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Mueller Water Products, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 10 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarter sales rose on volumes and price: Net sales rose $32.6 million, or 9.4%, to $380.8 million. Management attributed the increase to higher volumes across most product lines and higher pricing. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 24.1%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 26.6% to $91.8 million, and the margin was 24.1% against 20.8%. Source
  • Water Flow Solutions sales grew 8.6%: Water Flow Solutions net sales rose 8.6% to $217.5 million. Iron gate and specialty valve volumes grew, while service brass volumes fell. Source
  • Gross margin rose to 36.8%: Gross profit rose 26.2% to $140.0 million on manufacturing efficiencies, volume growth and favorable price/cost. Gross margin was 36.8%, up 500 basis points. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EBITDA reached $326.2 million: Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.6% to $326.2 million, a 22.8% margin against 21.7%. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell to $219.3 million: Operating cash flow was $219.3 million, down $19.5 million from $238.8 million. Source
  • Second-half margin expected to be higher: Management expects second-half adjusted EBITDA margin to exceed the first half, driven by the seasonality of net sales. Source

“We achieved an outstanding finish to another record year with our fourth quarter net sales and adjusted EBITDA exceeding the high-end of our expectations.”

Martie Edmunds Zakas, Chief Executive Officer of Mueller Water Products

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales Sourcefiscal 2026$1,450 million to $1,470 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefiscal 2026$345 million to $350 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin Sourcefiscal 202623.8%New
Free cash flow as a percentage of adjusted net income Sourcefiscal 2026more than 85%New
Total SG&A expenses Sourcefiscal 2026$243 million to $247 millionNew
Net interest expense Sourcefiscal 2026$6 million to $7 millionNew
Effective income tax rate Sourcefiscal 202625% to 27%New
Depreciation and amortization Sourcefiscal 2026$47 million to $49 millionNew
Capital expenditures Sourcefiscal 2026$60 million to $65 millionNew
Pension expense other than service Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $0.1 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fiscal 2026 guidance was introduced in this release, covering net sales, adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and expense lines. Source

Fourth quarter results and growth

  • Quarter sales rose on volumes and price: Net sales rose $32.6 million, or 9.4%, to $380.8 million. Management attributed the increase to higher volumes across most product lines and higher pricing. Source
  • Operating income rose to $69.6 million: Operating income rose $41.2 million to $69.6 million, a 18.3% operating margin against 8.2%. The prior-year quarter carried a goodwill impairment charge. Source
  • Diluted EPS $0.33, adjusted $0.38: Net income was $52.6 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, against $0.06 a year earlier. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.38, against $0.22. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 24.1%: Adjusted EBITDA rose 26.6% to $91.8 million, and the margin was 24.1% against 20.8%. Source

Segment performance

  • Water Flow Solutions sales grew 8.6%: Water Flow Solutions net sales rose 8.6% to $217.5 million. Iron gate and specialty valve volumes grew, while service brass volumes fell. Source
  • Water Flow margin reached 28.8%: Water Flow Solutions adjusted EBITDA rose 21.3% to $62.7 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 28.8% against 25.8%. Source
  • Water Management sales rose on hydrants: Water Management Solutions net sales rose 10.4% to $163.3 million, led by hydrants and repair products. Natural gas product volumes were lower. Source
  • Water Management margins rose year over year: Operating margin was 20.9% and adjusted operating margin 24.4%, against 3.0% and 20.1%. Adjusted EBITDA was $45.0 million, up 22.6%. Source

“Our achievements in transforming our business over the past two years have expanded our gross margin by more than 600 basis points.”

