Q1 2026 Roper Technologies Inc Earnings Call

April 23, 2026

Operator: Good morning. The Roper Technologies conference call will now begin. Today's call is being recorded. All participants will be in listen-only mode. Should you need assistance, please signal a conference specialist by pressing star zero. I would now like to turn the call over to Zach Moxie, Vice President, Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Operator: Good morning. The Roper Technologies conference call will now begin. Today's call is being recorded. All participants will be in listen-only mode. Should you need assistance, please signal a conference specialist by pressing star zero. I would now like to turn the call over to Zack Moxcey, Vice President, Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Speaker #2: I would now like to end the call over to Zack Moxcey, Vice President, Investor Relations. Please go ahead. Good morning, and thank you all for joining us as we discuss the first quarter 2026 financial results for ROPER TECHNOLOGIES.

Zack Moxcey: Good morning, and thank you all for joining us as we discuss the Q1 2026 financial results for Roper Technologies. Joining me on the call this morning are Neil Hunn, president and chief executive officer; Jason Conley, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Brandon Cross, vice president and chief accounting officer; and Shannon O'Callaghan, senior vice president of finance. Earlier this morning, we issued a press release announcing our financial results. The press release also includes replay information for today's call. We have prepared slides to accompany today's call, which are available through the webcast and are also available on our website. Now, if you'll please turn to page two. We begin with our safe harbor statement.

Speaker #2: Joining me on the call this morning are Neil Hunn, President and Chief Executive Officer; Jason Conley, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Brandon Cross, Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer; and Shannon O'Callaghan, Senior Vice President of Finance.

Speaker #2: Earlier this morning, we issued a press release announcing our financial results. The press release also includes replay information for today's call. We have prepared slides to accompany today's call, which are available through the webcast and are also available on our website.

Speaker #2: And now, if you please, turn to page two. We begin with our Safe Harbor statement. During the course of today's call, we will make forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties as described on this page, in our press release, and in our SEC filings.

Zack Moxcey: During the course of today's call, we will make forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties as described on this page, in our press release, and in our SEC filings. You should listen to today's call in the context of that information. Now please turn to page 3. Today, we will discuss our results primarily on an adjusted, non-GAAP and continuing operations basis. For Q1, the difference between our GAAP results and adjusted results consists of the following items: amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and financial impacts associated with our minority investment in Indicor. Reconciliations can be found in our press release and in the appendix of this presentation on our website. Now if you'll please turn to page 4, I'll hand the call over to Neil. After our prepared remarks, we will take questions from our telephone participants. Neil?

Speaker #2: You should listen to today's call in the context of that information. Now, please turn to page three. Today, we will discuss our results primarily on an adjusted, non-gap, and continuing operations basis.

Speaker #2: For the first quarter, the difference between our gap results and adjusted results consists of the following items. Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and financial impacts associated with our minority investment in IndiCor.

Speaker #2: Reconciliations can be found in our press release and in the appendix of this presentation on our website. And now, if you please turn to page four, I'll hand the call over to Neil.

Speaker #2: After our prepared remarks, we will take questions from our telephone participants. Neil?

Neil Hunn: Thank you, Zach, and thanks to everyone for joining our call. As we turn to page four, you'll see the topics we will cover today. We'll start by highlighting our Q1 enterprise performance. Then Jason will walk through the enterprise financials, our balance sheet, and provide an update on our share repurchase program. Then we'll discuss our segment highlights and outlook, and introduce our Q2 and increased full-year 2026 guidance. Finally, we'll close with a few summary points before opening the call for questions. Let's go ahead and get started. Next slide, please. As we turn to page five, I want to highlight three takeaways for today's call. First, we delivered a strong start to 2026 and are raising our full-year EPS guidance. Our Q1 results exceeded expectations across every key metric.

Speaker #3: Thank you, Zack, and thanks to everyone for joining our call. As we turn to page four, you'll see the topics we will cover today.

Speaker #3: We'll start by highlighting our Q1 enterprise performance, then Jason will walk through the enterprise financials, our balance sheet, and provide an update on our share repurchase program.

Speaker #3: Then we'll discuss our segment highlights and outlook, and introduce our Q2 and increased full-year 2026 guidance. Finally, we'll close with a few summary points before opening the call for questions.

Speaker #3: So let's go ahead and get started. Next slide, please. As we turn to page five, I want to highlight three takeaways for today's call.

Speaker #3: First, we delivered a strong start to 2026 and are raising our full-year debts guidance. Our Q1 results exceeded expectations across every key metric. Total revenue grew 11%, organic revenue grew 6%, EBITDA grew 8%, free cash flow grew 11%, and debts was $5.16.

Neil Hunn: Total revenue grew 11%, organic revenue grew 6%, EBITDA grew 8%, free cash flow grew 11%, and DEPS was $5.16. Importantly, enterprise gross retention remains strong, consistently in the mid-90s area. On that foundation, enterprise software bookings were also strong, core up low double digits on a TTM basis. This continues the momentum from our last call and bolsters our confidence for the balance of the year. On the back of this quarter's performance, we're raising our full-year DEPS guidance to a range of $21.80 to $22.05, up $0.50 at the midpoint. More on this later. Second, we're continuing to accelerate AI velocity across the portfolio. In Q1, AI innovation continued to broaden across our businesses, move deeper into core products, and increasingly show up in both product roadmaps and customer conversations.

Speaker #3: Importantly, enterprise gross retention remained strong, consistently in the mid-90s area. On that foundation, enterprise software bookings were also strong, core-up low double digits on a TTM basis.

Speaker #3: This continues the momentum from our last call and bolsters our confidence for the balance of the year. On the back of this quarter's performance, we're raising our full-year DEPS guidance to a range of $21.80 to $22.05, up $0.50 at the midpoint.

Speaker #3: And more on this later. Second, we're continuing to accelerate AI velocity across the portfolio. In Q1, AI innovation continued to broaden across our businesses, move deeper into core products, and increasingly show up in both product roadmaps and customer conversations.

Neil Hunn: Businesses like CentralReach, ConstructConnect, Vertafore, iPipeline, Aderant, DAT, Subsplash, and SoftWriters all released meaningful new AI-enabled product capabilities during the quarter. The signal from our own portfolio that AI can be a meaningful growth driver in vertical software keeps getting clearer by the day. On the AI accelerator team at Roper, as a reminder, this is a central strike team that partners directly with our operating companies to accelerate AI product development and capture reusable patterns for deployment across the portfolio. The team is ramping quickly. The team's first partnership was with Vertafore, helping deliver AI agents unveiled at their customer conference last week. This is exactly the kind of portfolio impact we envision when we invested in this team, and we expect the pace of partnerships with our operating companies to accelerate throughout the year. Our third takeaway centers on capital deployment.

Speaker #3: Businesses like CentralReach, ConstructConnect, Vertafore, iPipeline, Adherant, DAT, Subsplash, and SoftWriters all released meaningful new AI-enabled product capabilities during the quarter. The signal from our own portfolio that AI can be a meaningful growth driver in vertical software keeps getting clearer by the day.

Speaker #3: On the AI accelerator team at ROPER, as a reminder, this is a central strike team that partners directly with our operating companies to accelerate AI product development and capture reusable patterns for deployment across the portfolio.

Speaker #3: The team is ramping quickly. The team's first partnership was with Vertifor, hoping to deliver AI agents unveiled at their customer conference last week. This is exactly the kind of portfolio impact we envision when we invested in this team and we expect the pace of partnerships with our operating companies to accelerate throughout the year.

Neil Hunn: Since November last year, we've repurchased 6 million shares for $2.2 billion, including 4.9 million shares for $1.7 billion year to date in 2026. Importantly, our board authorized an additional $3 billion of repurchase capacity, giving us $3.8 billion of remaining authorization and north of $5 billion of total capital deployment capacity over the next 12 months. Our approach remains unchanged. We're disciplined and unbiased between acquisitions and opportunistic buybacks, focusing on driving the best risk-adjusted long-term cash flow compounding per share for shareholders. Our M&A pipeline today is targeted, focused on high-quality strategic opportunities where we're developing deep relationships and real conviction, and we expect to remain active as disciplined long-term buyers. Before I turn it to Jason, one theme you'll hear throughout today's call. Organizational velocity across our portfolio continues to build.

Speaker #3: And our third takeaway centers on capital employment. Since November last year, we've repurchased 6 million shares for $2.2 billion, including 4.9 million shares for $1.7 billion year-to-date in 2026.

Speaker #3: Importantly, our board authorized an additional $3 billion of repurchase capacity giving us $3.8 billion of remaining authorization and north of $5 billion of total capital employment capacity over the next 12 months.

Speaker #3: Our approach remains unchanged. We're disciplined and unbiased between acquisitions and opportunistic buybacks, focusing on driving the best risk-adjusted long-term cash flow compounding per share, per shareholders.

Speaker #3: Our M&A pipeline today is targeted. Focus on high-quality, strategic opportunities where we're developing deep relationships and real conviction, and we expect to remain active as disciplined, long-term buyers.

Speaker #3: Before I turn it to Jason, one theme you'll hear throughout today's call. Organizational velocity across our portfolio continues to build. The investments we've made over the past two years in leadership, in AI, in modern engineering practices, and in operational rigor are working and demonstrating meaningful results.

Neil Hunn: The investments we've made over the past two years in leadership, in AI, in modern engineering practices, and in operational rigor are working and demonstrating meaningful results. Our businesses are releasing innovation faster, executing sharper, and moving with more confidence. That's what gives us conviction in the balance of the year and beyond. With that, Jason, let me turn the call over to you.

Speaker #3: Our businesses are releasing innovation faster, executing sharper, and moving with more confidence. And that's what gives us conviction in the balance of the year and beyond.

Jason Conley: Thanks, Neil, and good morning, everyone. I'll take you through our Q1 financial performance, starting on slide 6. As you heard, we delivered a strong Q1, finishing well above the high end of our debt guidance range and ahead of expectations on organic growth. Revenue of $2.1 billion was up 11%, with organic growth of 6% and acquisitions contributing 5%. Importantly, recurring software revenue growth across our software segments was again strong at 7%, which continues to be the best indicator of business health and durability. EBITDA of $797 million was up 8% over prior year. EBITDA margin was 38.1%. Our core EBITDA margin was down 70 basis points in the quarter, driven by lower gross margins in our tech segment due to mix of more consumables at MDI and Verathon, coupled with higher input costs at Neptune.

Speaker #3: So with that, Jason, let me turn the call over to you.

Speaker #2: Thanks, Neil. And good morning, everyone. I'll take you through our first quarter financial performance, starting on slide six. As you heard, we delivered a strong first quarter, finishing well above the high end of our debts guidance range and ahead of expectations on organic growth.

Speaker #2: Revenue of $2.1 billion was up 11%, with organic growth of 6% and acquisitions contributing 5%. Importantly, recurring software revenue growth across our software segments was again strong at 7%.

Speaker #2: EBITDA continues to be the best indicator of business health and durability. EBITDA of $797 million was up 8% over the prior year. EBITDA margin was 38.1%.

Speaker #2: Our core EBITDA margin was down 70 basis points in the quarter, driven by lower gross margins in our TEP segment due to a mix of more consumables at NDI and Verithon, coupled with higher input costs at Neptune.

Jason Conley: Core EBITDA margins in our software segments expanded 40 basis points, which includes continued investment in AI. DEPS of $5.16 was above our guidance range of $4.95 to $5 and up 8% over prior year. The upside was driven by the combination of stronger organic growth, a lower tax rate, and the benefit of lower share count resulting from our net purchasing activity in Q1. Free cash flow of $562 million was up 11% over prior year. On a trailing 12-month basis, free cash flow is now $2.5 billion and has compounded at a 19% CAGR over the last three years, or 15% excluding the impact of Section 174. We continue to view free cash flow per share as the most important metric in evaluating our progress.

Speaker #2: Core EBITDA margins in our software segments expanded 40 basis points, which includes continued investment in AI. Debt of $5.16 billion was above our guidance range of $495 million to $5 billion, and up 8% over prior year.

Speaker #2: The upside was driven by the combination of stronger organic growth, a lower tax rate, and the benefit of lower share count resulting from our net purchasing activity in Q1.

Speaker #2: Free cash flow of $562 million was up 11% over prior year. On a trailing 12-month basis, free cash flow is now 2.5 billion and has compounded at a 19% CAGR over the last three years, or 15% excluding the impact of Section 174.

Speaker #2: We continue to view free cash flow per share as the most important metric in evaluating our progress. And on that basis, we were up 15% versus the prior year, given the combination of growing cash flow and a declining share count.

Jason Conley: On that basis, we were up 15% versus the prior year, given the combination of growing cash flow and a declining share count. Relatedly, and for modeling purposes, we exited Q1 with 102.4 million shares outstanding. Now, if you turn with me to slide 7, I'll walk through our financial position and capital deployment update. We exited Q1 at 3.1 times net debt to EBITDA, which is up modestly from 2.9 times at year-end, given the $1.5 billion we deployed towards share repurchases in the quarter. We have $383 million of cash and $2 billion drawn on our $3.5 billion revolver. Importantly, we closed on a new 5-year, $3.5 billion revolving credit facility during the quarter, which provides ample liquidity at improved pricing and terms.

Speaker #2: Relatedly, and for modeling purposes, we exited Q1 with $102.4 million shares outstanding. Now, if you turn with me to slide seven, I'll walk through our financial position and capital deployment update.

