(1) Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”) on a basis consistent with that used in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2024 (“2024 Form 10-K”) filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the consolidated balance sheets and the statements of operations and comprehensive income, cash flows and shareholders’ equity for the periods indicated. The September 28, 2024 consolidated balance sheet was derived from audited consolidated financial statements but does not include all the disclosures required by GAAP. These statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our 2024 Form 10-K. The results of operations for the periods indicated are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full fiscal year or any future periods.

On October 21, 2024, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Insteel Wire Products Company (“IWP”), purchased substantially all of the assets, other than cash and accounts receivable, of Engineered Wire Products, Inc. (“EWP”) and certain related assets of Liberty Steel Georgetown, Inc. (“LSG”). See Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

On November 26, 2024, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary IWP, purchased certain assets of O’Brien Wire Products of Texas, Inc. (“OWP”). See Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

(2) Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures”. ASU No. 2023-07 requires disclosures to include significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), a description of other segment items by reportable segment and any additional measures of a segment's profit or loss used by the CODM when deciding how to allocate resources. The ASU requires all annual disclosures currently required by Topic 280 to be included in interim periods and is applicable to entities with a single reportable segment. ASU No. 2023-07 will be effective for us in fiscal 2025 for annual reporting and in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 for interim reporting. Retrospective application is required for all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The adoption of this update will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”. ASU No. 2023-09 requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income tax paid. ASU No. 2023-09 will become effective for us in fiscal 2026. We are currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on our income tax disclosures within the consolidated financial statements.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, “Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses”. ASU No. 2024-03 does not change or remove existing expense disclosure requirements but requires disaggregated disclosures about certain expense categories and captions, including but not limited to, purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, amortization and selling expenses. ASU No. 2024-03 will become effective for us in fiscal 2028 and in the first quarter of fiscal 2029 for interim reporting. Retrospective application is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on our disclosures within the consolidated financial statements.

(3) Business Combination

Acquisitions have been accounted for as business purchases pursuant to FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 805, Business Combinations (“ASC 805”).

Engineered Wire Products, Inc.

On October 21, 2024, we purchased substantially all of the assets, other than cash and accounts receivable, of EWP and certain related assets of LSG (the “EWP Acquisition”) for an adjusted purchase price of $67.0 million, which included a $1.5 million holdback payable by us one year from the acquisition date. Subsequent to the acquisition date, certain of the adjustments to the purchase price totaling $0.8 million were applied to the holdback amount, reducing the holdback to $0.7 million.

EWP was a leading manufacturer of welded wire reinforcement (“WWR”) products for use in nonresidential and residential construction. Under the terms of the EWP Acquisition, Insteel acquired EWP’s inventories, production equipment and production facilities located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio and Warren, Ohio. Insteel also acquired certain equipment from LSG located in Georgetown, South Carolina, but the Georgetown facility was excluded from the acquisition. EWP retained its accounts receivable and accounts payable. The EWP Acquisition was funded with cash on hand. The EWP Acquisition will expand our geographic footprint and is expected to strengthen our competitive position within the Midwest market.

Following is a summary of our preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date:

In connection with the EWP Acquisition, we acquired certain intangible assets that will be amortized based on their estimated useful lives of 20.0 years for customer relationships, 4.0 years for a non-competition agreement, 1.0 year for a trade name and 7.0 years for a patent. As we are in the process of finalizing internal and third-party valuations, the provisional estimates of inventories, other current assets, intangible assets, fixed assets, goodwill and certain accrued liabilities are subject to adjustment. Certain measurement period adjustments were recorded in the three-month period ended March 29, 2025, due to the receipt of additional information, regarding the facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date, reducing the purchase price allocation to property, plant, and equipment and increasing goodwill by $1.3 million. This adjustment did not have a material impact on net earnings. We expect to finalize these amounts as soon as practical and no later than one year from the acquisition date. Goodwill associated with the EWP Acquisition, which is deductible for tax purposes, consists largely of the synergies we expect to realize through the integration of the acquired assets with our operations.

