Coastal Funding And Offshore Projects Will Raise Prospects Amid Uncertainties

Key Takeaways

• Expanding project pipeline and new vessel delivery drive operational efficiency, margin improvement, and long-term revenue growth through coastal, energy, and infrastructure projects.
  
• Diversification into offshore energy and international markets reduces dependence on U.S. cycles and improves earnings stability, while free cash flow growth enables balance sheet strength.
  
• Reliance on government and LNG work, constrained project awards, and high leverage heighten vulnerability to market slowdowns, regulatory delays, and international competitive pressures.

Catalysts

Provides dredging services in the United States.

• Record levels of government funding for coastal protection and port deepening projects, combined with a substantial $1B backlog and new awards, provide strong revenue visibility through 2026–2027 and support expectations for sustained top-line growth.
  
• Delivery of new, modern dredging vessels (Amelia Island, Acadia) is increasing operational capacity and efficiency, enabling GLDD to target higher-margin projects and reduce operating costs, which should positively impact operating margins and net profitability.
  
• Increasing investments in U.S. coastal resiliency and critical subsea infrastructure (e.g., for LNG, power, telecom, and port assets) due to climate-driven risks are expanding GLDD's addressable project pipeline, driving long-term revenue and earnings growth.
  
• Strategic expansion into offshore energy and international markets via the Acadia vessel diversifies revenue sources, taps new high-margin business lines (offshore wind, asset protection), and reduces exposure to U.S. budget and permitting cycles, improving earnings stability.
  
• With the capital-intensive newbuild program completing and free cash flow expected to rise significantly in 2026, GLDD will strengthen its balance sheet, enabling deleveraging and potential for future shareholder returns-supportive of net margin and earnings per share growth.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Great Lakes Dredge & Dock's revenue will grow by 4.8% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will shrink from 8.6% today to 6.4% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach $61.0 million (and earnings per share of $0.9) by about August 2028, down from $71.7 million today. The analysts are largely in agreement about this estimate.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 22.9x on those 2028 earnings, up from 11.1x today. This future PE is lower than the current PE for the US Construction industry at 34.6x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 1.2% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 9.91%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• The company's pace of new project awards is currently constrained by both sector-wide pauses (e.g., the U.S. offshore wind slowdown and a "normalized" bid market with fewer capital deepening projects in the near term) as well as its own high asset utilization, limiting its ability to participate in over 50% of available bids; this may create future gaps in backlog and affect revenue visibility beyond 2026.
  
• Continued high dependence on government (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) and LNG contracts leaves revenue exposed to political/budgetary uncertainty and shifts in infrastructure spending priorities; any delay or reduction in government funding or LNG export capacity could negatively impact revenues and earnings.
  
• The heavy recent and ongoing capital expenditure program, while modernizing the fleet, has led to increased leverage and higher maintenance obligations; if demand softens or bid activity weakens, elevated debt and depreciation costs could compress net margins and free cash flow.
  
• Initial signs of slowing in the U.S. offshore wind pipeline have forced the company to pivot the Acadia's market focus toward international work starting in 2027; increased reliance on winning projects in Europe and Asia introduces heightened competition, regulatory risk, and potential for lower pricing power, potentially lowering international revenue and profitability.
  
• Industry-wide cycles remain pronounced, with evidence of project timing and award delays driven by regulatory issues (e.g., "continued resolution" limits new project starts until Federal budgets are finalized), which may create earnings volatility and risks to long-term revenue stability.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of $15.0 for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $17.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $14.0.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $955.3 million, earnings will come to $61.0 million, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 22.9x, assuming you use a discount rate of 9.9%.
• Given the current share price of $11.69, the analyst price target of $15.0 is 22.1% higher. Despite analysts expecting the underlying buisness to decline, they seem to believe it's more valuable than what the market thinks.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.