Year-over-year improvements in gross profit, Adjusted EBITDA1 and net earnings. Closing backlog1 of $13.0 billion and reaffirmed 2026 guidance.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, May 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: NFI, OTC: NFYEF, TSX: NFI.DB) NFI Group Inc. ("NFI" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of buses and coaches and a provider of comprehensive aftermarket parts and service solutions, today announced its unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial results for the first quarter of 2026. All figures quoted in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.
First Quarter Highlights
Key financial metrics for 2026 Q1 and LTM are included in the table below:
| in millions except deliveries and per share amounts | 2026 Q1 | 2025 Q1 | 2026 Q1 LTM | 2025 Q1 LTM | ||||||||||
| Deliveries (EUs) | 978 | 1,028 | 4,401 | 4,448 | ||||||||||
| IFRS Measures | ||||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 842.0 | $ | 841.4 | $ | 3,615.1 | $ | 3,241.0 | ||||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | $ | 11.5 | $ | (6.5 | ) | $ | (124.1 | ) | $ | (0.4 | ) | |||
| Net Earnings (Loss) per Share | $ | 0.10 | $ | (0.05 | ) | $ | (1.04 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | |||
| Net cash generated by (used in) operating activities | $ | (54.3 | ) | $ | 40.8 | $ | 78.6 | $ | 42.8 | |||||
| Non-IFRS Measures | ||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA1 | $ | 86.1 | $ | 62.7 | $ | 359.1 | $ | 243.2 | ||||||
| Adjusted Net Earnings1 | $ | 21.8 | $ | 2.9 | $ | 104.3 | $ | 15.1 | ||||||
| Adjusted Net Earnings per Share1 | $ | 0.18 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.88 | $ | 0.13 | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow1 | $ | 17.5 | $ | 4.4 | $ | 80.8 | $ | 8.1 | ||||||
| Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)1LTM | 12.3 | % | 7.5 | % | ||||||||||
CEO Comments
“We delivered a strong start to 2026, with first quarter results reflecting continued progress in manufacturing execution. Profitability metrics improved with the conversion of our backlog into revenue, complemented by a strong contribution from the aftermarket segment,” said John Sapp, President and Chief Executive Officer, NFI.
“As we continue to increase vehicle production rates in transit, motorcoach and cutaway segments, our focus remains on driving supply chain performance while also enhancing the customer experience. Significant progress is being made on these initiatives and our team’s efforts will support further margin expansion and earnings growth.
“Cost discipline is another area we are prioritizing and during the quarter we completed targeted restructuring actions at Alexander Dennis to improve our position in a competitive UK market. We are also actively monitoring the macro and geopolitical environments to ensure that we respond appropriately, leveraging our production footprint and aftermarket capabilities wherever possible.
“After a full quarter as CEO, I am excited about progress being made across the organization and I am confident in our team’s ability to deliver on our 2026 guidance, driving continued stakeholder value this year and over the longer-term,” Sapp concluded.
Segment Results
Manufacturing
Aftermarket
Consolidated Net Earnings, Adjusted Net Earnings1, and Return on Invested Capital1
Market Outlook
Management anticipates continuing operational and financial performance growth, with expectations for improvements in revenue, gross profit, Adjusted EBITDA1, Free Cash Flow1, and ROIC1 in 2026. This improvement is expected to come from the execution of NFI’s backlog1, increases in manufacturing production, deliveries of higher-margin North American units, and from growth in NFI’s aftermarket business. Many of these same factors support management’s longer-term expectations for financial growth. While there are numerous positive expectations, the Company continues to navigate and adjust to evolving macroeconomic conditions including tariffs, competition and government funding dynamics.
