Release Date: February 05, 2025

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

Positive Points

• IDEX Corp (IEX, Financial) delivered strong productivity through net price capture and operational excellence in 2024.
• The company achieved organic orders growth across all segments, led by the Health and Science Technology (HST) segment.
• Mott, IDEX's largest acquisition to date, achieved strong results in its first quarter with the company, with integration proceeding smoothly.
• IDEX's Fire Safety and Diversified Products segment set a new quarterly sales record, driven by growth in automation programs.
• The company is well-positioned for solid margin expansion in 2025, with $0.43 of adjusted EPS support lined up from platform optimization and delayering savings.

Negative Points

• IDEX Corp (IEX) faced challenging macro conditions, including high inflation and geopolitical tensions, impacting near-term growth catalysts.
• The semiconductor capital equipment vertical within the Intelligent Water portfolio experienced softness, affecting the FMT segment.
• Fourth-quarter gross margin declined by 20 basis points on a reported basis, with higher employee-related costs and unfavorable mix impacting results.
• Free cash flow for the quarter decreased by 12%, with a conversion rate of 101% of adjusted net income.
• The company expects a $0.22 headwind to adjusted EPS growth in 2025 due to higher debt levels from the Mott acquisition.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you explain the factors contributing to the softness in Q1 and the confidence in the rest of the year, particularly regarding the semiconductor market? A: Abhishek Khandelwal, CFO, explained that Q1 softness is due to $40 million in project shipments in Q4 that won't repeat, and a $0.20 headwind from share-based compensation. The confidence for the rest of the year comes from strong momentum in the Health and Science Technology (HST) segment, driven by blanket orders with specific delivery schedules throughout 2025. Eric Ashleman, CEO, added that the semiconductor market has specific inventory adjustments in early 2025, expected to correct in the second half, with positive indicators in sealing solutions suggesting future growth.

Q: How does the platform optimization and delayering strategy impact growth and margins? A: Eric Ashleman, CEO, explained that the strategy involves moving both the top line and bottom line by leveraging thematic integration across businesses. This approach allows for commercial efficiency and resource leverage, leading to growth and earnings expansion. The strategy is expected to drive productivity and margin improvements, with ongoing benefits as the company continues to build scale and depth in key markets.

Q: What assumptions have been made regarding potential tariff impacts in the 2025 guidance? A: Eric Ashleman, CEO, stated that no specific assumptions about tariff impacts are included in the guidance due to their unpredictable nature. IDEX is well-positioned to handle potential tariff changes due to its localized production model, which minimizes cross-border supply chain dependencies. The company has also taken steps to mitigate supply chain risks and maintains pricing power due to its differentiated technologies.

Q: Can you provide more details on the $40 million in project shipments in Q4 and its impact on Q1 guidance? A: Abhishek Khandelwal, CFO, clarified that approximately 80% of the $40 million in project shipments were within the HST segment, with the remainder in FMT and FSDP. This contributed to the Q4 organic growth and is a factor in the expected Q1 decline, as these projects will not repeat.

Q: How does the current macroeconomic environment influence IDEX's strategic focus and capital deployment? A: Eric Ashleman, CEO, emphasized that IDEX's strategy focuses on building scale and power in high-growth markets, such as energy transition and life sciences, through acquisitions like Mott. The company aims to maintain a mix of proprietary transactions and competitive targets, leveraging its strong balance sheet and investment-grade rating to support strategic M&A activities.

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