Franklin Electric(FELE) - 2025 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated sales for Q1 2025 were $455.2 million, a year-over-year decrease of 1% [14] - Fully diluted earnings per share were$ 0.67 for Q1 2025, down from $0.70 in Q1 2024 [14] - Gross profit was$ 163.9 million, slightly up from $163.6 million in the prior year, with a gross margin of 36%, an improvement of 50 basis points [15] - Operating income was$ 44.1 million, down 8% from $47.9 million in the prior year, with an operating margin of 9.7% [15][16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Water Systems segment sales in the U.S. and Canada were up 2%, with groundwater pumping equipment sales increasing by 6% and water treatment products by 7% [17] - Distribution segment sales decreased by 3% to$ 141.9 million, primarily due to lower volumes and commodity price declines [19] - Energy Systems segment sales increased by 8% to $66.8 million, with operating income rising to$ 21.9 million and an operating margin of 32.8% [20][21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Water Systems sales outside the U.S. and Canada decreased by 2%, impacted by a 5% decline due to foreign currency translation [18] - The Energy Systems segment recorded growth across key product lines, supported by robust demand in the U.S. energy sector [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on faster-growing markets, operational efficiency, and integrating recent acquisitions to enhance customer service [6][7] - Strategic acquisitions in Q1 2025 included PumpEng and Barnsley, aimed at expanding product offerings and market reach [28] - The company is committed to innovation and new product development, with a focus on high-growth verticals [27] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the underlying business fundamentals despite challenges from tariffs and one-time costs [7][10] - The company is adjusting the lower end of its EPS guidance by $0.10, while maintaining full-year sales expectations [24] - Management noted that the business is largely in region for region, which historically tends to be resilient even during economic softness [29] Other Important Information - The effective tax rate for the quarter was 25%, up from 22% in the prior year, impacting EPS by approximately$ 0.03 [22] - The company ended Q1 2025 with a cash balance of $84 million and used$ 19.5 million in net cash flows from operating activities [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on the energy segment margins - Management indicated that while margins are strong, they do not expect the same growth as in previous quarters but anticipate maintaining strong margins due to smarter solutions and effective cost management [34] Question: Order trends in the water segment - Management believes the order growth is organic and not significantly influenced by tariff pull-forward, with selective inventory positioning to mitigate potential tariff impacts [35][36] Question: M&A priorities in the distribution segment - Management remains open to M&A opportunities in the distribution space but is currently focused on operational efficiencies and serving the market [39][40] Question: Tariff exposure and groundwater business performance - Management stated that the overall percentage of COGS from China is under 10%, and groundwater sales in North America showed strong growth, with residential sales up 11% and agricultural sales up 3% [48][51] Question: Organic book to bill ratio in water - The organic book to bill ratio was above one for the quarter, with backlog up mid to high single digits [57]