Centuri Holdings, Inc. (CTRI)

Executive Summary / Key Takeaways

• Separation Complete, Strategic Clarity Emerges: Centuri's final divestiture from Southwest Gas Holdings (SWX) in September 2025 marks its emergence as a fully independent utility infrastructure pure-play, freeing management to pursue capital allocation and growth strategies without a parent company overhang.

• Base Business Focus Masks Margin Trough: The strategic pivot to emphasize "base business" profitability—excluding volatile storm restoration work—reveals underlying strength (25% base revenue growth, 9.1% base gross margin) but also exposes a critical execution challenge in Non-Union Electric, where margins collapsed to 7.1% from 16.6% due to rapid crew ramp-up costs.

• Segment Divergence Defines Risk/Reward: Canadian Gas delivers exceptional economics (38.7% revenue growth, 21.9% gross margin), while U.S. Gas faces a $15 million seasonal Q1 headwind and Non-Union Electric absorbs margin pressure from 20% headcount growth to support new Master Services Agreements.

• Capital Efficiency Initiative Underway: A fleet optimization program targeting 20% efficiency improvement and a 50-50 owned/leased funding mix, combined with recent credit facility refinancing, demonstrates management's focus on cash generation and balance sheet flexibility.

• Valuation Hinges on Margin Recovery Execution: At $25.58, CTRI trades at 1.27x EV/Revenue with 4.55% operating margins—discounting some margin recovery but not pricing in full peer-level profitability. The investment thesis depends entirely on whether Non-Union Electric margins normalize by year-end as management promises.

Setting the Scene: A Century-Old Business Finds Its Independence

Centuri Holdings is not a startup. Its operating roots trace back to 1909, when Centuri Group was founded to serve utility infrastructure needs. The current public entity, formed as a Delaware corporation in June 2023, exists solely to house that century-old business as a standalone company. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, CTRI completed its initial public offering in April 2024 and, after a series of secondary offerings throughout 2025, finally severed all ties with Southwest Gas Holdings in September 2025. This separation represents more than a corporate formality—it unlocks strategic autonomy that was previously impossible.

The business itself is straightforward: Centuri partners with regulated utilities across North America to maintain, upgrade, and expand energy networks. This includes modernization of aging gas and electric distribution infrastructure, utility-scale transmission work, and increasingly, services for complementary markets like data centers and renewable energy. The company operates through four segments: U.S. Gas Utility Services, Canadian Gas Utility Services, Union Electric Utility Services, and Non-Union Electric Utility Services. This structure reflects a deliberate strategy to serve both union and non-union markets while maintaining geographic diversification.

Industry dynamics provide a supportive backdrop. North America's utility infrastructure is aging, with much of it decades past its designed lifespan. Regulatory bodies are tightening safety standards—most notably through the PHMSA Gas Mega Rule —while federal and state legislation is channeling capital toward modernization. Simultaneously, utilities face labor constraints and workforce turnover, making outsourced providers like Centuri increasingly essential. Overlaying these trends is surging electricity demand from data centers, with AI-driven facilities requiring substantial grid upgrades. These drivers create a multi-year tailwind for utility infrastructure spending, with total addressable demand estimated in the hundreds of billions.

Centuri's competitive position sits in the middle tier of a fragmented market. Unlike Quanta Services (PWR) with its $74 billion enterprise value and dominant scale, or MasTec (MTZ) with its $20 billion EV and diversified energy exposure, Centuri's $3.6 billion EV reflects a more focused approach. The company excels in regulated utility maintenance work, which provides recurring revenue through long-term Master Services Agreements (MSAs). This specialization creates deep customer relationships but also limits scale compared to peers who compete across pipelines, renewables, and telecom infrastructure. The key question is whether this focus translates into superior margins and returns, or whether scale disadvantages will permanently constrain profitability.

