
AMETEK Q1 Earnings Surpass Expectations, Revenues Decline Y/Y
AMETEK, Inc. AME reported first-quarter 2025 non-GAAP earnings of $1.75 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.6%. The figure increased 7% year over year.
AMETEK's top line of $1.73 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.51%. The figure decreased 0.2% year over year.
The company experienced declining sales in its largest EIG segment, partially offset by the year-over-year improvement in the EMG segment. The stock gained 3.8% in the past year, outperforming the Zacks Electronics - Testing Equipment industry's decline of 3.5%.
Ametek's Q1 2025 Details
EIG sales (65.9% of total revenue) in the first quarter were $1.14 billion, down 1% from the year-ago quarter's reported figure. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.15 billion.
In the first quarter, revenues from EMG (34.1% of total revenues) were $588.3 million, up 2% from the year-ago quarter. The figure beat the consensus mark of $580 million.
For the first quarter, operating income increased 2% year over year to $454.8 million and operating margin expanded by 60 basis points (bps) from the year-ago quarter.
EIG's operating income in the quarter increased 0.3% to $354.1 million with operating income margins of 31%, reflecting an increase of 50 bps from the year-ago reported figure.
EMG's first-quarter operating income was $128.7 million and operating income margins were 21.9% in the quarter. (Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.)
AME's Balance Sheet & Cash Flow
As of March 31, 2025, AME had cash and cash equivalents of $399 million compared with the previous quarter's $373.9 million.
As of March 31, 2025, AME's long-term debt was $1.46 billion from the previous quarter's levels.
Operating cash flow in the first quarter was $417.5 million, free cash flow was $394.5 million and free cash flow to net income conversion was 112%.
AME Updates Guidance
For 2025, AME still expects overall sales to be up in low single digits on a percentage basis compared to the 2024 reported level. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $7.17 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 3.4%.
The company reiterated its guidance for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $7.02-$7.18, suggesting an increase of 3-5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $7.13 per share, indicating a year-over-year increase of 4.4%.
Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider
Currently, AME carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Affirm AFRM, Super Micro Computer SMCI and Paycom Software PAYC are some better-ranked stocks that investors can consider in the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector. AFRM, SMCI and PAYC sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
AFRM shares have gained 4% in the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AFRM's 2025 is pegged at a loss of 6 cents per share, narrowed by 7 cents over the past 60 days, suggesting growth of 96.7% from the year-ago quarter's reported figure.
SMCI shares have plunged 56.4% in the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SMCI's fiscal 2025 earnings has been revised downward to $2.52 in the past seven days, suggesting year-over-year growth of 14%.
PAYC shares have gained 6% over the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PAYC's 2025 earnings is pegged at $8.72 per share, implying a rise of 6.21% from the year-ago quarter's levels.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.
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Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Globe and Mail
Analyzing the Current Earnings Outlook
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Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Globe and Mail
Should Costco Stock Be in Your Portfolio Pre-Q3 Earnings?
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Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Globe and Mail
Zscaler to Post Q3 Earnings: Time to Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?
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Quote Earnings Whispers for Zscaler Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Zscaler this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Though Zscaler currently carries a Zacks Rank #3, it has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Factors to Note for Zscaler's Q3 Results Zscaler's third-quarter results are expected to show sustained demand for its security and networking solutions, given the persistent expansion of the global security space. The adoption of ZS' in-cloud security solution, Zero Trust Exchange, driven by the ongoing digital transformation across organizations and the growing popularity of hybrid work, is likely to have been a key catalyst. The growing adoption of Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) solutions might have acted as a primary driver in the fiscal third quarter. Per the latest Future Market Insights report, the market size for SD-WAN solutions and products is expected to reach $80.91 billion by 2034 from $5.36 billion in 2024, witnessing a CAGR of 31.6%. As only a select number of vendors offer security and SD-WAN solutions, Zscaler has been gaining from the increasing opportunities in this space. The company's partnerships with VMware and Silver Peak have enabled it to secure SD-WAN deliveries. This is expected to have aided Zscaler's fiscal third-quarter performance. ZS' existing core products, mainly the Zscaler Internet Access and Zscaler Private Access, have been driving customer retention. The addition of new features to its Zero Trust Exchange, such as Cloud Access Security Broker, Cloud Browser Isolation, Cloud Protection, Zscaler Digital Experience and Cloud Security Posture Management for software-as-a-service applications, is expected to have driven its product portfolio expansion and customer acquisition. Generative AI and Agentic AI are also acting as a growth pillar for Zscaler. The company now serves 14 out of 15 U.S. cabinet-level agencies. This is likely to have provided stability to Zscaler's top line in the to-be-reported quarter. Our model estimates for third-quarter revenues from Channel Partners and Direct Customers are pegged at $588 million and $77.4 million, respectively. We expect the remaining performance obligation at the end of the quarter to be approximately $4.65 billion. However, as customers scrutinize large deals more closely, with continued tight IT budgets, Zscaler faces longer deal cycles. To counter this, Zscaler is growing investments to improve sales and marketing (S&M) capabilities and higher research and development (R&D) costs, which might have weighed on the company's fiscal third-quarter bottom line. ZS Price Performance & Stock Valuation Zscaler's shares have gained 40.9% year to date, outperforming the Zacks Security industry's growth of 16.9%. The stock has also outperformed its peers in the cloud-based security solution space, such as Palo Alto Networks PANW, CrowdStrike Holdings CRWD and CyberArk Software CYBR, which have risen 2.7%, 33.2% and 14.5%, respectively, in the same time frame. Now, let's look at the value Zscaler offers investors at the current levels. ZS stock is trading at a discount with a forward 12-month P/S of 12.79X compared with the industry's 14.21X, reflecting an undervaluation. Investment Thesis for Zscaler Zscaler is benefiting from the rising demand for cybersecurity solutions due to the slew of data breaches. The increasing demand for privileged access security in digital transformation and cloud migration strategies is a key growth driver. A strong presence across verticals, such as banking, insurance, healthcare, public sector, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications services and education, safeguards it from the negative impacts of ongoing macroeconomic headwinds. Portfolio expansion through acquisitions like Avalor, Canonic Security and ShiftRight is praiseworthy. However, Zscaler faces intense competition from other established cybersecurity players, including Palo Alto Networks, CyberArk and CrowdStrike. Zscaler Internet Access and Private Access face competition from Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access, Prisma SD-WAN, CrowdStrike Falcon Zero Trust, CyberArk Secure Web Sessions and CYBR Identity Security Platform. To survive in the highly competitive cybersecurity market, Zscaler is continuously investing in broadening its capabilities. Over the past few years, Zscaler has invested heavily to enhance its S&M capabilities, particularly by increasing the sales force. Unfortunately, its aggressive investment in S&M and R&D might weigh on its near-term profitability. Conclusion: Hold ZS Stock for Now While the long-term prospects for the company remain bright, the near-term challenges associated with its profit growth warrant caution. Therefore, we believe that it's prudent to avoid making new investments in the stock for now. For existing shareholders, holding on to Zscaler stock is the best course of action, as the long-term growth drivers are still firmly in place. Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor Stock It's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom. With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028. See This Stock Now for Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW): Free Stock Analysis Report CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR): Free Stock Analysis Report Zscaler, Inc. (ZS): Free Stock Analysis Report CrowdStrike (CRWD): Free Stock Analysis Report