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Graco Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 26 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Record quarterly and annual sales: Net sales were $593.2 million for the quarter, up 8 percent, and $2,236.6 million for the year, up 6 percent. Management described both periods as records. Source
  • Earnings grew faster than sales: Diluted EPS was $0.79 for the quarter, up 25 percent, and $3.08 for the year, up 9 percent. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.77 for the quarter, up 20 percent, and $2.95 for the year, up 6 percent. Source
  • Acquisitions and currency added to growth: Acquired operations added 4 points to fourth-quarter sales growth and 5 points for the year. Currency translation added 2 points to the quarter and 1 point to the year. Source
  • Gross margin up in quarter, down for year: The gross margin rate rose about 1 point in the quarter, as price realization more than offset higher product costs. For the year it fell about 1 point, as price realization did not offset those costs. Source
  • Buybacks rose sharply in 2025: Common stock repurchased totaled $423.1 million for the year, against $31.4 million. Cash dividends paid were $183.4 million, against $172.1 million. Source
  • Contractor end markets soft, Q4 encouraging: Management said Contractor end markets were soft for much of the year, and that fourth-quarter organic growth was encouraging. Source
  • Acquired revenue and organic growth: Acquired revenue added more than $100 million for the year. Industrial and Expansion Markets both grew organically for the full year. Source

“Graco delivered record sales for both the quarter and the full year,”

Mark Sheahan, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Organic sales growth Source2026low single-digit, on a constant-currency basisNew
Sales growth including acquisitions Source2026mid-single-digitNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The company initiated 2026 guidance: low single-digit organic sales growth at constant currency and mid-single-digit sales growth including acquisitions. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Record quarterly and annual sales: Net sales were $593.2 million for the quarter, up 8 percent, and $2,236.6 million for the year, up 6 percent. Management described both periods as records. Source
  • Earnings grew faster than sales: Diluted EPS was $0.79 for the quarter, up 25 percent, and $3.08 for the year, up 9 percent. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.77 for the quarter, up 20 percent, and $2.95 for the year, up 6 percent. Source
  • Acquisitions and currency added to growth: Acquired operations added 4 points to fourth-quarter sales growth and 5 points for the year. Currency translation added 2 points to the quarter and 1 point to the year. Source

Segments and regions

  • Contractor sales and margin rose: Contractor sales were $265.5 million for the quarter, up 8 percent, with an operating margin of 24 percent against 20 percent. For the year, sales were $1,071.9 million, up 8 percent, and the margin was 25 percent against 27 percent. Source
  • Industrial sales rose double digits: Industrial sales were $284.3 million for the quarter, up 11 percent, helped by acquisitions and the timing of finishing system sales. For the year, sales rose 4 percent and the operating margin rose about 1 point. Source
  • Expansion Markets sales fell in quarter: Expansion Markets sales were $43.4 million for the quarter, down 6 percent, while its operating margin rose 8 points on upfront license fees in the electric motor application. Full-year sales rose 1 percent. Source
  • Europe led regional growth: Fourth-quarter net sales rose 23 percent in EMEA (15 percent at consistent rates), 4 percent in the Americas and 2 percent in Asia Pacific (1 percent at consistent rates). Source

“While our Contractor end markets were soft for much of the year, the quarter’s organic growth is encouraging, and we enter the new year with confidence.”

Mark Sheahan, President and Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin up in quarter, down for year: The gross margin rate rose about 1 point in the quarter, as price realization more than offset higher product costs. For the year it fell about 1 point, as price realization did not offset those costs. Source
  • Operating expenses slightly lower: Operating expenses fell 1 percent in both periods. In the quarter, $7 million of acquired-operation expenses and $5 million of higher sales and earnings based expenses were more than offset by $16 million of prior-year litigation and reorganization costs that did not repeat. Source
  • Non-cash contingent consideration gain: A $14 million non-cash gain from lower fair value of acquisition-related contingent consideration was recognized in the third quarter of 2025. Adjusted results exclude this item. Source
  • Tax rate steady against last year: The effective tax rate was 19 percent for the quarter and the year. Adjusted rates were 21 percent for the quarter and 20 percent for the year, flat against the prior-year periods. Source

Cash flow, capital and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow and capital spending: Net cash from operating activities was $683.6 million for the year, against $621.7 million. Property, plant and equipment additions were $45.7 million, against $106.7 million. Source
  • Buybacks rose sharply in 2025: Common stock repurchased totaled $423.1 million for the year, against $31.4 million. Cash dividends paid were $183.4 million, against $172.1 million. Source
  • Acquisition spending and year-end cash: Acquisitions used $135.3 million, net of cash acquired, against $241.8 million. Cash and cash equivalents ended the year at $624.1 million, against $675.3 million. Source
  • Goodwill and intangibles increased: Goodwill rose to $585.3 million from $487.5 million, and other intangible assets rose to $303.9 million from $233.3 million at year end. Source

Demand and end markets

  • Contractor end markets soft, Q4 encouraging: Management said Contractor end markets were soft for much of the year, and that fourth-quarter organic growth was encouraging. Source
  • Industrial gains broad, project timing helped: Industrial gains were broad-based, with notable strength in the Americas and EMEA. Project completions in the powder finishing systems business also helped. Source
  • Expansion Markets mix for the year: For the year, semiconductor and electric motor applications grew. Environmental and high-pressure valves applications declined and partly offset that growth. Source

Strategy, acquisitions and priorities

  • Acquired revenue and organic growth: Acquired revenue added more than $100 million for the year. Industrial and Expansion Markets both grew organically for the full year. Source
  • Stated priorities for the company: Management named product innovation, strategic acquisitions and the One Graco operating model as its key initiatives. Source

Coming up, as management said on 26 January 2026

  • Company's 100th year begins: Management said 2026 marks Graco's 100th year. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management referred to macroeconomic challenges and softness across many core end markets during the past year. Source
  • Regulatory: Higher product costs included increased tariff costs, which the company reported at $4 million for the quarter and $14 million for the year. Source
  • Operational: Lower margin rates of acquired operations further reduced the full-year gross profit margin rate. Source
  • Financial: Other non-operating income fell for the year, with higher exchange losses on net liabilities of certain foreign operations and lower interest income of $8 million each. 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.