Speaker #2: We exited Q1 at $3.1 times net debt to EBITDA, which is up modestly from $2.9 times at year-end. Given the $1.5 billion we deployed toward share repurchases in the quarter.

Speaker #2: We have $383 million of cash and $2 billion drawn on our $3.5 billion revolver. Importantly, we closed on a new five-year $3.5 billion revolving credit facility during the quarter.

Speaker #2: This provides ample liquidity and improved pricing and terms. This also enhances our cost of capital strategic advantage in the face of an increasingly constrained private credit market that other market participants looking to make acquisitions will be facing.

Jason Conley: This also enhances our cost of capital strategic advantage in the face of an increasingly constrained private credit market that other market participants looking to make acquisitions will be facing. Even after significant repurchase activity in Q1, we maintain over $5 billion of annualized capacity for capital deployment, which speaks to the strength of Roper's cash generation engine. Neil highlighted the share repurchase activity in the opening. To put it in perspective, our cumulative 6 million of share repurchases is about 6% of shares outstanding and brings us back to a share count we have not seen since 2017. Additionally, our board approved expanding our share repurchase authorization by another $3 billion, which provides capital deployment flexibility and reflects continued confidence in our vertical market software position, enhanced capabilities, and execution velocity to capture the AI opportunities in front of us.

Speaker #2: Even after significant repurchase activity in Q1, we maintain over $5 billion of annualized capacity for capital deployment. Which speaks to the strength of ROPER's cash generation engine.

Speaker #2: Neil highlighted the share repurchase activity in the opening. To put it in perspective, our cumulative $6 million of share repurchases is about 6% of shares outstanding.

Speaker #2: And brings us back to a share count we have not seen since 2017. Additionally, our board approved expanding our share repurchase authorization by another $3 billion, which provides capital employment flexibility and reflects continued confidence in our vertical market software position, enhanced capabilities, and execution velocity to capture the AI opportunities in front of us.

Jason Conley: On M&A, the pipeline of high-quality opportunities remains very attractive. As we've discussed, we believe the structural dynamics in the PE-backed software market and a constrained private credit market continue to create a compelling environment for Roper. We remain active and disciplined. With that, I'll turn it back over to Neil to discuss the segment performance and outlook. Neil?

Speaker #2: On M&A, the pipeline of high-quality opportunities remains very attractive. As we've discussed, we believe the structural dynamics in the PE backed software market and a constrained private credit market continue to create selling environment for ROPER.

Speaker #2: We remain active and disciplined. With that, I'll turn it back over to Neil to discuss the segment performance and outlook. Neil?

Neil Hunn: Thanks, Jason. As we turn to page nine, let's review our Application Software segment. Revenue for the quarter grew 12% in total, and organic revenue growth was 5%. EBITDA grew 13%, EBITDA margins were 42%, and core margins improved 50 basis points year-over-year. The quality growth here is notable. Recurring revenue, about 85% of the segment, grew in the mid-single digit plus range, while non-recurring was essentially flat. Stepping back at a segment level, three themes stand out for the quarter. First, enterprise gross retention remains strong, consistently in the mid-nineties area. On that foundation, enterprise bookings were also strong in the quarter, consistent with the momentum we described on our January call in support of our confidence for the balance of the year. Second, our SaaS transitions continue to advance meaningfully.

Speaker #3: Thanks, Jason. As we turn to page nine, let's review our application software segment. Revenue for the quarter grew 12% in total, and organic revenue growth was 5%.

Speaker #3: EBITDA grew 13%, EBITDA margins were 42%, and core margins improved 50 basis points year over year. The quality growth here is notable. Recurring and reoccurring revenue, about 85% of the segment, grew in the mid-single digit plus range, while non-recurring was essentially flat.

Speaker #3: Stepping back at the segment level, three themes stand out for the quarter. First, enterprise gross retention remained strong, consistently in the mid-90s area. On that foundation, enterprise bookings were also strong in the quarter, consistent with the momentum we described under January call in support of our confidence for the balance of the year.

Neil Hunn: Several of our larger businesses made real progress on ground to cloud conversions and on bringing new cloud-native products to market. Third, AI progress continued to build. The signal is shifting from product investment to product shipping, and you'll see this clearly in the three company highlights to follow. First, Aderant delivered a record quarter, strong revenue growth, and a new Q1 bookings record. Strength was broad-based, with particularly strong SaaS momentum on Sierra, Onyx, and vi Global. Aderant also launched AI-driven talent evaluation within vi Global, continued the rollout of its Strider AI platform, and completed a record number of Sierra cloud migrations in the quarter. Simply put, Aderant is winning in the legal market and doing so from a position of strength. Second, Vertafore delivered a solid quarter. Steady mid-single-digit revenue growth with EBITDA ahead of revenue.

Speaker #3: Second, our SaaS transitions continue to advance meaningfully. Several of our larger businesses made real progress on ground-to-cloud conversions, and on bringing new cloud-native products to market.

Speaker #3: And third, AI progress continued to build to signal a shifting from product investment to product shipping, and you'll see this clearly in the three-company highlights to follow.

Speaker #3: First, at our delivered a record quarter strong revenue growth and a new Q1 bookings record. Strength was broad-based. With particularly strong SaaS momentum on Sierra, Onyx, and VI Global.

Speaker #3: At an also launched AI-driven talent evaluation within VI Global, continued the rollout of a Striden AI platform, and completed a record number of Sierra cloud migrations in the quarter.

Speaker #3: Simply put, Aaron is winning in the legal market and doing so from a position of strength. Second, Vertifor delivered a solid quarter. Steady mid-single digit revenue growth with EBITDA ahead of revenue.

Neil Hunn: Recurring revenue continued to build across agency, MGA, and carrier, with MGA again leading on double-digit growth, driven by strong bookings and high retention. Last week at their Accelerate user conference in Las Vegas, Vertafore unveiled its new Velocity AI platform, along with a suite of AI agents embedded across the product portfolio, from reference connect and reconciliation to submission processing and email agent automation. AI is a meaningful TAM expansion opportunity for Vertafore, and they're quickly moving to capture it. As I mentioned earlier, this is where the Roper AI accelerator team had its first impact and is exciting to see. Third, CentralReach continues to execute ahead of our deal model. Recurring software revenue grew well north of 20%, with margins expanding, demonstrating the operating leverage in this business as it scales. Most importantly, CentralReach continues to be one of our strongest AI proof points.

Speaker #3: Recurring revenue continued to build across agency, MGA, and carrier, with MGA again leading on double digit growth driven by strong bookings and high retention.

Speaker #3: And last week, at their Accelerate User Conference in Las Vegas, Vertafore unveiled its new Velocity AI platform along with a suite of AI agents embedded across the product portfolio, from Reference Connect and email agent automation.

Speaker #3: AI is a meaningful TAM expansion opportunity for Vertifor, and they're quickly moving to capture it. As I mentioned earlier, this is where the ROPER AI accelerator team had its first impact and is exciting to see.

Speaker #3: And third, central reach continues to execute ahead of our deal model. Recurring software revenue grew well north of 20% with margins expanding, demonstrating the operating leverage in this business as it scales.

Speaker #3: And most importantly, central reach continues to be one of our strongest AI proof points. AI-generated session notes have dropped from 5 to 10 minutes to about 30 seconds, giving clinicians, back roughly eight hours a week to work with autism learners.

Neil Hunn: AI-generated session notes have dropped from 5 to 10 minutes to about 30 seconds, giving clinicians back roughly 8 hours a week to work with autism learners. BCBAs are saving 140+ hours a year on report authoring and review, and daily claim generation is 6 times faster. Customers are responding. AI and AI-influenced bookings were 75% of new business in the quarter, up from 0 two years ago. This is a textbook example of how the AI right to win we believe exists across our portfolio. CentralReach sits inside mission-critical workflows, has proprietary data, and is translating that advantage into real growing AI revenue. Prior to turning to the outlook for this section, I'll provide an update on Deltek and the GovCon market.

Speaker #3: BCBAs are saving 140-plus hours a year on report authoring and review, and daily claim generation is six times faster. Customers are responding. AI and AI-influenced bookings were 75% of new business in the quarter, up from zero two years ago.

Speaker #3: This is a textbook example of how the AI right to win we believe exists across our portfolio. CentralReach sits inside mission-critical workflows, has proprietary data, and is translating that advantage into real, growing AI revenue.

Speaker #3: Prior to turning to the outlook for this section, I'll provide an update on Dell Tech and the GovCon market. Importantly, Dell Tech grew recurring revenue in the mid-single digit plus range in the quarter, driven by strong private sector demand, partially upset by continued softness in GovCon enterprise.

Neil Hunn: Importantly, Deltek grew recurring revenue in the mid-single digit plus range in the quarter, driven by strong private sector demand, partially offset by continued softness in GovCon enterprise. SaaS remains strong, with ground to cloud conversions trending positively. Consistent with January, we're still waiting for the GovCon inflection. This is not new. We continue to work through the tail of last year's disruption to federal procurement agency reorganizations and broader budget uncertainty, which is delaying decision-making, particularly on large enterprise perpetual deals. Longer term, we remain encouraged. The One Big Beautiful Bill is a meaningful positive for defense and government contracting spend, though the benefit reaches us only after our customers win awards and invest in systems, and that takes a bit of time. Consistent with January, we're not baking into our guidance any GovCon inflection or any OBBB benefit, and rather will adjust as conditions warrant.

Speaker #3: SaaS remained strong, with ground-to-cloud conversions trending positively. Consistent with January, we're still waiting for the GovCon inflection. This is not new. We continue to work through the tail of last year's disruption to federal procurement, agency reorganizations, and broader budget uncertainty, which is delaying decision-making, particularly on large enterprise perpetual deals.

Speaker #3: Longer term, we remain encouraged. The one big beautiful bill is a meaningful positive for defense and government contracting spend, but a benefit reaches us only after our customers win awards and invest in systems and that takes a bit of time.

Speaker #3: Consistent with January, we're not baking into our guidance any GovCon inflection or any O3B benefit, and rather we'll adjust as conditions warrant.

Neil Hunn: Turning to our outlook for Application Software. We expect organic growth for the balance of the year to be in the mid-single digit plus range, lower in Q2 on some non-recurring timing, improving in H2 with Sense returning organic and easing non-recurring comps. Please turn to page 10. Total revenue growth in our Network Software segment was 14%, and organic revenue grew 5% in the quarter. The quality growth mirrored Application Software. Organic recurring grew mid-single digit plus. Non-recurring declined mid-singles as customers moved to our cloud offerings, and bookings remained strong here. EBITDA margins were 50.7%, down 460 basis points year over year, while core margins held steady, down just 20 basis points. The GAAP reflects two dynamics: our acquisition of Subsplash, a faster growth business with a lower but steadily improving margin profile, and our ongoing investment in DAT, particularly Convoy.

Speaker #3: Turning to our outlook for application software, we expect organic growth for the balance of the year to be in the mid-single digit plus range.

Speaker #3: Lower in Q2 on some non-recurring timing, improving in the back half with central reach turning organic and easing non-recurring comps. Please turn us to page 10.

Speaker #3: Total revenue growth in our network software segment was 14%, and organic revenue grew 5% in the quarter. The quality growth mirrored application software. Organic recurring grew mid-single digits plus, non-recurring declined mid-single digits as customers moved to our cloud offerings, and bookings remained strong here.

Speaker #3: EBITDA margins were 50.7% down 460 basis points year over year, while core margins held steady down just 20 basis points. The gap reflects two dynamics.

Speaker #3: Our acquisition of Subsplash, a faster growth business with a lower but steadily improving margin profile, and our ongoing investment in DAT, particularly Convoy. Stepping back at the segment level, we see similar themes playing out here that we described in application software.

Neil Hunn: Stepping back at the segment level, we see similar themes playing out here that we describe in Application Software. First, enterprise bookings were strong and gross retention remained high across our Network businesses, together giving us improved visibility into the balance of the year. Second, AI progress is tangible and shipping to customers today. Let me highlight three businesses in this segment. First, DAT is executing well against a mixed freight backdrop. RPO expansion continues, and adoption of our digital freight marketplace solutions remain strong. On the macro, spot rates are up 20% to 30% year-over-year, and the carrier side of our ecosystem grew in Q1 for the first time in several years. Real green shoots, particularly in the second half of the quarter.

Speaker #3: First, enterprise bookings were strong and gross retention remained high across our network businesses together, giving us improved visibility into the balance of the year.

Speaker #3: And second, AI progress is tangible and shipping to customers today. Let me highlight three businesses in this segment. First, DAT is executing well against a mixed freight backdrop.

Speaker #3: RPO expansion continues and adoption of our digital freight marketplace solutions remains strong. On the macro, spot rates are up 20 to 30 percent year over year, and the carrier side of our ecosystem grew in Q1 for the first time in several years—real green shoots, particularly in the second half of the quarter.

Neil Hunn: That said, a sharp diesel spike compressed carrier margins late in the quarter, and our guidance continues to assume no meaningful freight market recovery. Our early-stage investment Convoy inside DAT represents a material TAM expansion opportunity. Today, DAT is a subscription-based, two-sided network. Brokers and carriers pay to access the largest freight marketplace in North America. With Convoy, DAT is evolving into a full end-to-end agentic and ML-powered marketplace, participating in the workflow and the economics of the transaction itself, a meaningfully larger and more valuable business over time. The innovation that enables this transformation exists and is working in the market, and we continue to enhance and extend the tech. In the most recent quarter, DAT's RateView AI agent moved into live production, replacing manual rate lookups with instant conversational lane rate guidance.

