Honeywell's Mixed Q3: EPS Beats, Misses On Sales, And Lowers FY24 Revenue Outlook
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 24 2024
0mins
Source: Benzinga
Third-Quarter Results: Honeywell reported a 6% year-over-year revenue growth to $9.728 billion, missing expectations, while adjusted EPS rose 8% to $2.58, surpassing estimates. The company also revised its FY24 sales guidance down to $38.6-$38.8 billion.
Future Outlook and Strategy: CEO Vimal Kapur highlighted ongoing portfolio optimization efforts, including plans to spin off Advanced Materials and exit the PPE business, alongside strong order rates and backlog growth, despite current sales headwinds.
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Analyst Views on HON
Wall Street analysts forecast HON stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 219.120
Low
195.00
Averages
235.07
High
262.00
Current: 219.120
Low
195.00
Averages
235.07
High
262.00
About HON
Honeywell International Inc. is an integrated operating company serving a range of industries and geographies around the world, with a portfolio that is underpinned by its Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge platform. The Company provides actionable solutions for aerospace, building automation, industrial automation, process automation, and process technology. The Company supplies products, software, and services for aircrafts that it sells to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other customers in a variety of end markets. The Company’s portfolio of solutions and services is used in buildings worldwide for fire prevention, controls, access and security. Its offerings serve as the fundamental building blocks of industrial automation. Its sensor technologies and value-added smart edge devices offer connectivity across a variety of sensing and measurement applications. The Company offers a comprehensive portfolio of end-to-end process automation solutions.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Acquisition Strategy Shift: The company has narrowed its acquisition target range to $2 billion to $4 billion from a previous range of $1 billion to $7 billion, reflecting a more cautious approach in its M&A strategy to optimize capital allocation and risk management.
- Historical Acquisition Overview: Over the past few years, Honeywell has spent about $14 billion on roughly 10 acquisitions, primarily focusing on bolt-on deals valued between $1 billion and $2 billion, demonstrating its ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify its business structure.
- Clear Strategic Direction: While larger acquisitions remain a possibility, CEO Vimal Kapur stated that the company currently sees no necessity to deviate from its fundamental strategy, emphasizing its robustness and forward-looking approach in M&A activities.
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- Market Opportunity: Peter Lau, president of Honeywell's Industrial Automation unit, highlighted the fragmented nature of the market, suggesting that there are numerous M&A opportunities that could enhance the company's competitive positioning.
- Strategic Shift: The company has narrowed its preferred acquisition size from $1 billion-$7 billion to $2 billion-$4 billion, reflecting a preference for more targeted and manageable deals while continuing to prioritize debt reduction and shareholder returns.
- Portfolio Simplification: As Honeywell prepares for the separation of its aerospace business, it is actively working to simplify its portfolio, which will allow for a sharper focus on core operations and improved overall efficiency.
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- Labor Shortage Challenges: Kapur highlighted that businesses are facing a shortage of skilled workers, and with an aging population and slowing workforce growth, this issue may worsen in the future, prompting companies to turn to AI and automation for efficiency.
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- Demand Driven by Labor Shortages: As labor shortages and aging populations intensify, the demand for automation is rising, with Kapur noting that the net workforce is expected to decline, necessitating reliance on AI and automation for efficiency.
- Focus on Automation Business: Honeywell plans to spin off its aerospace business on June 29, concentrating on automation, with Kapur emphasizing that the introduction of AI significantly enhances the value of these systems, enabling better decision-making and automating previously manual tasks.
- Shift in Customer Perspective: Kapur mentioned that customers are increasingly viewing technology not just as a cost-cutting tool but as a revenue-generating opportunity, positioning Honeywell advantageously to leverage this trend due to its deep domain expertise and extensive operational data.
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- Honeywell Investor Day: Ahead of its planned breakup into aerospace and automation businesses on June 29, Honeywell held an investor day, where Jim expressed optimism about the long-term value creation potential of the automation segment, arguing that the market is underestimating this opportunity, with a potential upside of 50 points post-restructuring.
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