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Donaldson Co. Inc.: Q4 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 13 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose 8.0%: Sales were $1,058.8 million against $980.7 million, driven by higher volume, about $30 million from Facet, and pricing benefits. Source
  • Aftermarket led Mobile growth: Aftermarket sales rose 9.4% to $511.6 million, with growth in both the OE and independent channels. Mobile sales rose 7.9% to $634.9 million. Source
  • Facet added 980 basis points: Facet within Aerospace and Defense added 980 basis points to Industrial segment growth. Industrial sales rose 7.7% to $333.5 million. Source
  • Industrial margin improved sequentially: Industrial Solutions EBT margin was 16.4% against 20.9% a year earlier. Management reports a 300 basis point sequential improvement in that margin. Source
  • Gross margin rose 180 basis points: Gross margin was 36.3% against 34.5%, with adjusted gross margin at 36.7%. Input costs partly offset the gains from volume, pricing and mix. Source
  • Operating margin and adjusted margin: Operating margin was 16.7%, 120 basis points above the prior year. Adjusted operating margin was 17.5%. Source
  • Free cash flow reached $426.5 million: Free cash flow was $185.2 million in the quarter and $426.5 million for the year, against $342.0 million. Full-year operating cash flow was $493.7 million. Source

“Donaldson’s fourth quarter sales and earnings reached an all-time high, driven by strong organic volume growth, augmented by the acquisition of Facet Filtration, and supported by robust execution across all three of our segments,”

Rich Lewis, president and chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales growth SourceFiscal 20275.5% to 9.5%New
Diluted EPS SourceFiscal 2027$4.22 to $4.38New
Sales growth components SourceFiscal 2027Facet about 2%; pricing 2%; currency translation 1%New
Mobile Solutions sales SourceFiscal 20272% to 6%New
Aerospace and Defense sales SourceFiscal 2027over 50% growthNew
Life Sciences sales SourceFiscal 20277% to 11%New
Operating margin SourceFiscal 202716.6% to 17.2%New
Interest expense SourceFiscal 2027$55 million to $60 millionNew
Other income SourceFiscal 2027$16 million to $20 millionNew
Effective income tax rate SourceFiscal 202723.5% to 25.5%New
Capital expenditures SourceFiscal 2027$70 million to $90 millionNew
Free cash flow conversion SourceFiscal 202795% to 105%New
Share repurchases SourceFiscal 2027approximately 1% of shares outstandingNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First guidance for fiscal 2027 is issued in this release, covering sales, operating margin, EPS, interest, tax, capital expenditures, free cash flow and repurchases. Source
  • Ended: The fiscal 2026 guidance from the third-quarter release closed, and this release reports full-year fiscal 2026 results instead. Source
  • New: Facet results now appear in fourth-quarter reporting within the Aerospace and Defense line of the Industrial Solutions segment. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose 8.0%: Sales were $1,058.8 million against $980.7 million, driven by higher volume, about $30 million from Facet, and pricing benefits. Source
  • Full-year sales and EPS rose: Full-year sales were $3,885.6 million, up 5.3%. GAAP EPS was $3.85, up 26.2%, and adjusted EPS was $3.98, up 8.2%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter net earnings rose: Net earnings were $129.3 million, up 13.1%, and diluted EPS was $1.10 against $0.97 a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted quarterly EPS rose: Adjusted EPS was $1.15, up 11.7%, which includes Facet dilution. Adjusted figures exclude restructuring, business development and other items. Source

Mobile Solutions segment

  • Aftermarket led Mobile growth: Aftermarket sales rose 9.4% to $511.6 million, with growth in both the OE and independent channels. Mobile sales rose 7.9% to $634.9 million. Source
  • On-Road rebounded on truck output: On-Road sales rose 8.7% to $28.6 million as truck production increased in the United States and Europe after prior-year declines. Source
  • Off-Road flat on agriculture: Off-Road sales were $94.7 million, roughly flat, as construction growth offset weaker agriculture sales. Source
  • Full-year Mobile growth: Full-year Mobile sales were $2,419.7 million, up 5.6% as reported and 3.8% at constant currency. Source

“We enter fiscal 2027 focused on capitalizing on increasing demand in several of our key, higher-margin businesses”