Management’s overall performance expectations are driven by several key factors:
Financial Guidance
NFI reaffirms its financial guidance for Fiscal 2026 as originally announced with its fourth quarter 2025 results on March 11, 2026.
| 2026 Guidance | $ millions |
| Revenue | $3,900 to $4,200 |
| Adjusted EBITDA1 | $370 to $410 |
| Cash Capital Expenditures | $50 to $60 |
In addition to the factors described in this press release, please refer to NFI’s MD&A dated March 11, 2026 for further information regarding the assumptions and expectations for 2026 guidance. See also Forward-Looking Statements in this press release. Note that the guidance numbers above include the impact of all current and known U.S. and Canadian tariffs as of May 7, 2026, but do not reflect the potential impact of tariffs and other trade measures that may be imposed in the future.
Tariff Impacts
NFI is subject to tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum in the U.S. and Canada, and tariffs on imports of other goods from various international jurisdictions. NFI has also seen updates to pricing from its suppliers reflecting the impacts of tariffs on input components its suppliers source and import into the U.S. NFI’s buses and motorcoaches are also subject to a 10% tariff on all imports of buses and motorcoaches into the United States from any jurisdiction. This impacts private motorcoaches that are manufactured in Winnipeg and bus shells that are started in Winnipeg and completed in the U.S. NFI has continued to actively engage with its customers to discuss the pricing impacts of all known tariffs on buses and motorcoaches and has been negotiating and charging surcharges to reflect the costs of those tariffs.
The guidance ranges referred to above do not take into account and may be materially adversely affected by changes to tariffs and trade policy, government funding and supply chain performance. Tariff-driven cost increases may be more difficult to offset on future deliveries, especially within the private motorcoach market. There may also be near-term cash flow implications on NFI’s operations due to the timing of tariff payments, deliveries, and revenue collection, and potential decreases in order sizes due to higher prices. The impact that any future tariffs, U.S. funding developments and other trade measures could have on general economic conditions, supply chain health, customer demand and the Company’s business is uncertain and could be materially adverse. In addition, there remains a risk of additional supply or operational disruptions beyond management’s current expectations especially given conflicts currently ongoing in Iran, Ukraine, Russia and other jurisdictions. See Appendix A Forward Looking Statements for a description of risks and other factors and the Company's filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
First Quarter 2026 Results Conference Call
A conference call for analysts and interested listeners will be held on Friday, May 8, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). An accompanying results presentation will be available prior to market open on Friday, May 8, 2026, at www.nfigroup.com.
For attendees who wish to join by webcast, registration is not required; the event can be accessed at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/r53ogx94.
Attendees who wish to join by phone must pre-register at the following link: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register. An email will be sent to the user’s registered email address, which will provide the call-in details. Due to the possibility of emails being held up in spam filters, we highly recommend that attendees wishing to join via phone register ahead of time to ensure receipt of their access details.
A replay of the call will be accessible from about 12:00 p.m. ET on May 8, 2026, until 11:59 p.m. ET on May 8, 2027, at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/neygxypw/. Other materials will also be available on NFI's website at www.nfigroup.com.
About NFI Group
NFI is a leading independent global bus and coach manufacturer and a provider of aftermarket parts and service solutions. With more than 9,000 team members across ten countries and operations spanning over 40 facilities, NFI delivers a comprehensive portfolio of bus and coach platforms.
Through its brands New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), MCI® (motorcoaches), Alexander Dennis Limited (single- and double-deck buses), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), and NFI Parts™, NFI supports a diverse and extensive portfolio, serving public transit, commuter, and coach markets. In total, NFI supports an installed base of more than 100,000 buses and coaches worldwide. NFI offers a broad range of propulsion systems, including zero-emission electric (referring to propulsion systems that do not utilize internal combustion engines, such as trolley, battery, and fuel cell), natural gas, electric hybrid, and advanced diesel technologies, providing agencies with multiple fleet technology options. NFI’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NFI) and its convertible unsecured debentures trade under the symbol NFI.DB. News and information is available at www.nfigroup.com, www.newflyer.com, www.mcicoach.com, nfi.parts, www.alexander-dennis.com, arbocsv.com, and carfaircomposites.com.
