Core Insights - A. O. Smith Corporation (AOS) reported first-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of 95 cents per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 90 cents, although this represents a 5% decrease year-over-year [1] - Net sales reached $963.9 million, surpassing the consensus estimate of $947 million, but showed a 1.5% decline year-over-year due to lower water heater volumes and decreased sales in China [1] Segmental Performance - North America sales decreased by 2.3% year-over-year to $748.7 million, slightly above the estimated $744.5 million, primarily due to lower water heater volumes [1] - Segmental earnings fell 6.8% year-over-year to $185.2 million, mainly attributed to reduced water heater volumes [2] - Sales in the Rest of the World segment were $226.7 million, remaining flat year-over-year, with sales in India increasing by 11% in local currency [2] Financial Metrics - Cost of sales was $588.5 million, down 0.9% year-over-year, while selling, general & administrative expenses rose by 0.2% to $192.6 million [4] - Gross profit decreased by 2.4% year-over-year to $375.4 million, resulting in a gross margin of 38.9%, down from 39.3% in the previous year [4] - Interest expenses increased to $2.9 million from $1.0 million in the year-ago quarter [4] Liquidity and Cash Flow - As of March 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents totaled $173.0 million, down from $239.6 million at the end of December 2024 [5] - Long-term debt rose to $259.8 million from $183.2 million at the end of December 2024 [5] - Cash provided by operating activities in the first three months of 2025 was $38.7 million, compared to $106.6 million in the same period last year [5] Share Repurchase Activity - In the first quarter of 2025, A.O. Smith repurchased 1.8 million shares for $120.6 million, with 1.7 million shares remaining under the existing repurchase authorization [6] 2025 Outlook - A.O. Smith has affirmed its sales outlook for 2025, expecting net sales to be in the range of $3.8-$3.9 billion, compared to $3.82 billion in 2024 [7] - The company projects adjusted earnings per share to be between $3.60 and $3.90, down from $3.63 per share reported in 2024 [7] Zacks Rank - A.O. Smith currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [8]