Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q3 Earnings

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Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q3 Earnings

In This Article:

Safety and security company Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q3 CY2024, but sales rose 6.2% year on year to $474.2 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.88 per share was 5.3% above analysts’ consensus estimates.

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Federal Signal (FSS) Q3 CY2024 Highlights:

  • Revenue: $474.2 million vs analyst estimates of $481.7 million (1.6% miss)

  • Adjusted EPS: $0.88 vs analyst estimates of $0.84 (5.3% beat)

  • EBITDA: $93 million vs analyst estimates of $89.23 million (4.2% beat)

  • Management raised its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $3.35 at the midpoint, a 2.3% increase

  • Gross Margin (GAAP): 29.6%, up from 26.4% in the same quarter last year

  • Operating Margin: 16%, up from 14% in the same quarter last year

  • EBITDA Margin: 19.6%, up from 17.6% in the same quarter last year

  • Free Cash Flow Margin: 12.8%, up from 9.5% in the same quarter last year

  • Backlog: $1.03 billion at quarter end, up 2.4% year on year

  • Market Capitalization: $5.18 billion

"With our teams' continued focus on operational execution and serving our customers, our businesses were able to deliver 6% year-over-year organic net sales growth, double-digit earnings improvement, gross margin expansion, and a 200-basis point increase in adjusted EBITDA margin during the third quarter," commented Jennifer L. Sherman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Company Overview

Developing sirens that warned of air raid attacks or fallout during the Cold War, Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) provides safety and emergency equipment for government agencies, municipalities, and industrial companies.

Heavy Transportation Equipment

Heavy transportation equipment companies are investing in automated vehicles that increase efficiencies and connected machinery that collects actionable data. Some are also developing electric vehicles and mobility solutions to address customers’ concerns about carbon emissions, creating new sales opportunities. Additionally, they are increasingly offering automated equipment that increases efficiencies and connected machinery that collects actionable data. On the other hand, heavy transportation equipment companies are at the whim of economic cycles. Interest rates, for example, can greatly impact the construction and transport volumes that drive demand for these companies’ offerings.

Sales Growth

Reviewing a company’s long-term performance can reveal insights into its business quality. Any business can have short-term success, but a top-tier one sustains growth for years. Luckily, Federal Signal’s sales grew at a decent 8.9% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years. This is a useful starting point for our analysis.