For investor inquiries, please contact:
Stephen King
P: 204.224.6382
Stephen.King@nfigroup.com
Footnotes:
Appendix A - Reconciliation Tables
Reconciliation of Net Earnings (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDANG and Net Operating Profit after TaxesNG
Non-IFRS measures in the appendices of this press release have been denoted with an "NG". Please see Appendix B: “Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures” section.
Management believes that Adjusted EBITDANG, and Net Operating Profit After Taxes ("NOPAT")NG are important measures in evaluating the historical operating performance of the Company. However, Adjusted EBITDANG and NOPATNG are not recognized earnings measures under IFRS Accounting Standards and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Accordingly, Adjusted EBITDANG and NOPATNG may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Readers of this press release are cautioned that Adjusted EBITDANG should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings or loss determined in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards and NOPATNG should not be construed as an alternative to earnings (loss) from operations determined in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards as an indicator of the Company's performance. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDANG as earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortization after adjusting for the effects of certain non-recurring, non-operating, and items occurring outside of normal operations that do not reflect the current ongoing cash operations of the Company. These adjustments are provided in the following table reconciling net earnings or losses to Adjusted EBITDANG based on the historical financial statements of the Company for the periods indicated. The Company defines NOPATNG as Adjusted EBITDANG less depreciation of plant and equipment, depreciation of right-of-use assets and income taxes at a rate of 31%.
| ($ thousands) | 2026 Q1 | 2025 Q1 | 52-Weeks Ended March 29, 2026 | 52-Weeks Ended March 30, 2025 | |||||
| Net earnings (loss) | 11,512 | (6,486 | ) | (124,122 | ) | (368 | ) | ||
| Addback | |||||||||
| Income tax expense | 8,559 | 480 | 27,582 | 3,341 | |||||
| Interest expense7 | 41,385 | 38,358 | 129,171 | 138,644 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 19,951 | 18,181 | 79,326 | 77,074 | |||||
| (Gain) loss on disposition of property, plant and equipment and right of use assets | (128 | ) | (149 | ) | (72 | ) | 140 | ||
| Unrealized foreign exchange gain on non-current monetary items and forward foreign exchange contracts | (3,980 | ) | (1,106 | ) | (1,048 | ) | (14,232 | ) | |
| Equity settled stock-based compensation | 1,783 | 372 | 4,230 | 2,216 | |||||
| Expenses incurred outside of normal operations8 | 3,045 | 10,636 | 20,219 | 21,665 | |||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment10 | - | - | 43,185 | 234 | |||||
| Impairment loss on goodwill and intangible assets9 | 129 | - | 93,646 | 1,250 | |||||
| Fee for early repayment of 2023 second lien debt12 | - | - | 10,825 | - | |||||
| Impairment loss on property, plant, and equipment11 | - | - | 504 | - | |||||
| Share of profit of joint ventures accounted for using the equity method16 | (6,760 | ) | - | (1,994 | ) | - | |||
| Battery Recall and Battery Settlement14 | 3,138 | - | 60,550 | - | |||||
| Restructuring costs6 | 7,449 | 2,410 | 17,780 | 13,234 | |||||
| Prior year sales tax provision15 | - | - | (631 | ) | - | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDANG | 86,083 | 62,696 | 359,151 | 243,198 | |||||
| Depreciation of property, plant and equipment and right of use assets | (11,784 | ) | (10,744 | ) | (49,411 | ) | (45,469 | ) | |
| Tax at 31% | (23,033 | ) | (16,105 | ) | (96,019 | ) | (61,296 | ) | |
| NOPATNG | 51,266 | 35,847 | 213,721 | 136,433 | |||||
| Adjusted EBITDA is comprised of: | |||||||||
| Manufacturing | 58,168 | 33,232 | 258,177 | 119,640 | |||||
| Aftermarket | 33,252 | 33,048 | 124,531 | 135,132 | |||||
| Corporate | (5,337 | ) | (3,584 | ) | (23,557 | ) | (11,574 | ) | |
(Footnotes on page 8)
Free Cash FlowNG and Free Cash Flow per ShareNG
Management uses Free Cash FlowNG and Free Cash Flow per ShareNG as non-IFRS measures to evaluate the Company’s operating performance and liquidityNG, to assess the Company’s ability to pay dividends on the Shares, service debt, pay interest on the Debentures and meet other payment obligations. However, Free Cash FlowNG and Free Cash Flow per ShareNG are not recognized earnings measures under IFRS Accounting Standards and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Accordingly, Free Cash FlowNG and the associated per Share figure may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Readers of this press release are cautioned that Free Cash FlowNG should not be construed as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities determined in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards as a measure of liquidityNG and cash flow. The Company defines Free Cash FlowNG as net cash generated by or used in operating activities adjusted for changes in non-cash working capital items and adjusted for items as shown in the reconciliation of net cash generated by operating activities (an IFRS Accounting Standards measure) to Free Cash FlowNG based on the Company’s historical financial statements.
