Release – FreightCar America, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

Research News and Market Data on RAIL

Company delivers 83% year-over-year revenue growth with strong gross margin

Raises mid-point of full year Adjusted EBITDA guidance

CHICAGO, Nov. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAIL) (“FreightCar America” or the “Company”), a diversified manufacturer and supplier of railroad freight cars, railcar parts and components, today reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Third Quarter 2024 Highlights

  • Revenues of $113.3 million on 961 railcar deliveries, compared to revenues of $61.9 million on 503 railcar deliveries in the third quarter of 2023, up 83% and 91% respectively
  • Gross margin of 14.3% with gross profit of $16.2 million, compared to gross margin of 14.9% with gross profit of $9.2 million in the third quarter of 2023
  • Net loss of ($107.0) million, or ($3.57) per share and Adjusted net income of $7.3 million, or $0.08 per share, driven by a ($110.0) million non-cash loss on warrant liability due to a significant appreciation in share price
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $10.9 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $3.5 million in the third quarter of 2023, up 211%
  • Ended the quarter with a backlog of 3,611 units valued at $372 million

“We again demonstrate the power of our disciplined approach to growth and operational excellence. Delivering another solid quarter, that continues the momentum for a record-setting year out of our operating facility. Our team has consistently followed through on our commitments, with robust product shipments and adaptable operating capabilities. This reinforces our ability to meet our customers’ needs while improving our gross margins, and further demonstrates the power of our value proposition. We continue to showcase our ability to secure business through innovative solutions, and our ease of doing business which has led to a consistent higher quality of earnings,” commented Nick Randall, President and Chief Executive Officer of FreightCar America.

Randall continued, “Our pipeline is invigorated, with consistent demand across a broad range of railcar types. As we head into the fourth quarter, we are well positioned to sustain this momentum through our differentiated offerings and unique market approach. Our commitment to innovation and operational flexibility sets us apart in the industry, ensuring that we deliver long-term value for our customers and shareholders.”

Fiscal Year 2024 Outlook

The Company has updated its outlook for fiscal year 2024 as follows:

Mike Riordan, Chief Financial Officer of FreightCar America, commented, “Given our strong order activity and delivery performance year to date, we are narrowing and raising the mid-point of our previously issued full-year EBITDA guidance to between $37 million and $39 million while reaffirming our previously stated revenue and delivery guidance. As we move forward, I am confident in our ability to achieve profitable growth and cash generation across the enterprise with an even stronger financial profile.”

Third Quarter 2024 Conference Call & Webcast Information

The Company will host a conference call and live webcast on Tuesday, November 12 at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss its third quarter 2024 financial results. FreightCar America invites shareholders and other interested parties to listen to its financial results conference call via the following live and recorded methods:

Live Webcasthttps://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1693396&tp_key=feca4932b6

Recorded Webcast: A recorded webcast will be available until Tuesday, November 26, 2024, on FreightCar America’s website following the conference call date at:   https://investors.freightcaramerica.com/news-events/event-calendar/

Teleconference: Dial-in numbers for the live Conference Call are (877) 407-0789 or (201) 689-8562. Please call in at least 10 minutes prior to the start time of the call. An audio replay may be accessed at (844) 512-2921 or (412) 317-6671; Passcode: 13749627.

About FreightCar America

FreightCar America, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a leading designer, producer and supplier of railroad freight cars, railcar parts and components. We also specialize in railcar repairs, complete railcar rebody services and railcar conversions that repurpose idled rail assets back into revenue service. Since 1901, our customers have trusted us to build quality railcars that are critical to economic growth and instrumental to the North American supply chain. To learn more about FreightCar America, visit www.freightcaramerica.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements relating to our expected financial performance, financial condition, and/or future business prospects, events and/or plans that are “forward-looking statements” as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Our actual results may differ materially from the results described in or anticipated by our forward-looking statements due to certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties relate to, among other things, the cyclical nature of our business; adverse geopolitical, economic and market conditions, including inflation; material disruption in the movement of rail traffic for deliveries; fluctuating costs of raw materials including steel and aluminum; future changes in U.S. tax laws and regulations or interpretations thereof; delays in the delivery of raw materials; our ability to maintain relationships with our suppliers of railcar components; our reliance upon a small number of customers that represent a large percentage of our sales; the variable purchase patterns of our customers and the timing of completion, delivery and customer acceptance of orders; the highly competitive nature of our industry; the risk of lack of acceptance of our new railcar offerings, and other competitive factors. The factors listed above are not exhaustive. New factors emerge from time to time that may cause our business not to develop as we expect, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We expressly disclaim any duty to provide updates to any forward-looking statements made in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes measures not derived in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), such as EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income (loss) and Adjusted EPS. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for any measure derived in accordance with GAAP and may also be inconsistent with similar measures presented by other companies. Reconciliations of these measures to the applicable most closely comparable GAAP measures, and reasons for the Company’s use of these measures, are presented in the attached pages.

