• Revenue: $3.84 billion, flat year over year.
• Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS): $1.95, up 6% versus the prior year.
• Adjusted Operating Margin: 19.4%, a record and up 30 basis points over last year.
• Orders: $4 billion, grew both year over year and sequentially.
• Free Cash Flow: $674 million, a record for the first quarter, up 18% year over year.
• Currency Exchange Impact: Unfavorable headwinds of over $100 million expected in the second quarter.
• Second Quarter Sales Guidance: Expected to increase sequentially to $3.95 billion.
• Second Quarter Adjusted EPS Guidance: Expected to be around $1.96, up 5% year over year.
• Transportation Segment Adjusted Operating Margin: 21.3% in the first quarter.
• Industrial Segment Adjusted Operating Margin: 16.8%, expanded 100 basis points year over year.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Sign with BKU.

Release Date: January 22, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• TE Connectivity PLC (NYSE:TEL) achieved record adjusted operating margin and EPS, surpassing guidance.
• The company reported record first-quarter free cash flow of $674 million, up 18% year over year.
• Orders grew to $4 billion, exceeding expectations and supporting a positive outlook for the second quarter.
• The Industrial Solutions segment experienced double-digit growth, driven by strong performance in digital data networks and aerospace, defense, and marine markets.
• TE Connectivity PLC (NYSE:TEL) was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the 13th year, highlighting its commitment to sustainable business practices.

Negative Points

• The company faces unfavorable currency exchange headwinds, expected to exceed $300 million for fiscal 2025.
• Sales in the Transportation segment were down 3% organically, with declines in Western regions offsetting growth in Asia.
• The Sensors business experienced a sales decline due to weakness in broader industrial markets in Europe and North America.
• The Medical business saw a 25% decline, attributed to inventory normalization by customers.
• Commercial transportation sales were down 12% organically, driven by heavy truck production weakness in Europe and North America.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you provide more details on the order trends by end market and how they inform your Q2 guidance? Also, have you seen any volatility in AI orders? A: Orders were ahead of expectations, supporting our confidence in sequential improvement and broad momentum in industrial businesses. Regionally, Asia shows strength, while Europe remains weak, especially in auto and industrial sectors. AI orders grew nicely, and excluding AI, industrial segment orders grew 10% year-over-year. Aerospace and energy sectors show strong growth, while automation and control indicate stabilization.

Q: How do you view incremental leverage in the Transportation Solutions (TS) segment during a recovery? A: We've improved TS margins significantly, aiming for 20% or better. The commercial transportation business, currently depressed, will provide leverage as it recovers. We've optimized our footprint, especially in Europe, reducing fixed costs, allowing us to maintain margins even in low-growth environments.

Q: What is driving the strength in AI revenues, and how should we think about the margin profile of AI? A: AI revenue doubled in the quarter, with broad participation from hyperscalers and semiconductor players. Our share remains stable at 30-35%. The margin profile is similar to our cloud products, with volume benefits expected as we scale.

Q: Can you discuss your strategy if tariffs are implemented and your approach to M&A given strong cash flow? A: Our manufacturing is localized, with 80% in-region, aligning with customer supply chains. We've dealt with tariffs before, using a playbook involving logistics adjustments and cost recovery through pricing. For M&A, we're focused on bolt-on acquisitions in familiar areas, with an active pipeline and enhanced resources for opportunities.

Q: Can you elaborate on the stabilization in industrial markets and the outlook for medical business? A: Industrial markets show stabilization, with positive order momentum in Asia, sideways trends in the US, and weakness in Europe. The medical business decline was due to inventory normalization, but we expect sequential growth as orders improve.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.