The Company generates its Free Cash FlowNG from operations and management expects this will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. Net cash flows generated from operating activities are significantly impacted by changes in non-cash working capital. The Company uses its 2025 First Lien Facility to finance working capital and therefore has excluded the impact of working capital in calculating Free Cash FlowNG.
The Company defines Free Cash Flow per ShareNG as Free Cash FlowNG divided by the average number of Shares outstanding.
| ($ thousands, except per Share figures) | 2026 Q1 | 2025 Q1 | 52-Weeks Ended March 29, 2026 | 52-Weeks Ended March 30, 2025 | |||||
| Net cash (used in) generated by operating activities | (54,267 | ) | 40,800 | 78,601 | 42,785 | ||||
| Changes in non-cash working capital items2 | 67,829 | (23,748 | ) | 19,687 | 40,702 | ||||
| Interest paid2 | 38,182 | 33,618 | 95,722 | 121,544 | |||||
| Interest expense2 | (30,212 | ) | (32,326 | ) | (118,683 | ) | (123,407 | ) | |
| Income taxes paid (recovered)2 | 20,788 | (740 | ) | 58,494 | 4,325 | ||||
| Current income tax expense2 | (13,950 | ) | (12,483 | ) | (81,425 | ) | (43,796 | ) | |
| Repayment of obligations under lease | (6,723 | ) | (5,372 | ) | (23,349 | ) | (23,223 | ) | |
| Cash capital expenditures | (11,487 | ) | (5,900 | ) | (39,463 | ) | (28,002 | ) | |
| Acquisition of intangible assets | (6,249 | ) | (2,206 | ) | (15,503 | ) | (16,947 | ) | |
| Proceeds from disposition of property, plant and equipment | - | - | 102 | 241 | |||||
| Defined benefit funding3 | 733 | 717 | 2,676 | 2,721 | |||||
| Defined benefit expense3 | (913 | ) | (490 | ) | (4,052 | ) | (3,318 | ) | |
| Expenses incurred outside of normal operations8 | 3,045 | 10,636 | 20,219 | 21,665 | |||||
| Foreign exchange gain (loss) on cash held in foreign currency4 | 101 | (506 | ) | 900 | (460 | ) | |||
| Fee for early repayment of 2023 second lien debt12 | - | - | 10,825 | - | |||||
| Asset impairment13 | - | - | (1,619 | ) | - | ||||
| Battery Recall and Battery Settlement14 | 3,138 | - | 60,550 | - | |||||
| Restructuring costs6 | 7,449 | 2,410 | 17,780 | 13,234 | |||||
| Prior year sales tax provision15 | - | - | (631 | ) | - | ||||
| Free Cash FlowNG | 17,464 | 4,410 | 80,831 | 8,066 | |||||
| U.S. exchange rate1 | 1.3709 | 1.4317 | 1.3849 | 1.4041 | |||||
| Free Cash Flow (C$)NG | 23,941 | 6,314 | 111,941 | 11,326 | |||||
| Free Cash Flow per Share (C$)NG, 5 | 0.2010 | 0.0530 | 0.9400 | 0.0952 | |||||
Reconciliation of Net Earnings (Loss) to Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG
Management believes that Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG and the associated per Share figure are important measures in evaluating the historical operating performance of the Company. Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG and Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) per ShareNG are not recognized measures under IFRS Accounting Standards and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Accordingly, Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG and Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) per ShareNG may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Readers of this press release are cautioned that Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG and Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) per ShareNG should not be construed as an alternative to net loss, or net loss per share, determined in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards as indicators of the Company's performance.