Investor Contact:RAILIR@Riveron.com

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Release – FreightCar America, Inc. To Release Third Quarter Results On November 12, 2024

Research News and Market Data on RAIL

CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAIL or the “Company”), a diversified manufacturer and supplier of railroad freight cars, railcar parts and components, today announced that it will release its third quarter 2024 financial results on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 before the market opens.

The conference call and live webcast will be held on Tuesday, November 12 at 11:00 a.m. (ET), and will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website at https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1693396&tp_key=feca4932b6 or by dialing (877) 407-0789 or (201) 689-8562. It is recommended that listeners log on or dial in approximately 10 to 15 minutes prior to the start of the call.

An audio replay of the conference call will be available shortly after the call has ended on the Company’s Investor Relations website until November 26, 2024.

About FreightCar America

FreightCar America, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a leading designer, producer and supplier of railroad freight cars, railcar parts and components. We also specialize in railcar repairs, complete railcar rebody services and railcar conversions that repurpose idled rail assets back into revenue service. Since 1901, our customers have trusted us to build quality railcars that are critical to economic growth and instrumental to the North American supply chain. To learn more about FreightCar America, visit www.freightcaramerica.com.

Investor ContactRAILIR@Riveron.com

Source: FreightCar America, Inc.

Release – FreightCar America, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results

Research News and Market Data on RAIL

Company delivers 66% year-over-year revenue growth with record profitability at new plant, raises full year guidance

Secured ~3,000 orders, including first tank car conversion order

CHICAGO, Aug. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAIL) (“FreightCar America” or the “Company”), a diversified manufacturer and supplier of railroad freight cars, railcar parts and components, today reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Second Quarter 2024 Highlights

  • Revenues of $147.4 million on 1,159 railcar deliveries, an increase of 66% compared to revenues of $88.6 million on 760 railcar deliveries in the second quarter of 2023
  • Gross margin of 12.5% with gross profit of $18.4 million, compared to gross margin of 14.6% with gross profit of $13.0 million in the second quarter of 2023
  • Net Income of $8.2 million, or $0.11 per diluted share and Adjusted net income of $6.3 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, accounting primarily for a non-cash item associated with a change in fair market value of warrant liability and a cash item associated with a litigation settlement
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $12.1 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $8.0 million in the second quarter of 2023
  • Delivered its 10,000th railcar manufactured at the Castaños facility
  • Received net orders for approximately 3,000 railcars within the quarter, including a multi-year order to convert over 1,000 tanks cars

“We are very pleased to report our strongest performance yet for revenue, gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA since opening our state-of-the-art facility in 2020. Importantly, these results follow the previously reported 99% growth in revenue and 192% growth in Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter,” commented Nick Randall, President and Chief Executive Officer of FreightCar America. “Our multiyear turnaround has been a tremendous success, and our focus is on driving growth across our diversified product portfolio as we continue to maximize efficiencies across our value streams.”

Randall continued, “We built a world-class manufacturing campus that is both efficient and flexible. Our customers see this as evidenced by our largest order intake since starting the facility and our recently announced milestone of shipping our 10,000th railcar manufactured at the campus. Furthermore, and consistent with our growth plans, we are pleased to also announce that our order backlog now includes tank cars. Tank cars represent a very important part of the market and are fully aligned with our growth strategy. In summary, we are pleased with the quarter, the year-to-date, and especially with where we see ourselves headed.”

