus June 30, 2025 |
| (Percent Change) | Consolidated |
| GAAP reported change | 7.6% |
| Currency translation effects | (2.3)% |
| Acquisitions and related strategic transaction costs | (1.4)% |
| Organic change | 3.9% |
Note: Organic SG&A change is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below. |
Research and development expense. Research and development expense was $35.5 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, an increase of $2.8 million, compared to $32.7 million in the same period of 2025. Research and development expense was 3.7% of net sales in the six months ended June 30, 2026, and 3.6% of net sales in the same period of 2025.
During the six months ended June 30, 2026, and 2025, we capitalized $7.9 million and $6.7 million of software development costs, respectively. Amortization expense for capitalized software development costs of $6.6 million and $6.0 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, and 2025, respectively, was recorded in costs of products sold on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
The Company's commitment to innovation is supported by a research and development pipeline focused on integrating advanced technology into core safety equipment. Approximately half of MSA’s R&D engineers are now focused on software development to support the expansion of its connected ecosystems and HeSaaS models. As we continue to invest a significant portion of our new product development into technology-based safety solutions, we anticipate that the historical relationship of research and development expense to net sales will continue to evolve; however, we do not anticipate reductions in the relative level of total spend on research and development activities on an annual basis. Total spend on both software development and research and development activities was $43.4 million and $39.4 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, and 2025, respectively.
Restructuring charges. Restructuring charges of $4.5 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, were primarily related to management restructuring, footprint optimization, and other ongoing initiatives to right-size the organization in response to macroeconomic conditions. Restructuring charges of $2.4 million in the same period of 2025 were primarily related to initiatives to right-size the organization in response to macroeconomic conditions, optimize our manufacturing footprint, and improve productivity.
Currency exchange losses, net. Currency exchange losses were $2.1 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to $9.4 million in the same period of 2025. The currency exchange activity for both periods related primarily to foreign currency exposure on unsettled inter-company balances. Refer to Note 17—Derivative Financial Instruments to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I Item 1 of this Form 10-Q, for information regarding our currency exchange rate risk management strategy.
GAAP operating income. Consolidated operating income for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was $205.0 million compared to $163.6 million in the same period of 2025. The increase in operating results was primarily driven by higher gross profit and lower currency exchange losses, partially offset by higher SG&A and restructuring charges as discussed further above.
Adjusted operating income. Americas adjusted operating income for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was $207.2 million, an increase of $35.2 million, or 20.5%, compared to $172.0 million in the same period of 2025. The increase in adjusted operating income is attributable to increased sales and higher gross profit driven by price realization, productivity, and favorable transactional foreign currency, partially offset by higher SG&A expenses.
International adjusted operating income was $39.6 million, an increase of $0.7 million, or 1.9%, compared to $38.9 million in the same period of 2025. The increase was driven by increased sales and the contribution from M&C.
Corporate expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was $24.6 million, an increase of $2.7 million compared to $21.9 million in the same period of 2025, driven by increased variable compensation, increased professional service fees and inflation, partially offset by discretionary expense management.
The following tables present a summary of adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted operating margin %, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA %. Adjusted operating margin % is calculated as adjusted operating income (loss) divided by net sales and adjusted EBITDA margin % is calculated as adjusted EBITDA divided by net sales.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (In thousands) | Americas | | International | | Total Reportable Segments | | Corporate | | Consolidated |
Six months ended June 30, 2026 | | | | | | | | | |
| Net sales | $ | 666,689 | | | $ | 300,270 | | | $ | 966,959 | | | | | $ | 966,959 | |
| GAAP operating income | | | | | | | | | 204,973 | |
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | 207,220 | | | 39,593 | | | 246,813 | | | (24,574) | | | 222,239 | |
| Adjusted operating margin % | 31.1 | % | | 13.2 | % | | 25.5 | % | | | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 227,612 | | | 49,669 | | | 277,281 | | | (24,574) | | | 252,707 | |
| Adjusted EBITDA % | 34.1 | % | | 16.5 | % | | 28.7 | % | | | | |
Six months ended June 30, 2025 | | | | | | | | | |
| Net sales | $ | 613,299 | | | $ | 282,157 | | | $ | 895,456 | | | | | $ | 895,456 | |
| GAAP operating income | | | | | | | | | 163,623 | |
| Adjusted operating income (loss) | 172,014 | | | 38,866 | | | 210,880 | | | (21,944) | | | 188,936 | |
| Adjusted operating margin % | 28.0 | % | | 13.8 | % | | 23.6 | % | | | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA | 191,779 | | | 47,387 | | | 239,166 | | | (21,187) | | | 217,979 | |