The Company defines Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG as net earnings (loss) after adjusting for the after tax effects of certain non-recurring, non-operating and items occurring outside of normal operation, that do not reflect the current ongoing cash operations of the Company. These adjustments are provided in the following reconciliation of net earnings (loss) to Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG based on the historical financial statements of the Company for the periods indicated.
The Company defines Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG per share as Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)NG divided by the average number of Shares outstanding.
| ($ thousands, except per Share figures) | 2026 Q1 | 2025 Q1 | 52-Weeks Ended March 29, 2026 | 52-Weeks Ended March 30, 2025 | |||||
| Net earnings (loss) | 11,512 | (6,486 | ) | (124,122 | ) | (368 | ) | ||
| Adjustments, net of tax1,2 | |||||||||
| Unrealized foreign exchange gain | (2,746 | ) | (763 | ) | (723 | ) | (9,819 | ) | |
| Unrealized (gain) loss on interest rate swap | (256 | ) | (116 | ) | (208 | ) | 1,238 | ||
| Unrealized loss (gain) on cash conversion option | 495 | (1,196 | ) | 439 | (3,022 | ) | |||
| Unrealized loss (gain) on prepayment option of 2023 second lien debt3 | - | 1,586 | (11,006 | ) | (3,268 | ) | |||
| Unrealized loss on 2025 second lien optional redemption3 | 5,251 | - | 5,561 | - | |||||
| Accretion associated to gain on debt modification | - | (709 | ) | (304 | ) | (2,080 | ) | ||
| Loss on debt extinguishment4 | - | - | 29,798 | 161 | |||||
| Equity settled stock-based compensation | 1,230 | 257 | 2,918 | 1,529 | |||||
| (Gain) loss on disposition of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use asset | (88 | ) | (103 | ) | (50 | ) | 97 | ||
| Expenses incurred outside of normal operations5 | 2,101 | 7,339 | 13,951 | 14,949 | |||||
| Accretion in carrying value of convertible debt and cash conversion option | 1,557 | 1,446 | 6,049 | 5,693 | |||||
| Deferred tax assets not recognized10 | - | - | 34,443 | - | |||||
| Other tax adjustments | - | - | (6,311 | ) | - | ||||
| Impairment loss on property, plant, and equipment8 | - | - | 504 | - | |||||
| Impairment loss on goodwill and intangible assets6 | 129 | - | 93,646 | 863 | |||||
| Fee for early repayment of 2023 second lien debt9 | - | - | 7,469 | - | |||||
| Share of profit of joint ventures accounted for using the equity method13 | (4,664 | ) | - | (1,375 | ) | - | |||
| Battery Recall and Battery Settlement11 | 2,165 | - | 41,780 | - | |||||
| Restructuring costs7 | 5,140 | 1,663 | 12,269 | 9,132 | |||||
| Prior year sales tax provision12 | - | - | (435 | ) | - | ||||
| Adjusted Net EarningsNG | 21,826 | 2,918 | 104,293 | 15,105 | |||||
| Earnings (Loss) per Share (basic) | 0.10 | (0.05 | ) | (1.04 | ) | (0.00 | ) | ||
| Earnings (Loss) per Share (fully diluted) | 0.10 | (0.05 | ) | (1.04 | ) | (0.00 | ) | ||
| Adjusted Net Earnings per Share (basic)NG | 0.18 | 0.02 | 0.88 | 0.13 | |||||
| Adjusted Net Earnings per Share (fully diluted)NG | 0.18 | 0.02 | 0.88 | 0.13 | |||||
Reconciliation of Shareholders' Equity to Invested CapitalNG
The following table reconciles Shareholders' Equity to Invested Capital. The average invested capital for the last twelve months is used in the calculation of ROICNG. ROICNG is not a recognized measure under IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. Accordingly, ROICNG may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. See Non-IFRS Measures for the definition of ROICNG.
