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Borgwarner Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 11 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 17 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • EProducts grew about 23% in 2025: Light vehicle eProducts grew about 23% in 2025 compared with 2024. Source
  • Fourth quarter GAAP operating loss on impairments: Fourth quarter GAAP operating loss was $(238) million, or (6.7)% of net sales, after $665 million of net pretax non-comparable items. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS up 14%: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS was $4.91, up about 14% on 2024. GAAP diluted EPS was $1.28. Source
  • PowerDrive sales grew about 20%: PowerDrive Systems sales were $2,347 million in 2025, up 20.0% organically; fourth quarter sales were $623 million, up 15.4%. Segment adjusted operating loss was $(83) million for the year. Source
  • Adjusted operating margin rose 60 basis points: Full-year adjusted operating margin was 10.7%, up 60 basis points, which management attributed to eProducts growth and cost controls. Fourth quarter adjusted margin was 12.0%, against 10.2%. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow up 66%: Operating cash flow was $1,648 million, up about 19%; free cash flow was $1,208 million, up about 66% on 2024. Source
  • Turbine seen addressing high-power demand: Management expects the turbine system to address growing demand for high-power alternatives to traditional power generation, with modular and fuel flexibility and a lower emissions footprint. Source

“BorgWarner’s turbine generator system is expected to be transformative by addressing the growing demand for high-power alternatives to traditional power generation.”

Borgwarner Inc., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales Sourcefull year 2026$14.0 billion to $14.3 billionNew
Organic net sales change Sourcefull year 2026down 3.5% to down 1.5%New
Weighted light vehicle market volume Sourcefull year 2026down 3% to approximately flatNew
Battery & Charging Systems sales change Sourcefull year 2026decline of approximately $210 millionNew
Foreign currency effect on sales Sourcefull year 2026increase of approximately $200 millionNew
U.S. GAAP operating margin Sourcefull year 20269.8% to 10.0%New
GAAP operating income Sourcefull year 2026$1,373 million to $1,428 millionNew
Adjusted operating margin Sourcefull year 202610.7% to 10.9%New
Adjusted operating income Sourcefull year 2026$1,500 million to $1,565 millionNew
GAAP diluted EPS Sourcefull year 2026$4.74 to $4.91New
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefull year 2026$5.00 to $5.20New
Operating cash flow Sourcefull year 2026$1,600 million to $1,700 millionNew
Free cash flow Sourcefull year 2026$900 million to $1,100 millionNew
Capital expenditures including tooling Sourcefull year 2026$600 million to $700 millionNew
Restructuring expense Sourcefull year 2026$70 million to $80 millionNew
Intangible asset amortization Sourcefull year 2026$57 millionNew
Light vehicle production change by region Sourcefull year 2026North America (5)% to (1)%; Europe (2)% to 0.5%; China (4)% to (1)%; total (2)% to 0%; BorgWarner weighted (3)% to 0%New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First full-year 2026 guidance given in these documents, covering net sales, margins, EPS and cash flow. Source
  • New: Master supply agreement with TurboCell, a subsidiary of Endeavour, for a turbine generator system. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Fourth quarter sales rose 3.9%: Fourth quarter net sales were $3,572 million, up 3.9%. Organic sales rose 0.8% excluding currency effects, which added $104 million. Source
  • EProducts grew about 23% in 2025: Light vehicle eProducts grew about 23% in 2025 compared with 2024. Source
  • Full-year sales rose 1.6%: Full-year net sales were $14,316 million, up 1.6%. Organic sales rose 0.5% excluding foreign currency effects. Source
  • Fourth quarter GAAP operating loss on impairments: Fourth quarter GAAP operating loss was $(238) million, or (6.7)% of net sales, after $665 million of net pretax non-comparable items. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS up 14%: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS was $4.91, up about 14% on 2024. GAAP diluted EPS was $1.28. Source
  • Fourth quarter GAAP loss per share: Fourth quarter GAAP diluted loss was $(1.23) per share. Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.35, up about 34% from $1.01 a year earlier. Source

