Shares of Emerald Expositions Events Inc. (NYSE: EEX) surged 12.47% in pre-market trading on Thursday following the release of the company's impressive first-quarter 2025 financial results. The event organizer reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue, demonstrating robust growth and improved profitability.

Emerald reported quarterly earnings of $0.08 per share, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $0.07 by 14.29%. The company's revenue for the quarter came in at $147.70 million, beating the analyst estimate of $134.50 million by 9.81%. This represents a significant 10.72% increase compared to sales of $133.40 million in the same period last year.

The strong performance was driven by organic revenue growth of 5.6%, reaching $139.2 million for the first quarter. The company's Adjusted EBITDA jumped to $53.6 million, a substantial 31.4% increase from $40.8 million in the first quarter of 2024. Notably, Emerald's net income rose to $15.3 million, up from $11.0 million in the same period last year.

Hervé Sedky, Emerald's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the results, stating, "Our strong first-quarter performance underscores the meaningful progress we've made in executing our strategy and delivering value to both our customers and shareholders. By refining and diversifying our portfolio across high-growth industries, we've created a more resilient platform that is well-positioned to navigate market cycles."

Looking ahead, Emerald reaffirmed its full-year 2025 guidance, projecting revenue of $450-460 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $120-125 million. The company's strong start to the year, coupled with its optimistic outlook, has clearly resonated with investors, driving the significant stock price increase in pre-market trading.