| ($ thousands) | 2026 Q1 | 2025 Q4 | 2025 Q3 | 2025 Q2 | ||||
| Shareholders' Equity | 597,709 | 586,448 | 417,925 | 557,787 | ||||
| Addback | ||||||||
| Long term debt | 299,103 | 269,881 | 273,334 | 324,660 | ||||
| Second lien debt | 607,469 | 606,919 | 607,887 | 611,056 | ||||
| Obligation under lease | 141,580 | 140,438 | 134,973 | 129,738 | ||||
| Convertible debentures | 237,335 | 238,468 | 231,841 | 233,567 | ||||
| Senior unsecured debt | 35,735 | 35,226 | 33,659 | 33,322 | ||||
| Derivatives | (11,015 | ) | (16,772 | ) | (15,644 | ) | (13,852 | ) |
| Cash | (77,374 | ) | (118,548 | ) | (72,649 | ) | (78,912 | ) |
| Invested CapitalNG | 1,830,542 | 1,742,060 | 1,611,326 | 1,797,366 | ||||
| Average of invested capitalNGover the quarter | 1,786,301 | 1,676,693 | 1,704,346 | 1,803,165 | ||||
| 2025 Q1 | 2024 Q4 | 2024 Q3 | 2024 Q2 | |||||
| Shareholders' Equity | 703,529 | 707,754 | 699,717 | 704,031 | ||||
| Addback | ||||||||
| Long term debt | 643,872 | 610,237 | 610,624 | 576,145 | ||||
| Second lien debt | 174,202 | 173,741 | 173,309 | 172,910 | ||||
| Obligation under lease | 129,629 | 129,511 | 130,020 | 131,382 | ||||
| Convertible debentures | 221,540 | 218,020 | 230,453 | 225,628 | ||||
| Senior unsecured debt | 51,051 | 50,040 | 56,210 | 54,997 | ||||
| Derivatives | (6,874 | ) | (10,497 | ) | 2,327 | (2,740 | ) | |
| Cash | (107,985 | ) | (49,557 | ) | (59,720 | ) | (77,445 | ) |
| Invested CapitalNG | 1,808,964 | 1,829,249 | 1,842,940 | 1,784,908 | ||||
| Average of invested capitalNGover the quarter | 1,819,107 | 1,836,095 | 1,813,922 | 1,785,059 | ||||
Appendix B - Non-IFRS Measures and Forward-Looking Statements
Non-IFRS Measures
References to “Adjusted EBITDA” are to earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization after adjusting for the effects of certain non-recurring and/or non-operations related items and expenses incurred outside the normal course of operations that do not reflect the current ongoing cash operations of the Company. These adjustments include gains or losses on disposal of property, plant and equipment, fair value adjustment for total return swap, unrealized foreign exchange losses or gains on non-current monetary items and forward foreign exchange contracts, costs associated with assessing strategic and corporate initiatives, past service costs and other pension costs or recovery, non-operating costs or recoveries related to business acquisition, fair value adjustment to acquired subsidiary company's inventory and deferred revenue, proportion of the total return swap realized, equity settled stock-based compensation, expenses incurred outside the normal course of operations, recovery of currency transactions, prior year sales tax provision, COVID-19 costs and impairment loss on goodwill and non-operating restructuring costs.