Following the EWP Acquisition, net sales of the former EWP facilities for the three- and six-month periods ended March 29, 2025 were approximately $14.4 million and $22.0 million, respectively. The actual net sales specifically attributable to the EWP Acquisition, however, cannot be quantified due to our integration efforts which involved the reassignment of business between the former EWP facilities and our existing WWR facilities. As a result, we have determined that the presentation of EWP’s earnings for the three- and six-month periods ended March 29, 2025 is impracticable due to the integration of EWP’s operations following the EWP Acquisition.

The following unaudited supplemental pro forma financial information reflects our combined results of operations had the EWP Acquisition occurred at the beginning of fiscal 2024. The pro forma information reflects certain adjustments related to the EWP Acquisition, including adjusted amortization and depreciation expense based on the fair values of the assets acquired and adjustments to interest income. The pro forma information does not reflect any potential operating efficiencies or cost savings that may result from the EWP Acquisition. Accordingly, this pro forma information is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to represent the actual results of operations of the combined company that would have been achieved had the EWP Acquisition occurred at the beginning of fiscal 2024, nor is it intended to indicate future results of operations. The pro forma combined results of operations for the three- and six-month periods ending March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024 are as follows:

Restructuring charges. In connection with the EWP acquisition, we elected to consolidate our WWR operations through the closure of the Warren facility and through the redeployment of equipment to our other WWR production facilities. Production at the Warren facility ceased in November 2024, and its orders were distributed to our remaining WWR facilities. We plan to sell the acquired Warren facility, including certain machinery and equipment, totaling $5.5 million within one year. These items have been classified as assets held for sale within other assets on our consolidated balance sheet. Following is a summary of the restructuring activity during the three- and six-month periods ended March 29, 2025:

As of March 29, 2025, we recorded a liability of $93,000 for restructuring liabilities in accrued expenses on our consolidated balance sheet. We currently expect to incur approximately $0.7 million of additional restructuring charges for equipment relocation and facility closure costs through fiscal 2025.

Acquisition costs. Under the provisions of ASC 805, acquisition and integration costs are recorded as expenses in the period in which such costs are incurred rather than included as components of consideration transferred. During the three- and six-month periods ended March 29, 2025, we recorded $26,000 and $252,000, respectively, of acquisition-related costs associated with the EWP Acquisition for accounting, legal and other professional fees.

O’Brien Wire Products of Texas, Inc.

On November 26, 2024, we purchased certain assets of OWP for a purchase price of $5.1 million (the “OWP Acquisition”). OWP was a manufacturer of WWR products for use in nonresidential and residential construction. Under the terms of the OWP Acquisition, Insteel acquired certain of OWP’s inventories and all of the production equipment. The OWP Acquisition was funded with cash on hand. The OWP Acquisition serves to strengthen our competitive position within the Texas market.

Following is a summary of our preliminary allocation of the purchase price to the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date:

In connection with the OWP Acquisition, we acquired certain intangible assets that will be amortized based on their estimated useful lives of 20.0 years for customer relationships and 5.0 years for a non-competition agreement. As we are in the process of finalizing internal and third-party valuations, the provisional estimates of inventories, intangible assets, fixed assets and goodwill are subject to adjustment. Certain measurement period adjustments were recorded in the three-month period ended March 29, 2025, due to the receipt of additional information, regarding the facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date, reducing the purchase price allocation to property, plant, and equipment and increasing goodwill by $0.9 million. This adjustment did not have a material impact on net earnings. We expect to finalize these amounts as soon as practical and no later than one year from the acquisition date. Goodwill, which is deductible for tax purposes, consists largely of the synergies we expect to realize through the integration of the acquired assets with our operations.

Following the OWP acquisition, the net sales resulting from this acquisition were managed through our existing WWR facilities and cannot be quantified separately because of our ongoing integration efforts. Additionally, we are unable to prepare pro forma financial information due to the unavailability of certain historical financial data. Disclosing this information is considered impractical, and it would not significantly differ from the results presented in our consolidated financial statements for the three- and six-month periods ending March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024.