Speaker #3: That said, a sharp diesel spike compressed carrier margins late in the quarter, and our guidance continues to assume no meaningful freight market recovery. Our early stage investment in Convoy, inside DAT, represents a material TAM expansion opportunity.

Speaker #3: Today, DAT is a subscription-based two-sided network. Brokers and carriers pay to access the largest freight marketplace in North America. With Convoy, DAT is evolving into a full end-to-end agentic and ML-powered marketplace participating in the workflow and the economics of the transaction itself, a meaningfully larger and more valuable business over time.

Speaker #3: The innovation that enables this transformation exists and is working in the market, and we continue to enhance and extend the tech. In the most recent quarter, DAT's RateView AI agent moved into live production, replacing manual rate lookups with instant conversational lane rate guidance.

Neil Hunn: Convoy Load Notes is turning brokers' freeform emails and chat messages directly into bookable loads, eliminating manual data entry, and Loadlink Voice to Post is enabling hands-free load posting. The AI work at DAT is not theoretical. It's shipping and production and delivering incredible value to customers today. Turning to ConstructConnect, another strong quarter with recurring revenue up double digits and continued breakout from Boost, their AI-based takeoff solution. AI Auto Count, which reads construction schedules, launches this quarter. Most importantly, ConstructConnect has now moved its entire product and engineering organization into agentic coding processes and tools, shipping four times the features versus a year ago. Broadening this across the portfolio to drive multi-fold productivity gains is a key priority and an exciting one for enterprise. Third, Foundry returned to year-over-year revenue growth in Q1, with Nuke closing the quarter at record ARR.

Speaker #3: Convoy load notes is turning brokers' free-form emails and chat messages directly into bookable loads, eliminating manual data entry, and load links voice to post is enabling hands-free load posting.

Speaker #3: The AI work at DAT is not theoretical. It's shipping, in production, and delivering incredible value to customers today. Turning to Construct Connect, another strong quarter.

Speaker #3: With recurring revenue up double digits and continued breakout from Boost, their AI-based takeoff solution. AI AutoCount, which reads construction schedules, launches this quarter. Most importantly, ConstructConnect has now moved its entire product and engineering organization into agentic coding processes and tools, shipping four times the features versus a year ago.

Speaker #3: Broadening this across the portfolio, to drive multi-fold product velocity gains is a key priority and an exciting one for enterprise. And third, foundry return to year over year revenue growth in Q1.

Neil Hunn: Net retention returned above 100% for the first time since the 2023 actors and writers strikes, and our recent Griptape acquisition extends Foundry's leadership into AI orchestration across the visual effects and animation pipeline, enabling studios to securely coordinate multiple AI models and agents in their production and post-production workflows. Finally, prior to turning to our segment outlook, I'd like to make a couple of quick call-outs. SoftWriters launched its AI-enabled order entry product last week, a meaningful workflow enhancement for long-term care pharmacies, and Subsplash released Trends AI, giving ministry customers the ability to generate custom data insights through natural language prompts, a key unlock for this customer constituency. Turning to our outlook for network software. We expect organic growth for the balance of the year to be in the mid-single digit plus range. A couple of quick call-outs.

Speaker #3: With new closing the quarter at record ARR, net retention returned above 100% for the first time since the 2023 actors and writers strikes, and our recent Grip Tape acquisition extends Foundry's leadership into AI orchestration across the visual effects and animation pipeline, enabling studios to securely coordinate multiple AI models and agents in their production and post-production workflows.

Speaker #3: Finally, and prior to turning to our segment outlook, I'd like to make a couple of quick callouts. SoftWriters launched its AI-enabled order entry product last week, a meaningful workflow enhancement for long-term care pharmacies, and Subsplash released Trends AI, giving ministry customers the ability to generate custom data insights through natural language prompts, a key unlock for this customer constituency.

Speaker #3: Turning to our outlook for network software, we expect organic growth for the balance of the year to be in the mid-single-digit plus range.

Neil Hunn: Subsplash turns organic in Q4, and margins will reflect continued investment in our freight platform acquisitions through the balance of the year. Now please turn to page 11, and let's review our Technology-Enabled Products segment. Revenue here grew 9%, significantly better than expected, driven by strength at NDI and Verathon. EBITDA margins were 33.6%, down 260 basis points year over year, reflecting two dynamics. First, input cost pressure at Neptune, principally bronze ingot inflation. Second, a mix shift at both NDI and Verathon towards faster-growing consumables, which carry lower gross margins but more durable recurring revenue profiles. Let me start with NDI. Another record quarter driven by exceptional demand for their electromagnetic tracking solutions across cardiac, neurological, and orthopedic precision measurement applications. The EP market, in particular, is a strong multi-year growth vector for NDI. Procedure volumes continue to grow, leading OEMs are introducing new tracking-enabled catheter platforms.

Speaker #3: A couple of quick callouts. Subsplash turns organic in Q4, and margins will reflect continued investment in our freight platform acquisitions through the balance of the year.

Speaker #3: Now, please turn to page 11. Let's review our technology-enabled product segment. Revenue here grew 9% in total and 7% organic, significantly better than expected, driven by strength in NDI and Verithon.

Speaker #3: EBITDA margins were 33.6% down 260 basis points year over year, reflecting two dynamics. First, input cost pressure at Neptune, principally bronze, ingot, inflation, and second, a mix shift at both NDI and Verithon towards faster growing consumables which carry lower gross margins but more durable reoccurring revenue profiles.

Speaker #3: Let me start with NDI. Another record quarter, driven by exceptional demand for their electromagnetic tracking solutions across cardiac, neurological, and orthopedic precision measurement applications.

Speaker #3: The EP market in particular is a strong multi-year growth vector for NDI. Procedure volumes continue to grow, leading OEMs are introducing new tracking-enabled catheter platforms, and NDI has a unique right to win at the sensor layer.

Neil Hunn: NDI has a unique right to win at the sensor layer. Great job by Dave and the entire team at NDI. Turning to Neptune, revenue declined low single digits in the quarter, which was better than expected, driven by strong execution from Don and the entire team in Tallassee. The market dynamics were large as expected, with lower mechanical meter volumes partially offset by strong static meter growth. Importantly, Neptune's cloud-based software adoption continues to scale nicely, though off a small base. Consistent with our Q4 commentary, we're not underwriting a Neptune recovery in our 2026 guidance and will continue to monitor underlying demand. Rounding out the segment, Verathon delivered solid growth supported by strong BFlex and GlideScope demand, and we're optimistic about new product launches planned for the balance of the year.

Speaker #3: Great job by Dave and the entire team at NDI. Turning to Neptune, revenue declined low single digits in the quarter, which was better than expected, driven by strong execution from Don and the entire team in Tallacy.

Speaker #3: The market dynamics were largely as expected, with lower mechanical meter volumes partially offset by strong static meter growth. Importantly, Neptune's cloud-based software adoption continues to scale nicely, though off a small base.

Speaker #3: Consistent with our Q4 commentary, we're not underwriting a Neptune recovery in our 2026 guidance and will continue to monitor underlying demand. Rounding out the segment, Verithon delivered solid growth supported by strong B-Flex and GliScope demand, and we're optimistic about new product launches planned for the balance of the year.

Neil Hunn: Turning to our TEP outlook, we expect organic growth for the balance of the year to be in the mid-single digit range, lower in Q2 as we face a tougher Q2 comp. We expect net raw material pressure to continue in Q2 and improving in the back half of the year. With that, please turn us to page 13. On this slide, we'll cover our Q2 and full year 2026 guidance. Specifically, we're raising our full year 2026 DEPS guidance to $21.80 to $22.05, up from $21.30 to $21.55, a $0.50 increase at the midpoint, which passes through our Q1 beat and the impact of our already executed share buyback. We're maintaining our full year total revenue growth guidance of approximately 8% and organic revenue growth of 5% to 6%.

Speaker #3: Turning to our TEP outlook, we expect organic growth for the balance of the year to be in the mid-single digit range, lower in the second quarter as we face a tougher Q2 comp.

Speaker #3: We expect net raw material pressure to continue in the second quarter, and improve in the back half of the year. With that, please turn to page 13.

Speaker #3: On this slide, we'll cover our Q2 and full year 2026 guidance. Specifically, we're raising our full year 2026 depths guidance to 2180 to 2205, up from 2130 to 2155, a 50 cent increase at the midpoint, which passes through our Q1 beat and the impact of our already executed share buyback.

Speaker #3: We're maintaining our full year total revenue growth guidance of approximately 8%, and organic revenue growth of 5% to to 6%. For the full year, we continue to assume a tax rate in the 21% area, and a bit below that in Q2.

Neil Hunn: For the full year, we continue to assume a tax rate in the 21% area and a bit below that in Q2. For Q2, we're establishing our adjusted DPS guidance of $5.25 to $5.30. To reiterate key assumptions from our segment commentary, full year guidance assumes no meaningful improvement at Deltek's GovCon market or DAT's freight market and modest top-line weakness at Neptune versus a year ago. Finally, on capital deployment, we're entering the balance of 2026 with meaningful optionality. We have $5 billion of firepower available over the next 12 months, a targeted M&A pipeline, and $3.8 billion of remaining share purchase authorization, giving us substantial flexibility to act opportunistically. We will remain disciplined and unbiased between acquisitions and opportunistic buybacks based on what drives the highest and most durable cash flow per share compounding.

Speaker #3: For Q2, we're establishing our adjusted depths guidance of 525 to 530. To reiterate key assumptions from our segment commentary, full-year guidance assumes no meaningful improvement at Deltek GovCon market or DAT's freight market, and modest top-line weakness at Neptune versus a year ago.

Speaker #3: Finally, on capital deployment, we're entering the balance of 2026 with meaningful optionality. We have $5 billion of firepower available over the next 12 months, a $3.8 billion of remaining share purchase authorization giving us substantial flexibility to act opportunistically.

Speaker #3: We will remain disciplined and unbiased between acquisitions and opportunistic buybacks, based on what drives the highest and most durable cash flow per share compounding.

Neil Hunn: Now please turn to page 14, and then we'll open it up for your questions. We'll conclude with the same three takeaways with which we started. First, we delivered a strong start to 2026, with 11% revenue growth, 6% organic revenue, and 11% free cash flow growth. Retention and bookings remain strong and position us well heading into the balance of the year. Based on this, we've raised our full-year DPS guidance by $0.50 at the midpoint. Second, we're accelerating AI innovation across the portfolio. CentralReach, ConstructConnect, Vertafore, DAT, Aderant, and others continue to move AI deeper into their products and increasingly into customer activity, and our AI accelerator team continues to build velocity across the portfolio. Finally, on capital deployment, as we discussed earlier, our board's authorization of an additional $3 billion of share repurchase capacity gives us $3.8 billion of remaining authorization.

Speaker #3: Now, please turn us to page 14, and then we'll open it up for your questions. We'll conclude with the same three takeaways with which we started.

Speaker #3: First, we delivered a strong start to 2026 with 11% revenue growth, 6% organic revenue, and 11% free cash flow growth. Retention in bookings remained strong and positioned us well heading into the balance of the year.

Speaker #3: Based on this, we've raised our full year depths guidance by 50 cents in the midpoint. Second, we're accelerating AI innovation across the portfolio. CentralReach, ConstructConnect, Vertifor, DAT, Adirond, and others continue to move AI deeper into their products and increasingly into customer activity, and our AI accelerator team continues to build velocity across the portfolio.

Speaker #3: Finally, on capital deployment, as we discussed earlier, our board authorization of an additional $3 billion of share repurchase capacity gives us $3.8 billion of remaining authorization.

Neil Hunn: Alongside that, we have $5 billion of capital deployment firepower available over the next 12 months supporting our targeted M&A pipeline. We will remain disciplined and unbiased between acquisitions and opportunistic buybacks based on what drives the highest and most durable cash flow per share compounding. As we wrap up, some additional color on the M&A market. A quarter ago, our pipeline was at record levels. Shortly after our call, the broader public software valuation drawdown caused sellers to pause most active processes. We remain active and our pipeline leans more proprietary. That said, we expect M&A activity to pick back up, timing of which is still to be determined. When it moves, a large number of opportunities are likely to emerge, and we're in an advantaged position to capitalize on this.

Speaker #3: Alongside that, we have $5 billion of capital deployment firepower available over the next 12 months, supporting our targeted M&A pipeline. We will remain disciplined and unbiased between acquisitions and opportunistic buybacks, based on what drives the highest and most durable cash flow per share compounding.

Speaker #3: As we wrap up, some additional color on the M&A market. A quarter ago, our pipeline was at record levels. Shortly after our call, the broader public software valuation drawdown caused sellers to pause most active processes.

Speaker #3: We remain active and our pipeline leans more proprietary. That said, we expect M&A activity to pick back up, timing of which is still to be determined, but when it moves, a large number of opportunities are likely to emerge and are in an advantaged position to capitalize on this.

Neil Hunn: We remain very bullish about being a high conviction acquirer of vertical market software businesses with deep proprietary moats where AI accelerates growth. The signal on that thesis from our own portfolio is becoming clearer and clearer. In closing, the ingredients for accelerated cash flow per share compounding are coming together. Our portfolio is the strongest it has ever been. Our organizational velocity is accelerating. AI is both TAM expanding and growth enabling, and we're excited to see our product work translate into higher growth. Our capital deployment capacity and flexibility are significant differentiators, and our discipline is unchanged. This is how we compete and win, and how we continue to compound for our shareholders. With that, operator, please open the line for questions.

