Philips(PHG) - 2025 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Order intake increased by 7% in Q4 2025, reflecting sustained improvement over the past year [5] - Comparable sales growth was 7% year-on-year, broad-based across all businesses and geographies [5] - Adjusted EBITDA margin improved by 160 basis points to 50.1% in Q4 2025, despite tariff impacts [5] - For the full year, adjusted EBITDA margin was 12.3%, exceeding the outlook [6][24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Diagnosis and Treatment (D&T) saw comparable sales growth of 4% in Q4, with strong performance in Image-Guided Therapy [20] - Connected Care delivered 7% comparable sales growth in Q4, driven by double-digit growth in monitoring solutions [21] - Personal Health achieved 14% comparable sales growth in Q4, with all three businesses contributing [22] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America remained the strongest growth driver, with sustained double-digit order intake growth [7][15] - In China, tender activity increased but faced challenges due to centralized procurement, leading to cautious near-term outlook [16][19] - Europe showed stable capital spending, while select international regions increased healthcare investments [17] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on profitable growth acceleration, targeting mid-single-digit sales CAGR and mid-teens margins by 2028 [6][12] - Continued emphasis on innovation, particularly AI-enabled and patient-centric solutions, to drive future growth [10][12] - The company is enhancing patient impact and quality while simplifying operations and strengthening supply chain resilience [12][13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in entering 2026 with strong order intake momentum and improved execution [29] - The company expects comparable sales growth of 3%-4.5% in 2026, led by North America and international regions [19][30] - Management remains cautious about the near-term outlook for China but sees long-term growth potential [16][19] Other Important Information - The company generated EUR 1.2 billion in free cash flow in Q4 2025, despite a tougher comparison base [27] - Adjusting items decreased to EUR 179 million in Q4, reflecting a strong commitment to reducing these over time [26] - The company ended the quarter with approximately EUR 2.8 billion in cash and a leverage ratio improved to 1.7 times [28][29] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on gross margin improvement and order intake for D&T - Management confirmed gross margin improvement across Philips, driven by innovation and productivity, with continued margin expansion expected in 2026 despite tariff impacts [36][38] - Order intake for D&T was 5%, with strong contributions from Image-Guided Therapy and ultrasound innovations [39][40] Question: Clarification on 2026 guidance and margin buffers - Management acknowledged the dynamic environment and emphasized the importance of productivity and innovation for margin growth [43][44] Question: Performance of Precision Diagnosis and Q1 phasing - Management indicated that Precision Diagnosis returned to growth, with expectations for stronger performance in 2026 driven by new innovations [50][51] - Q1 is expected to start at the lower end of the growth range due to seasonality and tariff impacts [52][53] Question: Drivers behind strong personal health performance - Management highlighted market share gains and strong demand across geographies, with inventory levels now aligned with market averages [58][60] Question: Update on Section 232 investigation - Management stated that the investigation is ongoing, with potential measures that could replace tariffs but refrained from speculation on outcomes [61][62] Question: Outlook for China and margin dynamics - Management expects stable growth in China, with cautious optimism for personal health but uncertainty in health systems due to tender processes [67] - The strong margin in personal health was attributed to innovation, commercial execution, and productivity improvements [70][71]