Summary of Emerson Electric's 2025 Investor Conference Company Overview - **Company**: Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR) - **Date of Conference**: November 20, 2025 - **Key Theme**: Engineering the Autonomous Future Key Points Industry Transformation - Emerson has transformed into a global automation leader, focusing on engineering solutions for the autonomous future [2][12][17] - The company has undergone significant portfolio changes, divesting non-core businesses and investing in industrial software [12][18] Financial Metrics - Emerson's revenues are now approximately **$18 billion**, with **52.8% gross margins** and **27.6% adjusted segment EBITDA margins** [21][18] - Software now constitutes **14%** of total revenues, growing at a low double-digit rate [18][21] - The company has achieved **18 consecutive quarters of growth**, with a **CAGR of 7%** over the last five years [20][21] Segment Reorganization - Emerson has reorganized its reporting structure into five segments, focusing on automation, software, and intelligent devices [3][4][5] - The automation portfolio accounts for about **90%** of sales, while safety and productivity segments make up the remaining **10%** [4][5] Growth Strategy - The company aims for a revenue target of **$21 billion** by 2028, driven by organic growth in its control, intelligent devices, and safety productivity segments [29][52] - Key growth markets include power, liquefied natural gas, life sciences, semiconductors, and aerospace and defense, which collectively represent **22%** of current revenue [41][47] Market Opportunities - **Power**: Significant investments in U.S. power generation, with a projected **30% increase** in generating capacity by 2030 [42] - **Liquefied Natural Gas**: Entering a third wave of investment, with **585 million tons per annum** of capacity expected [43] - **Life Sciences**: Strong growth driven by advancements in drug development and over **$350 billion** in committed investments for reshoring manufacturing [44] - **Semiconductors**: Positioned strongly with nine of the top ten semiconductor companies standardized on NI for validation and production testing [45] - **Aerospace and Defense**: A growing market with a projected size of nearly **$1 trillion** by 2030 [47] Operational Excellence - Emerson has improved its operational margins by **700 basis points** over the last four years, with a target of reaching **30% adjusted segment EBITDA margins** by 2028 [48][62] - The company emphasizes a disciplined pricing culture and operational efficiencies to drive margin improvements [49][62] Innovation and Technology - Emerson is investing **8% of revenue** in innovation, with a focus on software-defined technology and AI integration [38][40] - The company has established **15 major innovation hubs** and employs over **14,000 engineers** to drive technological advancements [39][40] Customer Base and Resilience - Emerson serves over **125,000 active customers**, with minimal concentration risk; the largest customer accounts for only **1.5%** of sales [24] - The installed base is valued at **$155 billion**, with a replacement rate of about **8%** annually, providing a stable revenue stream [22][23] Capital Allocation - Emerson plans to return **70%** of its cash flow to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, with a projected **$10 billion** in cash flow over the next three years [51][52] - The company has committed to a **$1 billion** share repurchase program in 2025, with additional repurchases planned for 2027 and 2028 [51] Conclusion - Emerson Electric is positioned for significant growth and value creation through its focus on automation, innovation, and operational excellence, aiming to lead in the evolving landscape of industrial automation [12][52]

Core Insights - Zacks Premium offers tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies and confidence [1] - The Zacks Style Scores provide a framework for evaluating stocks based on value, growth, and momentum characteristics [2][3][4][5][6] Zacks Style Scores - The Style Scores categorize stocks into Value, Growth, Momentum, and a combined VGM Score, with ratings from A to F indicating potential performance [3][4][5][6] - Value Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios [3] - Growth Score assesses a company's financial health and future growth potential [4] - Momentum Score evaluates stocks based on price trends and earnings estimate changes [5] - VGM Score combines the three styles to identify stocks with the best overall potential [6] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to help investors build successful portfolios [7] - Stocks rated 1 (Strong Buy) have historically outperformed the S&P 500, with an average annual return of +23.81% since 1988 [8] - A large number of stocks can have high Zacks Ranks, making it essential to use Style Scores for selection [9] Stock Example: Emerson Electric (EMR) - Emerson Electric is a diversified global engineering and technology company with significant operations in the Americas, AMEA, and Europe [12] - EMR holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) and has a VGM Score of B, with a strong Momentum Style Score of A [13] - Recent earnings estimates for EMR have been revised upward, indicating positive momentum [13][14]