| Adjusted EBITDA % | 31.3 | % | | 16.8 | % | | 26.7 | % | | | | |
Note: Adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted operating margin %, adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin % are non-GAAP financial measures and operating ratios derived from non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to Note 9—Segment Information to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I Item 1 of this Form 10-Q for reconciliation of total adjusted operating income from reportable segments to income before income taxes and table below for reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net income. See also the “Non-GAAP Financial Information” section below. |
A reconciliation of total adjusted EBITDA and total adjusted operating income from reportable segments to net income is presented in the following table: | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Six Months Ended June 30, |
| (In thousands) | 2026 | | 2025 |
| Adjusted EBITDA from reportable segments | $ | 277,281 | | | $ | 239,166 | |
| Less: | | | |
| Depreciation and amortization | 30,468 | | | 28,286 | |
| Adjusted operating income from reportable segments | $ | 246,813 | | | $ | 210,880 | |
| Less: | | | |
| Corporate expenses | 24,574 | | | 21,944 | |
| Currency exchange losses, net | 2,095 | | | 9,363 | |
| Restructuring charges (Note 4) | 4,538 | | | 2,412 | |
| Acquisition-related amortization | 6,769 | | | 5,439 | |
Transaction costs(a) | 3,864 | | | 8,099 | |
| | | |
| GAAP operating income | $ | 204,973 | | | $ | 163,623 | |
| Less: | | | |
| Interest expense | 15,654 | | | 14,951 | |
| Other income, net | (15,060) | | | (12,022) | |
| Income before income taxes | 204,379 | | | 160,694 | |
| Provision for income taxes | 46,916 | | | 38,316 | |
| Net income | $ | 157,463 | | | $ | 122,378 | |
(a)Transaction costs include advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees incurred during our evaluation of or in connection with acquisitions and divestitures. These costs are included in Selling, general and administrative expense in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. |
Total other expense, net. Total other expense for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was $0.6 million, compared to $2.9 million in the same period of 2025. The decrease was primarily related to increased pension income, a result of higher expected return on plan assets, which was partially offset by higher interest expense.
Income taxes. The reported effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was 23.0% compared to 23.8% in the same period of 2025. The decrease from the prior year was primarily driven by additional benefits associated with the finalization of initial global minimum corporate tax return filings (referred to as Pillar 2).
We are subject to regular review and audit by both foreign and domestic tax authorities. While we believe our tax positions will be sustained, the final outcome of tax audits and related litigation may differ materially from the tax amounts recorded in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
Net income. Net income was $157.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2026, or $4.05 per diluted share, an increase of approximately 30%, compared to net income of $122.4 million, or $3.10 per diluted share, in the same period of 2025.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This report includes certain non-GAAP financial measures and operating ratios derived from non-GAAP financial measures. These financial measures and ratios include organic (referred to in our historical filings as constant currency) sales change, organic SG&A change, adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin %, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA margin %.
Organic sales and SG&A change are non-GAAP financial measures provided by the Company to give a better understanding of the Company's underlying business performance. Organic sales and SG&A change are calculated by deducting the percentage impact from currency translation effects as well as the impact from acquisitions and divestitures completed in the preceding 12 months from the overall percentage change in net sales and SG&A. The Company believes that organic sales and SG&A change are useful metrics for investors, as foreign currency translation can have a material impact on revenue and SG&A trends. Organic sales and SG&A change highlight ongoing business performance, excluding the impact of fluctuating foreign currencies, acquisitions, and divestitures.
Adjusted operating income, adjusted operating margin %, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA margin % are non-GAAP financial measures and operating ratios derived from non-GAAP measures. Total reportable segment adjusted operating income is reconciled above to the nearest GAAP financial measure, operating income, and excludes restructuring, currency exchange, transaction costs, and acquisition-related amortization. Total reportable segment adjusted EBITDA is reconciled above to the nearest GAAP financial measure, net income, and, in addition to the items summarized above that are excluded from adjusted operating income (loss), excludes depreciation and amortization expense; interest expense; other income, net; and provision for income taxes. Adjusted operating margin % is defined as adjusted operating income (loss) divided by net sales to external customers and adjusted EBITDA margin % is defined as adjusted EBITDA divided by net sales to external customers. Management uses these measures internally to assess and better understand our underlying business performance and trends related to core business activities as well as to make strategic decisions about the business and allocate resources. Additionally, these non-GAAP financial measures provide information useful to investors in understanding our operating performance and trends, and to facilitate comparisons with the performance of our peers.
