Shares of Sterling Construction (NASDAQ: STRL) surged 5.50% in pre-market trading on Tuesday, following the company's impressive first-quarter earnings report and increased full-year guidance. The civil infrastructure construction firm delivered results that exceeded analyst expectations across key financial metrics, demonstrating robust momentum in its operations.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, Sterling reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.63, significantly outperforming the analyst consensus estimate of $1.26 and representing a 63% increase from the same period last year. While revenue slightly decreased by 2.1% year-over-year to $430.9 million, it still surpassed Wall Street's expectations of $409.1 million. The company's adjusted EBITDA of $80.3 million also topped analyst projections, achieving an impressive 18.6% margin.

In response to the strong quarterly performance, Sterling raised its full-year 2025 guidance. The company now anticipates adjusted earnings per share between $8.40 and $8.90, up from its previous range of $7.90 to $8.40. Revenue projections were also increased to $2.05 billion to $2.15 billion, compared to the earlier forecast of $2.00 billion to $2.15 billion. Both metrics now exceed current analyst expectations, fueling investor optimism about Sterling's growth prospects. With a solid backlog of $2.13 billion as of March 31, 2025, the company appears well-positioned to maintain its growth trajectory throughout the year, despite broader economic uncertainties.