Financial Performance - The company reported a solid fourth quarter with a 3% organic revenue growth and a 4% reported revenue increase year over year [6][28] - Adjusted EPS for Q4 was $0.53 compared to $0.49 in the prior year, while GAAP EPS was a loss of $0.11 compared to a positive $0.25 in the prior year [28] - Total company adjusted gross margin was 70.1% in Q4, down from 71.1% the previous year, primarily due to unfavorable product mix [29][30] - Adjusted operating margin for Q4 was 32%, down 150 basis points compared to the prior year [30] Business Segment Performance - The Protein Sciences segment reported sales of $226.5 million, with organic revenue growth of 4% for the quarter [33] - The Diagnostics and Spatial Biology segment had Q4 sales of $89.7 million, with both reported and organic growth decreasing by 1% compared to the same period last year [34] - The company divested its Exosome Diagnostics business, which had a revenue of $25.9 million in fiscal 2025, impacting the corporate adjusted operating margin by 200 basis points [35] Market Performance - Biopharma end market delivered high single-digit growth for both Q4 and the full fiscal year, driven by large pharmaceutical customers [13][29] - Academic revenue declined low single digits in Q4 but increased low single digits for the full fiscal year, with U.S. institutions contributing approximately 12% [17][29] - China experienced low double-digit growth in Q4, attributed to demand improvement ahead of tariff uncertainties [18][29] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company announced the divestiture of its exosome diagnostics business to focus on core growth pillars and improve operating margins [10][11] - The company aims to balance strategic investments for future growth with productivity initiatives to enhance profitability [40] - The company is committed to M&A as a priority for capital allocation, focusing on high-margin, high-volume products [61] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed concerns about uncertainties in the pharmaceutical landscape due to potential tariffs and drug pricing models [12][37] - The company anticipates low single-digit organic growth until uncertainties around NIH funding and pharmaceutical tariffs are resolved [38][39] - Management remains optimistic about long-term growth drivers, including an aging population and increasing demand for life sciences innovations [39] Other Important Information - The company generated $98.2 million in cash from operations in Q4 and returned $12.4 million in dividends and $100.1 million through stock buybacks [31] - The company finished Q4 with $162.2 million in cash and total leverage well below one times EBITDA [32] Q&A Session Summary Question: Guidance for fiscal 2026 growth - Management clarified that low single-digit growth is expected until there is more certainty around various administration policies [43] Question: Performance of instrumentation in large pharma - Management noted strong growth in instrumentation for large pharma, particularly with the new LEO system tailored for high throughput [45][46] Question: Commitment to market growth above peers - Management acknowledged that in a turbulent environment, outperforming by 500 basis points is challenging but remains hopeful for clarity around key issues [49] Question: Drivers of margin expansion - Management indicated that margin expansion is driven by the divestiture of Exosome Diagnostics and ongoing productivity initiatives [50][70] Question: NIH funding and academic customer behavior - Management observed that academic institutions are behaving conservatively, holding back on spending in anticipation of funding outcomes [59][95] Question: Growth in China - Management confirmed that growth in China was influenced by funding releases and anticipation of tariff impacts, but expects stable growth moving forward [67][92]