Sign in

You're signed outSign in or to get full access.

CG

CARRIER GLOBAL Corp (CARR)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q1 2025 was solid with adjusted EPS of $0.65 (+27% y/y) on $5.218B revenue (-4% y/y); adjusted operating margin expanded 210 bps to 16.2%. Carrier raised FY25 adjusted EPS guidance to $3.00–$3.10 (from $2.95–$3.05) while keeping margin and FCF targets intact .
  • Results modestly beat S&P Global consensus on revenue ($5.218B vs $5.187B*) and EPS ($0.65 vs $0.584*), while EBITDA was below ($0.903B* actual vs $1.064B* estimate). Strength came from Climate Solutions Americas (Commercial and Residential each up ~20%), while Europe RLC and Americas Light Commercial were headwinds .
  • Orders rose high-single-digits; backlog increased ~10% y/y and >15% q/q, positioning the company for H2 acceleration; free cash flow improved to $420M. Management guided Q2 to ~$6B sales, ~100 bps margin expansion, and ~20% EPS growth, framing near-term catalysts alongside a raised FY EPS guide .
  • Tariff risk is being “fully mitigated” with ~$300M addressed via price (~1% incremental pricing), the remainder offset by sourcing/productivity actions—limiting downside to margins and sustaining the FY25 outlook .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Climate Solutions Americas delivered broad-based strength: segment sales +9%, with Commercial and Residential each up ~20%; segment margin expanded 420 bps to 22.2% on productivity and mix .
    • Orders/backlog momentum: total company orders up high-single-digits; backlog up ~10% y/y and >15% sequentially, supporting acceleration into the year; CEO: “We are increasing our full-year commitments as we proactively manage this dynamic environment.” .
    • Free cash flow and capital deployment: $420M FCF on $483M CFO; returned $1.5B to shareholders (incl. $1.3B buybacks), and repaid $1.2B of debt in Q1, enhancing balance sheet flexibility .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Europe Residential & Light Commercial remained soft: Climate Solutions Europe sales -10% (organic -7%); segment margin down 390 bps to 9.0% on lower volume/mix and investments despite synergy benefits .
    • Americas Light Commercial reset: management cut LC outlook to down double-digits for FY after Q1 weakness and continued softness in Q2; channel demand and K-12 spending pauses weighed near term .
    • EBITDA vs consensus: Q1 EBITDA of ~$0.903B* trailed S&P Global consensus ~$1.064B*, despite strong adjusted operating margin expansion; mix (divestiture headwind) and below-plan Asia residential weighed .

Financial Results

Quarterly performance (actuals)

MetricQ1 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
Revenue ($B)$5.420 $5.148 $5.218
GAAP EPS (cont. ops)$0.19 ($0.05) $0.47
Adjusted EPS (cont. ops)$0.51 $0.54 $0.65
Operating Margin % (GAAP)7.1% 15.0% 12.1%
Adjusted Operating Margin %14.1% 13.2% 16.2%

Notes: y/y Q1 revenue -4% and adjusted EPS +27%; adjusted operating margin +210 bps y/y. q/q, adjusted EPS +20% and adjusted operating margin +300 bps vs Q4 .

Q1 2025: Actual vs S&P Global consensus

MetricConsensusActual
Revenue ($B)5.187*5.218
Adjusted EPS ($)0.584*0.65
EBITDA ($B)1.064*0.903*

Values marked with * retrieved from S&P Global.

Segment performance

Segment Net Sales ($B)Q1 2024Q1 2025
Climate Solutions Americas (CSA)$2.360 $2.572
Climate Solutions Europe (CSE)$1.292 $1.169
CS Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (CSAME)$0.884 $0.826
Climate Solutions Transportation (CST)$0.884 $0.651
Segment Operating Margin %Q1 2024Q1 2025
CSA18.0% 22.2%
CSE12.9% 9.0%
CSAME12.2% 14.6%
CST12.8% 14.9%

Cash flow and balance sheet KPIs (Q1 yoy)

KPIQ1 2024Q1 2025
Cash from Operations ($B)$0.040 $0.483
Capital Expenditures ($B)$0.102 $0.063
Free Cash Flow ($B)($0.064) $0.420
Net Debt ($B)$8.309 (12/31/24) $9.486 (3/31/25)
Share Repurchases ($B)$1.3 in Q1; +$0.32 in April
Dividends Paid ($B)$0.20 in Q1
Debt Repaid ($B)$1.2 in Q1

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
SalesFY 2025$22.5–$23.0B; ~$(0.75)B CCR exit; organic up MSD; FX (1%); divestitures (3%) ~$23B; ~$(0.75)B CCR exit; organic up MSD; FX +1%; divestitures (3%) Raised (top of range)
Adjusted Operating MarginFY 202516.5%–17.0% (+~100 bps y/y) 16.5%–17.0% (+~100 bps y/y) Maintained
Adjusted EPSFY 2025$2.95–$3.05 (+~15–20% y/y) $3.00–$3.10 (+~17–21% y/y) Raised
Free Cash FlowFY 2025$2.4–$2.6B $2.4–$2.6B Maintained
Q2 Outlook (sales)Q2 2025~$6B New detail
Q2 Outlook (adj op margin)Q2 2025+~100 bps y/y New detail
Q2 Outlook (adj EPS)Q2 2025~+20% y/y New detail
DividendFY 2025 (current quarter)$0.225/sh declared for May 22, 2025 Announced