Restructuring charges. In connection with the OWP Acquisition, we elected to consolidate our WWR operations through the redeployment of OWPs equipment and inventory to our other facilities. Following is a summary of the restructuring activity during the three- and six-month periods ended March 29, 2025:

As of March 29, 2025, we recorded a liability of $35,000 for restructuring liabilities in accrued expenses on our consolidated balance sheet. We currently expect to incur approximately $0.2 million of additional restructuring charges for equipment relocation and facility closure costs through fiscal 2025.

Acquisition costs. During the three- and six-month periods ended March 29, 2025, we recorded $1,000 and $46,000, respectively, of acquisition-related costs associated with the OWP Acquisition for accounting, legal and other professional fees.

(4) Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenues when performance obligations under the terms of a contract with our customers are satisfied, which generally occurs when products are shipped and control is transferred. We enter into contracts that pertain to products, which are accounted for as separate performance obligations and typically one year or less in duration. We do not exercise significant judgment in determining the timing for the satisfaction of performance obligations or the transaction price. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration expected to be received in exchange for our products. We present revenue net of amounts collected from customers for sales tax.

Variable consideration that may affect the total transaction price, including contractual discounts, rebates, returns and credits, are included in net sales. Estimates for variable consideration are based on historical experience, anticipated performance and management's judgment and are updated as of each reporting date. Shipping and related expenses associated with outbound freight are accounted for as fulfillment costs and included in cost of sales. We do not have significant financing components. Contract costs are not significant and are recognized as incurred.

Our net sales by product line are as follows:

Contract assets primarily relate to our rights to consideration for products that are delivered but not billed as of the reporting date and are reclassified to receivables when the customer is invoiced. Contract liabilities primarily relate to performance obligations that are to be satisfied in the future and arise when we collect from the customer in advance of shipments. Contract assets and liabilities were not material as of March 29, 2025, and September 28, 2024.

Accounts receivable includes amounts billed and currently due from customers stated at their net estimated realizable value. Customer payment terms are generally 30 days. We maintain an allowance for credit losses to provide for the estimated receivables that will not be collected, which is based upon our assessment of customer creditworthiness, historical payment experience and the age of outstanding receivables. Past-due trade receivable balances are written off when our collection efforts have been unsuccessful.

(5) Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The authoritative guidance for fair value measurements establishes a three-level fair value hierarchy that encourages an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.

As of March 29, 2025, and September 28, 2024, we held financial assets that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis, which are summarized below:

Cash equivalents, which include all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, are classified as Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The carrying amount of our cash equivalents, which consist of investments in money market funds, approximates fair value due to their short maturities. Cash surrender value of life insurance policies are classified as Level 2. The fair value of the life insurance policies was determined by the underwriting insurance company’s valuation models and represents the guaranteed value we would receive upon surrender of these policies as of the reporting date.

As of March 29, 2025, and September 28, 2024, we had no nonfinancial assets that were required to be measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis other than the assets that were acquired from EWP, OWP and assets classified as held for sale during the three- and six-month periods ended March 29, 2025 (see Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements). The carrying amounts of accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to the short-term maturities of these financial instruments.

(6) Intangible Assets

The primary components of our intangible assets and the related accumulated amortization are as follows:

Amortization expense for intangibles was $484,000 and $187,000 for the three-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively, and $892,000 and $374,000 for the six-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively. Amortization expense for the next five years is $962,000 in 2025, $1.6 million in 2026, $1.3 million in 2027, $1.3 million in 2028, $1.1 million in 2029 and $11.3 million thereafter.