Rich Lewis, president and chief executive officer

Industrial Solutions and Facet

  • Facet added 980 basis points: Facet within Aerospace and Defense added 980 basis points to Industrial segment growth. Industrial sales rose 7.7% to $333.5 million. Source
  • Industrial margin improved sequentially: Industrial Solutions EBT margin was 16.4% against 20.9% a year earlier. Management reports a 300 basis point sequential improvement in that margin. Source
  • Dust collection weighed on IFS: Industrial Filtration Solutions sales fell 2.0% to $257.2 million, as Power Generation new equipment and replacement parts partly offset dust collection. Source
  • Organic Aerospace and Defense declined: Excluding Facet, Aerospace and Defense sales fell 2.8%, which management attributes to ongoing supply chain constraints. Source

Life Sciences segment

  • Disk Drive and Food and Beverage drove sales: Life Sciences sales rose 9.7% to $90.4 million, led by double-digit Disk Drive growth and solid Food and Beverage equipment and parts sales. Source
  • Life Sciences pretax earnings rose: Life Sciences earnings before income taxes were $10.8 million in the quarter against $4.4 million, and $32.3 million for the full year. Source
  • Full-year Life Sciences growth: Full-year Life Sciences sales rose 12.8% as reported and 9.3% at constant currency. Source

Sales by region

  • Quarter growth in all regions: As reported, fourth-quarter sales rose 8.4% in U.S./Canada, 6.9% in EMEA, 9.3% in APAC and 7.2% in LATAM. Source
  • EMEA and APAC led full-year growth: Full-year sales rose 10.6% in EMEA and 8.5% in APAC, against 1.2% in U.S./Canada and 3.1% in LATAM. Source
  • Constant-currency quarterly growth: At constant currency, fourth-quarter sales grew 7.7% overall, with EMEA up 6.2%, APAC up 10.6% and LATAM up 4.8%. Source

Margins and costs

  • Gross margin rose 180 basis points: Gross margin was 36.3% against 34.5%, with adjusted gross margin at 36.7%. Input costs partly offset the gains from volume, pricing and mix. Source
  • Operating expenses rose on Facet: Operating expenses were 19.6% of sales against 19.1%, reflecting Facet run-rate costs, amortization and higher incentive compensation. Source
  • Operating margin and adjusted margin: Operating margin was 16.7%, 120 basis points above the prior year. Adjusted operating margin was 17.5%. Source
  • Interest and tax rate changed: Interest expense rose on higher debt and higher rates. The effective tax rate was 22.5% against 23.6%, on higher discrete tax benefits. Source

Cash, debt and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow reached $426.5 million: Free cash flow was $185.2 million in the quarter and $426.5 million for the year, against $342.0 million. Full-year operating cash flow was $493.7 million. Source
  • Goodwill and debt rose with Facet: Goodwill rose to $1,086.8 million and intangible assets to $304.6 million, while long-term debt reached $1,280.0 million. Source
  • Quarterly dividends and debt repayment: The company returned about $37 million through dividends in the quarter and repaid $102 million of Facet-related debt. Source
  • Full-year shareholder returns: For the year, the company returned about $250 million through dividends and repurchases of 1.2% of shares outstanding; repurchases were $108.5 million. Source

Strategy and fiscal 2027 priorities

  • Facet described as margin-accretive: In the third-quarter release, management described the Facet deal as margin-accretive and as enhancing the Industrial Solutions product portfolio.
  • Industrial step-up credited to operations: Management credits ongoing operational improvements in Industrial Solutions for another significant step-up in profitability this quarter. Source
  • Fiscal 2027 priorities set: Management lists operating efficiency and investment for future profitable growth as fiscal 2027 priorities alongside demand in higher-margin businesses. Source

Coming up, as management said on 26 August 2026

  • Fiscal 2027 record year forecast: Management says it is forecasting another record year for sales, operating margin and earnings. Source
  • Results final after Form 10-K: Reported results remain preliminary and unaudited until the company files its results on Form 10-K. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Supply chain constraints continue to limit organic Aerospace and Defense sales. Source
  • Operational: Power Generation production inefficiencies remained a gross margin headwind in the quarter. Source
  • Financial: Interest expense rose with higher debt from the Facet acquisition and higher interest rates. Source
  • Demand: Weaker agriculture sales offset construction growth in Off-Road. Source
  • Demand: Weaker new equipment sales in dust collection reduced Industrial Filtration Solutions sales. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The third-quarter release referred to another operating margin step-up in the fourth quarter. The fourth-quarter release describes another significant step-up in profitability.
  • Met: The third-quarter release expected full-year record sales, adjusted operating margin and adjusted earnings. The fourth-quarter headline reports record full-year sales and earnings; a record adjusted operating margin is not stated.
  • On track: Management described Facet operating performance as consistent with the company's expectations. 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.