BorgWarner's net sales were flat in the first quarter, while organic growth fell 4.2% amid lower market production and top-line pressure in the battery energy systems segment. Underlying adjusted operating margin improved by 50 basis points to 10.5%, just below management’s full-year target range.
Among a risk-averse customer base, BorgWarner’s decades of trustworthy product delivery has created a strong brand moat source that we believe will carry over into the supply of EV parts.
Bears
Increasing exposure to Chinese OEMs can impair BorgWarner's switching cost moat source over time, given the OEMs' greater efficiency, faster pace of innovation, and shorter contracts.
BorgWarner is a tier one supplier of turbo and thermal management technologies, drivetrain systems, powerdrive systems, and battery and charging systems mostly to automotive original equipment manufacturers. Its products aim to move a vehicle with as few electrons as possible, resulting in cleaner, cost-optimized, and more-efficient vehicles. Foundational products, the combustion vehicle business, contributes more than 80% to group revenue while BorgWarner transitions to becoming an electric vehicle-centric parts supplier (e-business). In 2024, 23% of the company’s revenue was sourced from Volkswagen and Ford. Revenue is well diversified geographically, with approximately a third each generated in North America, Europe, and Asia.