Technology, Products, and Strategic Differentiation: The Base Business Pivot

Centuri's primary strategic differentiator isn't a proprietary technology but a business model built on utility trust and operational reliability. The company has served some customers for decades, creating switching costs that go beyond price. Utilities don't just hire contractors; they embed them into their safety and operational planning. This relationship-driven moat shows up in the company's backlog, which reached a record $5.9 billion in Q3 2025, up from $5.3 billion the prior quarter. Nearly 80% of Q3 bookings—approximately $815 million—came from strategic bids on new MSAs, indicating that Centuri is winning new relationships, not just renewing old ones.

What makes this moment distinct is management's deliberate pivot to emphasize "base business" metrics. By introducing non-GAAP measures that exclude storm restoration revenue, Christian Brown and his team are forcing investors to evaluate the company's true earnings power without the noise of unpredictable weather events. Storm work generated $34.7 million in revenue and $13.3 million in gross profit in Q3 2024; its absence in 2025 creates a headwind that management wants analysts to look through. This matters because it signals a maturation in how Centuri communicates its story—from a volume-driven contractor to a relationship-driven service provider with predictable underlying profitability.

The fleet optimization initiative represents a tangible capital efficiency play. By targeting a 50-50 mix of owned versus leased equipment and aiming for 20% efficiency gains through better utilization and allocation, Centuri is addressing a core cost driver in construction services. In Q3 alone, the company entered $50 million in operating lease agreements for equipment previously on short-term rental, immediately reducing capital intensity. This initiative, led by newly appointed SVP of Fleet and Procurement Jason Lentz, could generate meaningful cash flow if executed properly, particularly as the business scales.

The November 2025 acquisition of Connect Atlantic Utility Services (CAUS) for an undisclosed amount expands Centuri's Canadian footprint into electric services, establishing it as a dual gas-electric provider in Atlantic Canada. This move diversifies revenue and leverages the company's existing Canadian gas presence. While the financial impact wasn't detailed, the strategic logic is sound: Canadian Gas already delivers the company's highest margins (21.9% in Q3), suggesting the market structure there is more favorable. Replicating that model in electric services could create a second high-margin growth engine.

Financial Performance & Segment Dynamics: A Tale of Four Segments

U.S. Gas: Steady but Seasonally Challenged

U.S. Gas remains Centuri's largest segment, generating $412.4 million in Q3 2025 revenue, up 12.7% year-over-year. Gross margins improved modestly to 7.7% from 7.6%, but the nine-month margin compressed to 4.6% from 5.3% due to Q1 weather-related inefficiencies. This seasonal pattern is structural: cold weather stops outdoor construction work, creating a $15 million negative impact in Q1 2025. Management's priority is winning work that allows 24/7, 365-day operations, particularly in warmer climates or on indoor infrastructure projects. Until they succeed, this segment will remain a drag on first-half profitability despite solid customer relationships and MSA volume growth.

The appointment of Ryan Palazzo as President of U.S. Gas in October 2025 signals management's focus on addressing these challenges. With over 30 years of experience, Palazzo is tasked with driving growth strategies that reduce seasonality. The risk is that such work may command lower margins or require entry into new geographic markets where Centuri lacks established relationships. For now, the segment is performing at a "steady state" with margins "commensurate with where we are," as Brown noted, but investors should expect continued Q1 volatility until the 24/7 strategy bears fruit.

Canadian Gas: The Profit Engine

Canadian Gas is Centuri's crown jewel. Q3 revenue surged 38.7% to $74.2 million, with gross margins expanding to 21.9% from 20.5%. Nine-month margins hit 19.4%, up from 14.9% in 2024, driven by improved bid margins that had been pressured by performance issues last year. This segment exclusively serves union markets, which typically offer more stable pricing and labor availability. The sustained favorable demand environment suggests Canadian utilities are accelerating infrastructure spending, and Centuri is capturing a meaningful share.