Segments and regions

  • Turbos & Thermal sales declined: Turbos & Thermal Technologies sales were $5,772 million in 2025, down 3.3% organically. Fourth quarter sales were $1,400 million, down 4.6% organically. Source
  • Drivetrain & Morse sales edged up: Drivetrain & Morse Systems sales were $5,654 million in 2025, up 0.6% organically. Fourth quarter sales were $1,412 million, up 2.5%. Source
  • PowerDrive sales grew about 20%: PowerDrive Systems sales were $2,347 million in 2025, up 20.0% organically; fourth quarter sales were $623 million, up 15.4%. Segment adjusted operating loss was $(83) million for the year. Source
  • Battery & Charging sales fell about 21%: Battery & Charging Systems sales were $590 million in 2025, down 20.9% organically; fourth quarter sales were $149 million, down 12.3%. Segment adjusted operating loss was $(39) million. Source
  • Turbos and Drivetrain segment income: Turbos & Thermal adjusted operating income was $879 million in 2025 and $198 million in the fourth quarter, against $223 million a year earlier. Drivetrain & Morse was $1,041 million and $271 million. Source

“At the mid-point of its 2026 guidance, BorgWarner expects to deliver another year of adjusted operating margin improvement and adjusted earnings per share growth”

Borgwarner Inc., press release

Products and customers

  • Premium European hybrid iDM award: Integrated drive module award with a premium European OEM supporting a hybrid range-extended powertrain architecture. Source
  • Battery management system award: Battery management system award with a global OEM for additional B- and C-segment passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, both battery electric and plug-in hybrid. Source
  • Chinese OEM 48V architecture award: Electric cross differential award with a leading Chinese OEM, used on 48V electrical and electronic architectures. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Adjusted operating margin rose 60 basis points: Full-year adjusted operating margin was 10.7%, up 60 basis points, which management attributed to eProducts growth and cost controls. Fourth quarter adjusted margin was 12.0%, against 10.2%. Source
  • Gross margin higher in fourth quarter: Gross margin was 20.5% in the fourth quarter, against 19.9%, and 18.7% for the year, against 18.8%. Source
  • Restructuring and other expense rose: Full-year restructuring expense was $101 million, against $74 million. Other operating expense was $109 million, against $32 million. Source
  • Lower tax provision in quarter: Fourth quarter provision for income taxes was $1 million, against $67 million. Management cited a lower effective tax rate as one driver of adjusted EPS growth. Source
  • Legal and charging exit costs excluded: Full-year non-comparable items included a $40 million legal settlement and $32 million of costs to exit the charging business, excluded from adjusted results. Source

Demand and order book

  • Record light vehicle award count: A record number of light vehicle awards was secured across Foundational and eProduct portfolios, which management expects to accelerate profitable growth in 2027 and beyond. Source
  • EProduct growth offset lower volume: Fourth quarter net sales growth came mainly from light vehicle eProducts, partly offset by lower industry volume and lower Battery & Charging Systems sales. Source
  • EProduct demand in Europe and Asia: Management attributed eProduct growth to demand for hybrid and electric technologies in Europe and Asia. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Full-year free cash flow up 66%: Operating cash flow was $1,648 million, up about 19%; free cash flow was $1,208 million, up about 66% on 2024. Source
  • Capital spending fell to $469 million: Capital expenditures including tooling were $469 million, against $671 million in 2024. Customer advances were $29 million. Source
  • About $630 million returned in 2025: The company returned approximately $630 million to shareholders in 2025, including $508 million of treasury stock purchases and $119 million of dividends. Source
  • Fourth quarter cash flow: Fourth quarter operating cash flow was $619 million and free cash flow was $470 million, against $539 million a year earlier. Source
  • Year-end cash and debt: Cash and cash equivalents were $2,313 million at year end, against $2,094 million a year earlier. Long-term debt was $3,894 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Turbine system built on core technologies: The turbine generator system has been in development for over three years and combines turbocharging, thermal management, power electronics, software controls and rotating electric technologies. Source
  • Turbine seen addressing high-power demand: Management expects the turbine system to address growing demand for high-power alternatives to traditional power generation, with modular and fuel flexibility and a lower emissions footprint. Source
  • Accelerating the transition to eMobility: The company describes its aim as accelerating the world's transition to eMobility, alongside the turbine award for data center and microgrid demand. Source

Coming up, as management said on 11 February 2026

  • Turbine production starts early 2027: Turbine generator production is expected to begin in early 2027, with estimated first-year sales above $300 million. Source
  • VTG conquest production in 2028: Production for the VTG conquest award for North American hybrid vehicles is expected to begin in 2028. Source
  • North American iDM production in 2029: Production for the iDM award with a major North American OEM is expected to begin in 2029. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Fourth quarter impairment charges of $582 million were recorded in PowerDrive Systems and Battery & Charging Systems and excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Demand: Lower industry volume partly offset fourth quarter sales growth. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.