(7) Stock-Based Compensation

Under our equity incentive plan, employees and directors may be granted stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards. Effective February 11, 2025, the shareholders of the Company approved the 2025 Equity Incentive Plan of Insteel Industries Inc. (the “2025 Plan”), which authorizes the issuance of up to 800,000 shares of our common stock, plus any shares remaining available for grant under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan of Insteel Industries Inc. (as amended, the “2015 Plan”) as of the effective date of the 2025 Plan and any shares subject to an award granted under the 2015 Plan which are forfeited, cancelled, terminated, lapsed or expired without the issuance of shares. The 2025 Plan, which expires on February 10, 2035, replaces the 2015 Plan, which expired on February 17, 2025. As of March 29, 2025, there were 978,000 shares of our common stock available for future grants under the 2025 Plan, which is our only active equity incentive plan.

Stock option awards. Under our equity incentive plan, employees and directors may be granted options to purchase shares of common stock at the fair market value on the date of the grant. Options granted under these plans generally vest over three years and expire ten years from the date of the grant. Compensation expense associated with stock options was $569,000 and $440,000 for the three-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively, and $696,000 and $593,000 for the six-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively. As of March 29, 2025, there was $709,000 of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested options which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.20 years.

The following table summarizes stock option activity:

Stock option exercises include “net exercises” for which the optionee received shares of common stock equal to the intrinsic value of the options (fair market value of common stock on the date of exercise less exercise price) reduced by any applicable withholding taxes.

Restricted stock units. Restricted stock units (“RSUs”) granted under our equity incentive plan are valued based upon the fair market value on the date of the grant and provide for a dividend equivalent payment which is included in compensation expense. The vesting period for RSUs is generally one year from the date of the grant for RSUs granted to directors and three years from the date of the grant for RSUs granted to employees. RSUs do not have voting rights. Compensation expense associated with RSUs was $774,000 and $557,000 for the three-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively, and $992,000 and $802,000 for the six-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively.

As of March 29, 2025, there was $1.6 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested RSUs which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.53 years.

The following table summarizes RSU activity:

(8) Income Taxes

Effective income tax rate. Our effective income tax rate was 23.5% for the six-month period ended March 29, 2025, compared with 23.2% for the six-month period ended March 30, 2024. The effective income tax rates for both periods were based upon the estimated rate applicable for the entire fiscal year adjusted to reflect any significant or discrete items related specifically to interim periods.

Deferred income taxes. As of March 29, 2025, and September 28, 2024, we recorded a deferred tax liability (net of valuation allowance) of $11.6 million in other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets. We have $2.2 million of state net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) that expire between 2031 and 2040.

The realization of our deferred tax assets is entirely dependent upon our ability to generate future taxable income in applicable jurisdictions. GAAP requires that we periodically assess the need to establish a reserve against our deferred tax assets to the extent we no longer believe it is more likely than not that they will be fully realized. As of March 29, 2025, and September 28, 2024, we recorded a valuation allowance of $149,000 pertaining to deferred tax assets that were not expected to be utilized. The valuation allowance is subject to periodic review and adjustment based on changes in facts and circumstances.

Uncertainty in income taxes. We establish contingency reserves for material, known tax exposures based on our assessment of the estimated liability that would be incurred in connection with the settlement of such matters. As of March 29, 2025, we had no material, known tax exposures that required the establishment of contingency reserves for uncertain tax positions.

We file U.S. federal, state and local income tax returns in various jurisdictions. Federal and various state tax returns filed subsequent to 2019 remain subject to examination.

(9) Employee Benefit Plans

Supplemental retirement benefit plan. We have Supplemental Retirement Benefit Agreements (each, a “SRBA”) with certain of our employees (each, a “Participant”). Under the SRBAs, if the Participant remains in continuous service with us for a period of at least 30 years, we will pay the Participant a supplemental retirement benefit for the 15-year period following the Participant’s retirement equal to 50% of the Participant’s highest average annual base salary for five consecutive years in the 10-year period preceding the Participant’s retirement. If the Participant retires prior to the completion of 30 years of continuous service with us but has attained age 55 and completed at least 10 years of continuous service, the amount of the Participant’s supplemental retirement benefit will be reduced by 1/360^th for each month short of 30 years that the Participant was employed by us.

