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ITRON, INC. (ITRI)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q4 revenue $613M (+6% YoY) and non-GAAP EPS $1.35; gross margin 34.9% (+90 bps YoY). Bookings hit a record $1.4B and total backlog reached $4.7B .
- Results materially exceeded the company’s prior Q4 guidance: revenue topped the $600–$610M range and non-GAAP EPS exceeded the $1.00–$1.10 range; QoQ revenue (-0.4%) and EPS declined from Q3’s elevated levels .
- 2025 outlook initiated: Q1 revenue $610–$620M and non-GAAP EPS $1.25–$1.35; FY25 revenue $2.4–$2.5B and non-GAAP EPS $5.20–$5.60, framed as “flat” YoY but ~6% growth when normalizing for $125M catch-up revenue in 2024 .
- Catalysts: record bookings/backlog and Outcomes segment momentum; watch tariff policy (Mexico components) and Europe water softness; 9–12 month bookings-to-revenue lag tempers near-term revenue translation .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Record commercial momentum: quarterly bookings $1.4B and total backlog $4.7B; Outcomes revenue set a company record in Q4 .
- Outcomes growth engine: Outcomes revenue +25% YoY; management targets ~75–80% recurring mix over time, citing growing app ecosystem on 13.4M DI endpoints and 15M licensed apps (“the ecosystem is really just getting started”) .
- Profitability and cash generation: adjusted EBITDA $81M (+19% YoY) and Q4 free cash flow $70M; full-year gross margin and adjusted EBITDA reached record levels, supported by mix/efficiencies .
What Went Wrong
- QoQ moderation from Q3 peak: revenue $615M→$613M, non-GAAP EPS $1.84→$1.35, reflecting strong Q3 tax benefit and one-time items; Outcomes margin lumpiness from one-time license content .
- Device Solutions softness: Q4 Device Solutions revenue -4% YoY (constant currency -5%), tied to legacy electricity products; management expects Devices to be down YoY in 2025 .
- Macro watch items: potential Mexico tariff exposure on components and caution on European water market; 9–12 month bookings-to-revenue lag pushes much of Q4 bookings rev beyond 2025 .
Financial Results
Consolidated Performance vs Prior Quarters
Segment Revenue Breakdown
KPIs and Operating Metrics
Notes: DI endpoints/applications reflect cumulative installed/licensed counts disclosed in Q4 call .
Versus Estimates
- S&P Global consensus estimates for Q4 2024 were unavailable at the time of this analysis; therefore, quantified “vs consensus” comparisons could not be provided. However, actual Q4 results exceeded the company’s prior Q4 guidance (see Guidance Changes) .
- S&P Global disclaimer: Consensus values were not retrievable due to system limitations; if provided, they would be sourced from S&P Global Capital IQ.
Guidance Changes
Management noted FY25 is “flat” vs FY24 reported but ~6% YoY growth after normalizing for $125M catch-up revenue in 2024; EPS midpoint implies ~8% YoY growth at a 25% tax rate .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Record quarterly bookings of $1.4 billion, producing a new record total backlog level of $4.7 billion…driven by the continued adoption of our Grid Intelligence platform” .
- “The Outcomes business should be our fastest-growing business…we definitely think that having about a 75% to 80% recurring revenue…is ultimately where we land” .
- “We anticipate a book-to-bill ratio of at least 1:1 for 2025” .
- “We anticipate 2025 revenue to be…$2.4–$2.5 billion…flat year-over-year, but ~6% growth when normalizing 2024 to exclude the $125 million of catch-up revenue” .
- On tariffs: “We definitely are operating with a fair amount of components coming in from Mexico…we do carry a bit more inventory…to give us…supply chain flexibility” .
Q&A Highlights
- Free cash flow and cash deployment: FCF conversion expected to increase in 2025; >$1B cash contributing to EPS via interest income; active M&A pipeline focused on Outcomes/Grid Intelligence capabilities .
- Outcomes growth runway: Recurring mix targeted ~75–80% over time; Q4 license content created margin lumpiness; long runway for multi-app per endpoint adoption .
- Bookings cadence: Expect book-to-bill ≥1:1 in 2025; less back-end loaded than 2024 but still lumpy quarter-to-quarter .
- Macro/trade: Monitoring Mexico tariff risk; multi-sourcing underway; regulatory environment remains constructive despite higher rates .
- Backlog vs flat FY25 rev: Lower 12-month backlog reflects timing (Q4 bookings largely >12 months); confidence in FY25 outlook given customer-level visibility and normalization math .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) for Q4 2024 was unavailable at the time of request; quantified comparisons versus consensus cannot be provided.
- Relative to company guidance: Q4 revenue exceeded the $600–$610M range (reported $612.9M), and non-GAAP EPS exceeded $1.00–$1.10 (reported $1.35) .
- S&P Global disclaimer: Consensus values were not retrievable due to system limitations; if provided, they would be sourced from S&P Global Capital IQ.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Commercial momentum is robust: record $1.4B Q4 bookings and $4.7B backlog, with Networks/Outcomes comprising ~90%+ of backlog—supporting multi-year revenue visibility beyond 2025 .
- Outcomes is the structural growth driver: record Q4 revenue, expanding app ecosystem, and a targeted 75–80% recurring revenue mix should lift quality of earnings over time despite quarterly lumpiness .
- 2025 guidance appropriately conservative: “flat” headline growth masks ~6% normalized growth (ex-2024 catch-up); EPS midpoint implies ~8% growth at 25% tax rate—focus on execution and mix .
- Watch Devices and Europe water: Devices likely down YoY and caution on Europe water may modestly weigh near-term mix/margins; Networks/Outcomes offset via project deployments/software/services .
- Macro/trade risk management: Mexico tariff exposure on components and 9–12 month bookings-to-revenue lag are key watch items; inventory buffers and multi-sourcing help operational resilience .
- Cash and FCF optionality: rising FCF conversion and >$1B cash provide latitude for disciplined Outcomes/DI-centric M&A, while interest income currently accretes to EPS .
- Near-term trading lens: Strong Q4 beat vs company guidance and record bookings/backlog are supportive; monitor Q1 execution and tariff headlines for sentiment shifts .