Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Order intake grew by 8%, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of improvement, reflecting robust demand and disciplined execution [4][5] - Comparable sales growth increased to 3% year-on-year, with adjusted EBITDA margin expanding by 50 basis points to 12.3% despite tariff impacts [4][5][24] - Year-to-date order book is up 6% compared to last year, with free cash flow expected to be between EUR 0.2 billion and EUR 0.4 billion for the full year [5][30] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Personal Health segment saw an 11% increase in comparable sales, driven by strong demand across grooming, oral healthcare, and childcare [21][22] - Connected Care achieved 5% comparable sales growth, supported by strong monitoring solutions, while Diagnostic Imaging experienced a modest decline [20][21] - Diagnosis and Treatment (D&T) comparable sales improved by 1% year-over-year, with Image-Guided Therapy showing solid growth [18][19] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America remains a key growth driver, with strong demand for hospital patient monitoring solutions and a double-digit order intake growth [6][16] - In China, tender activity is gradually increasing, but centralized procurement is causing longer processing times and tougher competition [17][44] - Capital spending remains stable in Europe and Latin America, while India and Saudi Arabia continue to invest in healthcare and digitization [17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on driving measurable improvements in collaboration with global regulators and reinforcing trust among stakeholders [14] - Continued investment in innovation is expected to fuel growth, with a strong emphasis on AI to enhance productivity across various segments [26] - The company plans to showcase progress under its 2023 to 2025 plan at the upcoming capital markets day in February 2026 [31] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving full-year commitments, with expectations for comparable sales growth in the range of 1%-3% [30][31] - The impact of tariffs is anticipated to be between EUR 150 million and EUR 200 million for the full year, with ongoing mitigation efforts [24][30] - Management remains cautious about the near-term outlook for China but is optimistic about long-term growth potential [17][44] Other Important Information - The company passed six out of nine FDA inspections with no observations, reflecting progress in quality systems [12][13] - Adjusted diluted EPS from continued operations rose to EUR 0.36, up 13% year-over-year, driven by higher earnings [27] - Free cash flow performance improved significantly, with EUR 172 million reported for the quarter [28] Q&A Session Summary Question: Future price hikes and inflation impact - Management indicated that price increases may occur due to inflationary pressures, but growth remains a critical focus [34] Question: Contribution of China to Personal Health sales - Management clarified that there was no restocking effect in China, and broad-based growth was observed across all businesses [35] Question: Maintaining productivity momentum into 2026 - Management expressed confidence in continuing productivity improvements, with a focus on mitigating tariff impacts [36] Question: Order timing in D&T and diagnostic imaging sales outlook - Management noted that order timing is uneven, with expectations for improvement in Q4 [38] Question: Impact of Section 232 on imaging and connected care - Management is actively engaging in discussions regarding tariffs and is preparing to mitigate any potential impacts [40][41] Question: GE's decision to sell its Chinese business - Management highlighted competitive positioning and innovation as key differentiators in the market [49] Question: Currency headwinds for next year - Management expects some currency headwinds in Q4, which will be factored into future guidance [50] Question: Downgrade of D&T sales guidance - Management confirmed that the downgrade is primarily related to China, with longer conversion cycles also impacting sales [54][56]