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Trane Technologies plc (TT)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q4 delivered 10% organic revenue growth to $4.874B, adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 110 bps to 18.3%, and adjusted EPS rose 20% to $2.61; backlog remains elevated at $6.75B, reinforcing 2025 visibility .
  • Americas and EMEA Commercial HVAC were the key drivers (Americas revenue +12%, EMEA +5%), while Asia Pacific stabilized (+1% revenue) with outsized margin gains; sequential guidance implies a strong start to 2025 (Q1 adjusted EPS $2.15–$2.20) .
  • 2025 outlook: reported revenue growth 6.5–7.5% (organic 7–8%) and GAAP/adjusted EPS $12.70–$12.90; FX (~100 bps) and M&A (~50 bps) expected to trim earnings by ~$0.20 .
  • Board increased the quarterly dividend by 12% to $0.94 (from $0.84), signaling confidence in cash generation and capital return strategy .
  • Street consensus from S&P Global was unavailable at the time of analysis, preventing a formal beat/miss assessment; near-term stock catalysts include backlog-to-revenue conversion, service growth durability, and data center/applied project pipeline .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Commercial HVAC strength across Americas and EMEA drove double-digit growth and margin expansion; management emphasized “green for green”—solutions that are good for the planet and the bottom line .
  • Services continued double‑digit growth; installed base from complex applied systems creates a durable service tail with lifetime spend “8–10x” the original equipment cost, underpinning margin resilience and future cash flows .
  • Asia Pacific showed sequential improvement with Q4 revenue up 1% and ~280 bps adjusted margin expansion, reflecting disciplined execution and productivity despite China credit tightening .

What Went Wrong

  • Transport refrigeration bookings fell high‑20s and revenues down low‑teens in Q4; management expects the market to bottom in Q1 2025 and recover in H2, leaving near‑term headwinds .
  • Residential faces a pre‑buy headwind ($75–$100M impact largely in Q1), muting early‑2025 growth despite A2L refrigerant mix tailwinds later in the year .
  • Asia weakness persisted through most of 2024 (Q3 APAC revenue −21% YoY) due to macro softness and tightened credit policy in China, though Q4 showed improvement .

Financial Results

Consolidated performance by quarter (oldest → newest)

MetricQ2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024
Net Revenues ($USD Billions)$5.307 $5.441 $4.874
Bookings ($USD Billions)$5.340 $5.213 $4.659
GAAP Operating Margin (%)19.5% 18.8% 16.6%
Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%)21.1% 20.7% 18.3%
GAAP Continuing EPS ($)$3.33 $3.43 $2.67
Adjusted Continuing EPS ($)$3.30 $3.37 $2.61

Notes: Q4 adjusted EPS is $0.06 below GAAP due to net non‑GAAP adjustments including a $16.1M non‑cash contingent consideration adjustment and other items .

Q4 2024 year‑over‑year

MetricQ4 2024Q4 2023YoY
Net Revenues ($USD Billions)$4.874 $4.424 +10%
Adjusted Continuing EPS ($)$2.61 $2.17 +20%
Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%)18.3% 17.2% +110 bps

Segment breakdown – Q4 2024

SegmentNet Revenues ($USD Billions)GAAP Operating Margin (%)Adjusted Operating Margin (%)Adjusted EBITDA Margin (%)Bookings ($USD Billions)
Americas$3.803 18.0% 17.6% 19.5% $3.677
EMEA$0.690 17.4% 17.3% 18.9% $0.615
Asia Pacific$0.381 24.7% 25.2% 26.5% $0.368

KPIs and balance sheet

KPIValue
Backlog ($USD Billions)$6.75
Free Cash Flow (FY 2024, $USD Billions)$2.789
Free Cash Flow Conversion (%)109%
Days Sales Outstanding57.9
Inventory Turns6.4
Cash Balance (12/31/24, $USD Billions)$1.590
Debt Balance (12/31/24, $USD Billions)$4.770

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Reported & Organic Revenue Growth (%)FY 2024~10% (reported & organic) ~11% (reported & organic) Raised
GAAP & Adjusted EPS ($)FY 2024~$10.80 ~$11.10 Raised
Reported Revenue Growth (%)FY 2025N/A6.5–7.5% New
Organic Revenue Growth (%)FY 2025N/A7–8% New
GAAP & Adjusted EPS ($)FY 2025N/A$12.70–$12.90 New
Adjusted EPS ($)Q1 2025N/A$2.15–$2.20; midpoint $2.17 New
Quarterly Dividend per Share ($)Ongoing$0.84 (declared 10/9/24) $0.94 (declared 2/5/25) Raised 12%

