nVent(NVT) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - 2025 was a record year for sales, EPS, and free cash flow, each growing at or above 30% [5][19] - Fourth quarter sales were up 42% and 24% organically, with adjusted EPS growing 53% [8][14] - Free cash flow was $189 million in Q4, up 26% year-over-year, and full-year free cash flow reached $561 million, growing 31% [7][19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Infrastructure sales grew over 50%, driven by data centers, which represented approximately $1 billion in 2025 [5][9] - Systems protection sales increased 58%, with organic growth of 34% [17] - Electrical connections sales grew 15%, with organic sales up 8% [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Americas sales grew approximately 30%, while Europe was up high single digits; Asia Pacific saw a decline [9] - The backlog at the end of the year was $2.3 billion, triple the amount from the previous year [6][44] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company transformed its portfolio by divesting the thermal management business and acquiring EPG, increasing exposure to the high-growth infrastructure vertical [5][11] - The infrastructure vertical is expected to grow at approximately 20% in 2026, driven by AI data center CapEx acceleration [12] - The company plans to invest in new products, capacity, and supply chain resiliency, with a focus on growth [20][21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects another year of record performance in 2026, with reported sales growth of 15%-18% and adjusted EPS growth of 20%-24% [7][22] - Inflation is anticipated to impact margins, but price and productivity are expected to offset these effects [32][46] - The company is confident in its growth trajectory and the strength of its backlog, which supports its guidance for the year [44][110] Other Important Information - The company launched 86 new products in 2025, contributing approximately 10 points to sales growth [9][10] - The company received multiple awards for its ethical practices and sustainability efforts [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of inflation and growth investments on 2026 guidance - Management expects higher inflation in 2026 but plans to address it through strong productivity and pricing [32] Question: Customer reception to new liquid cooling products - Customer reception has been strong, with new products expected to contribute to growth in 2026 [36] Question: Backlog recognition profile and order trends - The backlog is primarily in data centers and power utilities, with most expected to be recognized in 2026 [43][44] Question: Operating margins and pricing dynamics - Management expects margin expansion in 2026, with pricing and productivity offsetting inflation [46] Question: Trends in industrial orders and growth visibility - Industrial orders are expected to grow mid-single digits, supported by investments in CapEx and automation [75] Question: Liquid cooling market potential and competition - Liquid cooling is expected to grow significantly, with less than 30% of data centers currently utilizing it [63][78] Question: M&A pipeline and activity - The company has a strong M&A pipeline and remains disciplined in pursuing new acquisitions [99]