Speaker #3: We remain very bullish about being a high conviction acquirer of vertical market software businesses with deep proprietary moats, where AI accelerates growth. The signal on that thesis from our own portfolio is becoming clearer and clearer.

Speaker #3: So in closing, the ingredients for accelerated cash flow per share compounding are coming together. Our portfolio is the strongest it has ever been. Our organizational velocity is accelerating.

Speaker #3: AI is both TAM expanding and growth enabling, and we're excited to see our product work translate into higher growth. Our capital deployment capacity and flexibility are significant differentiators, and our discipline is unchanged.

Speaker #3: This is how we compete and win, and how we continue to compound for our shareholders. With that, operator, please open the line for questions.

Operator: We will now go to our question and answer portion of the call. We request that our callers limit their questions to one main question and one follow-up. If you would like to ask a question, you may do so by pressing the star key followed by the digit one on your touchtone telephone. If you are using a speakerphone, please pick up your handset before pressing any keys. To withdraw your question, please press star then the digit two. Again, we request that callers limit their question to one main question and one follow-up. Your first question comes from Dylan Becker with William Blair. Your line is now open.

Speaker #1: We will now go to our question-and-answer portion of the call. We request that our callers limit their questions to one main question and one follow-up.

Speaker #1: If you would like to ask a question, you may do so by pressing the star key followed by the digit 1 on your touch telephone.

Speaker #1: If you are using a speakerphone, please pick up your handset before pressing any keys. To withdraw your question, please press star, then the digit 2.

Speaker #1: Again, we request that callers limit their questions to one main question and one follow-up. Your first question comes from Dylan Becker with William Blair.

Dylan Becker: Hey, gentlemen. Really appreciate it. Nice job here. Maybe Neil, starting for you, I think it was clear in your commentary, you talked about the accelerating pace of innovation and the right to win in TAM expansion, kind of TAM expansive nature of AI. If we think about the embeddability piece and monetization of the platform, I guess maybe how that layers in incremental conviction as well too, right? Is that something that can lower friction around adoption? Is that something that can increase the likelihood of success and value alignment with customers? Maybe how the platform positioning and embeddability of agents maybe layers in incremental confidence in that right to win around agents.

Speaker #1: Your line is now open.

Speaker #3: Hey, gentlemen. Really appreciate it. Nice job here. Maybe Neil starting for you. I think it was clear in your commentary you kind of talked about the accelerating pace of innovation and the right to win in TAM expansion kind of TAM expansive nature of AI.

Speaker #3: But if we think about kind of the embeddability piece and monetization of the platform, I guess maybe how that layers in incremental conviction as well, too, right?

Speaker #3: Is that something that can lower friction around adoption? Is that something that can increase, kind of, the likelihood of success and value alignment with customers?

Speaker #3: But maybe how the platform positioning and embeddability of agents maybe layers in kind of incremental confidence in that right to win around agents.

Neil Hunn: Yeah. You're asking about embeddability. You're a little muted on that. I want to make sure I'm answering the right question.

Speaker #4: Yeah. I just want to so I'm asking about embeddability. I want to make sure your little muted on that. I want to make sure I'm answering the right question.

Dylan Becker: Yeah. The ability to embed it into the existing platform, right?

Neil Hunn: Understand completely. Yeah. A few things I'd start with on this. It really starts with what we talk about internally all the time about the AI, the product magic. We're able to create products now across many, if not all, of our software businesses, where when the customer sees in early betas and early trials, like, what the product can do, their eyes sort of pop out of their head. It's truly like a magical experience. Like, I didn't know software could do that, right? That's what gets us really excited. We just saw it last week, for instance, at the Vertafore customer conference, just sort of as an example. In terms of monetization, generally, that's one, I'll start there.

Speaker #3: Yeah, so the ability to kind of embed it into the existing platform, right, and kind of touch the value.

Speaker #4: Yes. Absolutely. Yes. So, a few things I'd start with on this. It really starts with what we talk about internally all the time: the AI, the product magic.

Speaker #4: We're able to create products now across many if not all of our software businesses where when the customer sees an early betas and early trials, like what the product can do, like their eyes sort of pop out of their head.

Speaker #4: It's truly like a magical experience. I didn't know software could do that. Right? So that's what gives us really excited. We just saw it last week at, for instance, at the Vertifor customer conference.

Speaker #4: I'm just sort of as an example. So in terms of monetization, generally, so that's one. I'll start there. Second is we believe that the right to win here is sort of on-stack AI embedded natively in workflows is a winning play.

Neil Hunn: Second is we believe that the right to win here is sort of on-stack AI embedded natively into workflows is a winning play, a huge incumbent advantage. Is the second thing. Third thing, monetization, I think for us is, there's not going to be a one size fits all. There are some businesses today that already price on a consumption basis. Think like SoftWriters and Pharmacy Automation or what Convoy does at DAT. So I think those will be monetized on a consumption basis. Also, those customers' unit economics generally are driven on their own consumption, so it aligns with the customer unit economics. I think more broadly, though, the monetization is going to be one that sort of, as you allude in your question, balances adoption and long-term monetization. So I think that's going to not be largely consumption-based.

Speaker #4: A huge incumbent advantage. So, it's a second thing. Third thing, monetization—I think for us, there's not going to be a one-size-fits-all. There are some businesses today that already price on a consumption basis.

Speaker #4: Think like soft writers and pharmacy automation or what Convoy does, a DAT. So I think those will be monetized on a consumption basis. Also, those customers, unit economics generally are driven on their own consumption.

Speaker #4: So it aligns with the customer unit economics. I think more broadly, though, the monetization is going to be one that sort of, as you alluded in your question, balances adoption and long-term monetization.

Neil Hunn: Our customers very much are saying very clearly they need to be able to plan for and budget what the spend's going to be. It'll likely be some sort of a subscription with an overage based on utilization of the AI tools. I think that aligns nicely with adoption because then the customers are going to be focused on how to realize the magic value, if you will, and not be worried every time they press a button, it costs money. When that gets fully adopted and it's deeply embedded in the workflows, we'll be able to sort of grow with that utilization.

Speaker #4: So I think that's going to not be largely consumption-based. Our customers very much are saying very clearly they need to be able to plan for and budget with a spend is going to be.

Speaker #4: So it'll likely be some sort of a subscription with an overage based on utilization of the AI tools. I think that aligns nicely with adoption because then a customer is going to be focused on how to realize the magic value, if you will, and not be worried every time they press a button it costs money.

Speaker #4: But then when it gets fully adopted, and it's deeply embedded into workflows, we'll be able to sort of grow with that utilization.

Jason Conley: I would just add that our CentralReach business is furthest along on this journey. They've been out in the market with AI products for a year and a half or two years, and all of their AI is incremental. It's based on learners, which you could say is some form of consumption, right? It's not based on practitioners but learners. Customers are seeing real value as Neil highlighted on the prepared remarks, in terms of workflow efficiency and better revenue realization.

Speaker #5: And I would just add that our center reach business is furthest along in this journey. They've been out in the market with AI products for a year and a half or two years.

Speaker #5: And all of their AI is incremental. It's based on learners, which you could say is some form of consumption, right? It's not based on practitioners but learners.

Speaker #5: But that's been and customers are seeing real value as Neil highlighted on the prepared remarks in terms of workflow efficiency and better revenue realization.

Dylan Becker: Very helpful. Thank you both. Maybe Jason, can I just check in with you quickly as well too? Obviously, kind of reiterating the full year revenue guide, 5% to 6% organic. We just did 6% this year. We've got some mechanics kind of layering in and easier comps in H2 as well too. Maybe kind of just give us a broader sense of how the start of the year kind of layers in conviction, and maybe the kind of conservative view that we continue to take to the guidance framework here going forward. Thank you.

Speaker #3: Very helpful. Thank you both. And maybe Jason, kind of just sticking with you quickly as well, too. Obviously, kind of reiterating the full-year revenue guide 5 to 6% organic.

Speaker #3: We just did 6% this year. We've got some mechanics kind of layering in and easier comps in the back half as well, too. But maybe kind of just give us a broader sense of how the start of the year kind of layers in conviction, and maybe that kind of conservative view that we continue to take to the guidance framework here going forward.

Jason Conley: Yeah. Look, it's a strong start to the year. Very encouraged by what we've seen. We're just one quarter in, so we want to sort of see how things play out. As Neil talked about, we have a couple, like you said, mechanical things in Q2, non-recurring in AS. We'll be a little bit more impacted than Q1. We're comping a high watermark in Q2, but that'll ease off in H2. As we've talked about, H2 will improve in software, with Subsplash and CentralReach turning organic. We have just some easing comps in AS. All that just sort of blends into our sort of holding the range at this point. We'll see how it plays out.

Speaker #3: Thank you.

Speaker #4: Yeah, yeah. Look, it's a strong start to the year—very encouraged by what we've seen. But we're just one quarter in, so we want to sort of see how things play out.

Speaker #4: As Neil talked about, we have a couple, like you said, mechanical things in the second quarter, non-recurring in AS. We'll be a little bit more impacted than the first quarter.

Speaker #4: And then we're just in tech, we're comping a high watermark in Q2, but that'll ease off in the second half. And then, as we've talked about, the second half will improve in software.

Speaker #4: With subslash and CenterReach turning organic, and then we have just some easing comps in AS. So all that just sort of blends into our sort of holding the range at this point.

Dylan Becker: Great. Thank you very much.

Speaker #4: But we'll see how it plays out.

Operator: Your next question comes from Brent Thill with Jefferies. Your line is now open.

Speaker #3: Great. Thank you very much.

Neil Hunn: Hi, this is Ria on for Brent Thill. Thank you for taking the question. Neil, just curious to hear your thoughts on the private markets given ongoing volatility. Can you just tell us a little bit more about what you're seeing right now and if it's changed your outlook at all?

Ria Naidu: Hi, this is Ria on for Brent Thill. Thank you for taking the question. Neil, just curious to hear your thoughts on the private markets given ongoing volatility. Can you just tell us a little bit more about what you're seeing right now and if it's changed your outlook at all?

Speaker #1: Your next question comes from Brent Field with Jefferies. Your line is now open.

Speaker #6: Hi, this is Rhea on for Brent Field. Thank you for taking the question. Neil, just curious to hear your thoughts on the private markets given ongoing volatility.

Jason Conley: Talking about private markets on M&A, you're talking about?

Neil Hunn: Talking about private markets on M&A, you're talking about?

Speaker #6: Can you just tell us a little bit more about what you're seeing right now, and if it's changed your outlook at all?

Neil Hunn: Correct.

Ria Naidu: Correct.

Neil Hunn: Yeah, sure. As I mentioned in the prepared remarks, it's definitely been with the public market drawdown. It's gone from the busiest we've been in a long time to the least busy.

Speaker #4: Talking about private markets on M&A, talking about? Yeah. Sure. So as I mentioned in the prepared remarks, it's definitely been with the public market drawdown.

Speaker #4: It's gone from the busiest we've been in a long time to the least busy. We're still busy. We're still active. As I mentioned, it's more proprietary.

Neil Hunn: Still busy, we're still active. As I mentioned, it's more proprietary. It's certainly more targeted. Actually, we think the M&A setup's actually improved a bit for us over the last 90 days in the context that the LP pressure, that we've talked about now for a couple of years, continues to exist. That has not changed in any capacity. If anything, it's maybe increased over the course of the next 90 days. The other thing that's happened, that's been widely reported, everybody understands, is now we've got the private credit dynamic that also is putting pressure on the asset class. For us, we think the combination of those two will likely surface more quality assets in the processes, and we're a very advantaged buyer in that regard, but the timing is still to be determined.

Speaker #4: It's certainly more targeted. But it's actually, we think the M&A setups actually improved a bit for us over the last 90 days. And the context that the LP pressure that we talked about now for a couple of years continues to exist.

Speaker #4: That is not changed in any capacity. If anything, it's maybe increased over the course of the next 90 days. The other thing that's happened that's been, as everybody's widely reported, people understand is now we got the private credit dynamic that also is putting pressure on the asset class.

Speaker #4: So for us, it's we think the combination of those twos will likely service more quality assets in the processes and we're at very advantaged buyer in that regard.

Neil Hunn: We're modeling out what these maturities look like on the private credit side. There's not a meaningful maturity cliff this year. If you're a private equity sponsor seller, you want to think about divesting an asset well before maturity. That's something that Janet and her team are sort of aligning up. We think there's an opportunity here to get potentially, I should underscore potentially, to acquire AA plus assets at differentiated values given the backdrop of the dynamics here. The timing of this is to be determined, but we'll stay active and process and prosecute the opportunities in front of us.

Speaker #4: But the timing is still to be determined. We're modeling out what these maturities look like on the private credit side. There's not a meaningful maturity cliff this year.

Speaker #4: But if you're a private equity sponsor seller, you want to think about divesting an asset well before a maturity. So that's something that Janet and her team are sort of aligning up.

Speaker #4: So we think there's an opportunity here to get the potentially, I should underscore potentially, to acquire AA plus assets at differentiated values given the backdrop and the dynamics here.

Speaker #4: The timing of this is to be determined, but we'll stay active in the process and prosecute the opportunities in front of us.

Jason Conley: Yeah. I would just reiterate, we refinanced our five-year revolver this quarter at a very good cost to capital, sort of tightened up the spread a little bit. Shout out to Shannon and Dave Baker for getting that done this quarter. Just a great job there. Just positioned us well. We have a lot of balance sheet flexibility, and we'll be able to move quickly when the opportunities arise.