Why does this matter for the overall investment thesis? Canadian Gas demonstrates what Centuri's business model can achieve when market conditions align: high-teens margins with robust growth. If the CAUS acquisition successfully replicates this electric services playbook, Canada could become a disproportionate contributor to consolidated EBITDA. The segment's relatively small size ($169 million in nine-month revenue) means it can't offset weakness elsewhere, but it provides a proof-of-concept that Centuri can deliver peer-level profitability.

Union Electric: Solid Industrial Demand

Union Electric posted 25% revenue growth in Q3 to $214.5 million, with base revenue up 29% driven by robust industrial end-user activity, particularly substation infrastructure and inside electric work. Gross margins improved slightly to 9.1% from 9.0%, with base gross margins rising to 9% from 8.1%. This segment benefits from the data center buildout, as new facilities require substantial substation and distribution upgrades. The union structure provides labor stability, and the MSA-based revenue model offers predictability.

The segment's performance validates Centuri's ability to compete in electric markets, but margins remain well below those of pure-play electric contractors like MYR Group (MYRG) (11.8% gross margins). This suggests either pricing pressure from larger competitors or cost structures that aren't fully optimized. Management's focus on "better contract management and operational execution" indicates room for improvement, but the path to double-digit margins isn't yet clear.

Non-Union Electric: The Execution Crucible

Non-Union Electric is where the investment thesis will be won or lost. Q3 revenue grew 15.6% to $149.0 million, but base revenue surged 58%, reflecting rapid expansion of MSA work. However, gross margins collapsed to 7.1% from 16.6% in the prior year. The primary driver was the absence of high-margin storm work, but the bigger concern is margin pressure from ramping crews for new and expanding MSAs. Headcount increased over 20% this year to support workload growth, creating inefficiencies as new hires reach full productivity.

Management insists this is temporary, stating the margin impact will be "fully recovered by year-end" and that "core margins have increased by 0.2% despite mobilization impacts." The base gross margin was 7.1% versus 8.7% prior year, so the underlying business is actually improving. But the magnitude of the decline—from 16.6% to 7.1%—raises questions about how much storm work was masking operational leverage and whether rapid growth inherently creates margin volatility.

The critical "so what" is this: if Centuri can normalize Non-Union Electric margins to the 10-12% range while maintaining 50%+ base revenue growth, the segment becomes a powerful earnings driver. If margins stay mired in the high-single digits due to continuous ramp-up costs, the segment will remain a drag on consolidated returns. Management's guidance that "by the time we close out the year, that particular scope of work will be at the levels we expected" suggests confidence, but the caveat—"we will add progressively bigger scopes of work all around the nation, and we'll have a similar phenomenon"—implies this is a recurring challenge.

Consolidated Performance: Record Revenue, Mixed Profitability

Centuri achieved record quarterly revenue of $850 million in Q3 2025, with base revenue up 25% and base gross profit up 28%. The base gross margin of 9.1% improved from 8.9% prior year, demonstrating underlying operational leverage. However, SG&A expenses increased due to higher stock-based compensation, incentive accruals, and standalone public company costs. Interest expense rose $8.3 million from credit facility refinancing. The effective tax rate hit 78.9% due to disproportionate non-deductible expenses relative to pre-tax income, a technicality that should normalize but depressed net income.

For the nine months ended September 28, 2025, operating cash flow was negative $5.8 million versus positive $97.2 million in 2024. This swing was entirely due to the securitization facility being cash-flow neutral in 2025 after a $125 million favorable impact in 2024. Adjusted for this, underlying cash generation improved $14.7 million. Free cash flow was negative $16.3 million in Q3, but management expects meaningful generation in Q4 as accounts receivable normalize. Net CapEx was $21.5 million in Q3, with full-year guidance of $75-90 million maintained.

The balance sheet is in solid shape. July's refinancing extended the term loan maturity to 2032 and increased the revolver to $450 million. The leverage ratio covenant was temporarily relaxed to 4.5x through September 2026, giving flexibility. Net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 3.8x at quarter-end, with management targeting 3.3-3.4x by year-end. With $16.1 million in cash and full availability on the revolver, liquidity is adequate for the capital-intensive business model.

