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L. B. Foster Company (FSTR)
NASDAQ:FSTR

L. B. Foster Company (FSTR) AI Stock Analysis

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FSTR

L. B. Foster Company

(NASDAQ:FSTR)

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Neutral 57 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:57Neutral
Price Target:
$31.00
▼(-1.31% Downside)
Action:DowngradedDate:12/03/25
L.B. Foster's stock score is primarily influenced by its financial performance, which shows recovery signs but is hindered by weakened profitability margins and increased leverage. Technical analysis indicates a neutral trend, while valuation suggests potential overvaluation. The earnings call highlights growth potential in the infrastructure segment, despite challenges in the rail segment.
Positive Factors
Strong Cash Generation
Strong cash generation enhances financial flexibility, allowing the company to reduce debt and invest in growth opportunities, supporting long-term stability.
Increased Orders and Backlog
Rising orders and backlog indicate strong demand and future revenue potential, providing a solid foundation for sustained growth.
Sales Growth in Infrastructure Segment
Growth in the infrastructure segment reflects robust market demand and strengthens the company's position in a key business area, supporting long-term revenue expansion.
Negative Factors
Decreased Profitability
Decreased profitability can hinder reinvestment in the business and affect long-term competitive positioning, requiring strategic focus on cost management.
Higher Production Costs
Rising production costs reduce profit margins, potentially impacting the company's ability to maintain competitive pricing and invest in growth.
Decline in Rail Revenues
A decline in rail revenues suggests challenges in a key segment, which may affect overall growth and require strategic adjustments to regain momentum.

L. B. Foster Company (FSTR) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

L. B. Foster Company Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionL.B. Foster Company provides engineered and manufactured products and services for the building and infrastructure projects worldwide. The company's Rail, Technologies, and Services segment offers new rail to passenger and short line freight railroads, industrial companies, and rail contractors; used rails; rail accessories, including track spikes and anchors, bolts, angle bars, tie plates, and other products; power rail, direct fixation fasteners, coverboards, and special accessories; and trackwork products, as well as engineers and manufactures insulated rail joints and related accessories. This segment also provides friction management products and application systems, railroad condition monitoring systems and equipment, wheel impact load detection systems, wayside data collection and management systems, track fasteners, and engineered concrete railroad ties; and aftermarket services. Its Precast Concrete Products segment offers a range of specialty precast concrete products, such as sound walls, burial vaults, bridge beams, box culverts, septic tanks, and other custom pre-stressed products for use in transportation and general infrastructure markets. This segment also manufactures precast concrete buildings for use as restrooms, concession stands, and protective storage buildings in national, state, and municipal parks. The company's Steel Products and Measurement segment provides bridge decking, bridge railing, structural steel fabrications, expansion joints, bridge forms, and other products for highway construction and repair. This segment also produces threaded pipe products for industrial water well, irrigation, and oil and gas markets, as well as offers pipe coatings for oil and gas pipelines and utilities, and precision measurement systems for the oil and gas market. The company markets its products directly, as well as through a network of agents. L.B. Foster Company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
How the Company Makes MoneyL. B. Foster generates revenue primarily through the sale of its manufactured products and services in several key sectors, including rail, construction, and energy. The company has established multiple revenue streams, including the sale of rail track and accessories, precast concrete products, and energy-related solutions. Additionally, L. B. Foster engages in service contracts that provide ongoing maintenance and support for its infrastructure products. Strategic partnerships with various industry stakeholders, such as rail operators and construction firms, further enhance its revenue opportunities. The company also benefits from long-term contracts and a diverse customer base, which provide stability and predictability in its earnings.

