Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Second quarter revenue was $327 million, reflecting a 5% reported revenue decline, while year-to-date revenue was $649 million, also down 5% [4] - Adjusted EPS increased 13% in the quarter to $1.27 and 11% year-to-date to $2.36 [16] - Adjusted gross margin reached 60.5% in the second quarter, up 380 basis points year-over-year [12] - Adjusted operating income increased 5% in the second quarter to $87 million, with adjusted operating margin expanding 250 basis points to 26.7% [15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Hospital revenue was $146 million in the second quarter, up 5% on a reported basis and 4% organic [5] - Blood management technologies grew 12% in the quarter and 13% year-to-date, driven by hemostasis management [5] - Plasma revenue was $125 million in the quarter, down 10% on a reported basis, but organic revenue grew 19% [8] - Blood center reported revenue declined 18% in the quarter, but organic revenue grew 4% [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - U.S. plasma collections grew in the high single digits, while European collections continued to grow in double digits [9] - The company raised its full-year plasma revenue guidance to a decline of 4%-7% or 14%-17% organic growth excluding CSL [9] - Hospital revenue growth guidance was updated to 4%-7%, reflecting sustained growth in blood management technologies [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on advancing its portfolio and transformation to sustain momentum beyond its long-range plan [4] - Strategic priorities include meeting debt obligations, returning excess cash to shareholders, and advancing targeted investments in growth products [20] - The company aims to strengthen execution in interventional technologies to accelerate growth and margin expansion beyond FY 2026 [8] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the sustained robust growth of the plasma therapeutics market, particularly immunoglobulins [9] - The company anticipates continued margin expansion in the second half of the fiscal year [16] - Management highlighted the importance of disciplined execution and a high-performance culture in driving long-term value creation [20] Other Important Information - The company raised its full-year revenue guidance from a reported decline of 3%-6% to a decline of 1%-4% [11] - Free cash flow guidance was raised to $170-$210 million, with a commitment to maintain a free cash flow to adjusted net income ratio in excess of 70% [18] - The company ended the quarter with $296 million in cash and total debt of $1.2 billion [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the assumptions for collections growth in the second half? - Management indicated that the second quarter was driven by share gains, innovation pricing, and collections volume growth, with high single-digit growth in the U.S. and double-digit growth in Europe expected to continue [23][24] Question: Can you provide an update on IVT commercial efforts? - Management noted that hospital business was the largest contributor to margin expansion, with a focus on blood management technologies and actions to regain growth momentum in IVT [26][27] Question: How is the launch of the HN cartridge going in EMEA and Japan? - Management expects the launch to be a significant source of sustainable double-digit growth, although market dynamics differ from the U.S. [54][56] Question: What is the outlook for the Vascade business? - Management expressed confidence in regaining share in the competitive market, with ongoing initiatives to strengthen the sales force and improve market acceptance [40][45] Question: How will share repurchases impact EPS? - Management indicated that share repurchases contributed a few cents to EPS, and they aim to keep dilution in check while being opportunistic with capital deployment [39][71]

Core Insights - Despite declining sales in North America, Pepsi exceeded analyst expectations in Q3, driven by strong international market performance [1][2] - The company reported earnings of $2.29 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.26, with revenues of $23.94 billion against an expected $23.83 billion [1] Sales Performance - Worldwide volume for food and drink decreased by 1% in the quarter, with North America experiencing a 3% decline in Pepsi Foods, which includes brands like Doritos and Quaker Oats [2] - Beverage sales in North America also fell by 3%, affecting both Pepsi soda brands and Gatorade [3] Future Outlook - Pepsi maintains its full-year outlook, expecting flat earnings per share and slight revenue growth, while planning to cut costs and accelerate product portfolio transformation [3][4] - CEO Ramon Laguarta emphasized the importance of growth acceleration and cost optimization, introducing a strong pipeline of innovation and adjusting pricing and pack sizes [4] Management Changes - Pepsi announced the retirement of Chief Financial Officer Jamie Caulfield, with Steve Schmitt set to take over on November 10 [5] - The leadership change comes amid pressure from activist investor Elliott Management, which holds a $4 billion stake in the company and is advocating for a turnaround [5]

Group 1: New Product Launches - Uusu Beer has entered the energy drink market with the launch of a low-sugar energy drink called "Dianchi," which features a low-sugar formula and Tianshan snow lotus extract [1] - Yanghe Co. is focusing on the launch of its upgraded "Sea Blue" product in the second quarter, targeting the mass market with its "light bottle liquor" positioned as affordable and convenient [2] - Huang Shang Huang has reported steady sales growth for its new products, including the braised beef and beef brisket rice dumplings, which are sold through specific channels like membership supermarkets [5] Group 2: Financial Performance and Strategy - Sunshine Dairy aims to increase its self-owned pasture supply capacity to 40% by the end of 2025, with improvements in operational efficiency and milk yield [3] - Gao Xin Retail reported a revenue of 71.552 billion yuan for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, with a net profit of 405 million yuan, marking a turnaround from losses [9] - PepsiCo has completed the acquisition of the prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $19.5 billion, which includes a $3 billion expected cash tax benefit, indicating a strategic shift towards functional products [8] Group 3: Market Trends and Consumer Behavior - The China Consumers Association has issued a consumption advisory against overpriced rice dumplings, emphasizing the importance of reasonable pricing and minimal packaging [4] - Three Squirrels announced a strategic shift towards a comprehensive consumer goods approach, expanding into new product categories and retail formats, with plans to open 20 new stores by 2025 [6]