Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the conference call to discuss Holley's third quarter 2025 earnings results. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that reproduction of this call in whole or in part is not permitted without written authorization of Holley. And as a reminder, this call is being recorded and will be made available for future playback. I would now like to introduce your host for today's call, Anthony Rozmus with Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Good morning, and welcome to Holley's Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. On the call with me today are President and Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Stevenson; and Chief Financial Officer, Jesse Weaver. This webcast and presentation materials, including non-GAAP reconciliations, are available on our Investor Relations website. Our discussion today includes forward-looking statements that are based on our best view of the world and of our businesses as we see them today and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the ones described in our SEC filings. This morning, we will review our financial results for the third quarter and discuss guidance for the full year 2025. At the conclusion of the prepared remarks, we will open the call up for questions. With that, I'll turn the call over to our CEO, Matthew Stevenson.

Thank you, Anthony, and good morning to everyone joining us live on the call today. As we look back on the third quarter of 2025, I'm pleased to share that the positive momentum we have been building for more than 2 years continues to gain strength. This quarter marks another clear step forward in our transformation journey, a reflection of disciplined execution, sharp focus and a resilient team that keeps delivering results in a constantly changing consumer and macroeconomic environment. For the third consecutive quarter, our core business delivered strong growth. Just as a quick reminder, when I say core business, I'm referring to our results, excluding the operations we divested and the product lines we phased out as part of last year's strategic rationalization. This quarter, we made meaningful progress across the company with core growth in every division. It's especially encouraging to see continued momentum in both our direct-to-consumer and business-to-business channels, reinforcing the strength and balance of our omnichannel strategy. As we've said before, our omnichannel approach remains central to our core strategy as the leading consumer enthusiast platform in the automotive performance aftermarket. We're committed to serving customers wherever they choose to engage, whether that's through e-tailers, distributors, wholesalers, third-party marketplaces, installers, national retailers or our own e-commerce platform. The foundation we've built through our strategic framework continues to deliver from product innovation and digital capability to operational excellence and commercial capabilities. With these fundamentals in place, our focus remains on sustaining momentum and executing against our 3-year plan. We're also staying proactive in managing external factors like tariffs and supply chain costs. While these remain dynamic, our diversified sourcing strategies and pricing discipline have positioned us well to manage impacts and protect margins. Overall, it was an excellent quarter, one that reflects the hard work,…

Thank you, Matt, and good morning, everyone. I'd like to start by providing an update on our progress against our financial priorities, then discuss our third quarter '25 financial results before discussing our guidance updates. Moving to Slide 11. Turning to our financial priorities. Our focus remains on strengthening the fundamentals of the business by restoring historical profitability and optimizing working capital. We built on our progress with operating efficiency by generating $3.2 million in incremental savings during the quarter, achieved through ongoing improvements in logistics and the recovery process. These efforts have already pushed total '25 savings to $5 million with additional initiatives still underway. As of the end of the quarter, we remain within our target range and expect further savings through year-end as the team continues to execute on previously outlined initiatives moving steadily toward the midpoint of our annual goal. Turning to working capital. I'd like to take some time to discuss our inventory performance in the third quarter. Year-to-date, inventory reduction moderated from $9 million in Q2 to $5 million in Q3. This shift reflects operating decisions made during the quarter aimed at enhancing long-term visibility, control and operational efficiency, specifically around the consignment inventory and bonded warehouse. While these actions temporarily increased inventory on hand, they are foundational to our improvements in operations and delivering on our commitments to our customers. While these operational changes mean we are not currently on pace to reach the low end of the $10 million reduction target for the full year of '25, they are setting the stage for sustainable improvements in working capital management. We remain focused on refining our SIOP process to improve planning and forecasting, optimizing safety stock levels, all of which are expected to drive further gains in '26 as these initiatives mature. And…

[Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from the line of Christian Carlino with JPMorgan.

You had talked about taking high single-digit pricing, but price realization was only around 3% in the quarter. So could you talk about why that delta exists? What was same SKU inflation? And then is it simply a function of channel mix and more B2B sales versus D2C or is there some trade down or favoring smaller projects over larger ones?

Yes. Good question, Christian. I think it's -- from what we can tell, it's a combination of those things. Obviously, continued strong growth on B2B as it relates to the ASP, you're going to have a bit of a lower price realization on a comparable basis as well as we've got several of our customers who, from a contractual perspective, the pricing doesn't flow through immediately. It comes in later periods. And then there's just -- as it relates to some of the contractual prices on some of the other items that we do for our existing distribution partners that are not playing in there but it really is a combination of them. As it relates to some of the trade down piece, Christian, we're not necessarily seeing that as much. It's just the other items.