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q3 2024 and Q4 2024)Current Period (Q1 2025)Trend
Data centersOrders up >3x; big wins; aftermarket potential 5–10x installed base over time On track to double DC to ~$1B in 2025; ~$250M Q1 deliveries; rolling out Quantum Leap and liquid cooling CDUs by YE Strengthening; near-term revenue + long-term high-margin services
Tariffs and supply chainProductivity/portfolio actions; US focus; cost controls “Fully mitigating” current tariffs; ~$300M addressed via price (~1%); high USMCA compliance; dual sourcing, footprint optimization Managed risk; neutral net impact in FY guide
Americas ResidentialDouble-digit growth; 454B transition; limited 410A predelivery Q1 ~+20%; 75% mix 454B with ~10% mix-up; Q2 +15–20%; FY high-single to low-double-digit growth Positive with strong mix/price; watch channel inventories
Americas Light Commercial2024 improved vs plan; ESSER supportive into 2025–26 Cut FY outlook to down double digits; softness in SMB and K‑12 delays near term Near-term headwind; modest H2 recovery expected
Europe (Viessmann & RLC)Orders inflecting; subsidies pick up; FY down high teens in 2024 CSE sales -10% (organic -7%); Viessmann flat FY with better heat pump mix; aim mid-teens segment margins in coming years; 2025 low-teens for Viessmann Stabilizing; mix shifts to heat pumps; margin rebuild in progress
Aftermarket/servicesDouble-digit “forever”; connected chillers scaling Aftermarket +8% Q1; chiller attachment >60%; >50k connected chillers; building “mods/upgrades” flywheel Durable double-digit vector with margin upside
AI/HEMS/GoogleUtilities pilots planned; energy management Google Cloud partnership to enhance grid resilience/AI analytics; HEMS expansion Emerging ecosystem driver

Management Commentary

  • “Adjusted EPS grew 27% with adjusted operating margins expanding 210 basis points on 2% organic sales growth…orders were up high-single-digits, backlogs increased over 15% sequentially and about 10% year-over-year…We are increasing our full-year commitments” — David Gitlin, CEO .
  • “As reflected in our guidance, we are fully mitigating our tariff exposure through supply chain and productivity actions with the balance of about $300 million via price, which represents a little over 1% of additional pricing.” — David Gitlin, CEO .
  • “CSA had an outstanding quarter…Adjusted operating margins expanded 420 basis points…Light Commercial came in lower than expected, down around 35%…We are decreasing our guide for the full year down low double digits.” — Patrick Goris, CFO .
  • “We think [Viessmann] will be double digits [margin]; it will be closer to low teens for this year…our intention is to get [Europe] to mid-teens in the next couple of years.” — Patrick Goris, CFO .
  • “We had a very strong first quarter for data centers…on track for $1 billion [in 2025]…Quantum Leap…liquid cooling [CDUs] by year-end.” — David Gitlin, CEO .

Q&A Highlights

  • Tariffs: Remaining ~$300M gross impact to be offset via price; cost/productivity and supplier actions mitigated the rest; net neutral to FY guide .
  • CSA cadence: CSA margin ~22% in Q1; expected ~25% in Q2/Q3, lower in Q4; full-year around 22.5% as tariffs (price-cost neutrality) weigh ~50–60 bps .
  • Americas Resi: 454B mix ~75% in Q1 with ~10% mix-up; Q2 growth +15–20%; channel inventories a focus; FY high-single to low-double-digit growth .
  • Light Commercial: Outlook cut to down double-digits on SMB softness and delayed K‑12 funding; segment is ~5%+ of company sales, limiting top-line impact to ~50 bps .
  • Europe/Viessmann: FY flat revenue with better heat pump mix; heat pump subsidy applications in Germany surged to ~65k in Q1 vs ~9k last year; multi-year margin path to mid-teens .
  • Q2 setup: Sales ~$6B, ~100 bps adj margin expansion, ~20% adj EPS growth, supporting the FY25 raised EPS range .

Estimates Context

  • Q1 2025 vs S&P Global consensus: EPS $0.65 vs $0.584* (beat); revenue $5.218B vs $5.187B* (beat); EBITDA $0.903B* vs $1.064B* (miss). Mix tailwinds (CSA) and pricing/productivity supported EPS; EBITDA variance reflects divestiture headwinds and soft Asia residential. Values marked with * retrieved from S&P Global .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Raised FY25 adjusted EPS to $3.00–$3.10 on a strong Q1 print and tariff mitigation, with orders/backlog momentum underpinning H2 acceleration potential .
  • CSA strength (Commercial/Residential each ~+20%) and data center scale-up (on track to ~$1B in 2025) are key profit drivers; aftermarket/services remain a durable double‑digit growth vector with rising attachment/connected base .
  • Near-term watch items: Americas Light Commercial reset (down double-digits FY) and Europe RLC softness; management sees LC stabilization by H2 and Europe margins rebuilding to mid-teens over time .
  • Q2 guide implies continued momentum (sales ~$6B; +~100 bps margin; +~20% EPS), which, if delivered, can sustain estimate revisions and support multiple resilience .
  • Capital returns/optimization ongoing: ~$1.3B Q1 buybacks (+$0.32B in April), $1.2B debt repayment; quarterly dividend of $0.225 declared—balance sheet flexibility remains intact .
  • Tariff framework de-risked: net neutral assumption for FY with ~$300M priced-in and the rest offset via productivity/sourcing; limits downside to margins and protects the FY guide .

Values marked with * retrieved from S&P Global.

References: Q1 2025 press release and 8‑K (Item 2.02), Q1 2025 earnings call transcript, Q4 2024 press release, dividend announcement .