Speaker #5: Yeah. And I would just reiterate, we refinanced our five-year revolver this quarter at a very good cost of capital, sort of tightened up the spread a little bit.

Speaker #5: So shout out to Shannon and Dave Baker for getting that done this quarter just a great job there. And just positioned as well, we have a lot of balance sheet flexibility and we'll be able to move quickly when the opportunities arise.

[Analyst] (Jefferies): Got it. That's helpful. Just on Deltek's government contracting business, did you see any impact in the quarter at all from the war in the Middle East, and is it having any impact on your outlook for the remainder of the year?

Ria Naidu: Got it. That's helpful. Just on Deltek's government contracting business, did you see any impact in the quarter at all from the war in the Middle East, and is it having any impact on your outlook for the remainder of the year?

Speaker #1: Got it, that's helpful. And then just on Deltek's government contracting business—did you see any impact in the quarter at all from the war in the Middle East, and is it having any impact on your outlook for the remainder of the year?

Neil Hunn: Yeah. We asked that very specific question on our call with Deltek, and the short answer is, very little, if any. There certainly is a sliver of the sort of aerospace defense sub-sector of government contractors that are focused on munitions and sort of war effort. That's a small sliver of the population of the broader, say, contractor population. It had, if any effect, a minimally negative impact just in terms of those contractors are focused on the war effort and not on contracting for ERP software, but it wasn't material in the quarter.

Speaker #4: Yeah. We asked that very specific question in our call down with Deltech. And the short answer is very little, if any. There certainly is a sliver of the sort of aerospace defense subsector of government contractors that are focused on munitions and sort of war effort.

Speaker #4: So that's a small sliver of the population, of the broader, say, contractor population. So it had, if in effect, a minimally negative impact

Speaker #1: Just in terms of those, those contracts are focused on the war effort and not on contracting for ERP software. But it wasn't material in the quarter.

[Analyst] (Jefferies): Great. Thanks so much.

Ria Naidu: Great. Thanks so much.

Neil Hunn: You bet.

Operator: Your next question comes from Joe Vruwink with Baird. Your line is now open.

Speaker #2: Great. Thanks so much.

Speaker #1: You bet .

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from Joseph Vruwink with Baird . Your line is now open

Joe Vruwink: Great. Thank you. I think all application software is facing this question around whether AI-related spending grabs an outsized wallet share and maybe the incumbents get squeezed along the way. I think the interesting thing about Roper is you have exposure to markets like legal and healthcare. I think those are the two biggest vertical AI adopters so far, and yet I think your respective software exposure there is still doing pretty well. What's your take on this topic, and have you seen any changes year to date, as we've also seen the big ARR numbers come through from the frontier model providers that make you more concerned in coming quarters?

Joseph Vruwink: Great. Thank you. I think all application software is facing this question around whether AI-related spending grabs an outsized wallet share and maybe the incumbents get squeezed along the way. I think the interesting thing about Roper is you have exposure to markets like legal and healthcare. I think those are the two biggest vertical AI adopters so far, and yet I think your respective software exposure there is still doing pretty well. What's your take on this topic, and have you seen any changes year to date, as we've also seen the big ARR numbers come through from the frontier model providers that make you more concerned in coming quarters?

Speaker #4: Great . Thank you . I think all application software is facing this question around whether AI related spending grabs an outsized wallet share , and maybe the incumbents get squeezed along the way .

Speaker #4: I think the interesting thing about Roper is you have exposure to markets like legal and healthcare . I think those are the two biggest vertical AI adopters so far .

Speaker #4: And yet I think your respective software exposure there is still doing pretty well What's your take on this topic and have you seen any changes ?

Speaker #4: Year to date , as we've also seen , the big IRR numbers come through from the frontier model providers that make you more concerned in coming quarters .

Neil Hunn: No. I would say the punchline on that, the TLDR is no. No impact on sort of the budgetary spend that we sort of compete for. I think the double click on that is the obvious answer, which is, and this is a personal opinion, that I think a lot of these surveys around IT spend are a little misleading because the whole point of the AI effort is we get to go monetize labor spend. So it's about a whole different bucket of opportunity to capture and provide value to the end market. Across the whole platform, we're not seeing sort of an impact to us relative to allocation of budget, especially not in legal and healthcare. We've had fairs. We talked about Aderant, which is amazing, and the quarter has been amazing few years here with Aderant.

Speaker #1: No , I would say we're the punch line on that . The Tldr is no , no impact on sort of the the budget budgetary spend that we sort of compete for .

Speaker #1: I think the , the double click on that is the obvious answer , which is , and this is a personal opinion that I think a lot of these surveys around it spend are a little misleading because the whole point of the AI effort is we get to go monetize labor spend .

Speaker #1: So it's about a whole different bucket of opportunity to capture and provide value to the to the end market in the , in the particular across the whole platform .

Speaker #1: We're not seeing sort of an impact to us relative to allocation of budget, especially not in legal and healthcare have had, as we talked about, was just amazing in the quarter—has been amazing few years here with veteran.

Joe Vruwink: Great. That's helpful. I heard enterprise bookings up low double digits over the trailing 12 months. I'm curious what they were in the quarter, and I think your definition excludes price. Maybe can you just comment on pricing power in the aggregate?

Joseph Vruwink: Great. That's helpful. I heard enterprise bookings up low double digits over the trailing 12 months. I'm curious what they were in the quarter, and I think your definition excludes price. Maybe can you just comment on pricing power in the aggregate?

Speaker #4: Great. That's helpful. And then I heard enterprise bookings up double digits over the trailing 12 months. Curious what they were in the quarter.

Speaker #4: And I think your definition excludes price . Maybe . Can you just comment on on pricing power in the aggregate ?

Jason Conley: Yeah. It was certainly above the double digits. We had an easier Q1 comp last year. I think the TTM is definitely the right way to think about it. Yeah. Then it does not include price, you're right. Price has held up very well. I think what we've said historically, we're very thoughtful across the portfolio about pricing, and you have to earn the right, and companies are doing that as part of our strategic plan work that we do is understanding that dynamic. We've continued to do that methodically over the last half decade or so.

Speaker #5: Yeah . So it was certainly above the double digits . We had an easier Q1 comp last year . I think the TM is definitely the right way to think about it .

Speaker #5: Yeah . And then in terms it does not include price , you're right . And price has held up very well . I think what we've said historically , we're very thoughtful across the portfolio about pricing and you know , you have to earn the right .

Speaker #5: And companies are doing that . You know , as part of our strategic plan work that we do is understanding that dynamic . And so we continue to do that methodically over the last half decade or so .

Neil Hunn: Yeah. The only thing I'd add on pricing, in addition to what Jason said, is we actually think relative to what the market will bear on pricing, we have underutilized that lever in growth. It's not like a pan-portfolio go raise pricing. That's not how we operate at Roper. As Jason said, it's like where you have earned the right with your product, your product value, and your customer relationships to take a little bit more pricing, then we are doing that. It's a very strategic, it's a very earned process, and we would hope that we would see a little bit, I don't know if it's 50 or 100 basis points over the portfolio software and pricing impact over increase over the next couple of years.

Speaker #1: Yeah . The only thing I'd add on pricing , in addition to what Jason said , is we actually think relative to what the market will bear on pricing , we have under that lever in growth .

Speaker #1: And so it's it's not like a pan portfolio go raise pricing . That's not how we operate at Roper . But as Jason said , it's like where you have earned the right with your product , your product value and your customer relationships that take a little bit more pricing than we doing that .

Speaker #1: And , but it's a very strategic , it's a very earned process . And we would hope that we would see a little bit .

Speaker #1: I don't know if it's 50 or 100 basis points over the portfolio of software and pricing impact over the increase over the next couple, three years.

Joe Vruwink: Thank you.

Joseph Vruwink: Thank you.

Neil Hunn: You bet.

Operator: Your next question comes from Terry Tillman with Truist. Your line is now open.

Speaker #4: Thank you .

Speaker #1: You bet .

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from Terry Tillman with Truist . Your line is now open .

Terry Tillman: Yeah. Thanks for taking my question and follow-up. I wanted to build on the prior question on legal tech because, yeah, it's in the media reports and some remarkable growth from some of these SaaS natives there. I'm curious, though, Neil, you've called out Aderant, a couple of years of amazingness, and it does seem like it's like clockwork showing up in the segment level slides every quarter on record, this or that. How much more sustainability is there in terms of just the momentum in terms of getting folks to move to SaaS and just, can this train keep going, just on the momentum with Aderant? Then I had a follow-up.

Speaker #6: Yeah . Thanks for taking my question and follow up . I wanted on the prior question on legal tech because , yeah , it's it's in the , the media reports and some remarkable growth from some of these SaaS natives .

Speaker #6: There . But I'm curious though , Neil , you've called out aderant , you know , a couple of years of amazingness . And it does seem like it's like clockwork showing up in the segment level slides every quarter on record this or that .

Speaker #6: How much more sustainability is there in terms of just the momentum, in terms of getting folks to move to SaaS, and just, you know, can this train keep going just on the momentum with that?

Neil Hunn: Sure. It's Chris and the team there have done a great job. I'll give you a little bit, a longer answer here. Aderant has been really good for a very long time for us. What's been happening underneath the hood has evolved, to sort of keep it good. It started with how do we just take it to our competitor and out-compete them in the marketplace? That's how we went from 35%, 40% market share in large law to 60%, 65%. We just absolutely compete and won, and Chris and his predecessor team did a wonderful job in that sort of era of growth. Well, that era of growth we could see was going to end at some point, so we had to evolve. That's where he sort of said, "Okay, we have this installed base of customers.

Speaker #6: And then how to follow up

Speaker #1: Sure . So it's Chris and the team there have done a great job . I mean , I'll give you a little bit , you know , a longer answer here .

Speaker #1: Adrian has been really good for a very long time for us. But what's been happening underneath the hood has evolved to sort of keep it good.

Speaker #1: You know , it started with how do we just how do we just take it to our competitor and outcompete them in the marketplace ?

Speaker #1: And that's how we went from 35 , 40% market share in large law to 60 , 65% . We just absolutely compete in one .

Speaker #1: And Chris and his predecessor Dean did a wonderful job in that sort of era of growth . Well , that era growth , we could see was going to end at some point .

Speaker #1: So we had to evolve . That's where he sort of said , okay , let's we have this install base of customers . How do we sell them more things ?

Neil Hunn: How do we sell them more things?" We then prosecuted both an organic and inorganic strategy to add the number of bolt-on products that we could or sort of integrated modules that we could sell to this large law customer base that made strategic sense. We prosecuted or prosecuting that strategy. Came along cloud, right? This was a decision that did not want to move to the cloud, then COVID happened. Soon we rapidly cloud-enabled the totality of the product set, and then we're now in the real still early innings, maybe third or fourth inning, maybe not even that late of moving this customer constituency to the cloud or that lift and shift. Now we have the tailwind of the AI benefit, in terms of being able...

Speaker #1: And so we then prosecuted both an organic and inorganic strategy to add the number of bolt on products that we could or sort of integrated modules that we could sell to this large law customer base that made strategic sense .

Speaker #1: So we prosecuted or prosecuting that strategy . Then came along cloud , right ? This was a constituency that did not want to move to the cloud .

Speaker #1: Then Covid happened . So we rapidly cloud enabled the totality of the of the product set . And then we're now in the real still early innings , maybe third or fourth inning , maybe not even that late of moving this customer constituency to the cloud with that lift and shift .

Speaker #1: And now we have the tailwind of tailwind of the AI benefit in terms of being able . So it's a multiple growth driver story .

Neil Hunn: It's a multiple growth driver story, and I think there's quite a long way to go on this. Part of the benefit of owning any business for the long arc of time is you're always looking out horizon two and horizon three for what you have to build, either organically or inorganically, to sustain or improve growth rates.

Speaker #1: And , and I think there's quite a long way to go on this , but part of the benefit of owning any business for the long arc of time is you're always looking out .

Speaker #1: Horizon two and horizon three for what you have to build either organic or inorganic to sustain or improve growth rates .

Terry Tillman: Yep. That's very helpful. Thank you. The follow-up is just what we're seeing, though, is with particularly not necessarily generative agentic. That's a pretty big lift and shift and change management, customers being comfortable having things go autonomous, and even getting it beyond kind of the experimental stage. Are you seeing with some of the businesses, you actually have to put in 4 deployed engineers or kind of change how you go to market or help the customers, and it does create some kind of incremental costs or just handholding, just anything about how you help them consume this agentic stuff? Thanks.

Speaker #6: Yep , yep . That's very helpful . Thank you . And the follow up is just what we're seeing though , is with particularly not necessarily generative agentic .

Speaker #6: I mean , that's a pretty big lift and shift and change management customers being comfortable having things to go autonomous and even getting it , you know , beyond kind of the experimental stage .

Speaker #6: So, are you seeing with some of the businesses you actually have to hire, you know, put in forward-deployed engineers or kind of change how you go to market or help the customers?

Speaker #6: And it does create some kind of , you incremental costs or just handholding , just anything about how you help them consume this agentic stuff .

Neil Hunn: Yeah, I think that the short answer is yes. I think we mentioned last quarter that this year is going to be just a massive learning year for us across the enterprise on, I'll put in like the commercialization bucket of these AI tools, of which FDEs are certainly a component. How do you position it? How do you sell it? How do you price it? How do you get it implemented? How do you get utilization pull-through? How do you drive renewal rates high? That whole customer journey is going to be, across the portfolio, a huge set of learnings for us. I'll spare you the details on inside the portfolios, but we have portfolios where businesses where the uptake's just been very natural.

