Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $1.52, which met the top end of guidance and represented a 6% year-over-year growth [11][22] - Underlying sales growth was 3%, with a strong performance in Process and Hybrid businesses, which grew 3.5%, while discrete businesses turned positive, up 2% year over year [20][22] - Free cash flow generation was better than expected at $970 million, resulting in a margin of 21.3% [22][26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Industrial Software annual contract value (ACV) grew double digits year-over-year, ending the quarter at $1.5 billion [10] - Test and Measurement orders were up 16%, contributing to a 6% growth in underlying orders for discrete businesses [15][20] - Software and Control grew 2%, while Intelligent Devices was up 3% [20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Underlying orders in the Americas grew 7%, while Asia and the Middle East and Africa saw a 2% increase, and Europe experienced a decline of 7% [21] - The demand for LNG, power, and life sciences is driving significant activity, with underlying orders in the Ovation business up 40% in the quarter [14][15] - The tariff environment improved, with the annualized gross incremental tariff impact reduced to approximately $210 million from a prior estimate of $455 million [18][19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Emerson is focused on innovation in automation, highlighted by collaborations such as the one with Total Energies to enhance operational performance through advanced data solutions [6][10] - The company aims to leverage its differentiated technology to serve diverse industries and create value for investors [5][6] - Future growth is expected to be supported by strong demand in LNG, power generation, and life sciences, with a healthy outlook for underlying orders [12][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the recovery of discrete markets, expecting underlying sales growth of 5% to 6% in the fourth quarter [12][16] - The company anticipates strong exit rates for underlying orders to support sales growth within its growth framework [12][16] - Management noted that the dynamic tariff environment has improved, allowing for eased surcharges and better pricing actions [19][22] Other Important Information - Emerson's backlog increased to $7.6 billion, with a book-to-bill ratio of one for the quarter [21] - The company plans to host an investor conference on November 20 in New York City to discuss its transport portfolio and value creation framework [12] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you clarify the margins in Intelligent Devices? - Management noted that tariffs and unexpected foreign exchange impacts affected margins, but excluding these, margins were up 20 basis points [32] Question: How did orders trend in May and June? - Management indicated that MRO bookings remained consistent, while capital bookings fluctuated based on timing [43] Question: What is the outlook for the discrete side of the business? - Management highlighted that the recovery in Test and Measurement is strong, while legacy discrete markets are facing challenges, particularly in automotive and packaging [74][76] Question: What is the expected growth rate for the power vertical? - Management believes the growth rate can remain elevated in the high teens over the next couple of years due to strong visibility in generation and transmission distribution markets [83][84] Question: How has the dialogue with customers changed regarding large projects? - Management reported no slowdown in decision-making or approvals for projects in LNG, power, and life sciences, maintaining a consistent project win rate [90][91] Question: Can you provide an update on the Ovation AI rollout? - Management confirmed that the Ovation Virtual Advisor has been launched and is already seeing good customer adoption [109]