Outlook, Management Guidance, and Execution Risk

Management increased full-year 2025 revenue guidance to $2.8-2.9 billion, driven by base business growth offsetting minimal storm activity. Adjusted EBITDA guidance of $240-250 million was revised down to reflect the lack of storm work, which typically carries minimal incremental cost. Net CapEx guidance of $75-90 million was maintained, and management expressed confidence in generating meaningful free cash flow in Q4 as receivables normalize.

The 2026 outlook is more telling. Management claims "line of sight to double-digit revenue growth" based on backlog, near-term bookings, and a conservative baseline for incremental awards. The total opportunity pipeline stands at $13 billion, with $1.7 billion in strategic bids due for decision by Q1 2026 and $1.3 billion in MSA renewals and new awards in the same timeframe. This suggests revenue growth can be sustained, but the key question is profitability.

Management's margin commentary reveals the central tension. Christian Brown stated, "Our focus now is how do we put margins up and get a better return on our invested capital, simple as that." The company has "the sales analytics" and "organization positioned to profitable growth" and is now "prioritizing and getting margins up" on new opportunities, including data center projects. However, Brown acknowledged the need to be "very selective" because "core customers that we must nurture" have established price expectations, while new customers offer pricing power.

This creates a delicate balancing act. Renewing MSAs with existing utilities may limit margin expansion, while new data center and renewable energy work could offer better pricing. The risk is that pursuing higher margins on new work could reduce win rates or strain customer relationships. The fact that "win rates are holding good already as we come through to the end of the third -- into the fourth quarter" is encouraging, but the proof will be in sustained margin expansion.

The fleet optimization initiative could provide a structural margin tailwind. By moving from short-term rentals to longer-term leases and improving utilization, Centuri can reduce equipment costs that typically run 5-7% of revenue. If the 20% efficiency target is achieved, this could add 100-150 basis points to consolidated margins over time. However, the program is in early stages, and the benefits may be offset by continued growth investments.

Risks and Asymmetries: What Could Break the Thesis

The most material risk is execution failure in Non-Union Electric. If margins don't recover to the 10-12% range by Q1 2026, management's credibility suffers and the investment thesis collapses. The segment's 58% base revenue growth is meaningless if it comes with 7% margins. Worse, if the margin pressure is structural—meaning rapid growth inherently creates persistent inefficiencies—then Centuri's model is broken. The company's smaller scale relative to peers like Quanta Services and MasTec means it has less margin for error in absorbing these ramp-up costs.

Seasonality in U.S. Gas remains a structural drag. The $15 million Q1 impact is material for a segment that generated $43 million in nine-month gross profit. If management cannot win 24/7 work to offset winter weather, first-half results will continue to disappoint, creating a "two steps forward, one step back" dynamic that frustrates investors. The risk is that such work either doesn't exist in sufficient scale or requires pricing that compresses margins elsewhere.

Customer concentration is a known risk factor. While specific percentages aren't disclosed, the company's history with Southwest Gas Holdings and its focus on large LDCs suggests that losing a major customer could create a 10-20% revenue hole that would be difficult to fill quickly. The "large customer concentration" risk factor in the filings means this isn't theoretical—it's a material threat.

Inflation and supply chain pressures could squeeze margins further. While contracts often include price escalation provisions, these are typically capped. If fuel, labor, or material costs exceed caps, Centuri absorbs the difference. With operating margins already in the mid-single digits, there's little cushion. The company's smaller scale versus peers means it has less purchasing power with suppliers, exacerbating this risk.

The NPL Construction contract claim against the City of Chicago represents a contingent liability that could be material. While the company hasn't quantified the potential loss, an adverse outcome could result in a significant, unestimable loss. This is a binary risk that could surprise investors.