Speaker #6: Thanks .

Speaker #1: Yeah . I think that's the short answer is yes . I think we mentioned last quarter that , you know , this year is going to be just a massive learning year for us across the enterprise on .

Speaker #1: I'll put in like the commercialization bucket of these AI tools , which PhDs are certainly a component . How do you position it ?

Speaker #1: How do you sell it ? How do you price it ? How do you get it implemented ? How do you get utilization ?

Speaker #1: Pull through ? How do you drive renewal rates high ? I mean , that whole customer journey is going to be across the portfolio , a huge set of learnings us .

Speaker #1: We have I'll spare you the details on Inside the portfolios , but we have portfolios where businesses where the uptake has just been very natural .

Neil Hunn: We haven't had to have the for deployed engineers, because when you press the magic button and you get productivity savings, immediately that productivity savings is taken in the customer's operation to something that they can go do tomorrow. In other cases, there's some trepidation. "If I press this button, do I lose my job?" You've got to sort of go through the whole change management process of that. I think in almost every case, our customers, it's not lose their job, it's how do you sort of do task replacement, task augmentation. They can go play offense inside their customer to go compete and win. It's certainly something you have to overcome in that regard. Yeah, we do expect across a certain part of the portfolio, do some version of a for deployed engineer.

Speaker #1: We haven't had to have the forward deployed engineers , because when you press the magic button and you get productivity savings that immediately , that productivity saving savings is taken in the customer's operation is something that they can go do tomorrow .

Speaker #1: In other cases , there's some trepidation . If I press this button , do I lose my job ? And you've got to sort of go through the whole change management process of that .

Speaker #1: I think in almost every case , folks don't our customers don't lose . It's not lose their job . It's how do you sort of do task replacement task augmentation .

Speaker #1: They can go play offense inside their customer to go compete and win . But it's certainly a a sort of an expectation sort of sort of a something you have to overcome in that regard .

Speaker #1: So yeah , we do expect across certain part of portfolio , do some version of a forward deployed engineer .

Terry Tillman: Thanks a lot.

Neil Hunn: Yeah. Final thing I'd say on that is I think it's kind of from an investment point of view, it's probably more of a reallocation or rebalancing of investment from customer support, customer service, to FDE. I don't know if it's like a huge cost increase. It's just a resource allocation dynamic.

Speaker #6: Thanks a lot .

Speaker #1: Yeah . Final thing I'd say on that is I think it's kind of from an investment point of view , it's probably more of a reallocation or rebalancing of investment from customer support , customer service to PhD .

Speaker #1: So I don't know if it's like a huge cost increase . It's just a resource allocation dynamic .

Terry Tillman: Got it. Thanks.

Operator: Your next question comes from Joseph Giordano with TD Cowen. Your line is now open.

Speaker #6: Got it . Thanks

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from Joe Giordano with TD Cowan . Your line is now open

Joseph Giordano: Hey, guys. Morning.

Joe Giordano: Hey, guys. Morning.

Neil Hunn: Morning.

Joseph Giordano: Just curious on your talk about embeddability and subscription plus overage in the future. I get the view of like, I don't want our customers to think every time they click a button, it costs them money. I fully get that. If these things become embedded and the efficiencies potentially require less people at your customers, how do you kind of judge the ROI of the investment necessary to kind of, maybe not saying it, to kind of stay in the same place? Like, the product is getting better, but you're getting the same kind of subscriptions, and it's costing you more to maybe achieve that now than it did in the past. How do you kind of evaluate the ROI on the required spend to kind of get to that place?

Joe Giordano: Just curious on your talk about embeddability and subscription plus overage in the future. I get the view of like, I don't want our customers to think every time they click a button, it costs them money. I fully get that. If these things become embedded and the efficiencies potentially require less people at your customers, how do you kind of judge the ROI of the investment necessary to kind of, maybe not saying it, to kind of stay in the same place? Like, the product is getting better, but you're getting the same kind of subscriptions, and it's costing you more to maybe achieve that now than it did in the past. How do you kind of evaluate the ROI on the required spend to kind of get to that place?

Speaker #7: Hey guys . Good morning .

Speaker #1: Good morning .

Speaker #7: Just curious on your talk about like Embeddability and subscription plus overage in the future . Like I , I get the view of like , I don't want our customers to think every time they click a button , it costs them money .

Speaker #7: I fully get that if these things become embedded and like the efficiencies potentially require less people at your customers , like how do you kind of judge the ROI of the investment necessary to kind of , am I saying I'm not saying to like kind of stay in the same place , like the product is getting better , but you're getting like the same kind of subscriptions and it's like costing you more to maybe achieve that now than it did in the past .

Speaker #7: So how do you , how do you kind of evaluate the ROI on the , on the required spend to kind of get to that place ?

Neil Hunn: Yeah, these are very hard dollar ROIs. We've said publicly, for instance, at DAT Convoy to manually broker a load, it's somewhere between $100 and $200 of labor to do that. You use our load automation, it's somewhere in the $40 range. It's a demonstrable hard dollar ROI. Similar things can be said, for instance, at Vertafore, one of the agentic tools they released last week, it's a reconciliation tool. The time and motion study is it's 17 minutes per reconciliation. Our tool does it in 30 seconds. Then you do these scores of these a day, so you can sort of see the time savings, and then you can get to a financial ROI. These are pretty hard ROI end products, and the sales teams are taking that message to the market, to customer base.

Speaker #1: Yeah , I think it's so this is , these are very and hard dollar Rois . I mean , we've said publicly , for instance , at dat convoy to , to manually broker a load , it's somewhere between 100 and $200 of labor to do that .

Speaker #1: You know , we use our load automation . It's somewhere in the , you know , $40 range . So it's a , it's a demonstrable hard dollar ROI , you know , similar things can be said at , you know , for instance , at Vertafore , one of the genetic tools they last week , it's reconciliation tool , the time and motion study is it's like 17 minutes per reconciliation .

Speaker #1: Our tool does it in 30s . So then you do these like scores of these a day . So you can sort of see the , the time savings and then you can get to a financial ROI .

Speaker #1: So these are pretty hard ROI . And products that and that sales teams are taking that message to the , to the , to the market , to our customer base .

Jason Conley: I would just say that.

Joseph Giordano: Sorry, I-

Joe Giordano: Sorry, I-

Jason Conley: Sorry, Joe, I would just say we're using local, smaller language models, maybe even older versions. You're not consuming a lot of tokens when you're doing this activity. You can continue to change the prompts to make it more efficient over time. Even at Vertafore, we've taken that cost of goods down meaningfully in a matter of weeks. I think it's still very accretive from a margin perspective.

Speaker #5: And I would just say that I'm sorry , Joe . I was just say we're using local , smaller language models , maybe even older versions .

Speaker #5: So you're not , you're not consuming a lot of tokens when you're doing this activity . So it's , and you can continue to change the prompts to make it more efficient over time .

Speaker #5: And so , you know , we've even , even at Virta for we've taken that , that cost of goods down meaningfully in a matter of weeks .

Joseph Giordano: Yeah, I'm getting at more of the ROI from Roper standpoint. I get the ROI from the customers. It's more like if we're spending money to develop new AI tools that are then embedded in the product that we're already offering, how is the ROI on the increased investment you need in 2026 versus the investment you needed in 2021 to get the same customer and keep the same customer happy?

Joe Giordano: Yeah, I'm getting at more of the ROI from Roper standpoint. I get the ROI from the customers. It's more like if we're spending money to develop new AI tools that are then embedded in the product that we're already offering, how is the ROI on the increased investment you need in 2026 versus the investment you needed in 2021 to get the same customer and keep the same customer happy?

Speaker #5: So I think it's still very accretive from a margin perspective.

Speaker #7: Yeah , that's kind of what I'm getting at . More of the ROI from Roper's . I get how I get the ROI from the customers .

Speaker #7: It's more like if we're spending money to develop new AI tools that are , then embedded in the product that we're already offering , like how the ROI on the increased investment you need in 2026 versus the investment you needed , you in 2021 to get the same customer and keep the same customer happy .

Jason Conley: Well, I would just say on the development front, we're seeing demonstrable efficiencies, right, with the frontier models itself. We're getting a lot more output and a lot more roadmap consumed. When you talk about just OpEx investment, we're assuming productivity, but we're taking that back into the roadmap. I don't think it changes fundamentally our P&L structure and our margin profile.

Speaker #5: Well , and I would just say on the development front , I mean , we're seeing demonstrable efficiencies , right ? With the with the frontier models itself .

Speaker #5: So we're getting a lot more output and a lot more roadmap consumed . So when you talk about just opex investment , you know , we're not , we're not assuming we're assuming productivity , but we're taking that back into the roadmap .

Speaker #5: So I don't think it changes fundamentally . You know , our , our panel structure and our margin profile

Joseph Giordano: Cool. Thanks, guys.

Joe Giordano: Cool. Thanks, guys.

Neil Hunn: Joe, apologies for missing the thrust of your question.

Speaker #7: Cool . Thanks , guys .

Joseph Giordano: No problem, Neil.

Joe Giordano: No problem, Neil.

Neil Hunn: Yeah.

Speaker #1: Joe , apologies for missing the point . The thrust of your question .

Operator: Your next question comes from George Kurosawa with Citi. Your line is now open.

Speaker #7: No problem . Neal .

Speaker #1: Yeah .

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from Jorge Quero Sawa with city . Your line is now open

George Kurosawa: From the AI strike team led by Shane and Eddie that you put together, it sounded like they completed their listening tour last quarter and have now been put out into the field. It sounds like some early successes at Vertafore. If you could just touch on how they ended up sort of stack ranking the opportunities that they see in front of them, and then maybe the scope of their involvement and how much it's led to an improvement in velocity?

Speaker #8: On the the AI strike team led by Shane and Eddie that you put together , you know , it sounded like they completed their listening tour last quarter and have now been put out into the field .

Speaker #8: It sounds like some early successes at Vertafore . If you could just touch on how they ended up sort of stack ranking , the opportunities that they see in front of them , and then maybe the scope of their involvement and how much it's led to , you know , an improvement in velocity .

Neil Hunn: Yeah. I'm delighted to double-click into that. Just to remind everybody, sort of the 3 objectives of this AI, this Roper sort of accelerator team. One, and first and foremost, is to sort of coach and teach, right? This is about enablement of our 21 software companies to do what they've already learned on their own relative to AI and agentic development, and then do it even better. That's number 1. Second is to partner shoulder to shoulder and build. The third one is to, where appropriate, build sort of shared componentry where we can share some common runtime or routines on the AI front across the Roper companies where it makes sense. That's sort of the goal and focus of this group. In terms of where we're allocating the team, this is very much an executive leadership team focus.

Speaker #1: Yeah . So delighted to double click into that . So just just to remind everybody sort of the , the three objectives of this AI , this roper sort of accelerator team one .

Speaker #1: And first and foremost is to sort of coach and teach, right? This is about enablement of our 21 software companies to do what they've already learned on their own relative to AI and genetic development, and then do it even better.

Speaker #1: So that's number one . Second is to partner shoulder to shoulder and build . And then the third one is to wear appropriate build , sort of shared componentry that we can that where we can share some common runtime or routines on the AI front , across the Roper companies , where it makes sense .

Speaker #1: So that's sort of the goal and focus of this group in terms of the , the , the , where we're , we're allocating the team .

Neil Hunn: It is basically size of prize and impact is how we're sort of force ranking this. In terms of Vertafore, it is one of our largest opportunities, if not the largest opportunity we have from an agentic automation point of view. I think there were 6 agents released last week at their Accelerate conference. That is just the very, very beginning. Then this quarter, we'll sort of broaden that from one engagement with one business. It's now 6 as the team grows and we have now 5 additional businesses that are sort of in the early stages of partnering with. The final thing is about speed. I think the unlock here is, at least I think Amy and the team at Vertafore would agree, is our team, the Roper team, sort of very much partnered.

Speaker #1: This is very much , you know , an executive leadership team focus , you know , it is basically size of prize and , and , and impact is how we're sort of for ranking force ranking this in terms of vertafore .

Speaker #1: It is one of our largest opportunities , if not the largest opportunity we have from an Agentic automation point of view . You know , I think there was six or 6 or 6 agents released last week at their accelerate conference .

Speaker #1: That is just the very , very beginning . The model that and then we this quarter will sort of broaden that from one one engagement with one business till it's now six .

Speaker #1: As the team grows and and we have the , you know , now five additional businesses that are sort of in the early stages of partnering with .

Speaker #1: And the final thing is about speed . I mean , I think the unlock here is at least I think Amy and the team at Vertafore would agree is , you know , our team , the Roper team , sort of partnered very much partnered .

Neil Hunn: You can imagine leadership resources on our team working hand in hand with engineers on the Vertafore team on how to do this AI development, one, because there's a little bit of art to this and not just science. Number two, there is a speed coefficient that our team brings, given their history about sort of modern day, current, very contemporary practices of agentic development and just the pace. Then there's just good old-fashioned change management. How do you sort of break bottlenecks and barriers to go fast? We saw literally, I know it's sort of an overused term, but 10X kind of productivity gains partnering with Vertafore on some of this development in terms of speed and quality. We're super encouraged. It's very early days. I don't want Shane and Eddie to hear this and think they've manifested fully.

Speaker #1: So you can imagine our leadership resources and our team working hand in hand with engineers on the Vertafore team on how to do this.