Got it. That's helpful. And you're not tracking to above your gross margin and EBITDA margin targets for the year. So how should we think about the structural margin profile of the business? I guess, 2 parts there. One, is there anything unsustainable in the base right now? And then the flip side is that you've achieved this despite a subdued sales environment. So as sales growth returns to more normalized levels, is there room to expand margins further or will you generally look to reinvest upside back into the business?

On the first question, no structural change. I think, obviously, the pricing is certainly helping here and particularly at the lower volumes. But to your second question, yes, I mean, I think Matt and I continue to hold to -- while we're 2 years into the transformation, there's still things to be looked at as it relates to driving growth, particularly operations. And so we don't want to overcommit here in terms of just all of the growth flowing through. But obviously, we do keep an eye towards just driving continued margin acceleration, and our commitment is above 20%, but I wouldn't expect it to all flow through until we get to a much cleaner glide path, particularly on operations.

Our next question comes from the line of Phillip Blee with William Blair.

The question. The midpoint of your guidance implies a fairly big step down in organic sales growth in the fourth quarter it seems. So is that more just a function of conservatism in the current environment or is that driven by something more specific that you've seen quarter-to-date that warrants a bit more caution here?

Good question, Phillip. And it's a combination of the conservatism, like the current environment is a bit murky, and I think we're all reading the news every day. And so, Matt and I are really big on making sure that we don't overpromise on this. Plus, this time last year, we're lapping a marketing calendar event that we decided not to reengage in this year just from a margin profile perspective. So that's impacting the top line a bit. So those 2 things combined really account for the majority of it.

Okay, great. And then given what you know about who your average customer is, how do you think about the potential benefits from the One Big Beautiful Bill between no tax on tips and overtime and the potential for a bigger tax refund season next year? Do you think that, that could have maybe a more meaningful impact on your business and underlying demand?

Phillip, it's Matt. What I think the current environment shows our consumers are resilient, right? This is not just a hobby for them, it's a lifestyle. And as we've seen in the past, when there's times they get more discretionary income or tax refunds, that does generate increases in demand. So we'll see how that plays out over the next 6 months or so.

Our next question comes from the line of Joe Altobello with Raymond James.

I guess, Matt, first question for you. You've talked about a lot of the changes at Holley over the last 2-plus years here, certainly making a lot of progress. As we start to think about 2026, where are your priorities for next year?

Joe, I think if you reflect back on our strategic initiatives that we showcase each quarter on the progress there, that is part of our 3-year plan, and that's what we had the teams focused on. So there's a number of key growth areas there. Also, we still think it's pretty early relative to the operational roadmap we have for continued improvements there. So between those strategic initiatives around growth as well as operational improvements, that's where the team is focused. And again, still early innings in a number of areas that we continue to see opportunity.

Okay. Maybe a follow-up for Jesse. You mentioned inventories were a little heavier at least than I was looking for. Can you sort of explain a little bit better what drove that?

Yes, Joe. So in the quarter, there are a couple of things. One, operationally, we felt like there was a much stronger case for us to actually service our customers better by taking some product that we've been selling on consignment and bringing it into our system. It brings a lot more visibility into where the product is, how much of it we have on hand so we can make products and deliver on time to our customers. So that was about a $2 million to $3 million headwind in and of itself. And then in addition, we also decided to get out of the bonded warehouse, which was a strategy that was used to help mitigate tariffs in the beginning. It worked for that purpose. But as tariffs came down, it also was causing operational challenges. So as we started to bring in those products out of the bonded warehouse or directly from port and the port in particular, became less congested, you see a lot of inventory that came in, in Q3 that more than likely would have shown up in Q2. So it felt like a big change in Q3, but it's just more of some of the things that should have come in, in Q2 as well.

Our next question comes from the line of Brian McNamara with Canaccord Genuity.

Congrats on the strong results, I might add. So I'm curious, you guys did a 3.3% in Q1, 3.9% in Q2, a 6.4% in Q3, markedly getting better each quarter. Matt, I think like about a year ago, you kind of called your shot and you said we're going to return to growth in Q1. So kudos on that. I'm just curious how this year has played out relative to your expectations internally?

Brian, thanks for the question. I think, Brian, when we look at -- when we set out at the end of last year, our plan for '25, I'd say the team is doing a great job executing. We have -- as we just talked about with Joe, our strategic initiative tracker. That's what the team is locked in on every day and continue to deliver on the critical few initiatives that are underneath that to either drive growth or operational improvement. So I would generally say it's as planned.

And then with all the work you guys have done behind the scenes, do you think you have all the building blocks in place for this growth to be what I would, dare I call, sustainable from here on out, obviously, acknowledging that from quarter-to-quarter, there'll be unique challenges.