Fiscal Year 2024 Outlook

The Company has updated its outlook for fiscal year 2024 as follows:

 Fiscal 2024 OutlookYear-over-Year Growth at Midpoint
Revenue$560 – $600 million62.0%
Adjusted EBITDA$35 – $39 million84.1%
Railcar Deliveries4,300 – 4,700 Railcars48.9%


Mike Riordan, Chief Financial Officer of FreightCar America, commented, “With our facility complete and all production lines fully operational, we are well on track to achieve the operating performance we envisioned. Given this, combined with the significant order activity in the second quarter, we are raising our full year revenue and delivery guidance to between $560 million and $600 million and 4,300 to 4,700 railcars, respectively. Further, we are increasing our full year Adjusted EBITDA guidance to between $35 million and $39 million. With a strong pipeline of orders, we are well-positioned to leverage our operational efficiencies and cash flow generation to deliver profitable growth for our shareholders.”

Second Quarter 2024 Conference Call & Webcast Information

The Company will host a conference call and live webcast on Tuesday, August 13 at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss its second quarter 2024 financial results. FreightCar America invites shareholders and other interested parties to listen to its financial results conference call via the following live and recorded methods:

Live Webcasthttps://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1678919&tp_key=7f0a694b35

Recorded Webcast: A recorded webcast will be available until Tuesday, August 27, 2024, on FreightCar America’s website following the conference call date at: https://investors.freightcaramerica.com/news-events/event-calendar/

Teleconference: Dial-in numbers for the live Conference Call are (877) 407-0789 or (201) 689-8562. Please call in at least 10 minutes prior to the start time of the call. An audio replay may be accessed at (844) 512-2921 or (412) 317-6671; Passcode: 13747591.

About FreightCar America

FreightCar America, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a leading designer, producer and supplier of railroad freight cars, railcar parts and components. We also specialize in railcar repairs, complete railcar rebody services and railcar conversions that repurpose idled rail assets back into revenue service. Since 1901, our customers have trusted us to build quality railcars that are critical to economic growth and instrumental to the North American supply chain. To learn more about FreightCar America, visit www.freightcaramerica.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements relating to our expected financial performance, financial condition, and/or future business prospects, events and/or plans that are “forward-looking statements” as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Our actual results may differ materially from the results described in or anticipated by our forward-looking statements due to certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties relate to, among other things, the cyclical nature of our business; adverse economic and market conditions including inflation; material disruption in the movement of rail traffic for deliveries; fluctuating costs of raw materials including steel and aluminum; delays in the delivery of raw materials; our ability to maintain relationships with our suppliers of railcar components; our reliance upon a small number of customers that represent a large percentage of our sales; the variable purchase patterns of our customers and the timing of completion, delivery and customer acceptance of orders; the highly competitive nature of our industry; the risk of lack of acceptance of our new railcar offerings, and other competitive factors. The factors listed above are not exhaustive. New factors emerge from time to time that may cause our business not to develop as we expect, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We expressly disclaim any duty to provide updates to any forward-looking statements made in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes measures not derived in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), such as EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net loss and Adjusted EPS. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for any measure derived in accordance with GAAP and may also be inconsistent with similar measures presented by other companies. Reconciliations of these measures to the applicable most closely comparable GAAP measures, and reasons for the Company’s use of these measures, are presented in the attached pages.

Investor Contact:RAILIR@Riveron.com

Click here for full report

Release – FreightCar America, Inc. Announces Expansion into Tank Cars Securing Multi-Year Order

Research News and Market Data on RAIL

  • New agreement leverages FreightCar America’s capabilities by adding tank car conversions to diversified offerings
  • Optimized production capacity at state-of-the-art manufacturing campus supporting large-scale multi-year projects
  • Each tank car will be upgraded to meet the latest federally mandated advancements, ensuring optimal safety, efficiency, and performance

CHICAGO, Aug. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAIL) (“FreightCar America” or the “Company”), a pure-play manufacturer of high-quality railcars with a legacy of 120+ years, proudly announces that it has entered into a multi-year agreement to convert tank cars to upgraded specifications. The Company’s storied history includes a strong foundation including deliveries of over 15,000 conversions and rebodied railcars that have paved the way for this landmark agreement. This expansion into tank car conversions marks a key milestone in the Company’s ongoing efforts to diversify its product offerings while continuing to support its legacy and meet customer needs.