Speaker #1: AI development . One , because there's , there's a little bit of art to this and not just science . Number two , there is a speed coefficient that our team brings given their history about sort of modern day like current , very contemporary practices of agentic development and just the pace and , and then , and then there's just good old fashioned change management .

Speaker #1: How do you sort of break bottlenecks and barriers to go fast ? And , and we saw literally , I know it's sort of an overused term , but ten X kind of productivity gains , partnering with Vertafore on some of this development in terms of speed and , and quality .

Neil Hunn: They've got a lot of work to do, but could not have gone better, in my view, in the first six months.

Speaker #1: So we're super encouraged . It's very early days . I don't want to hear this . And think they've manifested fully . They've got a lot of work to do , but it could not have gone better in my view , in the first six months .

George Kurosawa: Okay, that's great to hear. I wanted to ask kind of more broadly, when you look across the portfolio, it seems like AI commercialization is in sort of different stages. You've got businesses like Aderant, CentralReach that seem to be resounding successes. Others seem to be coming up right behind them. When you look across that landscape, any pattern matching in terms of why some of these businesses seem to be moving a little faster than others? Is it primarily customer driven or what would you attribute the relative successes there to?

Speaker #8: Okay , that's great to hear . And then I wanted to ask . More broadly , you know , when you look across the portfolio , it seems like AI commercialization is in sort of different stages .

Speaker #8: You know , you've got businesses like Aderant central Reach that seem to be , you know , resounding successes . You know , when you others seem to be coming up right behind them .

Speaker #8: When you look across that , that landscape , any pattern matching in terms of why some of these businesses seem to be moving a little faster than others , is it primarily customer driven or what would you attribute the relative successes there to

Neil Hunn: I think it is, Jason. I'll give an opportunity if he wants to add anything. I think if there's a pattern match there's 21 software companies in the business, and while we want everyone to be going as fast as they possibly can, you have an array of where people are in their maturity. Where we're most advanced, they're the ones that got after and were able to sort of get the agentic SKUs in development first, into the market first. Sort of now the next wave of this, we talk a lot about CentralReach, Aderant, Convoy, and DAT. They're the tip of the spear.

Speaker #1: I think it is probably Jason. I'll give an opportunity if he wants to add anything. I think if there's a pattern match there, when you have...

Speaker #1: There's . 21 software companies in the business . And while we want everyone to be , you know , going as fast as they possibly can , you have an array of where people are in their maturity and where we're most advanced .

Speaker #1: They're the ones that got after and were able to sort of get the agentic skews into them . Just in development first into the market , first .

Speaker #1: And , and sort of now the next wave of this , this we talk a lot about social reach and adder and convoy and dat .

Neil Hunn: Now we have 10 or 12 companies, maybe a couple more, just now getting to market with real agentic magic SKUs versus like chatbots and embedded sort of GenAI search inside of existing products where the value unlock is. We also take this a little bit offline about sort of more deeper operational pattern recognition. That's what I would say about the commercialization phase, is who sort of had product ready first.

Speaker #1: They're the tip of the spear . Now we have like 10 or 12 companies , maybe a couple more like just now , just getting to market with real agentic magic SKUs versus like chat bots and embedded sort of gen AI search inside of existing products where the value unlock is .

Speaker #1: And so we can—we also take a little bit offline about sort of more deeper operational pattern recognition, but that's what I would say about the commercialization phase, is to sort of have product ready first.

Jason Conley: That's right. Yeah, I think the benefit of being part of Roper. We set our president summit a couple of months ago, and we did an AI sort of showcase for those that are along. It just helps with the learning acceleration. I would agree with Neil that it's those that embrace and saw a true customer problem early on and then got after it a little sooner, but others are coming up the curve very quickly.

Speaker #5: That's right . Yeah . And I think the benefit of being part of Roper and we just had our president summit a couple months ago , and we did an AI sort of showcase for those long .

Speaker #5: So it just helps with the learning acceleration. But I would agree with Neal that it's those that embrace and sort through customer problems early on.

Speaker #5: And then , and then got after it a little sooner . But others are coming up the curve very quickly

George Kurosawa: Great. Thanks for taking the questions.

Neil Hunn: You bet.

Operator: Your next question comes from Clarke Jeffries with Piper Sandler. Your line is now open.

Speaker #8: Great . Thanks for taking the questions .

Speaker #1: You bet .

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from Clark Jeffries with Piper Sandler . Your line is now open .

Clarke Jeffries: Hello. Thank you for taking the question. I just want to follow up on the comments around ground-to-cloud conversions advancing meaningfully. I'd love to understand the impact of SaaS transitions broadly in the Application Software segment. Is that contributing points of growth today? You made the comment around 85% of the segment is in the mid-single digit plus range in growth, while non-recurring was essentially flat. I just wanted to know if it's something that would be of increasing benefit or already playing out in that segment. One follow-up.

Speaker #9: Hello . Thank you for taking the question . You know , I just wanted to follow up on the comments around ground to cloud conversions advancing meaningfully .

Speaker #9: I'd love to understand the impact of transitions broadly in the application software segment . You know , is that contributing points of growth today ?

Speaker #9: You know , you made the comment around 85% of the segment is in the mid-single digit plus range in growth , while nine recurring was essentially flat .

Speaker #9: So it just wanted to know if it's something that would be of increasing benefit or already playing out in that segment . And then one follow up .

Jason Conley: Yeah, happy to take the question. Just as you think about the percentage of products that are cloud-enabled, it's 2/3 or so today. We have about $1 billion of maintenance, and we think that that will convert over, oh, say the next 5 to 10 years or so, and that should convert at 2 to 2.5 times lift from maintenance to SaaS. Today, if you think about the percentage that we have to go, we're sort of in the first or second inning of that journey. It does add, call it 50 to 100 basis points of growth a year, and it should for the next 5 to 10 years.

Speaker #5: Yeah , happy to take the question . So just as you think about the percentage of , of products that are cloud enabled , it's , you know , two thirds or so today .

Speaker #5: So we have about a billion of maintenance . And we think that that will convert over , oh , say the next 5 to 10 years or so .

Speaker #5: And that should convert at 2 to 2 and a half times lift from maintenance to SaaS . And so today we're kind of , if you think about , you know , the percentage that we have to go .

Speaker #5: We're sort of in the first or second inning of that , of that journey . And so it does add , call it 50 to 100 basis points of growth a year .

Neil Hunn: The only thing I'd add is we've said, when we talked about this in the past, Clarke, we've also said we are very much pacing this ground to cloud conversion at our customers' pacing. We're not like forcing it to them. I'll say with the advent of AI, I should have mentioned earlier on the monetization, another monetization method for AI is embedding the AI sort of features in the cloud product, and that is a very compelling pull to make this transition go a little bit faster. Instead of 8 to 10 years, maybe it's 4 to 6. I don't know what the right number is, but we would expect to see that go a little bit faster. The other thing is we made a tremendous amount of investment over the last 3 years getting product enabled.

Speaker #5: And it should for the next 5 to 10 years.

Speaker #1: The only thing I'd add is when we talked about this in the past , Clark , we've we've also said we are very much pacing this ground to cloud conversion at our customers pacing .

Speaker #1: We're not, like, forcing it to them. I'll say, with the advent of AI, I should have mentioned earlier on the monetization.

Speaker #1: Another monetization method for AI is embedding the AI sort of features in the cloud product , and that is a very compelling pull to make this transition go a little bit faster .

Speaker #1: So instead of 8 to 10 years , maybe it's 4 to 6 . I don't know what the right number is , but we would expect to see that go a little bit faster .

Neil Hunn: That was because we're growing our customer base, there was an urgency to get product enabled, and now we are extraordinarily product enabled. Basically feature parity, if not more so, in the cloud product than on-prem. I think the setup here is a little bit better than it was a few years ago.

Speaker #1: The other thing is we've made a tremendous amount of investment over the last three years , getting product enabled . You know , that was because we're going to our customer facing .

Speaker #1: There was an urgency to get product enabled . And now we are extraordinarily product enabled . So basically feature parity , if not more so in the cloud product than on prem .

Jason Conley: Yeah, I would just say it's mostly in, it's going to be Aderant's a little further along, as you know. PowerPlan's in the early innings, but definitely much more cloud-enabled today than they were. Then when you think about those that are a little bit further behind, it's more healthcare, but that's our clinician business and labs. That's just kind of the nature of that end market. We see the areas of Tech, Aderant, and PowerPlan being those that'll be more near term in terms of cloud migration.

Speaker #1: So, I think the setup here is a little bit better than it was a few years ago.

Speaker #5: Yeah . And I would just say it's mostly and you know , it's going to be . A little further along as you know , power plants in the early innings , but definitely much more cloud enabled today than they were .

Speaker #5: And then when you think about those that are a little bit further behind , it's more healthcare . But that's , you know , our clinicians business and labs , that's just kind of the nature of that end market .

Speaker #5: And so , so we see the areas of tech and power , those that will be more near-term in terms of cloud migration

Clarke Jeffries: Perfect. All makes sense. One thing that kind of stood out to me was the margin impact in the application software segment. The margin impact of businesses owned for less than four quarters was actually positive year over year. Just wanted to unpack that. Is the takeaway here that even the earlier stage acquisitions last year are getting to margin parity quickly?

Speaker #9: Perfect . All make sense . And then , you know , one thing that kind of stood out to me was the margin impact in application software segment .

Speaker #9: The margin impact of businesses owned for less than four quarters was actually positive year over year . Just wanted to unpack that . Is that is the takeaway here that even the earlier stage acquisitions last year are getting to margin parity quickly .

Jason Conley: In application software, it's our CentralReach business. That business has ample R&D investment. I think R&D as a percent of revenue is like 20%, but they just have extremely strong incrementals. They're a cloud-native platform, and so, as they expand, they have very good incrementals there. When we talk about the acquisitions in our Network Software segment, we've talked about the business Convoy that we added onto DAT. It's a technology investment. We're super committed to that investment to automate the spot freight market over time. That actually has a drag on margins. That plus our Subsplash business, which is a lower margin, faster growing business, that as they grow, they will scale margins. You can see in our Network Software segment, it does have a pretty meaningful drag on margins.

Speaker #5: So in application software , it's our central reach business . And that business is , you know , it's a very , you know , the business has ample R&D investment .

Speaker #5: And R&D as a percent of revenue is like 20% . But they just have extremely strong incrementals . They're very cloud native platform .

Speaker #5: And so as they expand , they have very good incrementals there . And when we talk about the acquisitions in our network software segment , we've talked about our the business convoy that we added on to date .

Speaker #5: It's a technology investment . We're super committed to that investment , to automate the , you know , the spot freight market over time .

Speaker #5: So that actually has a drag on , on margins . That plus our sub splash business , which is a lower margin , faster growing business that as they grow , they will scale margins .

Speaker #5: But you can see in our , in our network it does have a pretty meaningful drag on margins . Now , over time , as convoy continues to grow , that should be a tailwind as we go into the out years .

Jason Conley: Now over time, as Convoy continues to grow, that should be a tailwind as we go into the out years. This year it is a little bit of a drag on margin.

Clarke Jeffries: Perfect. Thank you very much.

Speaker #5: But this year , it's , you know , it is a little bit of a drag on margin .

Jason Conley: You bet.

Neil Hunn: You bet.

Operator: Your next question comes from Joshua Tilton with Wolfe Research. Your line is now open.

Speaker #9: Perfect . Thank you very much

Speaker #1: You bet

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from Josh Tilton with Wolfe Research. Your line is now open.

Joshua Tilton: Hey guys, thanks for sneaking me in here and congrats on a really strong start to the year. I will keep it to one, given the hour. My question is just basically, you're very clear that the guidance still doesn't assume a recovery at Deltek and DAT for the rest of the year. Can you just remind us the confidence that you have in the rest of the application and network software business and kind of offsetting that weakness throughout the year?

Josh Tilton: Hey guys, thanks for sneaking me in here and congrats on a really strong start to the year. I will keep it to one, given the hour. My question is just basically, you're very clear that the guidance still doesn't assume a recovery at Deltek and DAT for the rest of the year. Can you just remind us the confidence that you have in the rest of the application and network software business and kind of offsetting that weakness throughout the year?

Speaker #10: Hey , guys . Thanks for thanks for sneaking me in here and congrats on a really strong start to the year . I will keep it to one , given the hour , but my question is just basically , you're very clear that the guidance still doesn't assume a recovery at Dell Tech and Dat for the rest of the year .

Speaker #10: Can you just remind us of the confidence that you have in the rest of the Application and Network Software business, and how that might offset that weakness throughout the year?

Jason Conley: I'd say just if we go through the segments. With Application Software, we feel good about sort of what's going to happen in H2. We just talked about CentralReach. It's just having a sort of really strong start under our ownership, and a lot of that's recurring, and so that's just going to flow through in H2. We've talked about being 80 basis points or so of accretion in H2 for that segment. We still feel good about that. In Network, DAT's looking good in Q1. We'll see sort of how things play out. Foundry will continue to be sort of getting better throughout the year. They had a great start to the year. Subsplash turns organic in Q4, and that's for sure accretive to the segment.

Speaker #5: I'd say just if we go through the segments . So with application software , we feel good about , you know , sort of what's going to happen in the second half .

Speaker #5: We just talked about central reach , just having a set of really strong start under our ownership . And a lot of that's recurring .

Speaker #5: And so that's , that's just going to flow through in the second half . We've talked about being 80 basis points or so of accretion in the second half for that segment .

Speaker #5: We still feel good about that . And then in network , you know , that's , you know , looking looking good in the first quarter .

