Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

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Rachel Vatnsdal : So first up on Train B. Last quarter, you guys said that there were some supply chain delays as you guys were building up that manufacturing line. So can you just give us the latest on timing if you’re still on track for that to come online mid fiscal year.? And then thinking about beyond Train B, you guys have hinted at potential capacity expansions beyond this. So can you give us the latest on your thinking on those capacity expansions and when we could hear an update there?

Mike McMullen: Yes. So Sam, why don’t you take the first part, and I’ll close with the second part?

Sam Raha : Yes. It sounds good. Rachel, thank you for the question, and happy to report there haven’t been any changes since we last spoke about Train B and timing. We’re on track to go live in the middle of the calendar year coming up in 2023.

Mike McMullen: And at the risk of being repetitive, Rachel, we’re on record saying that there’s more letters than the alphabets in A&B. So we’re focused on getting Train B up and running and have it generating revenue in ’23. But at the same time, we continue to explore possible expansion plans, and nothing yet to announce yet, but stay tuned.

Rachel Vatnsdal : Great. And then just one more follow-up on food. So food grew 20% this quarter. It sounds like some of that was from that China recovery and pull forward there. But all in, you’re guiding to low single digits next year off of that two year stacked tough comps. So can you just walk us through how should we be thinking about the food market going forward? Do you think in 2024, it’s going to normalize more at a low single digit? Or is this market really accelerated and the guide this year is just more on that typical comp.

Robert McMahon : Yes, it’s a good question. And this is Bob. And I would say it wasn’t pull forward, it was catch up in terms of the growth rate here because it was — as you know, Rachel, China has got a bigger proportion of the food market. And I would say it is a function of having two years of very strong performance there and so difficult comps. And I do think it is trending up with some of the investments that are being made there. But this still is a low to mid-single-digit grower.

Mike McMullen: I think just to kind of reinforce our ability to hit that mid-single or low to mid-single-digit growth rates, we also see continued strength in the U.S., for example, where our cannabis testing business is part of what we reported, so, right Jacob?

Jacob Thaysen : Yes, correct. And the cannabis business continues to do very well, and we see a lot of lab owners that is looking for us to come in and help them to equip the full laboratories. So that’s a big opportunity for us. But also the alternative protein space is really picking up, both here in U.S., but particularly also in in Asia. So I do believe that is going to continue to be a secular growth driver for us in food.

Mike McMullen: Right. And I really wanted to make sure that we highlight those new secular growth drivers because a lot of growth historically has come from China. We’re seeing actually a much more diversified mix of business as we move forward.

Operator: We go next now to Derik De Bruin of Bank of America.

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