On the positive side, the asymmetry lies in Canadian Gas and the CAUS acquisition. If Canadian margins can be sustained and expanded into electric services, this could become a disproportionate profit driver. The segment's 21.9% gross margin is 2-3x the corporate average. Scaling this business could fundamentally improve Centuri's margin profile, creating upside that isn't reflected in the current valuation.

Valuation Context: Pricing in Partial Recovery

At $25.58 per share, Centuri trades at a $2.55 billion market capitalization and $3.60 billion enterprise value. With trailing twelve-month revenue of $2.64 billion, the EV/Revenue multiple is 1.27x. This represents a discount to larger peers like Quanta Services (2.73x) and MasTec (1.44x) but a premium to MYR Group (1.02x) and Primoris (PRIM) (0.98x). The valuation reflects Centuri's smaller scale and lower margins.

Profitability metrics tell a more concerning story. The 8.35% gross margin trails all peers (PWR 15.16%, MTZ 12.50%, MYRG 11.34%, PRIM 11.03%). Operating margin at 4.55% is below PWR's 7.11% and MTZ's 6.36%, though comparable to MYRG's 4.71%. The 0.09% profit margin shows the company is essentially breakeven after interest, taxes, and corporate costs. Return on equity of 0.46% is negligible, reflecting both low profitability and the debt burden (Debt/Equity of 1.81x).

Cash flow-based multiples are more reasonable but still demanding. The price-to-operating cash flow ratio of 46.12x is elevated, though this should improve if Q4 free cash flow materializes as management expects. The EV/EBITDA multiple of 15.51x is in line with industrial services peers, suggesting the market is pricing in some margin recovery but not a full return to double-digit operating margins.

The key valuation question is what margin profile Centuri can sustainably achieve. If Non-Union Electric recovers to 10-12% gross margins and U.S. Gas can mitigate seasonality, consolidated operating margins could reach 6-7%, putting them in line with MYRG and PRIM. That would justify a 1.5-1.7x revenue multiple, implying 20-35% upside from current levels. If margins stay mired at 4-5%, the stock is fairly valued at best and vulnerable to any operational misstep.

The balance sheet provides some downside protection. With $16.1 million in cash and a $450 million revolver, liquidity is adequate. The recent refinancing extended maturities and relaxed covenants, giving management breathing room. However, the 1.81x Debt/Equity ratio is higher than most peers, and the company remains capital-intensive, requiring $75-90 million annually in CapEx. This limits financial flexibility if margins don't improve.

Conclusion: A Show-Me Story with Asymmetric Risk/Reward

Centuri's transformation from Southwest Gas Holdings subsidiary to independent utility infrastructure platform is complete, but the financial transformation is still in progress. The company's strategic focus on base business profitability provides clarity, and the Canadian Gas segment proves that peer-level margins are achievable within Centuri's model. However, the severe margin compression in Non-Union Electric—driven by rapid growth and absent storm work—creates a critical execution test that will define the next 12-18 months.

The investment thesis hinges on two variables: margin recovery in Non-Union Electric and mitigation of seasonality in U.S. Gas. Management's guidance and commentary suggest confidence, but the magnitude of the margin decline (16.6% to 7.1%) raises legitimate questions about whether rapid growth inherently creates persistent inefficiencies. The fleet optimization initiative and pricing discipline on new work offer structural improvement opportunities, but these will take time to materialize.

At current valuation, the market is pricing in partial recovery but not full margin normalization. This creates an asymmetric risk/reward profile: if Centuri executes, the stock has 20-35% upside as margins expand and cash flow improves. If execution falters, the combination of low margins, high debt, and capital intensity could pressure the stock toward the low $20s. For investors, the key is to monitor Q4 margin trends in Non-Union Electric and management's progress on the 24/7 work initiative for U.S. Gas. These two metrics will determine whether Centuri's independence dividend pays off or gets consumed by execution risk.