References to "NOPAT" are to Adjusted EBITDA less depreciation of plant and equipment, depreciation of right-of-use assets and income taxes at a rate of 31%.
“Free Cash Flow” means net cash generated by or used in operating activities adjusted for changes in non-cash working capital items, interest paid, interest expense, income taxes paid, current income tax expense, repayment of obligation under lease, cash capital expenditures, acquisition of intangible assets, proceeds from disposition of property, plant and equipment, costs associated with assessing strategic and corporate initiatives, fair value adjustment to acquired subsidiary company's inventory and deferred revenue, defined benefit funding, defined benefit expense, past service costs and other pension costs or recovery, expenses incurred outside the normal course of operations, proportion of total return swap, unrecoverable insurance costs, prior year sales tax provision, non-operating restructuring costs, extraordinary COVID-19 costs, foreign exchange gain or loss on cash held in foreign currency.
References to "ROIC" are to NOPAT divided by average invested capital for the last twelve month period (calculated as to shareholders’ equity plus long-term debt, obligations under leases, other long-term liabilities and derivative financial instrument liabilities less cash).
“Invested Capital” is not a recognized measure under IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. Management believes that Invested Capital is an important measure in evaluating the Company’s financial position. The Company defines Invested Capital as total interest-bearing debt plus derivative liabilities plus equity less cash on hand.
“Book-to-Bill ratio” is not a recognized measure under IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company defines Book-to-Bill ratio as new firm orders and exercised options divided by new deliveries.
References to "Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss)" are to net earnings (loss) after adjusting for the after tax effects of certain non-recurring and/or non-operational related items that do not reflect the current ongoing cash operations of the Company including: fair value adjustments of total return swap, unrealized foreign exchange loss or gain, unrealized gain or loss on the interest rate swap, impairment loss on goodwill, portion of the total return swap realized, costs associated with assessing strategic and corporate initiatives, fair value adjustment to acquired subsidiary company's inventory and deferred revenue, equity settled stock-based compensation, gain or loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment, past service costs and other pension costs or recovery, recovery on currency transactions, expenses incurred outside the normal course of operations prior year sales tax provision, COVID-19 costs and non-operating restructuring costs .
References to "Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) per Share" are to Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) divided by the average number of Shares outstanding.
Management believes Adjusted EBITDA, ROIC, Free Cash Flow, Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) and Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) per Share are useful measures in evaluating the performance of the Company. However, Adjusted EBITDA, ROIC, Free Cash Flow, Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) and Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per Share are not recognized earnings or cash flow measures under IFRS and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Readers of this press release are cautioned that ROIC, Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings or loss or cash flows from operating activities determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of NFI’s performance, and Free Cash Flow should not be construed as an alternative to cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities determined in accordance with IFRS as a measure of liquidity and cash flows. A reconciliation of net earnings (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA, based on the Financial Statements, has been provided under the headings “Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA and Net Operating Profit After Taxes”. A reconciliation of net earnings (loss) to Adjusted Net Earnings (Loss) is provided under the heading “Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted Net Loss”.
NFI's method of calculating Adjusted EBITDA, ROIC, Free Cash Flow, Adjusted Net Earnings and Adjusted Net Earnings per Share may differ materially from the methods used by other issuers and, accordingly, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other issuers. Dividends paid from Free Cash Flow are not assured, and the actual amount of dividends received by holders of Shares will depend on, among other things, the Company's financial performance, debt covenants and obligations, working capital requirements and future capital requirements, all of which are susceptible to a number of risks, as described in NFI’s public filings available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.
"Liquidity" is not a recognized measure under IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company defines liquidity as cash on-hand plus available capacity under its 2025 First Lien Facility.
“Backlog” value is not a recognized measure under IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company defines backlog as the number of EUs in the backlog multiplied by their expected selling price.
