10/30/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/30/2025 15:01
3333 West Good Hope Rd. • Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53209
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
          Strattec First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results
          Validate Operational Improvements
        
MILWAUKEE, WI, October 30, 2025 - Strattec Security Corporation (Nasdaq: STRT) ("Company" or "Strattec"), a leading provider of smart vehicle access, security and authorization solutions for the global automotive industry, reported financial results for its first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended September 28, 2025.
Jennifer Slater, President and CEO of Strattec, said, "Our first quarter results demonstrate the hard work of the team over this last year to streamline our operations, simplify the organization and improve our profitability. We continue to manage our cost structure to be responsive to changing sales levels and have started various automation projects to further enhance our gross margins. At the end of the quarter, we implemented an additional restructuring action in our Mexico operations which is expected to deliver $1 million in annualized savings."
"We remain focused on advancing our business transformation, implementing improved foundational processes, systems and tools and are encouraged with our progress. We are carefully balancing a continuous review of our cost structure with investments in growth initiatives. We are actively engaged with customers to develop highly engineered products as we work to secure content on future vehicle platforms. Uncertainty, nevertheless, is prevalent for the North American automotive industry given recent industry wide supply chain challenges, a dynamic tariff environment and the resulting changes in OEM production levels. Our cash position and strong balance sheet support our resiliency through this dynamic environment and allow us to continue to execute on the business transformation while pursuing organic growth opportunities," Ms. Slater concluded.
1 Refer to "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Metrics and Additional Financial Information" as well as accompanying reconciliations to GAAP
        Strattec First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results Validate Operational Improvements
        October 30, 2025
      
Page 2 of 9
        FY 2026 First Quarter Financial Summary
        (compared with prior-year period, except where otherwise noted)
      
        Net sales were $152.4 million, an increase of $13.3 million, or 10%. Sales growth was driven by
        $4.3 million of sales related to higher demand on existing platforms, $3.9 million of pricing, $3.0 million associated with favorable sales mix and higher content value and $2.1 million in net new program launches.
      
Gross profit increased $7.4 million to $26.3 million, while gross margin expanded 370 basis points. The improvement was primarily the result of pricing actions and the contribution from higher volume complemented by $1.3 million in restructuring savings. This more than offset $1.1 million higher labor costs in Mexico related to annual merit increases, $0.8 million of incremental tariff costs, and $0.5 million related to unfavorable foreign exchange rates.
        Selling, administrative and engineering ("SAE") expenses increased $2.0 million to $15.9 million, or 10.4% of sales, compared with $13.9 million, or 10.0% of sales, in the prior-year period. Higher SAE expenses include a $0.5 million increase in equity compensation costs, timing of professional fees,
        $0.9 million investment in additional headcount, and $0.4 million of incremental business transformation costs. Partially offsetting the higher SAE expenses were lower executive transition costs of $0.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 compared with $0.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025.
      
Interest income grew $0.5 million on higher cash balances, while interest expenses declined $0.1 million on lower borrowings. Other expense was $0.3 million, down from other income of $0.1 million in the prior-year period. The change was primarily due to $0.6 million in costs related to restructuring actions which was partially offset by a $0.3 million benefit as a result of changes in foreign currency exchange rates.
        Net income attributable to Strattec was $8.5 million, or $2.07 per diluted share, compared with
        $3.7 million, or $0.92 per diluted share, in the prior-year period. On an adjusted basis, first quarter fiscal 2026 net income attributable to Strattec1 was $9.2 million, and adjusted diluted earnings per share1 was $2.22. Adjusted EBITDA1 for the quarter was $15.6 million compared with $9.9 million in the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA margin of 10.2%, compared with 7.1% in the fiscal 2025 first quarter.
      
Financial Flexibility with Strong Balance Sheet
As expected, cash from operations in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 was $11.3 million, similar to the prior-year period.
At September 28, 2025, the Company had $90.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, up from $84.6 million from the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. The Company had no borrowings outstanding under its $40 million revolving credit agreement. Borrowings under the joint venture's $18 million revolving credit agreement were $5.0 million, down from $8.0 million at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.
On October 27, 2025, the Company entered into a new revolving credit agreement to replace the existing $40 million facility that was scheduled to mature in August 2026. The new credit facility extends the maturity to October 2028 and bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus an applicable margin of 1.50%.
1 Refer to "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Metrics and Additional Financial Information" as well as accompanying reconciliations to GAAP
        Strattec First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results Validate Operational Improvements
        October 30, 2025
      
Page 3 of 9
First Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Webcast and Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call and webcast tomorrow, Friday, October 31, 2025, at 9:00 am Eastern Time to review the financial and operating results for the period ended September 28, 2025, and provide an update on its transformation progress. A question-and-answer session will follow.
You can access the call by phoning (201) 689-8470 or find the webcast and accompanying slide presentation at investors.strattec.com.
        A telephonic replay will be available from 12:00 p.m. ET on the day of the call through Friday,
        November 14, 2025. To listen to the archived call, dial +1 (412) 317-6671 and enter replay PIN 13755694. The webcast replay will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website investors.strattec.com, where a transcript will be posted once available.
      
        About Strattec
        Strattec is a leading global provider of advanced automotive access, security & authorization solutions for leading vehicle manufacturers, primarily in the U.S. With a history spanning over 110 years, Strattec has consistently been at the forefront of innovation in vehicle security, transitioning from mechanical to integrated electro-mechanical systems. Its highly-engineered products include power access solutions, latches, vehicle start systems, keys, fobs & accessories, locks & locksets, door handles and other access products. Power access solutions provide the motion control for power liftgates, sliding power doors and power tailgates. For more information on Strattec and its solutions, visit www.strattec.com.