Watts Water Technologies Inc.

05/07/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/07/2026 08:21

Quarterly Report for Quarter Ending March 29, 2026 (Form 10-Q)

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements contain projections of our future results of operations or our financial position or state other forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including without limitation statements regarding our business performance and strategy, including, without limitation, expected financial results, benefits from recent acquisitions and future acquisitions, expected investments in capital expenditures, expected impacts from legislation, impacts of the invalidation of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA"), and our ability to manage challenging macro-economic and softer market conditions, including impacts from tariffs and the conflict in the Middle East, are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," and "would" or similar words. You should not rely on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. These risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that might cause these differences are described under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should carefully review all of these factors, and you should be aware that there may be other factors that could cause these differences. These forward-looking statements were based on information, plans and estimates at the date of this report, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events or other changes.

Overview

The following discussion and analysis is provided to increase the understanding of, and should be read in conjunction with, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes. In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, references to "the Company," "Watts," "we," "us" or "our" refer to Watts Water Technologies, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

We are a leading supplier of products and solutions that manage and conserve the flow of fluids and energy into, through and out of buildings in the commercial, industrial and residential markets in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa ("APMEA"). For over 150 years, we have designed and produced valve systems that safeguard and regulate water systems, energy efficient heating and hydronic systems, drainage systems and water filtration technology that helps purify and conserve water. We earn revenue and income primarily from the sale of our products. Our principal product and solution categories include:

Residential and commercial flow control and protection-includes products and solutions typically sold into plumbing and hot water applications such as backflow preventers, water pressure regulators, temperature and pressure relief valves, thermostatic mixing valves, leak detection and protection products, commercial washroom solutions, hydration solutions and emergency safety products and equipment. Many of our flow control and protection products are now smart and connected enabled, warning of leaks, floods, freezing temperatures and other hazards with alerts to Building Management Systems ("BMS") and/or personal devices giving our customers greater insight into their water management and the ability to shut off the water supply to avoid waste and mitigate damage.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning ("HVAC") and gas-includes commercial, institutional and industrial high-efficiency boilers, water heaters and heating solutions, hydronic and electric heating systems for under floor radiant applications, custom heat and hot water solutions, hydronic pump groups for boiler manufacturers and alternative energy control packages, and flexible stainless steel connectors for natural and liquid propane gas in commercial food service and residential applications. Most of our HVAC products and solutions feature advanced controls enabling customers to easily connect to the BMS for better monitoring, control and operation.

Drainage and water re-use-includes drainage products and engineered rainwater harvesting solutions for commercial, industrial, marine and residential applications, including connected roof drain systems.

Water quality-includes point-of-use, point-of-entry, closed loop, cooling tower, and other water applications used for water filtration, monitoring, conditioning and scale prevention systems for commercial, marine, light industrial and residential applications.

Our business is reported in three geographic segments: Americas, Europe, and APMEA. We distribute our products through four primary distribution channels: wholesale, original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs"), specialty, and do-it-yourself ("DIY").

We believe the factors relating to our future growth include continued product innovation that meets the needs of our customers and our end markets; our ability to continue to make selective acquisitions, both in our core markets as well as in complementary markets; regulatory requirements relating to the quality and conservation of water and the safe use of water; increased demand for clean water; and continued enforcement of plumbing and building codes. Our acquisition strategy focuses on businesses that promote our key macro themes around safety and regulation, energy efficiency and water conservation. We target businesses that we believe will provide us with one or more of the following: an entry into new markets and/or new geographies, improved channel access, unique and/or proprietary technologies, including smart and connected technologies, advanced production capabilities or complementary solution offerings. We have completed 17 acquisitions since 2016, and eight acquisitions in the last three years, all of which were strategic and complementary acquisitions that expanded our addressable market and that we believe will enable value creation through greater scale and growth opportunities.

Our innovation strategy is focused on differentiated products and solutions that will provide greater opportunity to distinguish ourselves in the marketplace, while at the same time creating innovative products and smart solutions to protect, control, and conserve critical resources, and help our customers with their sustainability efforts through the use of our products. We continually look for strategic opportunities to invest in new products and markets or divest existing product lines where necessary in order to meet those objectives.

