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Beretta Holding Comments on Ruger's Disappointing Q4 and FY 2025 Results

MWN-AI** Summary

Beretta Holding S.A. has expressed significant concerns regarding Sturm, Ruger & Company's disappointing financial results for Q4 and FY 2025, describing a concerning disconnect between management's statements and actual performance. As the largest shareholder, owning 9.95% of Ruger, Beretta Holding argues that recent results highlight a failing strategy, which has led to margin erosion, declining earnings, and overall underperformance.

Despite a reported 3.6% revenue growth in the fourth quarter, Beretta contends that this figure masks deeper issues. The company's gross profit fell dramatically—18.7% in Q4 and 29% for the year—indicating that sales grew at the expense of profitability. Ruger’s average selling price also declined from $377 to $364, raising questions about its supposed innovation-driven growth strategy. Adjusted earnings per share missed consensus forecasts, while operating loss for the year contrasted sharply with prior income levels.

Beretta advocates for a strategic overhaul at Ruger, citing an urgent need for change within the Board of Directors to restore accountability and financial stability. They have nominated four independent director candidates for the upcoming 2026 Annual Meeting, emphasizing the necessity for improved governance and operational execution. Beretta's statement criticizes the current management for their lack of accountability and inadequate capital allocation strategies, such as maintaining dividend payments amid financial losses.

In sum, Beretta Holding’s commentary firmly positions them as advocates for strategic change in Ruger’s leadership to reverse its concerning financial trajectory and enhance shareholder value.

MWN-AI** Analysis

Beretta Holding's critical assessment of Sturm, Ruger & Company Inc.'s disappointing Q4 and FY 2025 results highlights key issues that investors should be aware of. The results demonstrate significant margin erosion and declining profitability, raising red flags about Ruger’s strategic execution. Notably, the gross profit decrease of 18.7% in Q4 and 29% for the full year calls into question the company’s reliance on new product sales without a corresponding improvement in pricing power.

Investors should recognize that while Ruger reported modest revenue growth—3.6% in Q4 and less than 2% for the year—this growth failed to keep pace with inflation and resulted in a substantial margin contraction. The average selling price decline from $377 in 2024 to $364 in 2025 further exacerbates concerns, leading to urgent questions about the sustainability of the company’s growth strategy.

Additionally, the 25% increase in general and administrative expenses, against a backdrop of declining operational income, signals potential mismanagement and inefficient capital allocation. The decision to maintain dividends despite negative earnings amplifies the risk of further financial instability. Beretta's call for a governance overhaul, advocating for new board members with relevant industry expertise, suggests that immediate changes are needed to restore accountability and restore operational discipline.

As Ruger approaches its 2026 Annual Meeting, investors should closely monitor the situation. The proxy battle initiated by Beretta presents an opportunity to reshape leadership, potentially improving operational direction and driving long-term shareholder value. In the current landscape, shareholders are encouraged to evaluate their positions in Ruger, prioritizing companies that demonstrate robust governance and strategic foresight over those mired in stagnation and declining profitability.

**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.

Source: Business Wire

Highlights Margin Erosion, Earnings Deterioration and Strategic Missteps Under Current Leadership

Questions Management’s Innovation Narrative Amid Falling Prices and Margin Compression

Contends Further Change is Urgently Needed in the Boardroom to Address Underperformance and Restore Accountability

Beretta Holding S.A. (“Beretta Holding” or “we”), a family-owned group leading the global premium light firearms, optics and ammunition industry and the largest shareholder of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (“Ruger” or the “Company”), with 9.95% ownership of the Company’s outstanding common stock, today issued the following statement regarding Ruger’s recently reported fourth quarter and year-end 2025 results.

As a reminder, Beretta Holding previously announced it has nominated a slate of four highly qualified, independent director candidates for election to the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”). Visit www.ReloadRuger.com to learn more about our campaign and sign up to receive important updates.

“The Company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results underscore a clear and growing disconnect between management’s rhetoric and actual performance – a disconnect that cannot be explained away as cyclical or temporary headwinds. Instead, these results appear to reveal a management team and Board that are failing to execute effectively and are doubling down on a failed strategy that is eroding value for shareholders, employees and customers.

Based on Beretta Holding’s centuries of operating experience in the global firearms industry, including significant manufacturing and commercial operations in the United States, we review these results with a practical understanding of what disciplined execution and profitable growth should look like. Through that lens, the trajectory reflected in Ruger’s recent performance is deeply concerning.

Ruger reported what superficially looks like modest top-line growth – 3.6% for the fourth quarter and less than 2% for the full year – yet this figure masks the reality that revenue growth lagged inflation and came at the expense of profitability. Gross profit declined by 18.7% for the fourth quarter and by 29% for the full year, indicating that the Company’s strategy relies on buying sales at the expense of margin expansion and shareholder value. Management and the Board have so little real ‘skin in the game’ that they simply do not bear the brunt of their underperformance in the same manner that Ruger shareholders do.