L. B. Foster Company Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Backlog by Segment
Backlog by Segment
Measures the value of booked but unfilled orders for each segment, giving a view of near-term revenue visibility and demand strength. A rising backlog for L. B. Foster points to steady future work in specific markets; a shrinking backlog can signal cooling demand or execution issues that may pressure upcoming sales.
Chart InsightsL.B. Foster appears to be consolidating into Rail and Infrastructure: Precast and Steel backlogs drop to zero (likely divestitures/reclassification), while Rail backlog has rebounded sharply and recently surged, underpinning management’s higher book‑to‑bill and order commentary. Infrastructure remains a large pool but shows signs of softness and is exposed to cancellations and mix-driven margin pressure the company flagged. The backlog supports a potential revenue pop, but conversion risk and compressed margins mean growth may be lumpy and profit recovery isn’t assured.
Data provided by:The Fly

L. B. Foster Company Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Mar 03, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 12, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call highlights a strong finish to 2025 with robust Q4 revenue (+25.1%), substantial adjusted EBITDA growth (+89% Q4), solid cash generation and meaningful leverage reduction to ~1.0x. Infrastructure and Friction Management showed notable product and order momentum, and management provided constructive 2026 guidance (mid-single digit sales growth, double-digit EBITDA expansion, continued free cash flow). Offsetting these positives are margin pressure in Rail (notably the UK), restructuring and exit charges (~$3.6M of noted UK-related costs), a Summit order cancellation impacting Infrastructure backlog, and some near-term precast start‑up costs and tax impacts. On balance, the positive operational and financial improvements, stronger backlog/bookings, and clearer 2026 growth plan outweigh the headwinds from UK restructuring and select contract cancellations.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Q4 Revenue Growth
Net sales of $160.4M in Q4, up 25.1% YoY — the highest fourth quarter sales since 2018; Rail revenue +23.7% and Infrastructure revenue +27.3% in Q4.
Material EBITDA and Margin Leverage in Q4
Adjusted EBITDA of $13.7M in Q4, up $6.4M or 89% YoY driven by higher volumes and SG&A leverage; SG&A dollar reduction of $1.3M (‑5.2%) and SG&A as % of sales improved 470 bps to 14.4%.
Strong Cash Generation and Balance Sheet Improvement
Q4 operating cash flow of $22.2M; deployed $2.4M CapEx and $3.3M in stock repurchases; net debt reduced by $16.9M to $38.4M and gross leverage improved to ~1.0x (from 1.6x start of quarter).
Full-Year Profitability and Cash Flow Progress
2025 adjusted EBITDA $39.1M, up $5.5M YoY; operating cash flow $35.6M (+$13.0M YoY); free cash flow $25.2M; CapEx $10.4M (1.9% of sales).
Backlog, Orders and Book-to-Bill Momentum
Net new orders of $540.9M (+6.8% YoY) and year-end backlog $189.3M (+1.8% YoY). Trailing twelve-month book-to-bill ~1.0; Rail TTM book-to-bill ~1.11 driven by strong Q4 bookings.
Rail and Friction Management Recovery
Rail backlog up materially (Rail backlog up $34.5M YoY); Friction Management orders +58.4% in Q4 and full-year Friction Management sales +19% (all organic), supporting stronger 2026 Rail outlook.
Infrastructure Product Strength
Q4 steel product sales +58.2% with protective coatings up 206.5% in Q4 (and protective coatings +42.7% for full year 2025); precast concrete Q4 sales +18.7% and full-year precast growth 19.9% (organic).
Share Repurchases and Capital Allocation
2025 buybacks of $14.4M reduced shares by ~5.4%; repurchased ~121k shares for $3.3M in Q4; $28.7M remaining on the buyback authorization as of Feb 2025.
2026 Guidance Reflects Continued Improvement
Management guided to ~3.7% sales growth for 2026, adjusted EBITDA growth in the low double-digits (midpoint ~10–11%), FCF midpoint ~$20M, and higher targeted CapEx of ~2.7% of sales to support growth programs.
Negative Updates
Q4 Gross Margin Compression
Gross margin declined 260 basis points to 19.7% in Q4 despite higher gross profit (+10.6%), primarily due to weaker Rail margins linked to the UK TS&S business and unfavorable Rail sales mix.
Rail Segment Margin Pressure
Rail margins fell 440 basis points to 17.8% in Q4 due to lower volumes (earlier in the year), higher costs, unfavorable mix and a $1.0M restructuring charge; Rail full-year sales down 6.5% due to early‑2025 Doge-related U.S. government funding impacts.
UK Restructuring and Exit Costs
Q4 restructuring charges of $2.2M (split $1.0M in gross margin, $1.2M in SG&A) plus prior Q2 automated material handling exit costs of $1.4M; multi-year rightsizing in UK has pressured near-term results and taxes.
Infrastructure Backlog Decline Driven by Summit Cancellation
Infrastructure backlog down $31.1M YoY, largely due to a $19.0M Summit order cancellation and lower open orders for Bridgeforms and precast, creating lighter starting backlog for parts of 2026.
Precast Margin Headwinds and Start-up Costs
Precast margins weakened due to unfavorable sales mix and $600k in Q4 start‑up costs for a new Florida facility; full-year included approximately $2.2M of precast start‑up costs.
Higher Effective Tax Rate and Net Income Pressure
Year-over-year decline in net income driven by the absence of last year's federal valuation allowance release and a relatively higher effective tax rate in 2025 due to higher UK pretax losses that were not tax‑effective.
Seasonality and Early‑Year Working Capital
Management highlighted typical construction seasonality with Q1 historically weaker and seasonal working capital elevating debt early in the year; Infrastructure started 2026 with a lighter backlog than optimal.
Legacy Commercial Contract and Manufacturing Deleveraging
Q4 margin impacts included resolution of longer-term legacy commercial contracts and manufacturing deleverage in the UK as volumes declined during restructuring.
Company Guidance
Management guided 2026 for modest top-line growth and continued margin and cash improvement: they expect about 3.7% sales growth, adjusted EBITDA to expand roughly 10–11% (company cited mid‑range figures around 10.3%–11.1%), and free cash flow at a $20.0 million midpoint; capital spending is planned to rise to ~2.7% of sales (versus 1.9% in 2025) to fund precast growth, gross leverage is expected to remain near the 1.0x–1.5x target (FY2025 ended at ~1.0x) despite seasonal early‑year working capital, and year‑end backlog was $189.3 million (+1.8% YoY) — including Rail backlog +$34.5M and Infrastructure backlog -$31.1M — with backlog cited as ~15% higher in the first two months of 2026; management also noted $28.7 million remaining on the share repurchase authorization.