Speaker #5: We'll see sort of how things play out. Boundary will continue to be, you know, sort of getting better throughout the year.

Speaker #5: They had a great start to the year . And then some , you know , turns organic in the fourth quarter . And that's for sure accretive to the segment .

Jason Conley: Yeah, feel good about the rest of the segment, or the rest of the business.

Speaker #5: So so yeah feel feel good about the rest of the segment or the rest of the .

Joshua Tilton: Makes sense. Thank you, guys.

Josh Tilton: Makes sense. Thank you, guys.

Jason Conley: You bet.

Neil Hunn: You bet.

Operator: Your next question comes from Ken Wong with Oppenheimer. Your line is now open.

Speaker #10: Business . Thank you guys .

Speaker #1: You bet

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from Ken Wong with Oppenheimer . Your line is now open .

Ken Wong: Hey, great. Like Josh, thanks for sneaking me in. Just one from me. It sounds like the kind of downtick in Q2 is just purely due to tough comps, but just wanted to kind of make sure and clarify any geopolitical macro dynamics that you guys baked into that assumption as well, given kind of the current situation that arose?

Speaker #11: Hey , great . Josh , thanks for sneaking me in . Just just one for me . It sounds like the kind of the down tick in two .

Speaker #11: Q is just purely due to tough comps, but just wanted to kind of make sure and clarify any geopolitical macro dynamics that you guys baked into that assumption as well.

Jason Conley: No, not at all. This is just like timing really in the AS segment. It's our non-recurring perpetual activity. That's squarely what it is. We have clear visibility of that. In TEP, no, I think we're comping 9% quarter as a high water mark last year, so it's just a sort of a comp in the Q2 in TEP. It'll get better in the H2, so nothing geopolitical at all. We're mostly US, as you know, so we don't see anything in the Middle East.

Speaker #11: Given , given kind , the current situation that , that , that arose .

Speaker #5: No , not at all . I mean , it's just , just like , you know , timing really in the AI segment , it's our , you know , our non-recurring perpetual activity .

Speaker #5: And so that's , that's squarely what it is . Clear visibility to that . And then on tap , you know , no , I think we , we , we're comping 9% quarter as a high watermark last year .

Speaker #5: So it's just a sort of a comp in the second quarter in TEP . It'll get better in the second half . So nothing geopolitical at all .

Speaker #5: We're mostly us as you as you know . So we don't don't see anything in the Middle East .

Ken Wong: Okay, fantastic. Thanks a lot, guys.

Operator: Your next question comes from Julian Mitchell with Barclays. Your line is now open.

Speaker #11: Okay . Fantastic . Thanks a lot guys .

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from Julian Mitchell with Barclays . Your line is now open

Julian Mitchell: Hi, good morning. Thanks very much for the question. Maybe first off, just wanted to try and put a finer point on the full year guidance. Is it fair to say that the sort of core EBITDA guide is essentially unchanged and it's really a kind of share count driven guide? Maybe help us understand what the share count assumption is now at the sort of guidance midpoint, and I think the guidance bears no extra buybacks beyond today. Just wanted to check that.

Speaker #12: Hi . Good morning . Thanks very much for the question . Maybe first off , just wanted to try and put a finer point on the full year guidance .

Speaker #12: So is it fair to say that the sort of core EBITDA guide is essentially unchanged ? And it's really a kind of share count driven guide and maybe help us understand what the share count assumption is now at the sort of guidance midpoint .

Speaker #12: And I think the guide embeds no extra buybacks beyond today . I just wanted to check that . .

Jason Conley: That's correct. Yeah. We had about $200 million of share repurchase between the end of the quarter and today. I think as I mentioned, but the ending share count for Q1 is 102.4, and then you've got some obviously dilution to add on top of that. That's what we're assuming. Yeah, you're right. We've mainly flown through the Q1 beat and then the buyback activity for the balance of the year.

Speaker #5: That's correct . Yeah . So we had about a couple hundred million of share repurchase between the end of the quarter and today .

Speaker #5: And so I think , as I mentioned with the ending share count for Q1 is 102.4 . And then you've got some obviously dilution to to add on top of that .

Speaker #5: So that's what we're assuming . But yeah , you're right . It's we mainly flown through the , first quarter beat and then the , the buyback activity for the balance of the year

Neil Hunn: Yeah, the Q1 beat for us, Julian, was partially from operating and partially buyback.

Jason Conley: Yeah.

Speaker #1: In the first quarter for us , Julian was partially from our model operating and partially buyback . Yeah . For the year .

Julian Mitchell: That's helpful. Thank you. Within the network business, DAT has had a very tough sort of demand or macro backdrop, and it's been executing well within that. Finally, the last six months, there's better signals in the freight markets in the US. Maybe sort of flesh out a little bit more what you're seeing in that business, and sort of what's dialed in for that transport link business in the US for the balance of the year, please?

Speaker #12: That's helpful . Thank you . And within the network business , you know dad has had a very tough sort of demand on macro backdrop .

Speaker #12: And it's been executing well within that . Finally , the last six months , there's better signals in the freight markets in the US , maybe sort of flesh out a little bit more what you're seeing in that business and sort of what's dialed in for , for that transport link business in the US for the balance of the year , please .

Neil Hunn: Yeah. As we mentioned in the call, we're not in the guide. There's not an assumption for improvement. Also, I'll just double-click a little bit on the prepared comment. For the first time in, I'll look at Jason, in a couple, three years, we've had the carrier count side of the network increased, which is certainly a green shoot that we've been waiting quite a time. Now, we've had some head fakes in truck quarter on that number, in the past, and so we're gonna remain cautious. Also, the input cost or diesel cost, certainly not helpful, so carrier margins or profitability would be a little bit challenging. We're cautiously optimistic that there might be a freight recovery. Rejection rates got better. The rates got better, as we talked about, 20% or 30% better.

Speaker #1: Yeah . So as we mentioned in the call , we're not in the guide . There's not an assumption for improvement . Also , I'll just double click a little bit on the prepared comments .

Speaker #1: So for the first time in I'm looking at Json in a couple , three years , we've had carrier , the carrier count side of the network increased , which is certainly a green shoot that we've been , we have been waiting quite , quite a time now .

Speaker #1: We've had some head fakes on the head fakes in the quarter on that number in the past . And so we're going to remain cautious .

Speaker #1: Also , the the input costs of diesel costs you know certainly not helpful . So carrier margins are profitability would be a little bit challenging .

Speaker #1: And so but we're cautiously optimistic that there might be a freight recovery in rejection rates . Got better . The rates got better .

Neil Hunn: We'll see how it plays out, but we've underwritten no improvement in the outlook.

Speaker #1: As we talked about 20 or 30% better . So we'll see how it plays out . But we've underwritten no improvement in the outlook .

Julian Mitchell: That's great. Thank you.

Neil Hunn: Yep.

Operator: Your next question comes from Deane Dray with RBC Capital Markets. Your line is now open.

Speaker #12: That's great. Thank you.

Speaker #13: Yep .

Speaker #3: Your next question comes from DeAndre with RBC Capital Markets . Your line is now open .

Kenneth Seymour: Thank you. This is Kenny Seymour in for Dean. I wanted to ask about Neptune business. One of your peers has some meaningful project delays, disruption in the quarter for their water meter business. Have you seen anything similar in terms of the industry dynamic or even any market share changes during the quarter?

Speaker #14: Thank you . This is Kenny on for Dean . I wanted to ask about Neptune business . So one of your peers has some meaningful project delays disruption in the quarter for their water meter business .

Speaker #14: Have you seen anything similar in terms of the industry dynamic or even any market share changes during the quarter ?

Neil Hunn: Yeah, I appreciate the question. For us in our Neptune business, we would say largely, no. We've not seen any project delays. Now, the backdrop on that's slightly different than the competitor you described. Now, Neptune plays in the segments that are on the smaller municipalities. We have never had a large amount of project-based work, generally speaking. It's really not an apples to apples sort of question. The other part of this is we had pretty decent short-cycle demand in the quarter. I think that's largely because we, and I'm not commenting about our competitor because we don't know their business the way they do, but we and Neptune did a good job managing channel inventory in 2025. The hope or expectation is we'll be able to ship closer to retail in 2026 on the short cycle side.

Speaker #1: Yeah , appreciate the question . So for us on our Neptune business , we would say largely no , we've not seen a project , any project delays .

Speaker #1: Now the backdrop on that is slightly different than the competitor described . In Neptune plays in the segments that are on the smaller municipalities .

Speaker #1: So it's we do we have never had a large amount of project based work . Generally speaking . So it's really not an apples to apples sort of question .

Speaker #1: The other part of this is we had pretty decent sort of short cycle demand in the quarter . And I think that's largely because we and I'm not commenting about our competitor because we don't know their business the way they do , but we in Neptune did a good job managing channel inventory in 2025 .

Speaker #1: And so the hope expectation is we'll be able to ship closer to retail in 2026 . On the short cycle side , I think we saw that play out at least early in the year in Q1

Neil Hunn: I think we saw that play out at least early in the year in Q1.

Kenneth Seymour: Thank you. If I just could have a follow-up. If you could unpack the cost pressure dynamics for the Neptune business or even at the overall TEP segment level, either in the magnitude or the timeline to offsetting those, that would be helpful as we think about the segment's incremental margins moving forward.

Speaker #14: Thank you . If I just have a follow up , if you just if you could unpack the cost pressure dynamics for the Neptune business or even at the overall tab segment level , either in the magnitude or the timeline to offsetting those , that would be helpful as we kind of think about the segments incremental margins moving forward .

Neil Hunn: Sure. I'll take a crack at this, but I definitely want to ask Jason to sort of correct and amplify anything. On Neptune, it's really the ingot cost. What we decided to do, I think Don and the team did a very wise thing here. We did, you remember Q3, really July of last year, we pushed the, call it tariff or a raw material surcharge into the market that really had a negative demand impact in the short run. The signal from the customer was, "Hey, we certainly appreciate, we've got onboard global price inflation, but we'd rather do it through regular way pricing versus surcharging." We expect, by the way, ingot cost. The baseline assumption we have is ingot cost is going to stay high.

Speaker #1: Sure . Let me I'll take a crack at this , but I want to ask Jason to sort of correct and sort of amplify anything .

Speaker #1: So Neptune , it's , it's , it's really the , the end cost and what we decided to do , I think the team did a very sort of wise thing here .

Speaker #1: We did . I remember three . Q really , July of last year . We pushed the sort of a call it tariff or a raw material sort of surcharge into the market .

Speaker #1: It really had a , a negative demand impact in the short run . The signal from the customer was , hey , we certainly appreciate , you know , we've got we've got on board sort of global price inflation , but we'd rather do it through regular way pricing versus surcharging .

Speaker #1: And so we will sort of we expect , by the way , ain't cost the baseline assumption we have is ingot cost is going to stay high .

Neil Hunn: I mean, this is with all the data centers and just the demand for copper, this is a derivative impact of that. Our baseline assumption is this input cost is going to stay high for a while, so it'll just be corrected or the margin will be captured through regular way pricing, which takes a couple quarters to work through backlog and get into the market. We're taking a longer view on that. In terms of the balance of the segment, it's both Northern Digital and it's Verathon. These are businesses that are, per our strategy, per the market opportunity, are becoming more recurring in nature, recurring consumables, which is a great thing about the predictability of growth and the absolute levels of growth in the businesses. The consumables come with a lower GP percentage.

Speaker #1: I mean , this is with all the data centers and just the demand for copper . And this is a derivative impact to that .

Speaker #1: So our baseline assumption is this input cost is going to stay high for a while . So it'll just be corrected . Or the margin will be captured through regulatory pricing which takes a couple of quarters to sort of work through backlog and get into the market .

Speaker #1: So we're taking a longer view on that in terms of the balance of the segment , it's really it's both northern digital and it's and it's verathon .

Speaker #1: These are businesses that are , you know , per our strategy , per the market opportunity are becoming more reoccurring in nature . Reoccurring consumables , which is a great thing about the predictability of growth and the absolute levels of growth in the businesses .

Neil Hunn: GP dollars are going up, but GP percentages may be a little pressured on those two businesses. Now, they also do a very good job managing below GP to EBITDA or OP, where we don't think there'll be a lot of OP compression over a long arc of time because they do have natural leverage in the business. Those are the dynamics at play. Jason, anything you want to amplify there?

Speaker #1: But the consumables come with a lower GDP percentage. So GDP dollars are going up, but GDP percentages may be a little pressured on those two businesses.

Speaker #1: Now, they also do a very good job managing below GPD EBITDA or OP, where we don't think there'll be a lot of OPP compression over the long arc of time, because they do have natural leverage in the business.

Jason Conley: No, I think you covered it. Thanks. Thank you.

Jason Conley: No, I think you covered it. Thanks.

Speaker #1: Those are the dynamics at play . Jason , anything you want to amplify there ?

Kenneth Seymour: Thank you.

Speaker #5: No , I think you covered it . Thanks

Operator: This concludes our question and answer session. We will now return back to Zack Moxcey for any closing remarks.

Speaker #14: Thank you

Speaker #3: This concludes our question and answer session . We will now return back to Zack Moxcey for any closing remarks .

Zack Moxcey: Thanks, everyone, for joining us today. We look forward to speaking with you during our next earnings call.

Speaker #15: Thanks , everyone , for joining us today . We look forward to speaking with you during our next earnings call .

Operator: The conference has now concluded. Thank you for attending today's presentation. You may now disconnect.

Q1 2026 Roper Technologies Inc Earnings Call

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