Martie Edmunds Zakas, Chief Executive Officer of Mueller Water Products

Costs and margins

  • Gross margin rose to 36.8%: Gross profit rose 26.2% to $140.0 million on manufacturing efficiencies, volume growth and favorable price/cost. Gross margin was 36.8%, up 500 basis points. Source
  • SG&A rose 5.7% on personnel and currency: SG&A rose $3.6 million to $66.7 million, from higher personnel costs, inflationary pressures and unfavorable foreign currency. Lower amortization partly offset. Source
  • Reorganization charges excluded from adjusted: Strategic reorganization and other charges were $3.7 million in the quarter. Management excluded them from adjusted results. Source
  • Income tax rate fell to 23.4%: Fourth quarter tax expense was $16.1 million, or 23.4% of pre-tax income, against 59.0%. Excluding the prior-year goodwill impairment, the prior-year rate was 35.4%. Fiscal-year rate was 24.6%, against 29.1%. Source
  • Interest expense fell on higher interest income: Net interest expense was $1.0 million in the quarter, against $3.0 million, and $6.6 million for the year, against $12.7 million. Source

Full-year fiscal 2025 results

  • Full-year adjusted EBITDA reached $326.2 million: Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.6% to $326.2 million, a 22.8% margin against 21.7%. Source
  • Full-year net sales above August range: Net sales rose 8.7% to $1,429.7 million, above the $1,405 million to $1,415 million range management set in August.
  • Full-year operating margin 18.2%: Operating income was $260.6 million, an 18.2% margin against 13.8%. Adjusted operating income rose 25.4% to $279.1 million. Source
  • Full-year diluted EPS $1.22: Diluted EPS was $1.22, against $0.74. Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.31, against $0.96. Source
  • Foundry closure write-down in cost of sales: Cost of sales included $4.1 million of inventory and other asset write-downs tied to closing the legacy brass foundry in Decatur, Illinois. Source

“I am incredibly proud of how our organization continues to execute our strategy and deliver value for all stakeholders”

Martie Edmunds Zakas, Chief Executive Officer of Mueller Water Products

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Operating cash flow fell to $219.3 million: Operating cash flow was $219.3 million, down $19.5 million from $238.8 million. Source
  • Free cash flow fell to $172.0 million: Free cash flow, after $47.3 million of capital expenditures, was $172.0 million, down $19.4 million. Source
  • Capital spending held near prior year: Capital expenditures were $47.3 million for the year, against $47.4 million. Source
  • Leverage ratios at year end: Total debt was $451.6 million and cash $431.5 million. Debt leverage was 1.4x and net debt leverage 0.1x. No ABL borrowings were outstanding. Source
  • No debt maturities until June 2029: No debt financing matures until June 2029, and the 4.0% Senior Notes carry no financial maintenance covenants. Source

Shareholder returns and capital

  • Returned $56.9 million to shareholders: Dividends paid were $41.9 million and buyback repurchases were $15.0 million for the year. Source
  • Quarterly dividend rose to $0.067: Dividends declared per share were $0.067 for the quarter, against $0.064, and $0.268 for the year, against $0.256. Source
  • Shares outstanding edged up: Shares outstanding were 156,331,004 at September 30, 2025, up from 156,227,170 a year earlier. Source

Fiscal 2026 guidance context

  • Second-half margin expected to be higher: Management expects second-half adjusted EBITDA margin to exceed the first half, driven by the seasonality of net sales. Source
  • Sales weighted to the third quarter: Management expects quarterly sales to be highest in the third quarter and lowest in the first, a normalized seasonal pattern. Source
  • SG&A assumes no currency effect: The SG&A guidance assumes no impact from foreign currency fluctuations in fiscal 2026. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Investment aimed at further margin expansion: Management said enhancing commercial execution, improving operational and supply chain efficiency and investing in facilities will support further margin expansion in fiscal 2026 and beyond. Source
  • Growth linked to infrastructure spending trends: Management tied past performance and further improvement to favorable market trends in infrastructure spending and the aging North American infrastructure. Source
  • Investment across all business areas: Management said it continues to invest across all aspects of the business. Source

People and leadership

  • Leadership transition in reorganization charges: Full-year strategic reorganization and other charges were $8.8 million, primarily leadership transition, transaction-related expenses, severance and non-cash asset impairment. Source
  • Team execution credited for growth: Management credited team commitment and operational discipline for volume growth and margin expansion in the quarter. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Management recorded a $5.6 million warranty charge at Water Management Solutions in the quarter, excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Financial: Operating cash flow was lower on working capital changes, including decreases in other current liabilities. Source
  • External: Management cited the heightened level of uncertainty in the external operating environment. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The August release said the company was on track for record annual results. This release describes fiscal 2025 as another record year. 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.