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Gates Industrial Corp. Ltd.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 12 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 5 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose on core growth: Fourth-quarter net sales were $856.2 million, up 3.2% reported and 0.6% on a core basis. Net income from continuing operations was $56.4 million, a 6.6% margin. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS rose: Full-year adjusted net income per diluted share was $1.52, against $1.39 in the prior year. Source
  • Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA margin up: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 21.9% in the fourth quarter, against 21.8% a year earlier, and adjusted EBITDA was $187.8 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose: Net cash provided by operating activities was $478.1 million for 2025, against $379.6 million in 2024. Purchases of property, plant and equipment were $73.2 million and purchases of intangible assets $40.7 million. Source
  • Net leverage fell: Net debt was $1,428.0 million at year-end, against $1,681.5 million, and net leverage was 1.9x against 2.2x. Total principal debt was $2,240.1 million. Source
  • Quarterly share repurchases: The company repurchased approximately $105 million of shares in the fourth quarter. Source

“In 2025, we delivered double-digit growth in earnings per share and reduced our net leverage ratio”

Ivo Jurek, Gates Industrial's Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Core sales growth Source2026 full year1% to 4% year-over-yearNew
Adjusted EBITDA Source2026 full year$775 million to $835 millionNew
Adjusted earnings per share Source2026 full year$1.52 to $1.68New
Capital expenditures Source2026 full yearapproximately $120 millionNew
Free cash flow conversion Source2026 full yearexceeding 90%New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 financial guidance introduced in this release. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter sales rose on core growth: Fourth-quarter net sales were $856.2 million, up 3.2% reported and 0.6% on a core basis. Net income from continuing operations was $56.4 million, a 6.6% margin. Source
  • Quarterly adjusted EPS rose: Adjusted net income per diluted share was $0.38 in the fourth quarter, against $0.36 a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year sales and core growth: Full-year net sales were $3,443.2 million, up 1.0%, with core sales growth of 0.7%. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS rose: Full-year adjusted net income per diluted share was $1.52, against $1.39 in the prior year. Source

Segments and currency effects

  • Fourth-quarter core growth by segment: In the fourth quarter, Power Transmission core sales rose 0.2% and Fluid Power core sales rose 1.3%. Source
  • Full-year core growth by segment: For 2025, Power Transmission core sales rose 1.3% and Fluid Power core sales fell 0.2%. Source
  • Currency reduced reported sales: Movements in currency rates reduced fourth-quarter net sales by $21.9 million, and full-year net sales by $10.2 million. Source

“We are optimistic about our growth prospects in 2026 and our ability to deploy capital prudently to increase long-term value creation for our shareholders.”

Ivo Jurek, Gates Industrial's Chief Executive Officer

Margins and cost lines

  • Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA margin up: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 21.9% in the fourth quarter, against 21.8% a year earlier, and adjusted EBITDA was $187.8 million. Source
  • Adjusted gross margin little changed: Adjusted gross profit margin was 40.5% for 2025, against 40.6% in 2024. Reported gross margin was 39.8%. Source
  • Selling and admin expense fell: SG&A was $209.5 million in the fourth quarter, down from $226.6 million, and $876.1 million for the year, against $876.5 million. Source
  • Restructuring charges rose: Restructuring expenses were $26.3 million for 2025, against $6.5 million in 2024, including $5.2 million in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Interest expense declined: Interest expense was $125.9 million for 2025, against $155.8 million, and $32.6 million in the fourth quarter against $34.1 million. Source

Cash flow, debt and leverage

  • Operating cash flow rose: Net cash provided by operating activities was $478.1 million for 2025, against $379.6 million in 2024. Purchases of property, plant and equipment were $73.2 million and purchases of intangible assets $40.7 million. Source
  • Net leverage fell: Net debt was $1,428.0 million at year-end, against $1,681.5 million, and net leverage was 1.9x against 2.2x. Total principal debt was $2,240.1 million. Source
  • Cash balance rose: Cash and cash equivalents were $812.1 million at December 31, 2025, against $682.0 million a year earlier. Source

Shareholder returns and share count

  • Quarterly share repurchases: The company repurchased approximately $105 million of shares in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Full-year cash spent on buybacks: Cash paid for share repurchases was $119.3 million in 2025, against $176.1 million in 2024. Source
  • Shares outstanding declined: Shares outstanding were 253,543,540 at December 31, 2025, against 255,203,987 a year earlier. Source
  • Diluted share count fell: Diluted weighted-average shares were 259,007,742 in the fourth quarter, against 261,090,036 a year earlier. Source

Strategy and one-off items

  • Growth initiatives and cost position: Management said its strategic growth initiatives continued to gain momentum and that the company improved the cost position of its business. Source
  • Cybersecurity insurance recovery in July: The company received insurance recoveries in July 2025 related to a February 2023 cybersecurity incident, excluding $5.2 million of expenses from adjusted net income. Source
  • Inventory adjustments in cost of sales: Inventory adjustments in cost of sales, which reverse LIFO remeasurement, were $10.0 million in the fourth quarter, against $0.6 million. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management said the company managed through an uncertain demand environment during 2025. 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.