References to NFI's geographic regions for the purpose of reporting global revenues are as follows: "North America" refers to Canada, United States, and Mexico; United Kingdom and Europe refer to the United Kingdom and Europe; and "Asia Pacific" or "APAC" refers to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the Company’s future growth, financial performance and liquidity and the Company’s strategic initiatives, plans, business prospects and opportunities, including the repeat costs and remedies relating to the Battery Recall, the impact of and recovery from supply chain disruptions and plans to address them, the steps the Company plans to take to improve liquidity and the impact of tariffs, other trade measures and U.S. policy developments regarding federal vehicle funding. The words “believes”, “views”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “projects”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “guidance”, “goals”, “objectives”, “targets” and similar words or expressions of future events or conditional verbs such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and the Company’s financial and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this press release. By their very nature, forward-looking statements require management to make assumptions and involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future events, performance or results, and give rise to the possibility that management’s predictions, forecasts, projections, expectations or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that the assumptions may not be correct and that the Company’s future growth, financial condition, ability to generate sufficient cash flow, maintain adequate liquidity and manage supply chain disruptions and the Company’s strategic initiatives, objectives, plans, business prospects and opportunities, will not occur or be achieved.
The Company continues to experience various global and regional supply chain and logistics challenges, inflationary price increases for parts, components and other inputs used in the manufacturing processes, as well as labour shortages. The Company is currently working through a battery recall. The Company has taken and continues to take various steps to mitigate these issues (including the current North American seat supply issue and battery recall), but they continue to have a significant negative impact on the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition and liquidity. These issues may continue and/or worsen, including as the Company continues to ramp up production levels. While NFI has experienced significant improvement in overall supplier performance, the supply of certain parts and components continues to be challenged and may deteriorate, including with respect to other parts and components. There can be no assurance as to if or when production operations will return to pre-pandemic production rates or deliveries. Supply chain issues could also potentially expose the Company to liquidated damages penalties under certain transit bus and motorcoach purchase contracts if it is unable to meet the applicable delivery deadlines under such contacts. While the Company is closely managing its liquidity, it is possible that various events (such as delayed deliveries and customer acceptances, delayed customer payments, supply chain issues, product recalls and warranty claims) could significantly impair the Company’s liquidity and there can be no assurance that the Company would be able to obtain additional liquidity when required in such circumstances. In addition, as the Company is in the process of ramping up production levels and an increasing percentage of the Company’s orders are ZEBs that have a higher manufacturing cost, the Company’s working capital requirements have increased compared to prior years. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to maintain sufficient liquidity for an extended period or have access to additional capital when required in such circumstances and the Company’s financial performance and condition, cash flow and liquidity and its ability to maintain compliance with the covenants under its credit facilities may be impaired.
The level, type, coverage and duration of tariffs and other trade measures imposed by the US, Canada and China is fluidly evolving and may continue to change and evolve in unpredictable ways. The impact of tariffs and other trade measures on general economic conditions, customer demand and on the Company’s business is uncertain and may be significant. Such impacts may include general inflationary pressures as well as new and exacerbated supply chain disruptions leading to production inefficiencies, delivery delays and additional liquidity deterioration. It is impossible to predict the full impact on the Company of tariffs or other trade actions, and if they are in place for an extended period they may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition and liquidity and may result in the Company not achieving its finalized guidance. In addition, U.S. federal funding for transit buses and motorcoaches, including electric vehicles, could potentially be significantly reduced as a result of the U.S. administration’s recent executive orders and potential policy changes. This could significantly impact the ability of U.S. transit agencies to purchase vehicles from the Company, which would likely have the most significant impact on purchases of electric vehicles. There can be no assurance as to the continuation or future amount of U.S. federal funding for transit bus and motorcoach purchases.
Specific reference is made to the factors described above in this press release and in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Information Form for a discussion of the factors that may affect forward-looking statements and information. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and information, there may be other factors that could cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended or to occur or be achieved at all. The forward-looking statements and information contained herein are made as of the date of this press release (or as otherwise indicated) and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement or information, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf. The Company provides no assurance that forward-looking statements and information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers and investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information.