Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights
Fourth quarter 2025 performance relative to fourth quarter 2024
Sales of $625 million increased 16% on a reported basis and 8% on an organic basis. Organic sales increased primarily due to favorable price and an additional shipping day in the quarter. Incremental acquisition sales within the Americas and APMEA were $29 million and contributed 6% to reported growth. Favorable foreign exchange movements increased sales by $10 million, or 2%.
Operating margin increased 170 basis points on a reported basis and 220 basis points on an adjusted basis. Operating and adjusted operating margin increased primarily due to favorable price and productivity which more than offset inflation, investments and tariffs. Operating margin was unfavorably impacted by an increase in acquisition-related charges and restructuring charges.
Regional Performance
Americas
Sales of $467 million increased 17% on a reported basis and 10% on an organic basis, primarily due to favorable price and an additional shipping day. Acquisitions contributed $27 million of incremental sales, or 7%, to reported growth.
Segment margin increased 150 basis points as benefits from price realization and productivity more than offset inflation, tariffs, and acquisition dilution.
Europe
Sales of $120 million increased 10% on a reported basis and 1% on an organic basis. Sales growth was due to favorable foreign exchange movements, which increased reported sales by 9%. Organic sales increased as a result of favorable price and an additional shipping day partially offset by lower volumes due to continued market weakness.
Segment margin increased 490 basis points as price, productivity, and restructuring actions more than offset inflation.
APMEA
Sales of $39 million increased 15% on a reported basis and 9% on an organic basis, with growth across all major countries in the segment. The acquisition of Saudi Cast contributed $2 million of incremental sales, or 6%, to reported growth.
Segment margin decreased 20 basis points as inflation and affiliate volume deleverage more than offset benefits from productivity and acquisition accretion.
Cash Flow and Capital Allocation
For full year 2025, operating cash flow was $402 million and net capital expenditures were $46 million, resulting in free cash flow of $356 million. For full year 2024, operating cash flow was $361 million and net capital expenditures were $29 million, resulting in free cash flow of $332 million. Operating and free cash flow increased due to higher net income and lower tax payments as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, partially offset by higher inventory driven by strategic investment and incremental tariffs. Free cash flow was also unfavorably impacted by an increase in net capital expenditures, partly due to proceeds from the sale of properties in the prior year.
For the fourth quarter of 2025, the Company repurchased approximately 15,000 shares of Class A common stock at a cost of $4.2 million. For full year 2025, the Company repurchased approximately 67,000 shares at a cost of $16.0 million. Approximately $129 million remains available under the stock repurchase program authorized in 2023. There is no expiration date for this program.
Full Year 2026 Outlook
The Company anticipates full year 2026 sales growth to range from up 8% to up 12% on a reported basis and up 2% to up 6% on an organic basis. Full year operating margin is expected to be between 18.8% and 19.4%, or up 40 basis points to up 100 basis points, and adjusted operating margin is expected to be between 19.1% and 19.7%, or down 50 basis points to up 10 basis points.
Further 2026 planning assumptions are included in the fourth quarter earnings materials posted in the Investor Relations section of our website at www.watts.com.
For a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP items and a statement regarding the usefulness of these measures to investors and management in evaluating our operating performance, please see the tables attached to this press release.
