Core Insights - The company reported a negative 1% organic growth in the top line for the quarter, primarily due to larger orders in GMP proteins not repeating year-over-year, resulting in a negative $7 million impact [2] - Despite the decline in organic growth, the overall performance of the business is viewed positively, and it does not reflect the trends in the markets [2] Market Performance - In the pharmaceutical sector, the company experienced two consecutive quarters of double-digit growth, alleviating earlier concerns about potential slowdowns due to MFN rhetoric [3] - The biotech sector also continued to show positive trends, contributing to the overall market performance [3]

Bio-Techne Conference Call Summary Company Overview - **Company**: Bio-Techne (NasdaqGS: TECH) - **Date**: November 10, 2025 - **Key Speakers**: Kim Kelderman, Jim Hippel, Dave Clair Key Points Financial Performance - **Organic Growth**: The company reported a negative 1% organic growth in the top line, primarily due to a $7 million impact from larger orders in GMP proteins not repeating year over year [3][10] - **EBITDA Margins**: The EBITDA margin stood at 29.9%, indicating strong operational performance despite headwinds [6] Market Dynamics - **Pharmaceutical Market**: Continued to show double-digit growth, with positive trends in funding and deal activity [4] - **Academic Market**: Flat performance, but core business showed strength [4] - **Regional Performance**: - **Europe**: Mid-single digit growth as expected [4] - **U.S.**: Negative low single digits, but showing improvement [4] - **China**: Two consecutive quarters of growth, indicating a positive trend [4] Business Segments - **Core Business**: Flat performance, recovering from previous quarters [5] - **Growth Verticals**: - **Gene Therapy**: Added numerous customers in cell therapy [5] - **Protein Analytics**: Mid-single digit growth [5] - **Molecular Diagnostics**: Mid-single digit growth, with a significant 34% growth in the same quarter last year [5] GMP Proteins - **Customer Concentration**: Two major customers accounted for a significant portion of GMP protein revenue, with a $12 million headwind expected in the next quarter [16] - **Market Conditions**: The biotech market showed improvement, moving from negative 30% to negative 19% [11] Product Innovations - **New Product Introductions**: Strong pipeline of new products across various lines, including ELA and Western Blot instruments, expected to drive future growth [32][33] - **Organoid Market**: The organoid business is projected to grow significantly, with a current estimated revenue of $50 million and a CAGR of 20% [51][52] Future Outlook - **Growth Projections**: The company anticipates low single-digit growth for the year, with expectations for improvement in the second half due to easing headwinds and market stabilization [55][59] - **China Market**: Optimism about sustained growth in China, with a focus on gradual recovery [60][61] Margin Expansion Opportunities - **Divestitures**: The divestiture of Exosome and exiting low-margin businesses like fetal bovine serum are expected to enhance margins [62] - **Operational Efficiency**: Ongoing efforts to optimize manufacturing and improve collaboration across business units are anticipated to drive margin improvements [63][64] Conclusion - Bio-Techne is navigating a challenging market environment with a focus on innovation, customer acquisition, and operational efficiency. The company is optimistic about future growth, particularly in the organoid and cell therapy markets, while managing the impacts of customer concentration and market fluctuations.

Group 1: Targa Resources - Targa Resources reported a solid third-quarter performance driven by volume growth in the gathering and processing segment, and plans to meet the high end of the previous fiscal 2025 adjusted EBITDA guidance [3] - The company bought back approximately $156 million of stock during the quarter and announced a 25% dividend increase for 2026, which is expected to be viewed positively by investors [3] Group 2: Bio-Techne - Bio-Techne reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $286.6 million, down 1% year over year, and flat adjusted earnings of $0.42 compared to the same quarter in 2025 [5] - The company faced headwinds in its GMP proteins business and funding delays for emerging biotech customers, leading to results below expectations [5] - A Buy rating is maintained with a price target of $75, reflecting the long-term potential of the company's diversified life science product portfolio [6] Group 3: McDonald's - McDonald's reported U.S. comparable sales growth of 2.4%, slightly below expectations, with earnings falling short due to heavy marketing investments [7] - The company anticipates U.S. comps to accelerate in the fourth quarter, driven by easier comparisons from last year's food safety incident and promotions [8] - A price target of $315 is set, but the company remains cautious due to challenges in consumer transactions and a bifurcated consumer base [8] Group 4: Docebo - Docebo is initiated with an Outperform rating and a price target of $35, as it has outpaced the broader LMS market by displacing legacy vendors and moving upmarket [9] - The company is expected to benefit from its push into the public sector after achieving FedRAMP status in April 2025 [10] Group 5: Marriott International - Marriott International's third-quarter results were a surprise positive, while the fourth-quarter guidance is considered neutral/slightly positive, reflecting macro uncertainty [11] - The preliminary outlook for 2026 indicates similar growth compared to 2025, suggesting an attractive growth path for the lodging sector [11] - A Neutral rating is maintained with a price target of $297, indicating a balanced risk/reward scenario [11] Group 6: Snowflake - Snowflake's annual developer and product conference highlighted its evolution from a "Data Cloud" to an "Enterprise Intelligence Cloud," focusing on helping customers build and reason with their data [12] - Key product announcements included the launch of Snowflake Intelligence and expanded AI capabilities, which are expected to drive future growth [13][14] - A price target of $280 is set, reflecting the company's strategic direction and product enhancements [15]