The scope of this agreement includes the upgrade of over 1,000 existing DOT 111 tank cars to DOT 117R tank cars over a two-year period. The completed tank cars will receive new exterior tank jacket, thermal protection, full height head shields, top fittings protection and upgraded bottom outlet valves. As part of a federally mandated program, all tank cars transporting certain hazardous and flammable liquids must be upgraded by 2029. This demonstrates the Company’s capability as a reliable partner in large-scale projects, while underscoring the Company’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the rail transportation market and solidifying its position as a key player in the industry.

“We are excited to enter the tank car space with this significant multi-year conversion order. Coupled with our prominent history in railcar modifications, our commitment to large-scale projects made us an excellent partner for the deal. Our Castaños facility has the capacity to handle these modifications efficiently, minimizing the number of cars out of service at any given time,” commented Nick Randall, CEO of FreightCar America.

“This expansion broadens our robust offerings of railcars, enhances our opportunity to expand our business, and equips us to grow our addressable market and customer base. We are committed to quality and reliability in large-scale projects as we continue to set new standards in manufacturing and commercial excellence,” Randall concluded.

About FreightCar America

FreightCar America, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a leading designer, producer and supplier of railroad freight cars, railcar parts and components. We also specialize in railcar repairs, complete railcar rebody services and railcar conversions that repurpose idled rail assets back into revenue service. Since 1901, our customers have trusted us to build quality railcars that are critical to economic growth and instrumental to the North American supply chain. To learn more about FreightCar America, visit www.freightcaramerica.com.

Investor Contact RAILIR@Riveron.com

Release – FreightCar America, Inc. To Release Second Quarter Results On August 12, 2024

Research News and Market Data on RAIL

CHICAGO, July 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreightCar America, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAIL), a diversified manufacturer of railroad freight cars, today announced that it will release its second quarter 2024 financial results on Monday, August 12, 2024 after the market close. The conference call and live webcast will be held on Tuesday, August 13 at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time), and will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Company’s website at www.freightcaramerica.com.

Investors, analysts, and members of the media interested in listening to the live presentation are encouraged to join a webcast of the call which can be accessed at:

Event URL: https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1678919&tp_key=7f0a694b35

Please note that the webcast is listen-only and webcast participants will not be able to participate in the question and answer portion of the conference call. Interested parties may also participate in the call by dialing (877) 407-0789 or (201) 689-8562. Interested parties are asked to dial in approximately 10 to 15 minutes prior to the start time of the call.

An audio replay of the conference call will be available beginning at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. To access the replay, please dial (844) 512-2921 or (412) 317-6671. The replay passcode is 13747591. An archived version of the webcast will also be available on the FreightCar America Investor Relations website.

About FreightCar America

FreightCar America, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a leading designer, producer and supplier of railroad freight cars, railcar parts and components. We also specialize in railcar repairs, complete railcar rebody services and railcar conversions that repurpose idled rail assets back into revenue service. Since 1901, our customers have trusted us to build quality railcars that are critical to economic growth and instrumental to the North American supply chain. To learn more about FreightCar America, visit www.freightcaramerica.com.

Investor ContactRAILIR@Riveron.com

Source: FreightCar America, Inc.

Rail Worker Impasse Likely –  What’s Around the Next Turn?

Railroad Unions and Their Employers at an Impasse: Freight-Halting Strikes are Rare, and this Would be the First in 3 Decades

The prospect of a potentially devastating rail workers strike is looming again.

Fears of a strike in September 2022 prompted the Biden administration to pull out all the stops to get a deal between railroads and the largest unions representing their employees.

That deal hinged on ratification by a majority of members at all 12 of those unions. So far, eight have voted in favor, but four have rejected the terms. If even one continues to reject the deal after further negotiations, it could mean a full-scale freight strike will start as soon as midnight on Dec. 5, 2022. Any work stoppage by conductors and engineers would surely interfere with the delivery of gifts and other items Americans will want to receive in time for the holiday season, along with coal, lumber and other key commodities.

Strikes that obstruct transportation rarely occur in the United States, and the last one involving rail workers happened three decades ago. But when these workers do walk off the job, it can thrash the economy, inconveniencing millions of people and creating a large-scale crisis.

This article was republished with permission from The Conversation, a news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It represents the research-based findings and thoughts of Erik Loomis, Professor of History, University of Rhode Island.

I’m a labor historian who has studied the history of American strikes. I believe that with the U.S. teetering toward at least a mild recession and some of the supply chain disruptions that arose at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic still wreaking havoc, I don’t think the administration would accept a rail strike for long.