Company Overview - Emerson Electric Co. is a diversified global engineering and technology company headquartered in St. Louis, MO, offering a wide range of products and services across consumer, commercial, and industrial markets [11] - The company operates under various brands including Bettis, Crosby, Fisher, Flexim, Micro Motion, and DeltaV, with geographical revenue distribution of 50% from the Americas, 30% from AMEA, and 20% from Europe [11] Investment Analysis - Emerson Electric is currently rated 3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B, indicating a moderate investment outlook [12] - The company has a Momentum Style Score of A, with shares having increased by 0.1% over the past four weeks [12] - An upward revision in earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 has been noted, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate rising to $6.00 per share [12] - Emerson Electric has an average earnings surprise of +3.4%, suggesting a potential for positive performance relative to expectations [12] - Given its solid Zacks Rank and strong Momentum and VGM Style Scores, Emerson Electric is recommended for investors' consideration [13]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Emerson reported underlying orders growth of 4%, exceeding expectations, with all regions showing positive results, including China [6][12] - Underlying sales were up 2%, with Process and Hybrid businesses growing mid-single digits, while adjusted earnings per share increased by 9% year over year to $1.48 [12][24] - Free cash flow was $738 million, reflecting a 14% increase year over year, with a free cash flow margin of 17% [24][25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Process and Hybrid markets grew by 6%, while Discrete businesses turned positive with Test and Measurement orders up 8% [6][14] - Software and Control segment grew by 7%, driven by higher software sales, while Intelligent Devices remained flat due to safety and productivity issues [22] - The Industrial Software business saw an 11% year-over-year increase in annual contract value (ACV), supported by strong demand for AspenTech's offerings [21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Demand for Process and Hybrid businesses remained strong, particularly in energy and LNG projects, with significant capital investment noted in regions like the Middle East, Africa, and India [14][18] - The Americas experienced mid-single-digit growth, while Europe saw low single-digit growth, with continued momentum in Energy Transition and Life Sciences [18][19] - The company expects mid-single-digit growth in Process and Hybrid sales in the second half, with a more muted recovery anticipated in factory automation and automotive sectors [20][36] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Emerson is focused on integrating AspenTech as a key priority for 2025, targeting $100 million in cost synergies by 2028 [10] - The company has completed its portfolio transformation, retaining the Safety and Productivity business due to its strong profitability and cash generation potential [11] - Emerson aims to maintain disciplined capital allocation, prioritizing reinvestment in the business, dividends, and share repurchases while targeting bolt-on acquisitions under $1 billion [39][96] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's plans for the year, guiding for underlying sales growth of approximately 4% and raising the midpoint of adjusted EPS guidance to between $5.90 and $6.05 [9][34] - The management noted that while there are signs of tariff-induced impacts, they have not seen widespread indications affecting demand [16][32] - The company anticipates a favorable spending environment in LNG and power sectors, driven by energy security and self-reliance commitments [16][36] Other Important Information - Emerson's gross exposure to tariffs is estimated at $245 million for 2025, which the company expects to fully mitigate through pricing actions and operational adjustments [7][31] - The company reported a backlog of $7.5 billion, with a book-to-bill ratio of 1.04, indicating a healthy order flow [22] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is improving in discrete automation? - Management highlighted recovery in Test and Measurement driven by Aerospace and Defense, while noting continued weakness in automotive sectors, particularly in China and Germany [42][44] Question: How real is the pharmaceutical spending? - Management confirmed that the commitments from pharmaceutical companies are genuine, with early projects emerging in the life sciences sector [46][48] Question: What can be done with AspenTech now that the deal is closed? - Management expressed excitement about the growth opportunities with AspenTech, emphasizing the potential for double-digit ACV growth and enhanced collaboration with existing Emerson platforms [53][55] Question: Will tariff impacts be offset by the end of the fiscal year? - Management confirmed that they expect to completely cover the tariff impacts by the end of fiscal 2025 [57][59] Question: Why retain the Safety and Productivity business? - Management concluded that retaining the business would provide the best value for shareholders, given its strong profitability and alignment with U.S. manufacturing trends [66][68] Question: What data points indicate softness in China? - Management noted that softness is primarily in the chemical sector, with some positive signs in power generation and marine business [70][72] Question: What is the outlook for Test and Measurement? - Management indicated strong growth in Aerospace and Defense and a recovery in semiconductors, while automotive remains a concern [92][94]