Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ:BRKR) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Justin Ward: Yes. Hey, Rachel, this is Justin, thanks for the question. So for the full year 2022 price realization was in that low single digit, as we mentioned, and again, it wasn’t fully offsetting the inflation for the year. So we had call it about 100 basis point drag to operating margin from that net price realization inflation. For next year, we do think it’s going to improve that net price realization as it’s working its way through the backlog, we’re expecting a little bit higher price realization next year, still in that low single digit. And we think it’s going to be a better net against the inflation, but still a little bit of a drag on inflation, maybe about 50 basis points. So as you look at our implied guidance for and the commentary that Gerald had for 2023 op margin, that organic margin expansion we’re expecting in 2023 does still include a bit of drag from the price versus inflation.

Operator: Our next question will come from Derik De Bruin with Bank of America.

Derik Bruin: Hi. Good morning. And nice quarter, Frank, and company. A couple of cleanup questions and then one bigger one. So share kind of assumption for fiscal €˜23. I mean, you do some incremental buybacks. So just want that. And how should we think about FX in the first quarter to sort of set the pace into the rest of the year and then I have a follow up.

Gerald Herman : Derik, on the share buybacks, we don’t typically comment on future buybacks. And numbers are baked into what we have there already so. And relative to foreign exchange, we actually rated our guidance based on the January 31 rates. You seem to think, I assume that the US dollar is weakened against some of the major currencies. And we’ve factored that into our analysis, which is currently predicting, as you saw for the full year, 1.5% of foreign exchange tailwind on the revenue line from that.

Derik Bruin: Yes, I just wanted the first quarter assumption on it, FX.

Gerald Herman : Yes, those are the — those are really expected levels so.

Frank Laukien : Normally we take yearend FX rates for our planning, but since they had changed so significantly, still in January, we did the unusual step of looking at after baking in January 31 rates, because there had been quite a bit of change even in the 31st, 30 days.

Derik Bruin: Got it. So can we talk a little bit about growth expectations by geographic region, Americas, EMEA, APAC in €˜23? And then also on APAC, just a little bit more color on the China’s stimulus timing? Is there any preference for local companies versus outside of China political headwinds going on just a little bit more color and how we should sort of think about that situation. Thanks.

Frank Laukien : Yes. So you’ve heard on the geographic side that Europe is making a comeback, right. And we were optimistic about Europe and bookings and this year, China as always difficult to read, right, one at some point you have zero COVID lockdown and you have whole country infecting from, getting a wave of infections. So far that all seems to not have such big disruptions. Although, I think China revenue growth was a little weaker in Q4, is that correct?

Gerald Herman : A little bit. But we were up teens for the year. Q4 was up single digits.