19th Century Rail Strikes

Few, if any, workers have more power over the economy than transportation workers. Their ability to shut down the entire economy has often led to heavy retaliation from the government when they have tried to exercise that power.

In 1877, a small strike against a West Virginia railroad that had cut wages spread. It grew into what became known as the Great Railroad Strike, a general rebellion against railroads that brought thousands of unemployed workers into the streets.

Seventeen years later, in 1894, the American Railway Union went on strike in solidarity with the Pullman Sleeping Car company workers who had gone on strike due to their boss lowering wages while maintaining rents on their company housing.

In both cases, the threat of a railroad strike led the federal government to call out the military to crush the labor actions. Dozens of workers died.

Once those dramatic clashes ended, for more than a century rail unions have played a generally quiet role, preferring to focus on the needs of their members and avoiding most broader social and political questions. Fearful of more rail strikes, the government passed the Railway Labor Act of 1926, which gives Congress the power to intervene before a rail strike starts.

Breaking the Air Traffic Controllers Union

With travel by road and air growing in importance in the 20th century, other transportation workers also engaged in actions that could shut down the economy.

The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association walked off the job in 1981 after a decade of increased militancy over the stress and conditions of their job. The union had engaged in a series of slowdowns through the 1970s, delaying airplanes and frustrating passengers.

When it went on strike in 1981, the union broke the law, as federal workers do not have the right to strike. That’s when President Ronald Reagan became the first modern U.S. leader to retaliate against striking transportation workers. Two days after warning the striking workers that they would lose their jobs unless they returned to work, Reagan fired more than 11,000 of them. He also banned them from ever being rehired.

In the aftermath of Reagan’s actions, the number of strikes by U.S. workers plummeted. Rail unions engaged in brief strikes in both 1991 and 1992, but Congress used the Railway Labor Act to halt them, ordering workers back on the job and imposing a contract upon the workers.

In 1992, Congress passed another measure that forced a system of arbitration upon railroad workers before a strike – that took power away from workers to strike.

New Era of Labor Militancy

Following decades of decline in the late 20th century, U.S. labor organizing has surged in recent years.

Most notably, unionization attempts at Starbucks and Amazon have led to surprising successes against some of the biggest corporations in the country. Teachers’ unions around the nation have also held a series of successful strikes everywhere from Los Angeles to West Virginia.

United Parcel Service workers, who held the nation’s last major transportation strike, in 1997, may head back to the picket lines after their contract expires in June 2023. UPS workers, members of the Teamsters union, are angry over a two-tiered system that pays newer workers lower wages, and they are also demanding greater overtime protections.

But rail workers, angered by their employers’ refusal to offer sick leave and other concerns, may go on strike first.

Rail companies have greatly reduced the number of people they employ on freight trains as part of their efforts to maximize profits and take advantage of technological progress. They generally keep the size of crews limited to only two per train.

Many companies want to pare back their workforce further, saying that it can be safe to have crews consisting of a single crew member on freight trains. The unions reject this arrangement, saying that lacking a second set of eyes would be a recipe for mistakes, accidents and disasters.

The deal the Biden administration brokered in September would raise annual pay by 24% over several years, raising the average pay for rail workers to $110,000 by 2024. But strikes are often about much more than wages. The companies have also long refused to provide paid sick leave or to stop demanding that their workers have inflexible and unpredictable schedules.

The Biden administration had to cajole the rail companies into offering a single personal day, while workers demanded 15 days of sick leave. Companies had offered zero. The agreement did remove penalties from workers who took unpaid sick or family leave, but this would still leave a group of well-paid workers whose daily lives are filled with stress and fear.

What Lies Ahead

Seeing highly paid workers threaten to take action that would surely compound strains on supply chains at a time when inflation is at a four-decade high may not win rail unions much public support.

A coalition representing hundreds of business groups has called for government intervention to make sure freight trains keep moving, and it’s highly likely that Congress will again impose a decision on workers under the Railway Labor Act. The Biden administration, which has shown significant sympathy to unions, has resisted supporting such a step so far.

No one should expect the military to intervene like it did in the 19th century. But labor law remains tilted toward companies, and I believe that if the government were to compel striking rail workers back on the job, the move might find a receptive audience.