This margin erosion is particularly troubling given management’s repeated emphasis on new products, which now represent more than 30% of sales and are purportedly central to Ruger’s growth strategy. Innovation should strengthen pricing power and support margin expansion. Instead, average selling prices declined to $364 in 2025 from $377 in 2024, further compressing margins and raising serious questions about the viability of the Company’s product strategy.

Earnings performance compounds these concerns. Adjusted EPS missed consensus, and on a GAAP basis, the Company swung to a loss for the year. Operating income deteriorated by nearly $65 million over the last two years, falling from $52 million in 2023 to an operating loss of $12 million in 2025. Over the same period, general and administrative expenses increased by over 25% from $42.7 million to $54.2 million. The Company’s inefficient and suboptimal capital allocation strategy remains a concern. In our view, Ruger’s decision to pay dividends in a year of negative earnings represents an unsustainable attempt to appease shareholders when that capital would be better deployed to support long-term earnings growth.

This is not the pattern of a company executing with discipline – it is the pattern of a business sacrificing financial health for the illusion of momentum. Further, the Board’s defensive posture toward its largest shareholder and refusal to engage meaningfully on strategy only amplifies concerns about governance. Assertions that recent board refreshment equips Ruger to oversee the ‘Ruger 2030’ strategy ring hollow when the strategy’s key elements are producing deteriorating margins, lost earnings power and negative real growth.

Ruger employees, customers and shareholders deserve better accountability and a strategic reset that prioritizes operational excellence and real value creation. The Company’s financial performance underscores that meaningful change is required to restore profitability and rebuild trust with employees, customers and shareholders. Beretta Holding’s nominees bring the governance experience, capital allocation discipline and industry expertise that we believe is necessary to strengthen oversight in the boardroom and help put Ruger back on a path toward sustainable shareholder value.”

About Beretta Holding S.A.

With roots dating back to 1526 , Beretta Holding is a global family-owned industrial group operating through more than 50 subsidiaries and over 20 internationally recognized brands , with a strong manufacturing footprint in Europe and the United States supporting defense, law enforcement, hunting and shooting sports markets.

CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PARTICIPANTS

Beretta Holding S.A. (“Beretta Holding”) intends to file a preliminary proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to be used to solicit votes for the election of Beretta Holding’s slate of highly qualified director nominees at the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders of Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”).

BERETTA HOLDING STRONGLY ADVISES ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER PROXY MATERIALS, INCLUDING A PROXY CARD, AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. SUCH PROXY MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC’S WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV . IN ADDITION, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROXY SOLICITATION WILL PROVIDE COPIES OF THE PROXY STATEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE, WHEN AVAILABLE, UPON REQUEST. REQUESTS FOR COPIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PARTICIPANTS’ PROXY SOLICITOR.

The participants in the proxy solicitation are anticipated to be Beretta Holding, William F. Detwiler, Mark DeYoung, Fredrick DiSanto and Michael Christodolou.

As of the date hereof, Beretta Holding directly beneficially owns 1,587,000 shares of common stock, $1 par value per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”). As of the date hereof, Messrs. Detwiler, DeYoung, DiSanto and Christodolou do not beneficially own any shares of Common Stock. As one of the most experienced operators in the global firearms industry, Beretta Holding’s only other interest in connection with its investment in the Company at the present is to seek to partner with the Company in order to improve performance and deliver sustainable long-term value for all shareholders, employees and customers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260305538609/en/

For Media :
Longacre Square Partners
beretta@longacresquare.com

For Investors :
Saratoga Proxy Consulting LLC
John Ferguson, 212-257-1311
info@saratogaproxy.com

FAQ**

How does Beretta Holding plan to address the reported margin erosion and declining earnings performance at Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. (RGR) if its proposed board nominees are elected at the 2026 Annual Meeting?

Beretta Holding plans to implement strategic operational changes and enhance efficiency at Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. (RGR) to counter margin erosion and boost earnings performance if its proposed board nominees are elected at the 2026 Annual Meeting.

In light of the challenges facing Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. (RGR), what specific changes to capital allocation strategy does Beretta Holding advocate to enhance long-term value for shareholders?

Beretta Holding advocates for Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. to prioritize investments in innovation and product diversification, reduce reliance on traditional firearms, and optimize operational efficiency to enhance long-term shareholder value.

Given the disconnect between management's rhetoric and performance at Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. (RGR), what immediate actions does Beretta Holding believe are essential to restore accountability within the boardroom?

Beretta Holding believes that immediate actions essential to restore accountability at Sturm Ruger include a comprehensive review of management practices, heightened transparency in communications, and the establishment of performance-based metrics tied to executive compensation.

What insights can Beretta Holding share about its experience in operational excellence that will assist Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. (RGR) in reversing the trend of falling prices and margin compression?

Beretta Holding can share its best practices in lean manufacturing, supply chain optimization, and customer-centric innovation to help Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product differentiation, thereby reversing price declines and margin compression.

**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Sturm Ruger & Company Inc. (NYSE: RGR).

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