The non-GAAP financial measures and key performance indicators we use, and computational methods with respect thereto, may differ from the non-GAAP financial measures and key performance indicators, and computational methods, that our peers use to assess their performance and trends. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures does not comply with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplemental in nature, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, our reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our main source of liquidity is operating cash flows, supplemented by borrowings. Our principal liquidity requirements are for working capital, capital expenditures, principal and interest payments on debt, dividend payments and share repurchases. At June 30, 2026, approximately 48% of our long-term debt is at fixed interest rates with repayment schedules through 2036. The remainder of our long-term debt is at variable rates on an unsecured revolving credit facility due in 2030. At June 30, 2026, approximately 83% of our borrowings are denominated in U.S. dollars, which limits our exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations.
We believe MSA's healthy balance sheet and access to significant capital at June 30, 2026, positions us well to navigate through a dynamic operating environment and other unexpected events. We maintain a balanced capital deployment strategy that focuses on investing for organic growth and pursuing inorganic growth opportunities, returning cash to shareholders in the form of dividends, and share buybacks.
At June 30, 2026, the Company had cash and cash equivalents totaling $200.1 million. Cash and cash equivalents increased $35.0 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to decreasing $17.6 million during the same period in 2025. At June 30, 2026, $986.0 million of the existing $1.3 billion revolving credit facility was unused, including letters of credit issued under the facility. The facility also provides an accordion feature that allows the Company to access an additional $500.0 million of capacity pending approval by MSA’s board of directors and from the bank group. The Company also has access under the Prudential Note Agreement and NYL Note Facility, subject to the issuers' acceptance, to $195.0 million and $50.0 million aggregate principal amount, respectively, of senior unsecured notes.
Operating activities. Operating activities provided cash of $171.1 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to $129.1 million during the same period in 2025. The increased cash flow from operating activities was primarily related to higher operating results and lower cash used for variable compensation and other accruals as compared to the prior year.
Investing activities. Investing activities used cash of $23.2 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to using $227.9 million during the same period in 2025. Capital expenditures drove cash outflows from investing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2026. The acquisition of M&C for $187.7 million and capital expenditures, including a $19.6 million strategic footprint investment, drove the cash used in investing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2025. We remain committed to evaluating acquisition opportunities which would enable us to continue to grow in key end markets and geographies, and have a robust pipeline.
Financing activities. Financing activities used cash of $105.9 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to providing cash of $74.0 million during the same period in 2025. During the six months ended June 30, 2026, we had net proceeds on long-term debt of $20.8 million as compared to net proceeds of $165.2 million during the same period in 2025, used primarily to fund the M&C acquisition. We paid cash dividends of $41.4 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to $40.9 million in the same period in 2025. We used cash of $86.4 million during the six months ended June 30, 2026, to repurchase shares, including $76.1 million related to our share repurchase program, compared to $48.9 million in the same period in 2025, including $40.0 million related to our share repurchase program. The remainder in both periods related to our employee stock compensation programs.
CUMULATIVE TRANSLATION ADJUSTMENTS
The position of the U.S. dollar relative to international currencies, primarily the euro, at June 30, 2026, resulted in a translation loss of $8.3 million being recorded to the cumulative translation adjustments shareholders' equity account during the six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to a $66.7 million translation gain being recorded to the cumulative translation adjustments shareholders' equity account during the same period in 2025.
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
We made contributions of $4.5 million to our pension plans during the six months ended June 30, 2026. We expect to make net contributions between $8.0 million and $10.0 million to our pension plans in 2026, which are primarily associated with statutorily required plans in the International reporting segment.
The Company had outstanding bank guarantees and standby letters of credit with banks as of June 30, 2026, totaling $10.0 million, of which $1.5 million relate to the senior revolving credit facility. These letters of credit serve to cover customer requirements in connection with certain sales orders and insurance companies. The Company is also required to provide cash collateral in connection with certain arrangements. At June 30, 2026, the Company has $1.2 million of restricted cash in support of these arrangements.
We have purchase commitments for materials, supplies, services, and property, plant and equipment as part of our ordinary conduct of business.
Please refer to Note 19—Commitments and Contingencies to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I Item 1 of this Form 10-Q for further discussion on the Company's single incident and cumulative trauma product liabilities.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
We prepare our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the related disclosures. We evaluate these estimates and judgments on an on-going basis based on historical experience and various assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. However, different amounts could be reported if we had used different assumptions and in light of different facts and circumstances. Actual amounts could differ from the estimates and judgments reflected in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
The more critical judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are discussed in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.
RECENTLY ADOPTED AND RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
Refer to Note 1—Basis of Presentation to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I Item 1 of this Form 10-Q for further information regarding recently adopted and recently issued accounting standards.