Watts Water(US:WTS) ZACKS·2025-11-06 16:15Core Insights - Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (WTS) reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.50, an increase from $2.03 in the prior-year quarter, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.2% [1][9] - The company's quarterly net sales rose 13% year over year to $611.7 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.9% [1][9] - Organic sales increased by 9% year over year, driven by favorable pricing, volume, and pull-forward demand [1][9] Acquisition and Integration - In the third quarter, WTS acquired Haws Corporation, enhancing its emergency safety and hydration solutions capabilities [2] - Integration and synergy efforts across Bradley, Josam, I-CON, and EasyWater are progressing ahead of expectations [2] Regional Performance - The Americas segment saw net sales increase by 1% to $464 million, with organic sales jumping 13% [5] - Europe reported net sales growth of 4% year over year to $112 million, but organic sales decreased by 2% [6] - APMEA experienced a 1% decline in net sales to $36 million, with organic sales remaining flat [7] Financial Performance - Gross profit increased by 16.1% year over year to $298.4 million, while operating income rose by 19.5% to $111.4 million [10] - Adjusted operating margin expanded by 110 basis points to 18.2%, driven by favorable pricing and productivity gains [11] Cash Flow and Liquidity - For the nine months ended September 28, 2025, WTS generated $247.3 million in cash from operating activities, up from $221.6 million in the prior-year period [12] - Free cash flow for the same period was $216 million, compared to $204.2 million a year ago [13] Guidance - WTS raised its full-year 2025 sales guidance to an expected increase of 7%-8%, up from the previous range of 2%-5% [16] - Adjusted EBITDA margin is now forecasted to be between 21.5% and 21.6%, indicating an improvement of 140 to 150 basis points [17] Stock Performance - Shares of WTS have gained 33.1% over the past year, significantly outperforming the Zacks Instruments - Control industry, which grew by 4.8% [4]