TT Q1 Earnings Call: Trane Technologies Exceeds Expectations, Focuses on Pricing Amid Tariffs

HVAC company Trane (NYSE: TT) reported Q1 CY2025 results exceeding the market’s revenue expectations, with sales up 11.2% year on year to $4.69 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $2.41 per share was 9.4% above analysts’ consensus estimates.

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StockStory’s Take

Trane Technologies' first quarter was defined by broad-based demand across commercial HVAC and residential segments, with management emphasizing that order rates for Commercial HVAC in the Americas reached an all-time high. CEO Dave Regnery noted that growth was not limited to a few verticals, citing strong activity in data centers, healthcare, and education, while Residential performance reflected robust adoption of new refrigerant products and steady inventory management. Management attributed margin expansion to ongoing productivity, pricing actions, and disciplined cost control, even as they acknowledged elevated inventories and a challenging Chinese market environment.

Looking ahead, management reiterated full-year guidance and expressed confidence in delivering results at the high end of ranges. CFO Chris Kuehn explained that Trane will address newly imposed tariffs through “surgical” price increases and supply chain adjustments, aiming to fully offset an estimated $250 million to $275 million in tariff costs without using tariffs as a profit center. The company remains focused on maintaining pricing discipline, managing channel inventories, and executing scenario planning to navigate potential macroeconomic headwinds and market uncertainties.

Key Insights from Management’s Remarks

Management highlighted that Trane Technologies' strong quarterly performance was driven by both volume and price realization, with differentiated execution across regions and product categories.

• Commercial HVAC Momentum: Americas Commercial HVAC bookings set a new quarterly record, with broad-based demand spanning verticals such as data centers, healthcare, and higher education. The pipeline remains robust, and project paybacks are a key selling point for customers.
• Residential Segment Execution: The residential business saw high-teens revenue growth, driven by the transition to new 454B refrigerant products and no discernible pre-buy impact, despite modestly elevated channel inventories. Management indicated 80% of residential shipments were 454B units in the quarter.
• Tariff Mitigation Strategy: Leadership explained that recently implemented tariffs—primarily affecting Chinese imports—would be offset through targeted price increases, supply chain adjustments, and contract provisions. Management underscored that tariffs would not be used to boost profit margins, with CFO Chris Kuehn stating, “We’re focused on getting the cost down and then pricing accordingly to offset it dollar for dollar.”
• EMEA and Asia Dynamics: In Europe, ongoing reinvestment in products and channels led to margin compression but was accompanied by strong order rates. In Asia Pacific, the team delivered margin expansion despite flat revenues, while China remained a challenging market, with management maintaining a long-term strategic approach.
• Service Business and Backlog Strength: The service business, now comprising one-third of enterprise revenues, continues to grow at a high single-digit compound annual rate. The quarter closed with a $7.3 billion backlog, reflecting sustained demand and solid execution across all regions.

Drivers of Future Performance

Management maintained a steady outlook for the remainder of the year, emphasizing scenario planning, targeted pricing, and operational flexibility as key themes underpinning guidance.

• Tariff Pass-Through and Pricing: Trane plans to mitigate tariff impacts by adjusting prices and working with suppliers to reduce costs. The company intends to offset tariffs dollar for dollar, with future pricing actions contingent on evolving trade policy clarity.
• Commercial HVAC and Services Growth: Ongoing strength in Commercial HVAC and services is expected to drive high single-digit revenue growth, with a focus on project paybacks and retrofit activity supporting continued pipeline momentum.
• Macro and Market Risks: Management acknowledged risks tied to global economic uncertainty, inventory normalization in residential channels, and potential volatility in the transport refrigeration market, indicating that scenario planning and cost control will remain central to execution.

Top Analyst Questions

• Julian Mitchell (Barclays): Asked if demand in Commercial HVAC was shifting among verticals, to which Dave Regnery responded that growth was broad-based, with data centers, healthcare, and education particularly strong this quarter.
• Chris Snyder (Morgan Stanley): Inquired about the risk of project slowdowns due to cost uncertainty; management replied that payback periods remain attractive and they have not seen widespread delays.
• Andy Kaplowitz (Citigroup): Questioned margin pressure in EMEA; Chris Kuehn explained it was due to timing of reinvestment and acquisition integration, with confidence in full-year margin recovery.
• Steve Tusa (JPMorgan): Sought clarification on tariff pass-through timing and its inclusion in guidance; management confirmed that pricing to offset tariffs is not yet included in revenue guidance, pending policy clarity.
• Nigel Coe (Wolfe Research): Probed whether recent residential outperformance reflected share gains from refrigerant transition; Dave Regnery cautioned against reading too much into one quarter but confirmed 100% of current shipments are new refrigerant units.

Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters

In upcoming quarters, the StockStory team will monitor (1) the effectiveness of Trane’s tariff pass-through strategies and any adjustments to revenue guidance as trade policy clarifies, (2) the ability of the Commercial HVAC pipeline and backlog to support sustained growth across major verticals, and (3) margin recovery in EMEA following recent reinvestment. Execution on channel inventory normalization in residential and continued innovation in refrigeration and services will also serve as important indicators of performance.

Trane Technologies currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 30.8×. In the wake of earnings, is it a buy or sell? Find out in our free research report.

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