L. B. Foster Company Financial Statement Overview

Summary
L.B. Foster Company shows signs of recovery with positive revenue growth and improved cash flow generation. However, profitability margins have weakened, and leverage has increased. The company needs to focus on enhancing operational efficiency and maintaining a balanced financial structure to sustain growth.
Income Statement
65
Positive
The income statement shows a mixed performance. The TTM data indicates a gross profit margin of 21.81%, which is a slight improvement from previous years. However, the net profit margin has decreased significantly to 0.96% from 8.09% in the previous year. Revenue growth is positive at 16.2% TTM, indicating a recovery from the previous year's decline. EBIT and EBITDA margins have also decreased, suggesting pressure on operational efficiency.
Balance Sheet
70
Positive
The balance sheet reflects a moderate financial position. The debt-to-equity ratio has increased to 0.48 TTM, indicating a rise in leverage, but it remains manageable. Return on equity has dropped to 2.78% TTM, showing reduced profitability. The equity ratio is stable, suggesting a balanced asset structure.
Cash Flow
60
Neutral
Cash flow analysis reveals some challenges. Free cash flow growth is positive at 20.39% TTM, indicating improved cash generation. However, the operating cash flow to net income ratio is 0.54, suggesting that cash flows are not fully supporting net income. The free cash flow to net income ratio is high at 0.95, indicating efficient cash conversion despite profitability challenges.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue507.82M530.76M543.74M497.50M513.62M497.41M
Gross Profit110.73M118.06M112.04M89.61M86.30M95.01M
EBITDA29.03M33.52M21.73M9.12M21.43M31.32M
Net Income4.89M42.95M1.46M-45.56M3.63M7.58M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets333.89M334.55M312.40M365.31M342.60M370.39M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments3.51M2.45M2.56M2.88M10.37M7.56M
Total Debt84.43M61.65M67.14M106.04M43.53M58.54M
Total Liabilities158.29M155.54M169.57M227.71M158.99M193.56M
Stockholders Equity174.80M178.32M142.11M137.18M183.09M176.83M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow27.72M12.84M32.44M-18.21M-5.68M7.74M
Operating Cash Flow37.73M22.63M36.96M-10.58M-1.06M16.92M
Investing Cash Flow-10.36M-6.31M2.49M-56.42M17.82M-8.04M
Financing Cash Flow-27.28M-16.23M-39.30M60.24M-13.90M-15.30M

