8-KRegulation FD

EMERSON ELECTRIC CO 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (Apr 25, 2012)

Filed April 25, 2012For Securities:EMR

Summary

Emerson Electric Co.'s (EMR) April 25, 2012, 8-K filing provides an update on its trailing three-month order trends, highlighting modest overall growth for the period ending March 2012. The company experienced a broad-based improvement, with Process Management and Commercial & Residential Solutions showing notable strength. While Network Power results were mixed and Climate Technologies continued to face softness, there were signs of improvement in the latter. Excluding currency impacts, underlying order growth reached its highest rate since November 2011, and backlog remained significantly higher year-over-year. Investors should note the upcoming second quarter 2012 earnings release and conference call scheduled for May 1, 2012, where further details on performance will be discussed. Additionally, a presentation by Chairman and CEO David N. Farr at the Electrical Products Group Conference on May 23, 2012, offers another opportunity for insights into the company's strategy and outlook. The filing also includes standard cautionary statements regarding forward-looking statements, reminding investors of inherent risks and uncertainties.

Key Highlights

  • 1Trailing three-month underlying orders showed modest growth for March 2012, with the highest rate since November 2011 when excluding currency fluctuations.
  • 2Process Management and Commercial & Residential Solutions were key drivers of growth, supported by strong oil and gas investment and U.S. construction demand, respectively.
  • 3Network Power exhibited mixed results, with some segments showing weakness (telecom, IT, embedded computing) and others returning to growth (network power systems, particularly in Asia and Latin America).
  • 4Climate Technologies order trends remained soft but showed improvement, with Asia returning to modest growth and strong performance in global refrigeration, despite ongoing weakness in Europe.
  • 5Backlog at Emerson remained robust, ending 10-15% higher than the prior year, indicating future revenue potential.
  • 6Currency exchange rates had a negative impact on reported order growth, deducting 2 percentage points overall for the trailing three months.
  • 7Emerson announced its second quarter 2012 earnings release and conference call for May 1, 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions

Emerson reported modest overall order growth for the trailing three months ending March 2012. When excluding the negative impact of currency exchange rates, underlying order growth accelerated to its highest rate since November 2011. This positive trend was supported by a backlog that remained 10-15% higher than the prior year.

Process Management and Commercial & Residential Solutions are showing strong growth. Process Management benefits from continued oil and gas investments, while Commercial & Residential Solutions is driven by U.S. construction demand. Network Power's results are mixed, with some areas struggling (telecom, IT) and others showing strength (network power systems, especially in Asia and Latin America). Climate Technologies are still soft but showing signs of improvement, with Asia and global refrigeration performing better, though Europe remains weak.

Emerson is scheduled to issue its second quarter 2012 results on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, followed by a conference call at 2:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. CT).

Currency exchange rates had a negative impact on Emerson's reported order growth. For the trailing three months ending March 2012, currency deductions reduced overall underlying order growth by approximately 2 percentage points. The impact varied by segment, with Process Management seeing a 4-percentage point deduction and Industrial Automation a 3-percentage point deduction due to currency.