Financial Performance - Consolidated net sales for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 were $286.6 million, a decrease of 1% compared to the same prior year period [103]. - Organic revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 decreased 1%, with foreign currency exchange having a favorable impact of 1% [103]. - Consolidated gross margin for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 was 65.6%, up from 63.2% in the prior year [104]. - Adjusted gross margin for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 was 70.2%, compared to 69.5% for the same quarter in 2024 [104]. - The Protein Sciences segment's net sales for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 were $202.2 million, a decrease of 1% compared to the prior year [110]. - The Diagnostics and Spatial Biology segment's net sales for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 were $79.5 million, a decrease of 4% compared to the prior year [112]. Expenses - Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased 2% to $116.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 [108]. - Research and development expenses increased 2% to $24.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 [109]. Cash Flow and Investments - Cash and cash equivalents were $145.0 million as of September 30, 2025, down from $162.2 million as of June 30, 2025 [120]. - The Company generated cash of $27.6 million from operating activities in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to $63.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 [123]. - In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the Company received $4.6 million for assets held-for-sale, with no comparable activity in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 [126]. - The Company invested $15.0 million into Spear Bio during the first quarter of fiscal 2025, with no comparable activity in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 [126]. - Cash dividends paid to common shareholders were $12.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to $12.7 million in fiscal 2025 [128]. - Cash received from the exercise of stock options was $23.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, down from $25.1 million in fiscal 2025 [129]. - The Company made repayments of $46.0 million on its long-term debt in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to $19.0 million in fiscal 2025 [129]. - Taxes paid related to restricted stock and stock options were $9.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, up from $5.0 million in fiscal 2025 [130]. Non-GAAP Measures - The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures include organic revenue, adjusted gross margin, adjusted operating margin, and adjusted net earnings, which exclude stock-based compensation and other non-recurring items [134]. Forward-Looking Statements - Forward-looking statements indicate expectations regarding capital expenditures, gross margin fluctuations, and increased research and development expenses [142]. Market Risk - The Company’s exposure to market risk from changes in interest rates and currency exchange rates has not changed materially from the previous year [143]. Tax Distributions - The Company received tax distributions of $1.4 million from its equity method investee during the first quarter of both fiscal 2026 and 2025 [127].

Core Insights - Bio-Techne Corporation (TECH) reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 42 cents, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the bottom line remaining flat year-over-year [1][9] - The company's net sales for the quarter were $286.6 million, down 1% year-over-year, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.9%, leading to a 7.5% drop in shares during pre-market trading [3][9] Financial Performance - GAAP loss per share was 24 cents compared to EPS of 21 cents in the prior-year quarter [2] - Gross profit increased by 2.8% to $188.1 million, with gross margin expanding by 242 basis points to 65.6% due to a 7.5% decrease in the cost of sales [6][9] - Operating profit for the quarter was $47.7 million, up from $40 million in the year-ago quarter, with an operating margin expansion of 282 basis points to 16.6% [7][9] - Net cash provided by operating activities was $27.6 million, down from $63.9 million a year ago [10] Revenue Breakdown - In the Protein Sciences segment, revenues were $202.2 million, down 1% year-over-year (down 3% organically) [4] - The Diagnostics and Spatial Biology segment saw sales decrease by 4% year-over-year to $79.5 million, although it was up 3% organically [5] Market Position and Outlook - Despite the revenue decline, there are signs of stabilization in the U.S. academic market and continued strength among large pharmaceutical customers [11] - The expansion of both gross and operating margins is viewed as a positive indicator for the company's future performance [12]

