Core Insights - A. O. Smith Corporation reported a 2% decrease in net sales for Q1 2025, totaling $963.9 million compared to $978.8 million in Q1 2024, with net earnings down 7% to $136.6 million [1][5][22] - The company experienced a 5% decline in diluted earnings per share, which fell to $0.95 from $1.00 year-over-year [1][5][22] - North America sales decreased by 2% due to lower water heater volumes, although boiler sales increased by 10% [2][5] - In China, local currency sales decreased by 4% year-over-year, attributed to soft consumer demand, but the operating margin improved by 200 basis points due to cost-saving measures [1][4][5] Financial Performance - Segment earnings for North America were $185.2 million with a margin of 24.7%, down from $198.7 million and 25.9% in the previous year [3][22] - The Rest of World segment reported earnings of $19.7 million with an 8.7% margin, an increase from $17.2 million and 7.6% margin in Q1 2024 [6][22] - The company repurchased $121 million worth of shares in Q1 2025 and plans to repurchase approximately $400 million in total for the year [9][5] Cash Flow and Capital Allocation - Cash provided by operations was $38.7 million, a decrease from $106.6 million in Q1 2024, with free cash flow at $17.4 million compared to $84.6 million last year [8][24] - As of March 31, 2025, the company had cash and marketable securities totaling $200.2 million and total debt of $269.8 million, resulting in a leverage ratio of 12.7% [7][19] 2025 Outlook - The company maintains its full-year guidance for consolidated sales to be flat to up 2% and diluted EPS in the range of $3.60 to $3.90 [11][12] - Expectations for North America include flat water heater industry unit volumes year-over-year, with a focus on operational efficiency [11][12]