Over the past several years we have been building our smart and connected products foundation by expanding our internal capabilities and making strategic acquisitions. Our strategy is to deliver superior customer value through smart and connected products and intelligent water solutions. This strategy focuses on three dimensions: Connect, Control and Conserve. We are focused on introducing products that connect our customers with smart systems, manage systems for optimal performance, and conserve critical resources by increasing operability, efficiency and safety.

Products representing a majority of our sales are subject to regulatory standards and code enforcement, which typically require that these products meet stringent performance criteria. We have consistently advocated for the development and enforcement of such plumbing codes. We are focused on maintaining stringent quality control and testing procedures at each of our manufacturing facilities in order to manufacture products in compliance with code requirements and take advantage of the resulting demand for compliant products. We believe that product development, product testing capability and investment in plant and equipment needed to manufacture products in compliance with code requirements, represent a competitive advantage for us.

Tariffs imposed on foreign imports into the United States have increased the cost of our products and could adversely impact the gross profit we earn on our products. We are proactively managing changes in tariffs and supply disruptions by leveraging our global sourcing strategy, driving incremental productivity within our operations and implementing pricing actions as appropriate. We expect that our significant degree of vertical integration, with manufacturing close to our customers, will be an advantage for us in the current environment. We have a proven track record of successfully navigating through periods of disruption and we are committed to continuing our strong execution. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to fully mitigate the impact of new or increased tariffs and actions taken by the United States or other countries could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tariffs imposed under IEEPA were not authorized by the statute. We are the importer of record for certain raw materials, components and products that were previously subject to such tariffs under IEEPA. Significant uncertainty remains regarding how and when any amounts may be recovered. We are evaluating the ruling and potential actions available to us. Because the process, timing, and amount of any recovery are uncertain, we have not recorded any potential benefit from a refund at this time. We will continue to monitor developments and evaluate potential impacts on our future financial results and business. Further, following the

Supreme Court's ruling invalidating IEEPA tariffs, the U.S. government imposed new and revised tariffs under various other regimes.

We continue to closely monitor impacts to our business, customers, suppliers, employees, and operations in the Middle East due to the conflict in Iran and increased regional instability and tensions. Our operations and our suppliers' operations in the region have not been materially impacted, although we could experience future impacts as the conflict continues. We also continue to monitor uncertainties related to energy costs and availability. Given the volatile nature of the situation, the potential impacts to our business are subject to change. We also continue to experience inflation in our material, labor and overhead costs. Despite these challenges and uncertainties, we continue to invest in our business, including new products, our smart and connected solutions and our growth and productivity initiatives. We remain focused on our customers' needs and executing our long-term strategy.

The trade policy environment and recent geopolitical events have created uncertainty which may result in reduced economic activity. However, gross domestic product ("GDP") is expected to remain positive and is generally a leading indicator for our repair and replacement business. New construction indicators are mixed. Multi-family and single-family housing, office, retail and recreation verticals are expected to be down, but light industrial, including data centers, is growing and institutional verticals remain steady. The European economy remains weak and geopolitical uncertainties continue, all of which may adversely affect our future financial results.

Financial Overview

First quarter 2026 sales increased 21.4%, or $119.3 million, on a reported basis, and 11.9%, or $66.6 million, on an organic basis, compared to the first quarter of 2025. The reported sales increase included acquired sales of 6.6%, or $36.6 million, with $30.7 million reported within the Americas segment and $5.9 million reported within APMEA. The reported sales increase also included the favorable impact of foreign exchange of $16.1 million, primarily due to the depreciation of the U.S. dollar against the euro. The 11.9% organic growth was driven by organic growth in the Americas of 15.5%, Europe of 0.5% and APMEA of 3.4%. The organic growth was primarily driven by favorable price realization and incremental volume, primarily in the Americas driven by data center growth. Operating income of $133.0 million increased by $45.3 million, or 51.7%, in the first quarter of 2026 as compared to the first quarter of 2025. This increase was primarily driven by favorable price realization, productivity and volume leverage partially offset by inflation, investments and tariffs.

In discussing our results of operations, segment earnings is the GAAP performance measure used by our chief operating decision-maker ("CODM") to assess and evaluate segment results. Segment earnings exclude the impacts of special items which are defined as non-recurring, and unusual expenses or benefits, such as restructuring costs and acquisition-related costs. The CODM uses segment earnings for insight into underlying trends comparing past financial performance with current performance by reporting segment on a consistent basis.

In addition, we refer to non-GAAP organic changes in financial measures, including organic net sales, organic net sales growth, organic selling, general and administrative expenses, and organic segment earnings, that exclude the impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange. Management believes reporting these non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors, potential investors and others, because it allows for additional insight into underlying trends by providing growth on a consistent basis. We reconcile the change in these non-GAAP financial measures to our reported results below.

Recent Developments

On May 4, 2026, the Company declared a quarterly dividend of sixty-three cents ($0.63) per share on each outstanding share of Class A common stock and Class B common stock payable on June 15, 2026 to stockholders of record on June 1, 2026.

Results of Operations

First Quarter Ended March 29, 2026 Compared to First Quarter Ended March 30, 2025

Net Sales. Our business is reported in three geographic segments: Americas, Europe and APMEA. Our net sales in each of these segments for each of the first quarters of 2026 and 2025 were as follows:

First Quarter Ended

% Change to

March 29, 2026

March 30, 2025

Consolidated

​ ​ ​

Net Sales

​ ​ ​

% Sales

​ ​ ​

Net Sales

​ ​ ​

% Sales

​ ​ ​

Change

​ ​ ​

Net Sales

(dollars in millions)

Americas

$

515.1

76.1

%

$

418.1

74.9

%

$

97.0

17.4

%

Europe

121.4

17.9

108.4

19.4

13.0

2.3

APMEA

40.8

6.0

31.5

5.7

9.3

1.7

Total

$

677.3

100.0

%

$

558.0

100.0

%

$

119.3

21.4

%

The change in net sales was attributable to the following:

Change As a %

Change As a %

of Consolidated Net Sales

of Segment Net Sales

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

Americas

Europe

APMEA

Total

Americas

Europe

APMEA

Total

Americas

Europe

APMEA

(dollars in millions)

Organic

$

65.0

$

0.5

$

1.1

$

66.6

11.6

%

0.1

%

0.2

%

11.9

%

15.5

%

0.5

%

3.4

%

Foreign exchange

1.3

12.5

2.3

16.1

0.3

2.2

0.4

2.9

0.3

11.5

7.4

Acquired

30.7

-

5.9

36.6

5.5

-

1.1

6.6

7.4

-

18.7

Total

$

97.0

$

13.0

$

9.3

$

119.3

17.4

%

2.3

%

1.7

%

21.4

%

23.2

%

12.0

%

29.5

%

Our products are sold primarily to wholesalers, OEMs, DIY chains, and through various specialty channels. The change in organic net sales by channel was attributable to the following:

Change As a %

of Prior Year Sales (*)

​ ​ ​

Wholesale

​ ​ ​

OEMs

​ ​ ​

DIY

​ ​ ​

Specialty

​ ​ ​

Total

​ ​ ​

Wholesale

​ ​ ​

OEMs

​ ​ ​

DIY

Specialty

(dollars in millions)

Americas

$

50.9

$

(0.4)

$

0.1

$

14.4

$

65.0

19.1

%

(1.6)

%

0.5

%

13.6

%

Europe

0.6

(0.1)

-

-

0.5

0.8

(0.3)

-

-

APMEA

0.1

1.1

-

(0.1)

1.1

0.4

73.3

-

(1.4)

Total

$

51.6

$

0.6

$

0.1

$

14.3

$

66.6

14.1

%

1.0

%

0.5

%

12.7

%

* Segment change as a % of segment net sales by channel and Total change as a % of consolidated net sales by channel.

Americas net sales increased $97.0 million, or 23.2%, for the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025. The change in net sales was positively impacted by $30.7 million, or 7.4%, of acquired sales related to acquisitions completed during 2025, and was positively impacted by $1.3 million, or 0.3%, of foreign currency translation. Organic net sales increased $65.0 million, or 15.5%, primarily due to favorable price realization and incremental volume driven by data center growth.

Europe net sales increased $13.0 million, or 12.0%, for the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025. The increase in net sales was positively impacted by favorable foreign currency translation of $12.5 million, or 11.5%. Organic net sales increased $0.5 million, or 0.5%, primarily due to favorable price realization partially offset by a slight decline in volume.

APMEA net sales increased $9.3 million, or 29.5%, for the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025. The change in net sales was positively impacted by $5.9 million, or 18.7%, of acquired sales related to an acquisition completed in the fourth quarter of 2025, and was positively impacted by $2.3 million, or 7.4%, of foreign currency translation. Organic net sales increased $1.1 million, or 3.4%, primarily due to growth in China, Australia and New Zealand partially offset by a decline in the Middle East.

The net increase in net sales due to foreign exchange was mostly due to the favorable impact of the depreciation of the U.S. dollar against the euro, Australian dollar and Canadian dollar in the first quarter of 2026. We cannot predict whether foreign currencies will appreciate or depreciate against the U.S. dollar in future periods or whether future foreign exchange rate fluctuations will have a positive or negative impact on our net sales.

Gross Profit. Gross profit and gross profit as a percent of net sales (gross margin) for the first quarters of 2026 and 2025 were as follows:

First Quarter Ended

March 29, 2026

March 30, 2025

(dollars in millions)

Gross profit

$

326.1

$

272.5

Gross margin

48.1

%

48.8

%

Gross profit increased primarily due to higher price realization, productivity, volume leverage and acquisitions which more than offset inflation and tariffs. Gross margin declined primarily due to acquisition dilution.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses increased $25.4 million, or 15.2%, in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025. The increase in SG&A expenses was attributable to the following:

​ ​ ​

(in millions)

​ ​ ​

% Change

Organic

$

10.0

6.0

%

Foreign exchange

4.2

2.5

Acquired

11.2

6.7

Total

$

25.4

15.2

%

The increase in organic SG&A expenses was primarily due to general inflation of $4.1 million, an increase in strategic investments of $3.4 million, increased variable costs of $2.1 million due to higher net sales, a net increase in short-term and long-term compensation accruals of $1.2 million and $1.2 million in higher travel and marketing spend, partially offset by $2.4 million from productivity initiatives and restructuring savings compared to the first quarter of 2025. The increase in foreign exchange was mainly due to the depreciation of the U.S. dollar against the euro. The acquired SG&A costs related to acquisitions completed in 2025. Total SG&A expenses, as a percentage of net sales, were 28.5% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to 30.0% in the first quarter of 2025.

Restructuring. In the first quarter of 2026, we recorded a net restructuring charge of $0.2 million, which primarily related to the 2025 French restructuring program that was approved in the first quarter of 2025. In the first quarter of 2025, we recorded a net restructuring charge of $17.3 million, which included a $17.4 million charge related to the 2025 French restructuring program. For a more detailed description of our restructuring plans, see Note 6 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Operating Income. Operating income, which is made up of segment earnings, Corporate operating loss and special items, for the first quarters of 2026 and 2025 was as follows:

% Change to

​ ​ ​

First Quarter Ended

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

Consolidated

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

March 29,

March 30,

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Operating

2026

​ ​ ​

2025

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Change

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Income

(dollars in millions)

Americas

$

124.5

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

$

97.8

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

$

26.7

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

30.4

%

Europe

16.7

15.1

1.6

1.8

APMEA

7.5

5.5

2.0

2.3

Total segment earnings

$

148.7

$

118.4

$

30.3

34.5

%

Corporate operating loss

$

(12.8)

$

(12.3)

$

(0.5)

(0.6)

%

Segment special items

(2.9)

(18.4)

15.5

17.7

Total operating income

$

133.0

$

87.7

$

45.3

51.7

%

The increase (decrease) in total segment earnings was attributable to the following:

Change As a % of

Change As a % of

Total Segment Earnings

Segment Earnings

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

​ ​ ​

Americas

Europe

APMEA

Total

Americas

Europe

APMEA

Total

Americas

Europe

APMEA

(dollars in millions)

Organic

$

26.3

$

(0.1)

$

3.1

$

29.3

22.2

%

(0.1)

%

2.6

%

24.7

%

26.9

%

(0.7)

%

56.4

%

Foreign exchange

0.2

1.7

(2.3)

(0.4)

0.2

1.4

(1.9)

(0.3)

0.2

11.3

(41.8)

Acquired

0.2

-

1.2

1.4

0.2

-

1.0

1.2

0.2

-

21.8

Total

$

26.7

$

1.6

$

2.0

$

30.3

22.6

%

1.3

%

1.7

%

25.6

%

27.3

%

10.6

%

36.4

%

Operating income increased $45.3 million, or 51.7%, for the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025. Operating income was favorably impacted by a decrease in segment special items of $15.5 million, primarily relating to a decrease in restructuring charges, partially offset by an increase in acquisition-related costs in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025. The increase in organic operating income of $29.3 million, or 24.7%, was primarily due to higher price realization, incremental volume in the Americas mostly driven by data center growth and productivity savings, partially offset by inflation, tariffs and investments.

Interest Income. Interest income in the first quarter of 2026 decreased $0.6 million compared to the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to lower interest rates.

Interest Expense. Interest expense in the first quarter of 2026 decreased $0.1 million compared to the first quarter of 2025 due to a decrease in letters of credit outstanding. Refer to Note 11 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.

Other Expense, Net. Other expense, net, was an expense balance of $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2026 and increased $0.3 million compared to the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency translation.

Income Taxes. Our effective income tax rate increased to 24.2% in the first quarter of 2026, from 14.8% in the first quarter of 2025 primarily due to a reversal of a tax liability in the first quarter of 2025 relating to a prior tax year for which we determined the statute of limitations had lapsed.

Net Income. Net income was $99.6 million, or $2.97 per share of common stock on a diluted basis, for the first quarter of 2026, compared to $74.0 million, or $2.21 per share of common stock on a diluted basis, for the first quarter of 2025. Results for the first quarter of 2026 included after-tax charges of $2.1 million, or $0.06 per share of common stock, for acquisition-related costs and $0.1 million, or $0.01 per share of common stock, for restructuring. Results for the first quarter of 2025 included after-tax charges of $13.0 million, or $0.39 per share of common stock, for restructuring and $0.8 million, or $0.02 per share of common stock, for acquisition-related costs; offset by an after-tax benefit of $8.3 million, or $0.25 per share of common stock, for an income tax adjustment related to a lapsed statute tax liability.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We generated $17.9 million of net cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2026 compared to $55.2 million of net cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2025. The decrease in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily related to elevated working capital levels which more than offset higher net income. Working capital increases were due to higher accounts receivable attributable to higher net sales, higher inventory due to incremental tariffs and strategic inventory investments to support expected end-market demand, and higher annual customer rebates due to higher net sales and timing of payments.

We used $13.2 million of net cash for investing activities in the first quarter of 2026 compared to $79.9 million used in the first quarter of 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, we used $1.9 million in cash for business acquisitions related to immaterial purchase price adjustments for acquisitions completed in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to $70.3 million in cash for business acquisitions in our Americas segment in the first quarter 2025. Cash used for net capital expenditures in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025 increased $1.7 million. For the remainder of 2026, we expect to invest approximately $40 million to $50 million in capital expenditures as part of our ongoing commitment to improve our operating capabilities.

We used $34.8 million of net cash for financing activities during the first quarter of 2026 primarily due to dividend payments of $17.5 million, tax withholding payments on vested stock awards of $12.8 million and payments of $3.8 million to repurchase approximately 13,000 shares of Class A common stock. In the first quarter of 2025, we used $29.9

million of net cash for financing activities primarily due to dividend payments of $14.4 million, tax withholding payments on vested stock awards of $10.9 million and payments of $3.9 million to repurchase approximately 19,000 shares of Class A common stock.

On July 12, 2024, we entered into the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement by and among the Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company, the lenders and other parties from time to time parties thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (the "Credit Agreement"). The Credit Agreement amends and restates the prior Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 30, 2021 (as amended by that certain Amendment No. 1 date August 2, 2022 and Amendment No. 2 dated December 12, 2023), that establishes our senior unsecured revolving credit facility of $800 million (the "Revolving Credit Facility"). The Credit Agreement also contains an expansion option of $400.0 million. Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the maturity date of the Revolving Credit Facility is July 12, 2029, subject to extension under certain circumstances and subject to the terms of the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement provides for a maximum consolidated leverage ratio of 3.50 to 1.00 (or 4.00 to 1.00 during temporary step-ups following certain permitted acquisitions) and the minimum consolidated interest ratio of 3.50 to 1.00.

The Revolving Credit Facility also includes sub-limits of $100 million for letters of credit and $15 million for swing line loans. As of March 29, 2026, we had drawn down $200.0 million on this line of credit and had $12.2 million in letters of credit outstanding, which resulted in $587.8 million of unused and available credit under the Revolving Credit Facility as of such date. Borrowings outstanding bear interest at a fluctuating rate per annum equal to an applicable percentage defined as (i) in the case of Term Benchmark loans, the Term Benchmark rate plus an applicable percentage, ranging from 1.075% to 1.325%, or (ii) in the case of alternate base rate loans and swing line loans, interest (which at all times will not be less than 1.00%) at the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b) the FRBNY Rate in effect on such day plus 0.50% and (c) the Term Benchmark rate plus 1.00% for a one-month interest period, in each case, determined by reference to our consolidated leverage ratio. For the borrowings denominated in dollars, there is a fixed 10 basis point adjustment if the reference rate is Term SOFR. The weighted average interest rate on debt outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility as of March 29, 2026 was 4.85%. The weighted average interest rate on debt outstanding inclusive of the interest rate swaps discussed in Note 12 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and interest rates under the Revolving Credit Facility as of March 29, 2026 was 4.07%. In addition to paying interest under the Credit Agreement, we are also required to pay certain fees in connection with the Revolving Credit Facility, including, but not limited to, an unused facility fee and letter of credit fees. We may repay loans outstanding under the Credit Agreement from time to time without premium or penalty, other than customary breakage costs, if any, and subject to the terms of the Credit Agreement.

As of March 29, 2026, we held $374.7 million in cash and cash equivalents. Of this amount, $202.8 million of cash and cash equivalents were held by foreign subsidiaries. Our U.S. operations typically generate sufficient cash flows to meet our domestic obligations. We expect existing cash and cash equivalents and cash flows from operations and financing activities to be sufficient to meet our cash needs for at least the next 12 months and thereafter for the foreseeable future. However, if we did have to borrow to fund some or all of our expected cash outlays, we can do so at reasonable interest rates by utilizing the undrawn borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility. Subsequent to recording the Toll Tax as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, our intent, other than with respect to the one-time repatriation of foreign earnings in 2023, has been to permanently reinvest undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries, and we do not have any current plans to repatriate additional post-Toll Tax foreign earnings to fund operations in the United States. However, if amounts held by foreign subsidiaries were needed to fund operations in the United States, we could be required to accrue and pay taxes to repatriate these funds. Such charges may include potential state income taxes and other tax charges.

On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ("OBBBA") was enacted into law, introducing major changes to U.S. tax regulations, with staggered effective dates. Key provisions affecting our income taxes include an increase in bonus depreciation deductions, accelerated expensing of research and development costs and updates to international tax rules. In 2025, OBBBA generated significant cash tax savings due to the one time change of accelerated tax deductions and will not repeat in 2026.

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have, or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to investors.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In accordance with the SEC's Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K, the following provides definitions of the non-GAAP financial measures used by management. We believe that these measures enhance the overall understanding of underlying business results and trends. These non-GAAP measures are not intended to be considered by the user in place of the related GAAP financial measure, but rather as supplemental information to more fully understand our business results. These non-GAAP financial measures may not be the same as similar measures used by other companies due to possible differences in method and in the items or events being adjusted.

We refer to non-GAAP organic changes in financial measures, including organic net sales, organic net sales growth, organic SG&A expenses and organic segment earnings, which exclude the impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange from year-over-year comparisons. Reconciliations to the most closely related U.S. GAAP measure, net sales, net sales growth, SG&A and segment earnings, have been included in our discussion within "Results of Operations" above. Non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a replacement for or as a superior measure to, U.S. GAAP measures. Management believes reporting these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to investors, potential investors and others, by facilitating easier comparisons of our performance with prior and future periods.

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure that does not represent cash provided by operating activities in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Therefore, it should not be considered an alternative to net cash provided by or used in operating activities as an indication of our performance. The cash conversion rate of free cash flow to net income is also a measure of our performance in cash flow generation. We believe free cash flow and cash flow conversion rate to be an appropriate supplemental measure of our operating performance because it provides investors with a measure of our ability to generate cash, repay debt, pay dividends, repurchase stock and fund acquisitions.

A reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow and a calculation of our cash conversion rate is provided below:

First Quarter Ended

March 29,

March 30,

2026

2025

(in millions)

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

17.9

$

55.2

Less: additions to property, plant, and equipment

(11.3)

(9.6)

Free cash flow

$

6.6

$

45.6

Net income

$

99.6

$

74.0

Cash conversion rate of free cash flow to net income

6.6

%

61.6

%

Free cash flow decreased in the first quarter of 2026 when compared to the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to increased capital investments and elevated working capital levels which more than offset higher net income. Working capital increases were due to higher accounts receivable attributable to higher net sales, higher inventory due to incremental tariffs and strategic inventory investments to support expected end-market demand, and higher annual customer rebates due to higher net sales and timing of payments.

Our net debt to capitalization ratio, a non-GAAP financial measure used by management, at March 29, 2026 was (9.2%) compared to (11.4%) at December 31, 2025. The increase was driven by an increase in net debt balance, primarily due to decreased cash and cash equivalents and an increase in stockholders' equity at March 29, 2026 compared to December 31, 2025 due to higher net income. Management believes the net debt to capitalization ratio is an appropriate supplemental measure because it helps investors understand our ability to meet our financing needs and serves as a basis to evaluate our financial structure. Our computation may not be comparable to other companies that may define their net debt to capitalization ratios differently.

A reconciliation of long-term debt (including current portion) to net debt and our net debt to capitalization ratio is provided below:

March 29,

December 31,

2026

2025

(in millions)

Current portion of long-term debt

$

-

$

-

Plus: long-term debt, net of current portion

197.8

197.7

Less: cash and cash equivalents

(374.7)

(405.5)

Net debt

$

(176.9)

$

(207.8)

A reconciliation of capitalization is provided below:

March 29,

December 31,

2026

2025

(in millions)

Net debt

$

(176.9)

$

(207.8)

Total stockholders' equity

2,096.3

2,027.7

Capitalization

$

1,919.4

$

1,819.9

Net debt to capitalization ratio

(9.2)

%

(11.4)

%

Application of Critical Accounting Policies and Key Estimates

We believe that our critical accounting policies are those related to revenue recognition, inventory valuation, goodwill and other intangibles, product liability costs, legal contingencies and income taxes. We believe these accounting policies are particularly important to an understanding of our financial position and results of operations and require application of significant judgment by our management. In applying these policies, management uses its judgment in making certain assumptions and estimates. Our accounting policies are more fully described under the heading "Accounting Policies" in Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on February 23, 2026.

Watts Water Technologies Inc. published this content on May 07, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via EDGAR on May 07, 2026 at 14:21 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]