L. B. Foster Company Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price31.41
Price Trends
50DMA
29.77
Positive
100DMA
28.34
Positive
200DMA
25.84
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
0.47
Positive
RSI
54.19
Neutral
STOCH
84.49
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For FSTR, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 31.41 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 31.35, above the 50-day MA of 29.77, and above the 200-day MA of 25.84, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.47 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 54.19 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 84.49 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for FSTR.

L. B. Foster Company Risk Analysis

L. B. Foster Company disclosed 27 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. L. B. Foster Company reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

L. B. Foster Company Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
74
Outperform
$44.48B38.2411.01%0.46%4.40%14.60%
68
Neutral
$1.75B9.5012.54%2.71%-8.66%27.14%
63
Neutral
$10.79B15.437.44%2.01%2.89%-14.66%
62
Neutral
$258.71M-10.47-6.18%
57
Neutral
$329.04M37.052.74%-5.51%-88.11%
56
Neutral
$2.73B8.4424.37%4.34%-33.03%-44.18%
40
Underperform
$17.43M-1.46-74.03%
* Industrials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
FSTR
L. B. Foster Company
31.41
9.17
41.23%
RAIL
Freightcar America
13.48
5.58
70.63%
GBX
Greenbrier
56.73
2.94
5.47%
TRN
Trinity Industries
34.25
5.72
20.03%
WAB
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies
260.79
81.79
45.69%
RVSN
Rail Vision Ltd.
8.59
-6.26
-42.14%

L. B. Foster Company Corporate Events

Executive/Board Changes
L.B. Foster Announces Board Member Resignation
Neutral
Dec 15, 2025

On December 15, 2025, L.B. Foster Company announced the resignation of Alexander B. Jones from its Board of Directors, following the expiration of a Cooperation Agreement with 22NW Fund and related entities. The Board subsequently reduced its size from seven to six members. This decision was amicable and did not involve any disagreements regarding the company’s operations or policies. Both the company and 22NW expressed mutual appreciation for the partnership and contributions made during the agreement, with 22NW remaining supportive of the company’s future endeavors.

The most recent analyst rating on (FSTR) stock is a Hold with a $27.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on L. B. Foster Company stock, see the FSTR Stock Forecast page.

Executive/Board Changes
L.B. Foster Announces Executive Vice President’s Retirement
Neutral
Dec 5, 2025

L.B. Foster Company announced that Brian H. Kelly, Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor to the CEO, will retire on December 31, 2025. The company’s Compensation Committee has approved a Retirement Agreement that includes accelerated vesting of stock awards and performance share units, as well as payments under various company plans, contingent upon Mr. Kelly’s compliance with specific covenants.

The most recent analyst rating on (FSTR) stock is a Hold with a $27.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on L. B. Foster Company stock, see the FSTR Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Dec 03, 2025