Net periodic pension cost for the SRBAs consists of the following components included in selling, general and administrative expense:

(10) Long-Term Debt

Revolving Credit Facility. We have a $100.0 million revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) that is used to supplement our operating cash flow and fund our working capital, capital expenditure, general corporate and growth requirements. In March 2023, we amended our credit agreement to extend the maturity date of the Credit Facility from May 15, 2024, to March 15, 2028, and replaced the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). The Credit Facility provides for an accordion feature whereby its size may be increased by up to $50.0 million, subject to our lender’s approval. Advances under the Credit Facility are limited to the lesser of the revolving loan commitment amount (currently $100.0 million) or a borrowing base amount that is calculated based upon a percentage of eligible receivables and inventories. As of March 29, 2025, no borrowings were outstanding on the Credit Facility, $98.5 million of borrowing capacity was available and outstanding letters of credit totaled $1.5 million.

Interest rates on the Credit Facility are based upon (1) an index rate that is established at the highest of the prime rate, 0.50% plus the federal funds rate or the SOFR rate plus 1.00% or (2) at our election, a SOFR rate including a credit adjustment of 0.10% plus, in either case, an applicable interest rate margin. The applicable interest rate margins are adjusted on a quarterly basis based upon the amount of excess availability on the Credit Facility within the range of 0.25% to 0.50% for index rate loans and 1.25% to 1.50% for SOFR-based loans. In addition, the applicable interest rate margins would be increased by 2.00% upon the occurrence of certain events of default provided for under the terms of the Credit Facility. Based on our excess availability as of March 29, 2025, the applicable interest rate margins on the Credit Facility were 0.25% for index rate loans and 1.25% for SOFR-based loans.

Our ability to borrow available amounts under the Credit Facility will be restricted or eliminated in the event of certain covenant breaches, events of default or if we are unable to make certain representations and warranties provided for under the terms of the Credit Facility. We are required to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 1.0 at the end of each fiscal quarter for the twelve-month period then ended when the amount of liquidity on the Credit Facility is less than $10.0 million. In addition, the terms of the Credit Facility restrict our ability to, among other things: engage in certain business combinations or divestitures; make investments in or loans to third parties, unless certain conditions are met with respect to such investments or loans; pay cash dividends or repurchase shares of our stock subject to certain minimum borrowing availability requirements; incur or assume indebtedness; issue securities; enter into certain transactions with our affiliates; or permit liens to encumber our property and assets. The terms of the Credit Facility also provide that an event of default will occur upon the occurrence of, among other things: defaults or breaches under the loan documents, subject in certain cases to cure periods; defaults or breaches by us or any of our subsidiaries under any agreement resulting in the acceleration of amounts above certain thresholds or payment defaults above certain thresholds; certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency; certain entries of judgment against us or any of our subsidiaries, which are not covered by insurance; or a change of control. As of March 29, 2025, we were in compliance with all of the financial and negative covenants under the Credit Facility, and there have not been any events of default.

Amortization of capitalized financing costs associated with the Credit Facility was $13,000 for each of the three-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, and $26,000 for each of the six-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024.

(11) Earnings Per Share

The computation of basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to common shareholders is as follows:

Options and RSUs that were antidilutive and not included in the dilutive earnings per share calculation amounted to 111,000 and 22,000 shares for the three-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively, and 97,000 and 31,000 shares for the six-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively.

(12) Share Repurchases

On November 18, 2008, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase authorization to buy back up to $25.0 million of our outstanding common stock (the “Authorization”). Under the Authorization, repurchases may be made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements and other factors. We are not obligated to acquire any common stock, and the program may be commenced or suspended at any time at our discretion without prior notice. The Authorization continues in effect until terminated by the Board of Directors. The Company repurchased $1.1 million or 39,850 shares and $303,000 or 8,859 shares of its common stock during the three-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively, and $1.7 million or 61,391 shares and $842,000 or 27,935 shares of its common stock during the six-month periods ended March 29, 2025, and March 30, 2024, respectively. As of March 29, 2025, there was $17.6 million remaining available for future share repurchases under this Authorization.

(13) Other Financial Data

Balance sheet information: