Clearfield Announces Divestiture of Nestor Cables Business

Rhea-AI Summary

Clearfield (NASDAQ: CLFD) announced on November 12, 2025 the divestiture of its Nestor Cables business via a management buyout led by members of Nestor management.

Nestor Cables, which employs approximately 100 people in Finland and Estonia, designs and manufactures fiber optic cables, connectivity accessories and the Nestor Optimus microduct product family for the European market. Nestor will remain a supplier to Clearfield for select products.

The transaction causes a one-time loss in Clearfield’s fiscal fourth quarter 2025 with minimal cash impact, and management expects the deal to be accretive to operating margin and profitability going forward. Additional details will be included in the company’s earnings release due November 25, 2025.

Positive

• Expected accretion to operating margin and profitability
• Minimal cash impact from the divestiture
• Supply continuity: Nestor will continue as a supplier to Clearfield

Negative

• One-time charge causing a loss in fiscal Q4 2025

Insights

Corporate Strategy Analyst

Sale refocuses Clearfield on core North American operations while creating a short-term accounting charge but limited cash strain.

Clearfield sold the Nestor Cables business via a management buyout and retained a supplier relationship, transferring about 100 employees in Finland and Estonia and technology needed to produce FieldShield® domestically. Management says the deal supports Build America, Buy America (BABA) compliance by moving manufacturing capability to North America and streamlining production.

The company disclosed a one-time loss in fiscal Q4 2025 with "minimal cash impact" and expects the transaction to be accretive to operating margin and profitability going forward. Key operational dependencies include successful transfer of manufacturing know-how into North American facilities and the continued supply relationship with the divested unit; execution risk centers on integration timing and short-term margin effects driven by the disclosed one-time charge.

Watch for the upcoming earnings release scheduled for before the market opens on November 25, 2025 for the exact one-time charge amount and updated margin guidance. Over the next 3–12 months monitor reported operating margins, cash flow statements showing actual cash impact, and any disclosures about the supplier agreement terms.

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD), a leader in Community Broadband fiber connectivity, today announced that it has divested its Nestor Cables business through a management buyout led by certain members of the Nestor Cables management team.

Nestor Cables designs and manufactures fiber optic cables, connectivity accessories for fiber optic networks and instrumentation, and the Nestor Optimus product family for microduct networks for sale into the European market. Nestor Cables offers its customers complete solutions for fiber optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH) and fiber to the premises (FTTP) applications. The business includes approximately 100 employees in Finland and Estonia. Nestor Cables will continue to serve as a supplier to Clearfield for certain products.

“Today’s sale of the Nestor Cables business sharpens our focus on Clearfield’s core business and better positions us to capitalize on higher-return opportunities that align with our strengths,” said Cheri Beranek, Clearfield’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We would like to extend our gratitude to the Nestor Cables team for the successful transfer of the technology and know-how necessary to manufacture our full line of FieldShield^® products in our North American manufacturing operations. This vertical integration streamlines our manufacturing process, reduces our costs and allows us to fully support Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements.”

This transaction will result in a loss due to a one-time charge in the Company’s fiscal fourth quarter of 2025 with minimal cash impact to Clearfield. Additional information will be available in the Company’s earnings release, which is scheduled to be issued before the market opens on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. Moving forward, we expect the transaction to be accretive to the Company’s operating margin and profitability.

Oaklins Finland Ltd acted as financial advisor to Clearfield on the transaction.

About Clearfield, Inc.

Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD) designs, manufactures, and distributes fiber optic management, protection, and delivery products for communications networks. Our “fiber to anywhere” platform serves the unique requirements of leading incumbent local exchange carriers (traditional carriers), competitive local exchange carriers (alternative carriers), and MSO/cable TV companies, while also catering to the broadband needs of the utility/municipality, enterprise, data center, and military markets. Headquartered in

Minneapolis, MN, Clearfield deploys more than a million fiber ports each year. For more information, visit www.SeeClearfield.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information 
Forward-looking statements contained herein and in any related presentation or in the related Earnings Presentation are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “plan,” “expect,” “aim,” “believe,” “project,” “target,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “outlook,” or “continue” or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward looking statements include, for example, statements about the Company’s future revenue and operating performance, the impact of recent trade policy changes, including new and increased tariffs, retaliatory tariffs, trade disputes, and market and economic reactions to such changes, expected customer ordering patterns and future supply agreements with customers, anticipated shipping on backlog and future lead times, future availability of components and materials from the Company’s supply chain, compliance with Build America Buy America (BABA) Act requirements, future availability of labor impacting our customers’ network builds, the impact of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) or other government programs on the demand for the Company’s products or timing of customer orders, the Company’s ability to match capacity to meet demand, expansion into new markets and trends in and growth of the FTTx markets, market segments or customer purchases, future goodwill analysis and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and judgments about future developments in the Company's business. Certain important factors could have a material impact on the Company's performance, including, without limitation: our business is dependent on interdependent management information systems; inflationary price pressures and uncertain availability of components, raw materials, labor and logistics used by us and our suppliers could negatively impact our profitability; we rely on single-source suppliers, which could cause delays, increase costs or prevent us from completing customer orders; we depend on the availability of sufficient supply of certain materials and global disruptions in the supply chain for these materials could prevent us from meeting customer demand for our products; a significant percentage of our sales in the last three fiscal years have been made to a small number of customers, and the loss of these major customers could adversely affect us; further consolidation among our customers may result in the loss of some customers and may reduce sales during the pendency of business combinations and related integration activities; we may be subject to risks associated with acquisitions, and the risks could adversely affect future operating results; we have exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates; adverse global economic conditions and geopolitical issues could have a negative effect on our business, and results of operations and financial condition; growth may strain our business infrastructure, which could adversely affect our operations and financial condition; product defects or the failure of our products to meet specifications could cause us to lose customers and sales or to incur unexpected expenses; we are dependent on key personnel; cyber-security incidents, including ransomware, data breaches or computer viruses, could disrupt our business operations, damage our reputation, result in increased expense, and potentially lead to legal proceedings; natural disasters, extreme weather conditions or other catastrophic events could negatively affect our business, financial condition, and operating results; pandemics and other health crises could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results; to compete effectively, we must continually improve existing products and introduce new products that achieve market acceptance; if the telecommunications market does not continue to expand, our business may not grow as fast as we expect, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and operating results; changes in U.S. government funding programs may cause our customers and prospective customers to delay, reduce, or accelerate purchases, leading to unpredictable and irregular purchase cycles; intense competition in our industry may result in price reductions, lower gross profits and loss of market share; our success depends upon adequate protection of our patent and intellectual property rights; we face risks associated with expanding our sales outside of the United States; expectations relating to environmental, social and governance matters may increase our cost of doing business and expose us to reputational harm and potential liability; our operating results may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter, which may make budgeting for expenses difficult and may negatively affect the market price of our common stock; our stock price has been volatile historically and may continue to be volatile - the price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly; anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents, Minnesota law and other agreements could prevent or delay a change in control of our Company; and other factors set forth in Part I, Item IA. Risk Factors of Clearfield's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2024 as well as other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements to reflect actual events unless required by law. 

Investor Relations Contact:
Greg McNiff
The Blueshirt Group
773-485-7191
clearfield@blueshirtgroup.com

FAQ

What did Clearfield (CLFD) announce on November 12, 2025 about Nestor Cables?

Clearfield announced the divestiture of Nestor Cables via a management buyout led by Nestor management.

How many employees does the Nestor Cables business include in the CLFD divestiture?

The divested Nestor Cables business includes approximately 100 employees in Finland and Estonia.

Will Nestor Cables continue supplying Clearfield after the November 12, 2025 transaction?

Yes, Nestor Cables will continue to serve as a supplier to Clearfield for certain products.

How will the Nestor Cables sale affect Clearfield’s fiscal Q4 2025 results (CLFD)?

The transaction will result in a one-time charge that creates a loss in fiscal Q4 2025, with minimal cash impact.

When will Clearfield (CLFD) provide more information about the Nestor Cables transaction?

Additional information will be available in Clearfield’s earnings release scheduled for before market open on November 25, 2025.

What strategic benefits did Clearfield cite for selling Nestor Cables (CLFD)?

Clearfield said the sale sharpens focus on its core business, enables vertical integration of FieldShield manufacturing in North America, reduces costs, and supports Build America, Buy America requirements.