Yes. I mean we spent a lot of time on foundational elements, whether it was on our direct-to-consumer business, continue to enhance relationships with our distributors. And these are the foundational building blocks for the long term. Brian, as you know, we just -- currently, SEMA is going on right now, and I had the opportunity to meet with a number of our great distribution partners and the journey we've been on within the last 2 years and the enhanced collaboration and the ways we're finding to grow together. And so again, all foundational elements that are there for the long term.

And just last quick one, on SEMA, actually. It feels like you guys have refined your strategy with that event each year since you've been there, Matt. I'm curious how does SEMA today compare to maybe your first go at it in 2023 and obviously, acknowledging there was a high energy there last year given the election results.

Yes. I'd say the energy this year, Brian, was -- it felt even greater. I mean our booth was just absolutely packed. Customer meetings were tremendous. And to your point, like how we've progressed, this is my third SEMA with the company. I would say we continue to execute a plan at the event. From last year, really focusing on our key 4 verticals and somewhat eye-opening to the market the amount of fantastic brands and products we have in our portfolio and showcasing them within our 4 verticals and then just continue to expand that execution, that strategy, engaging with major customers, having set meetings and times to connect and winning product awards and really showcasing the great innovations we have. The team does a great job really refining our strategy and taking that time to engage with customers to drive business.

[Operator Instructions] Our next question comes from the line of Bret Jordan with Jefferies.

Could you talk about the B2B and sort of what the white space you see there? I mean I think you talked about sort of doing more with some of the big parts retailers, traditional mechanical guys, but sort of good growth there, how do you see the run rate?

Yes, Bret, on a strategic initiative tracker, we call out a number of things there. We think there's still a lot of runway in our existing relationships, of course, with whether it's e-tailers, wholesale distributors, but some of the areas you referenced, national retailers is something we're continuing to engage in strongly. We feel that, that channel is accretive in our omnichannel strategy that in-store impulse purchase being able to provide enthusiast products that they want, being able to just go in and pick up something from one of our brands. We also see continued opportunity in export markets, and you see some of the expansion that we're doing in Mexico and other areas. And we continue to work with OEMs on programs for their aftermarket, not OE production, but their aftermarket performance teams and providing them solutions for enthusiasts. So there are a number of ways we're continuing to drive the B2B growth for the long term.

And I guess, you called out -- I think in the past, you've talked about the events generally being self-funding but you mentioned that LS Fest East was probably lower traffic. Were the events in the third quarter generally neutral to earnings or was there a headwind in the period?

No, no, Bret. They're positive. I think just -- we get a lot of questions always on attendance and how they're trending, right? And as I mentioned on the prepared remarks, the engagement was great this year but of course, there's always weather, at our largest event, that can impact things. And when you have 40,000-plus people when you get a rainy Friday afternoon and a rainy Friday or Saturday morning, it affects things but no, the profitability was in line as expected.

Our next question comes from the line of Joe Feldman with Telsey Advisory Group.

I wanted to ask, go back to the guidance, I think somebody had asked this as well, but something similar. What would happen for you guys or have to happen to get to the high-end of the guide versus the low-end? Like is there a subtle difference or is it you would really need a couple of things to really go right to get to the high-end versus the low-end?

Yes. I mean, I think, Joe, to get to the high end, we're coming up on our holidays event and just having a really strong merchandising calendar and participation by our B2B partners with great sellout would really allow us to get to the high-end. I think on the other end, it's obviously that not hitting in conjunction with distribution partners potentially getting even more conservative on what their forecast is for the coming year because that does impact their in stocks that they hold. So there could be some destocking there in that low-end scenario.

Got it. Okay. That's helpful. And then I wanted to follow up. I think you guys -- you mentioned working with the B2B and having better sharing of data, and I think data product adoption is how you framed it in the prepared remarks. Can you just share any more color there as what's going on with that, how that's been accepted and what -- how the B2B partners are actually using that data? And it seems like it's working to help, but I'm just curious just to get a little more understanding of it.

Yes, Joe, it's Matt. Happy to answer that. This has been a company-wide initiative for well over a year now. And when we say data, it's product data. So of course, in today's e-commerce world, whether it's going direct to consumer or one of our wholesale partners is selling it to an installer, what have you, it's about the product information they're able to display on -- through their merchandising efforts online. And so that is a very robust set of information that is required. It's photos, it's videos. Of course, it's dimensions in and out of the box, it's features advantage benefits, it's comparisons, compatible with this replaces that kind of thing. And it was something that previously, there wasn't an approach in place to be really proactive on offering the best-in-class product data. And I'd say that our teams have done a tremendous job increasing the quality of our data. We grade the data of every category, of every brand, and we continuously improve that weekly as the product teams continue to enhance the information. So ultimately, it makes the job of our B2B customers easier to merchandise the products to their customers.

Our next question comes from the line of Mike Baker with D.A. Davidson.