Additional guidance color: FX (~100 bps) and M&A (~50 bps) expected to reduce 2025 earnings by ~$0.20 .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q-2 and Q-1)Current Period (Q4 2024)Trend
AI/digital building managementFocus in prior materials was on bookings/backlog and raised guidance; specific AI was not a major theme in Q2/Q3 press releases Closed BrainBox AI acquisition; leveraging 42k connected buildings and >2M connected assets to augment structured data with AI/ML for efficiency Increasing focus on AI-enabled services
Commercial HVAC/applied systemsQ2/Q3 showed strong bookings/revenue growth in Americas/EMEA with applied driving margins Applied revenues up >120% (Americas, 3‑yr stack) and >90% (EMEA); broad‑based vertical growth incl. data centers and education Strengthening, multi‑year tail
Transport refrigerationNot specifically highlighted in Q2/Q3 press; enterprise strength dominated narrative Bookings down high‑20s; revenues down low‑teens; bottoming expected in Q1 with H2 recovery; ACT mid‑teens growth in 2026–2027 Near‑term headwind; medium‑term recovery
Residential (A2L transition)Not central in Q2/Q3 releases Pre‑buy ~$75–$100M to mostly impact Q1; A2L (R‑454B) transition priced high single digits, reported as volume/mix; FY mid‑single‑digit growth expected Temporary Q1 headwind; improving thereafter
Regional trends (Asia/China)APAC down in Q3: revenue −21%, bookings −30%; margins compressed Q4 APAC revenue +1%, adjusted EBITDA margin +280 bps; tightened China credit policy normalizing through H1 2025 Sequential improvement
Tariffs/supply chainNot a key feature in Q2/Q3 press “In region for region” manufacturing mitigates tariff risk; prepared to adjust inputs to remain margin neutral over time Manageable, monitored risk

Management Commentary

  • “We achieved record financial results with strong organic revenue growth of 12%, powerful free cash flow conversion of 109% and adjusted earnings per share growth of 24% – our fourth consecutive year of earnings per share growth of 20% or more.” – Dave Regnery, CEO .
  • “Our solutions are green for green, good for the planet and good for the bottom line.” – Dave Regnery .
  • “We are initiating 2025 guidance with 7% to 8% organic revenue growth and adjusted EPS of $12.70 to $12.90… about 100 bps negative FX and roughly 50 bps from M&A… expected to negatively impact earnings by about $0.20.” – Chris Kuehn, CFO .
  • “Our Service business now… is $6.5 billion and just tremendous growth… think about $6.5 billion that’s growing at close to 10% rate per year.” – Dave Regnery .
  • “Applied Systems… present tremendous service opportunities with higher margins that are largely still ahead of us.” – Dave Regnery .

Q&A Highlights

  • Services durability: double‑digit multi‑year growth; ~$6.5B revenue base; continued investment in technician tools and diagnostics to sustain 25%+ organic leverage .
  • Commercial HVAC breadth: orders up high single digits; strong pipeline across 13 of 14 verticals; applied revenues up >120% (Americas) over 3 years .
  • Backlog staging: ~$6.75B with the majority expected to revenue in 2025; services not included in backlog .
  • Residential: Q1 headwind from pre‑buy; A2L mix/price tailwind (~4 pts); GDP+ framework and IRA tailwinds to support mid‑single‑digit FY growth .
  • BrainBox AI acquisition: purchase price less than $300M; near‑term amortization expense; step‑down in legacy Trane amortization offset by higher depreciation/amortization from recent investments .

Estimates Context

  • S&P Global consensus EPS and revenue estimates for Q4 2024 were unavailable due to provider limits at the time of analysis; therefore, formal beat/miss cannot be assessed against Wall Street consensus [GetEstimates errors].
  • Directionally, company results were strong versus prior year and backed by elevated backlog and robust Commercial HVAC demand, but we cannot quantify deviations versus Street without the S&P Global consensus .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Backlog provides high confidence in 2025 execution; majority expected to convert within 12 months, supporting the 7–8% organic growth guide .
  • Services growth and applied installed base create a durable, higher‑margin annuity; management cites lifetime service spend of 8–10x initial equipment cost .
  • Near‑term watch items: transport bottoming in Q1 and residential pre‑buy impact; H2 ramps and A2L mix tailwinds should smooth quarterly cadence .
  • 2025 EPS headwinds of ~$0.20 from FX/M&A are embedded in guidance; organic leverage target 25%+ and FCF conversion ≥100% intact .
  • Dividend raised 12% to $0.94, reinforcing capital return and FCF confidence; significant repurchase authorization provides optionality .
  • Strategic AI/digital initiatives (BrainBox AI) enhance building optimization and service differentiation, potentially accelerating margin accretion in Services .
  • Tactical setup: strong Q1 guide ($2.15–$2.20 adjusted EPS) despite transport/resi headwinds; focus on Commercial HVAC pipeline, backlog burn, and Services momentum for upside signals .

Non‑GAAP adjustments: Q4 adjusted EPS excludes items such as a $16.1M non‑cash contingent consideration adjustment and other costs; GAAP EPS of $2.67 vs adjusted $2.61 reflects net adjustments detailed in the release .