Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions) Your first question comes from Nigel Coe - Deutsche Bank Securities.
Nigel Coe - Deutsche Bank Securities
A question on margins. I thought the underlying margin performance was very, very good during the quarter. Anything you think about in terms of sustainability of that kind of margin performance? You know, [DEC MEM] was about 18% overall if you take out restructuring. Anything we need to think about in terms of whether that run rate sustains?
Robert A. Livingston
Well, we believe it is sustainable and we actually believe our margin performance will improve slightly during the year.
Nigel Coe - Deutsche Bank Securities
What about pricing during the quarter? We didn't talk about pricing. What sort of trend do you see there, specifically within your energy businesses?
Robert A. Livingston
Price management overall for Dover has received a fair amount of attention, increased attention, over the last couple of years. That attention and focus has, I would say, been even a bit more at the forefront in the fourth quarter and during the first quarter. We are seeing some moderate price pressure around Dover. Input costs have been coming down for the last few months.
Within the energy group specifically, the price pressure has probably been a little bit more severe than in other parts of our business, but Nigel, take a look back at the margins that we have posted here for Fluid Management in the first quarter. I think we're doing a very good job of managing both the price and our output cost delta.
Robert G. Kuhbach
Nigel, I would add one comment. I would say in general in the industrial space, not just Dover but I think most industrial companies, recognize in this climate of severe economic downturn that for most of them they're willing to accept a lower volume, lower revenue levels and maintaining margin rather than thinking of pricing as a weapon to engage in higher sales levels or maintaining sales levels.
So in general I think the pricing environment we have experienced, while it's still challenging, has been somewhat more encouraging from the standpoint that there are not as many people out there who think that they can slash price and maintain share or maintain sales levels.
Nigel Coe - Deutsche Bank Securities
So just to recap, price inflation was positive during the quarter. And does that stay positive for the rest of the year?
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