Can I ask about just the overall spending environment in the consumer? It sounds like there's great energy at SEMA. So you took share clearly. Any idea or any metrics on the overall market? Is your growth just share gains or have you started to see any kind of recovery in spending in the consumer and all that kind of stuff?

It's a great question, Michael. I think as it relates to just the general industry, we -- it's a very difficult industry to get real-time information on. But in our discussions with distribution partners, I feel like out-the-door sales have been pretty strong throughout the year, obviously, on our products, but just consistently across their broader portfolio, they've seen a much better result for this year than they had expected coming into the year but obviously, we've continued to take share. And I think right now, in our guidance, we're assuming these trends continue.

So to that point, and that's my follow-up. When you say the trends continue, are you referring to your share gains or industry trends? And I guess what I'm getting at is for a lot of consumer type of names, we saw really strong sales results through July and August and then something seems to have changed in terms of spending September, October and even into November, for a lot of different macro government reasons. So I'm wondering if you can comment on that and any trend that you're seeing throughout the quarter and early into this year or this quarter?

Yes, Mike, it's Matt. Generally speaking, how our industry has played out this year, the first quarter was pretty soft. And then the overall industry started to pick up through the balance of the year. And I think to Jesse's point, through that whole period, we've been taking share. Now I just sat down with no less than a dozen of our key partners over 2 days. And generally speaking, they're seeing the out-the-door trends be very consistent in demand. And so there are no indications coming from our key partners or, of course, from ourselves that anything has really changed at this point and to which it does in the future, who knows.

Our final question this morning comes from the line of Mike Albanese with The Benchmark Company.

Nice quarter. When I look at, I guess, what you've taken for price, where your volumes are and your ability to expand margins, it really seems like you've done a nice job at mitigating tariffs and managing supply chain. And I'm just wondering if you could provide some color on what you're seeing across the competitive landscape. And I know it's tough -- Jesse, you mentioned it's tough to get kind of incremental data. And we're talking about a lot of different brands and SKUs here, but I'm wondering essentially how much of the share gain is a result of the kind of current macro dynamics from, I guess, a cost standpoint and whether or not really your competitive positioning has improved as a result of that?

Yes, Mike, I think you're meaning competitive position relative to pricing?

Correct.

Yes. Really, it's a category by category. There's no broad-based statement that covers it. Our job is to ensure we remain competitive, not only in our value proposition for the consumer, but to also make sure our distributors have healthy margins to be able to market and merchandise our products. But generally speaking, our share gains are -- whether you say outhustling, outperforming, increasing our capabilities, all the above throughout the year on both our D2C and B2B. And as I mentioned, some of the things, whether it's our product data or enhancing our relationships and the way we work with our key partners, those all have been big contributors to our share gains.

Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our question-and-answer session. I'll turn the floor back to Mr. Stevenson for any final comments.

Okay. Thank you, Melissa. Slide 17 underscores the compelling investment story behind Holley Performance brands. This market, fueled by automotive enthusiasts goes far beyond a past time. It's a passion and it's a lifestyle for our customers. With an addressable market in the U.S. approaching $40 billion, Holley stands at the forefront, backed by a portfolio of iconic brands with a rich legacy of innovation. As we wrap up on today's discussion, I'd like to reflect on what this quarter signifies for Holley. The third quarter showcased broad-based strength across our operations with solid growth in every division and sustained momentum in both B2B and direct-to-consumer channels. Our disciplined execution, operational enhancements and commitment to innovation continue to deliver tangible results from margin expansion and efficiency gains to deeper engagement with our enthusiast community. We also achieved a key financial milestone this quarter, reducing net leverage below 4x for the first time since 2022 and generating positive free cash flow during what is typically a slower seasonal period. These achievements highlight the impact of our transformation and the dedication of our teams to building a stronger and more resilient Holley. Through our strategic framework, we remain focused on initiatives that matter most, advancing digital capabilities, driving product innovation, strengthening partnerships and laying the foundation for sustainable, profitable growth. Looking ahead, our outlook remains consistent. We are committed to delivering steady organic top line growth, maintaining gross margins above 40% and achieving adjusted EBITDA margins of 20%. Our goal is to generate sustainable free cash flow and continue creating value through strategic acquisitions that complement our portfolio. The combination of a vibrant automotive enthusiast marketplace and Holley's legendary brand family positions us as a unique investment opportunity in a passionate segment. In closing, I want to express my gratitude to our team members for their dedication and execution, to our consumers for their unwavering passion for performance and to our distribution partners, many of whom have stood with us for decades. Together, we're building a stronger, more innovative Holley for the future. I want to thank you for your attendance on our call today and wish you all a great morning. Thank you.

Thank you. This concludes today's teleconference. You may disconnect your lines at this time. Thank you for your participation.