Fortive Expands Buybacks, Announces Pro Rata Ralliant Stock Dividend

Core Viewpoint - Fortive Corporation is significantly expanding its share repurchase efforts, indicating strong confidence in its long-term growth prospects and disciplined capital allocation strategy [1] Share Repurchase Program - The board of directors has authorized an increase of approximately 15.63 million shares under its general share repurchase program, bringing the total number of shares available for buyback to 20 million, including 4.37 million shares from prior authorizations [2] - The general repurchase program is open-ended with no expiration date, allowing Fortive to repurchase shares at its discretion over time [2] - A Special Purpose Share Repurchase Program has been introduced, permitting the company to repurchase up to $550 million of its common stock using proceeds from the anticipated $1.15 billion pre-separation dividend from Ralliant Corporation [3] Spin-off and Share Distribution - Fortive's board has approved the distribution of 100% of the outstanding shares of Ralliant Corporation to Fortive shareholders through a pro rata dividend, scheduled for June 28, 2025 [4] - Shareholders of record as of June 16, 2025, will receive one share of Ralliant common stock for every three shares of Fortive common stock owned [4] Financial Strategy and Performance - Management has allocated about 75% of its free cash flow toward share repurchases since announcing the spin-off last year, emphasizing a balanced, value-driven capital deployment strategy post-separation [5] - In the first quarter, the company repurchased 2.5 million shares, maintaining a consistent pace of buybacks [6] - Fortive remains committed to using free cash flow for additional share repurchases as it progresses with the anticipated spin-off, which is a positive signal for stock price appreciation [7] Challenges and Guidance - The company has revised its 2025 guidance due to a delayed recovery in Precision Technologies and global tariff impacts, estimating gross tariff costs of $190–$220 million, primarily from China [8] - For the second quarter, adjusted EPS is estimated to be 85-90 cents, including tariff headwinds, which are expected to weigh on adjusted operating margins [8] Market Performance - Fortive currently has a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), with shares losing 2.8% in the past year compared to no change for the Zacks Electronics - Testing Equipment industry [9]