Industrial technology company Fortive (NYSE: FTV) reported revenue ahead of Wall Streets expectations in Q3 CY2025, with sales up 2.3% year on year to $1.03 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.68 per share was 19.5% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
Is now the time to buy FTV? Find out in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Fortive (FTV) Q3 CY2025 Highlights:
- Revenue: $1.03 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.01 billion (2.3% year-on-year growth, 1.8% beat)
- Adjusted EPS: $0.68 vs analyst estimates of $0.57 (19.5% beat)
- Adjusted EBITDA: $215.1 million vs analyst estimates of $279.7 million (20.9% margin, 23.1% miss)
- Management raised its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $2.65 at the midpoint, a 3.9% increase
- Operating Margin: 15.5%, down from 17.1% in the same quarter last year
- Organic Revenue rose 1.9% year on year vs analyst estimates of flat growth (191.8 basis point beat)
- Market Capitalization: $17.03 billion
StockStory’s Take
Fortive’s third quarter was met with a positive market response, underscored by the company’s first full quarter operating as a streamlined entity following the Ralliance spin-off. Management attributed the quarter’s results to focused execution on organic growth and operational streamlining, including margin expansion initiatives and disciplined cost reductions. CEO Olumide Soroye highlighted the company’s progress in accelerating new product introductions, notably in its Fluke and ServiceChannel units, and intensified commercial efforts in high-growth sectors such as solar operations and data centers. Additionally, recurring revenue growth outpaced the company’s average, supported by enhanced software offerings and service plans.
Looking forward, Fortive’s updated annual guidance rests on continued execution of its three-pillar strategy: accelerating innovation, commercial focus on dynamic end markets, and expanding recurring revenue streams. Management sees the company’s simplified structure as a catalyst for faster decision-making and improved customer engagement. CFO Mark D. Okerstrom emphasized that near-term guidance factors in ongoing tariff and funding policy uncertainties but is supported by sequential improvement in healthcare and instrumentation demand. Soroye added, “We are planting seeds for faster growth by giving our brands more oxygen and investing in actionable, high-confidence growth initiatives.”
Key Insights from Management’s Remarks
Management cited a combination of sharper capital allocation, recurring revenue expansion, and targeted innovation as the main contributors to Q3’s performance and the new company structure’s early outcomes.
- Recurring revenue momentum: Growth in recurring revenues outpaced the corporate average, especially within Fluke and the Advanced Healthcare Solutions segment, driven by SaaS (software-as-a-service) offerings and expanded service plans. Management expects this mix shift to continue, supporting revenue stability and margin improvement.
- Product innovation acceleration: New product launches, such as ServiceChannel’s AI-powered work order platform and Fluke’s solar ground fault locator, contributed to customer wins in high-growth verticals like solar operations and data centers. These product advancements support higher productivity and safety for customers.
- Geographic and end-market focus: North America posted solid growth, attributed to demand for professional instrumentation and healthcare equipment, while commercial initiatives in South Asia, notably India, began yielding early results. Western Europe experienced softness, and management is planning with conservative expectations for that region.
- Margin expansion actions: Adjusted EBITDA margin gains were achieved through organizational simplification, cost discipline, and targeted reductions in operating expenses. Some of these savings are being redeployed toward growth investments, such as innovation and commercial resources.
- Capital deployment shift: Over $1 billion was allocated to share buybacks, reflecting a pivot in capital allocation priorities post-spin. Management stated that future capital will be balanced between share repurchases and smaller bolt-on acquisitions, moving away from large-scale M&A.
Drivers of Future Performance
Management’s outlook for the coming quarters centers on driving organic growth through recurring revenue expansion, targeted innovation, and maintaining cost discipline amid macro and policy headwinds.
- Recurring revenue expansion: Management is prioritizing the transition of more product lines, particularly within Fluke, toward recurring revenue models such as hardware-as-a-service and expanded software subscriptions. This approach is expected to provide more predictable revenue streams and buffer against market volatility.
- Investment in growth initiatives: The company is reallocating cost savings from operational streamlining into high-impact growth projects, including increased commercial capacity in attractive markets and new product development. These investments are intended to drive higher organic growth starting in 2026.
- Margin management amid headwinds: Ongoing tariff costs, healthcare funding policy changes, and regional market challenges, especially in Western Europe, present potential margin pressures. Management believes its cost discipline and capital allocation strategy will help offset these risks, with continued focus on operational efficiency.
Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters
Looking ahead, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) the pace of recurring revenue adoption, particularly within Fluke and healthcare software; (2) execution on growth investments and commercialization in high-growth verticals and geographies; and (3) the company’s ability to sustain margin discipline while reallocating savings into innovation. Continued clarity on healthcare funding and global tariff environments will also be key to assessing future progress.
Fortive currently trades at $50.38, up from $49.19 just before the earnings. Is there an opportunity in the stock?See for yourself in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
High Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.
Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.