Core Insights - Techne (TECH) reported revenue of $286.56 million for the quarter ended September 2025, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 1% and a surprise of -0.96% compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $289.34 million [1] - The earnings per share (EPS) for the same period was $0.42, unchanged from the previous year, indicating no EPS surprise against the consensus estimate [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Organic growth was reported at -1%, contrasting with the estimated growth of 1.1% by analysts [4] - Net Sales in Protein Sciences amounted to $202.2 million, below the average estimate of $208.25 million, representing a year-over-year decline of -1.1% [4] - Net Sales in Diagnostics and Spatial Biology reached $79.5 million, slightly below the average estimate of $80.65 million, showing a year-over-year change of -4.4% [4] Stock Performance - Techne's shares have returned +3.2% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite, which saw a +1% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Organic revenue declined 1% in Q1, primarily due to clinical stage timing from large customers in the cell therapy business and ongoing softness in biotech funding [4][19] - Adjusted EPS for the quarter was $0.42, flat year-over-year, while GAAP EPS increased to $0.24 from $0.21 in the prior year [18][19] - Total revenue for Q1 was $286.6 million, representing a 1% year-over-year decline on both an organic and reported basis [19] - Adjusted gross margin improved to 70.2%, up from 69.5% last year, driven by the exosome diagnostics divestiture and ongoing productivity initiatives [20] - Adjusted operating margin reached 29.9%, up 90 basis points year-over-year [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Protein sciences segment reported sales of $202.2 million, down 1% year-over-year, with organic revenue declining 3% [22] - Diagnostics and spatial biology segment sales were $79.5 million, down 4% year-over-year, but achieved 3% organic growth [22] - The protein analytical tools business showed notable strength from large pharma customers, contributing to organic growth [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue from large pharma customers increased low double digits, while biotech spending continued to decline, resulting in high single-digit declines in Q1 [5][19] - North America experienced mid-single digit revenue decline, while Europe and Asia posted low single-digit growth [19][22] - China achieved its second consecutive quarter of growth, driven by strong performance in ProteinSimple analytical instruments and spatial biology portfolio [7][19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on productivity and cost management while investing in strategic growth pillars [5][17] - The acquisition of Wilson Wolf is expected to enhance the company's position in the cell therapy market, with plans to complete the acquisition by the end of calendar 2027 [9][10] - The company anticipates a return to positive organic growth in the second half of the fiscal year, driven by improving conditions in the biopharma sector and stabilization in U.S. academic markets [25][39] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that underlying market trends remain constructive, with early signs of stabilization in biotech activity levels [6][18] - The company expects Q2 organic growth to be consistent with Q1, reflecting continued strength in pharma and renewed growth in China [25] - Management expressed optimism about the recovery in biotech funding and the potential for lower interest rates to support investment levels in emerging biotech companies [6][35] Other Important Information - The company achieved an estimated 40% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions during fiscal 2025, transitioning to 100% renewable electricity at its largest site [17] - The diagnostics business grew mid-single digits in Q1, supported by balanced performance across core diagnostic controls and kits [15] Q&A Session Summary Question: How long might the air pocket persist for GMP proteins? - Management indicated that the headwind from two large customers would be approximately 400 basis points in Q2, but they remain positive about the underlying recovery in the biotech markets [28][30] Question: Are growth plans for fiscal 2026 still low single-digit? - Management confirmed that plans remain unchanged, with a commitment to the cell therapy market and expectations for low single-digit growth for the year [30] Question: What is the outlook for the second half of the fiscal year? - Management expects a return to positive organic growth in the second half, driven by easing headwinds and improved market conditions [25][39] Question: Can you provide an update on Wilson Wolf? - Wilson Wolf had a flat quarter, but management remains optimistic about its potential to accelerate growth in the cell therapy market [43][44] Question: What are the assumptions for government shutdown impacts? - Management noted no significant changes in academic customer buying patterns due to the government shutdown, indicating stability in the academic market [52]

Techne (TECH) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.42 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate . This compares to earnings of $0.42 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. A quarter ago, it was expected that this maker of medical testing and diagnostic products would post earnings of $0.5 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.53, delivering a surprise of +6%.Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times ...

Group 1 - The biotech firm Bio-Techne missed its first-quarter revenue estimates [1] - The company faced challenges due to sluggish demand for its products [1] - The soft biotech funding environment in China negatively impacted the company's performance [1]

Core Insights - The article discusses the importance of enabling Javascript and cookies in browsers to ensure proper functionality and access to content [1] Group 1 - The article emphasizes that users may face access issues if ad-blockers are enabled, suggesting the need to disable them for a better experience [1]