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Illinois Tool Works Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 3 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 7 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth quarter revenue rose 4.1 percent: Revenue was $4.1 billion; currency translation added 2.5 percent and acquisitions added 0.3 percent. Source
  • Operating margin rose on enterprise initiatives: GAAP EPS was $2.72, up 7 percent; management said operating margin and income reached record levels in the quarter. Source
  • Six of seven segments expanded margins: For 2025, six segments raised operating margin; Welding, Specialty Products and Construction Products each exceeded 30 percent. Source
  • Pricing and supply chain offset tariffs: Management said pricing and supply chain actions offset the 2025 tariff impact. Source
  • Fourth-quarter free cash flow near $0.9 billion: Free cash flow was $858 million in the statement table; conversion to net income was 109 percent. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow reached $2.7 billion: Full-year operating cash flow was $3.1 billion, and conversion to net income rose to 88 percent from 82 percent in 2024. Source
  • $3.3 billion returned, $0.8 billion invested: Returns were made through dividends and share repurchases over the full year; the investment supports growth in highly profitable businesses. Source

“ITW delivered a solid finish to the year, marked by more than four percent revenue growth and a seven percent increase in GAAP earnings per share.”

Christopher O’Herlihy, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue growth Source20262 to 4%New
Organic revenue growth Source20261 to 3%New
Operating margin Source202626.5 to 27.5%New
Enterprise initiatives margin contribution Source2026100 bpsNew
GAAP EPS Source2026$11.00 to $11.40New
Free cash flow to net income conversion Source2026greater than 100%New
Share repurchases Source2026approximately $1.5 billionKept
Effective tax rate Source202623.5 to 24.5%New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full 2026 guidance initiated, covering revenue, organic growth, operating margin, GAAP EPS, free cash flow, share repurchases and tax rate. Source
  • Ended: The 2025 guidance period closed with GAAP EPS of $10.49, above the prior guidance midpoint of $10.45. Source

Fourth quarter and full year results

  • Fourth quarter revenue rose 4.1 percent: Revenue was $4.1 billion; currency translation added 2.5 percent and acquisitions added 0.3 percent. Source
  • Operating margin rose on enterprise initiatives: GAAP EPS was $2.72, up 7 percent; management said operating margin and income reached record levels in the quarter. Source
  • Full-year revenue nearly flat organically: Full-year revenue was $16 billion; currency translation added 0.8 percent and acquisitions added 0.1 percent. Source
  • Full-year operating income near $4.2 billion: Operating margin was 26.3 percent, with enterprise initiatives contributing 130 basis points; segment margin was 27.2 percent, up 70 basis points. Source

Segments and regions

  • Six of seven segments expanded margins: For 2025, six segments raised operating margin; Welding, Specialty Products and Construction Products each exceeded 30 percent. Source
  • Fourth-quarter segment margin up 120 bps: Segment operating margin was 27.7 percent in the quarter, compared with 26.5 percent for the total company after unallocated costs. Source
  • Fourth-quarter organic growth by segment: Polymers & Fluids organic revenue rose 4.7 percent and Welding rose 2.3 percent; Construction Products fell 3.5 percent. Source
  • Full-year organic growth by segment: For 2025, Automotive OEM and Welding each rose 2.0 percent organically; Construction Products fell 5.1 percent and Test & Measurement and Electronics fell 1.4 percent. Source

“Our results over the past year demonstrate that ITW is well-positioned to deliver solid financial performance in any environment”

Christopher O’Herlihy, President and Chief Executive Officer

Margins, pricing and costs

  • Pricing and supply chain offset tariffs: Management said pricing and supply chain actions offset the 2025 tariff impact. Source
  • Fourth-quarter amortization reduced EPS: The drag was $0.05 per share in the fourth quarter and $0.21 for 2025, from acquisition-related intangible assets. Source
  • Full-year tax rate and discrete items: The 2025 tax rate was 22.7 percent; excluding discrete tax benefits of $27 million and $21 million it was 23.9 percent. Source

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Fourth-quarter free cash flow near $0.9 billion: Free cash flow was $858 million in the statement table; conversion to net income was 109 percent. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow reached $2.7 billion: Full-year operating cash flow was $3.1 billion, and conversion to net income rose to 88 percent from 82 percent in 2024. Source
  • Fourth-quarter buybacks and tax rate: The company repurchased $375 million of its own shares in the quarter; the fourth-quarter effective tax rate was 22.8 percent. Source
  • $3.3 billion returned, $0.8 billion invested: Returns were made through dividends and share repurchases over the full year; the investment supports growth in highly profitable businesses. Source
  • Debt increased over the year: Short-term debt was $2,286 million (2024: $1,555 million) and long-term debt was $6,683 million (2024: $6,308 million). Source
  • After-tax return on invested capital versus 2024: After-tax return was 29.7 percent in the fourth quarter (29.9 percent a year earlier) and 29.3 percent for 2025 (31.2 percent for 2024). Source

“Building on this momentum, we expect to continue outperforming our end markets in 2026 as we leverage ITW’s unique business model to drive consistent, above-market organic growth with best-in-class margins and returns.”

Christopher O’Herlihy, President and Chief Executive Officer

Customer-Back Innovation and strategy

  • Customer-Back Innovation contributed 2.4 percent: This contribution to 2025 revenue growth rose 40 basis points. Source
  • Initiatives named primary catalyst for growth: The CEO named these initiatives the primary catalyst for 2025 revenue growth. Source
  • Business model drives margins and returns: The company describes its seven segments as using the ITW Business Model to drive solid growth with best-in-class margins and returns. Source
  • Growth above end markets: The CEO said ITW consistently exceeded market growth while improving profitability and margins over the past year. Source

Changes from third-quarter release

  • Colleague count about 43,000: The company had about 43,000 dedicated colleagues, compared with about 44,000 in the third-quarter release. Source
  • Third-quarter operating margin hit a record: Third-quarter operating margin reached 27.4 percent, up 90 basis points, with enterprise initiatives contributing 140 basis points.
  • Third-quarter revenue rose two percent: Organic growth was 1 percent; currency translation added 2 percent and product line simplification reduced revenue by 1 percent.
  • Third-quarter narrowed full-year EPS range: The 2025 GAAP EPS range was narrowed to $10.40 to $10.50 per share in the third-quarter release.

Risks management discussed

  • External: Tariff cost impacts were to be offset by ongoing pricing and supply chain actions, per the third-quarter release.
  • Demand: Guidance assumes current demand levels and present exchange rates. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The third-quarter release projected at least 125 basis points; the fourth-quarter release reports 130 basis points for 2025.
  • Met: Management said pricing and supply chain actions, intended to offset tariff costs, offset the 2025 tariff impact. 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.