Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation (NYSE:AP) shares climbed 7.61% in pre-market trading on Tuesday after the company returned to profitability in the second quarter and reported a substantial increase in customer orders and backlog.
The company earned $0.07 per share during the quarter, reversing a loss of $0.36 per share in the same period last year. Net sales declined 9% year-on-year to $102.9 million from $113.1 million, primarily reflecting the closure of the U.K. cast roll facility that contributed to the prior-year results.
Adjusted EBITDA rises as margins improve
Despite lower revenue, Ampco-Pittsburgh delivered stronger underlying profitability.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 22% to $9.8 million from $8.0 million a year earlier, while the adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 240 basis points to 9.5%.
“Our Second Quarter 2026 results reflect continued progress across the business as customer activity improved and the benefits of actions taken over the last year continued to build,” said Brett McBrayer, CEO of Ampco-Pittsburgh.
The improvement suggests that measures implemented over the past year are translating into stronger earnings performance even as reported sales continue to reflect changes in the company’s operating footprint.
Customer orders jump 50% as backlog reaches $385.4 million
The strongest forward-looking indicator in the quarter came from new business activity.
Customer orders increased 50% year-on-year to approximately $144 million, while backlog rose by $39.9 million from the previous quarter to $385.4 million as of June 30, 2026.
For investors, the expanding backlog provides greater visibility into future business activity and could support revenue performance as orders move through production.
Both operating segments deliver higher adjusted profit
Ampco-Pittsburgh’s Forged and Cast Engineered Products segment generated net sales of $67.3 million, down 13.6% from the prior-year quarter.
However, adjusted operating income for the division increased 15.1% to $7.8 million, indicating improved profitability despite the decline in revenue.
The Air and Liquid Processing segment delivered a different mix, with net sales increasing 1.2% to $35.6 million and adjusted operating income climbing 34.2% to $5.3 million.
Cash flow remains a key area to watch
Operating cash flow improved to $0.2 million compared with a $2.3 million cash outflow in the second quarter of the previous year.
Free cash flow, however, remained negative and deteriorated to a $5.5 million outflow from a $3.8 million outflow a year earlier. Capital expenditures increased to $5.7 million during the quarter.
The return to profitability, higher margins and 50% increase in customer orders help explain the positive initial reaction in Ampco-Pittsburgh shares. The growing $385.4 million backlog also strengthens forward visibility, although converting that demand into sustained earnings and improved free cash flow remains an important measure of future execution.
Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation stock price
