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Mueller Water Products, Inc.: Q4 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 9 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fiscal 2026 sales and profit grew: Fiscal 2026 net sales rose 3.2% to $1,475.0 million and adjusted EBITDA rose 14.1% to $372.2 million, with adjusted EBITDA margin at 25.2%. Management described the year as another record. Source
  • Fourth-quarter sales fell on volume: Quarterly net sales declined 1.1% to $376.5 million. The company attributed the decline to lower volumes, with higher pricing across most product lines offsetting part of it. Source
  • Operating margin rose in quarter: Operating income rose 5.0% to $73.1 million. Operating margin was 19.4%, against 18.3%. Adjusted operating margin reached 21.9%, against 20.7%, and adjusted EBITDA rose 4.0% to $95.5 million. Source
  • Water Flow Solutions margin expanded: Segment adjusted EBITDA rose 7.0% to $67.1 million, and adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 31.8% from 28.8%. Source
  • Free cash flow reached $207.3 million: Free cash flow rose 20.5% to $207.3 million, after capital expenditures for the year of $55.6 million. Source
  • Fiscal 2027 guidance introduced: Management introduced fiscal 2027 guidance for net sales, adjusted EBITDA, margin and other lines. Source
  • Metering business to ZENNER USA: Management said it agreed to transfer its metering business, run through Mueller Systems, to ZENNER USA, part of the Minol-ZENNER Group. Source

“We delivered record profitability to close fiscal 2026 with our fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA increasing 4.0% year-over-year and adjusted EBITDA margin expanding to 25.4%.”

Paul McAndrew, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales Sourcefiscal 2027$1,440 million to $1,470 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefiscal 2027$378 million to $388 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin Sourcefiscal 2027, at guidance midpoint26.3%New
Free cash flow as percentage of adjusted net income Sourcefiscal 2027more than 80%New
Total SG&A expenses Sourcefiscal 2027$228 million to $233 millionNew
Net interest expense Sourcefiscal 2027$3 million to $5 millionNew
Effective income tax rate Sourcefiscal 202724% to 26%New
Depreciation and amortization Sourcefiscal 2027$48 million to $52 millionNew
Capital expenditures Sourcefiscal 2027$60 million to $70 millionNew
Share repurchase authorization Sourcetotal authorization after October 22, 2026 increase$334.5 millionRaised
Quarterly dividend Sourcequarter payable November 19, 2026$0.08 per shareRaised from $0.07 per share

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fiscal 2027 guidance introduced for net sales, adjusted EBITDA, margin and other lines; the documents give no earlier fiscal 2027 figures. Source
  • New: Agreement to transition the metering business, run through Mueller Systems, to ZENNER USA. Source

Fourth quarter and fiscal year results

  • Fiscal 2026 sales and profit grew: Fiscal 2026 net sales rose 3.2% to $1,475.0 million and adjusted EBITDA rose 14.1% to $372.2 million, with adjusted EBITDA margin at 25.2%. Management described the year as another record. Source
  • Fourth-quarter sales fell on volume: Quarterly net sales declined 1.1% to $376.5 million. The company attributed the decline to lower volumes, with higher pricing across most product lines offsetting part of it. Source
  • Operating margin rose in quarter: Operating income rose 5.0% to $73.1 million. Operating margin was 19.4%, against 18.3%. Adjusted operating margin reached 21.9%, against 20.7%, and adjusted EBITDA rose 4.0% to $95.5 million. Source
  • Quarterly per-share earnings flat: Quarterly net income was $52.3 million, down 0.6%. Diluted EPS was $0.33 and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.38, each unchanged from the prior-year quarter. Source

Segment results

  • Water Flow Solutions sales declined: Segment net sales fell 3.0% to $210.9 million, mainly on lower volumes. Adjusted operating income rose 7.8% on manufacturing performance, higher pricing and lower SG&A expenses. Source
  • Water Flow Solutions margin expanded: Segment adjusted EBITDA rose 7.0% to $67.1 million, and adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 31.8% from 28.8%. Source
  • Water Management sales rose: Segment net sales rose 1.4% to $165.6 million on higher pricing across most product lines, partly offset by lower volumes. Source
  • Water Management profitability fell: Segment adjusted EBITDA fell 8.4% to $41.2 million. Lower volumes and inflation were partly offset by higher pricing and lower SG&A, including reduced foreign currency headwinds. Source

“While we remain mindful of market uncertainty, we enter the year with a clear agenda and confidence in our ability to deliver another step forward in margin performance”

Paul McAndrew, President and Chief Executive Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin edged higher: Gross margin rose 20 basis points to 37.0% on higher pricing and manufacturing performance, partly offset by inflation, lower volumes, product mix, tariffs and $0.6 million of Decatur closure costs. Source
  • Selling and admin costs fell: SG&A fell 14.1% to $57.3 million, mainly on lower incentive-based compensation, favorable personnel costs and reduced foreign currency headwinds, partly offset by inflation. Source
  • Restructuring charges excluded from adjusted results: Strategic reorganization and other charges were $8.9 million in the quarter, mainly the Decatur brass foundry closure and severance. Adjusted results exclude these charges. Source
  • Tax rate higher in quarter: Quarterly tax expense was 28.0% of pre-tax income, against 23.4%. For the year, the 22.7% rate reflected a one-time benefit from recognizing a loss on a foreign subsidiary investment. Source

Demand and customers

  • Sales grew despite housing slowdown: Management said net sales grew 3.2% for the year despite slower new residential construction activity. Source
  • Municipal repair demand described resilient: Management said municipal repair and replacement demand remains resilient, and that the balance sheet gives capacity to invest in above-market sales growth and margin expansion. Source
  • Teams stayed close to customers: Management said employees stayed close to customers and managed changing demand in uncertain times, while investing in foundries and the manufacturing network. Source

“What stands out the most to me is how our teams delivered these results while continuing to improve the way we work.”

Paul McAndrew, President and Chief Executive Officer

Cash flow, balance sheet and returns

  • Operating cash flow rose: Net cash from operating activities rose 19.9% to $262.9 million, driven by higher net income and lower cash taxes, partly offset by working capital changes. Source
  • Free cash flow reached $207.3 million: Free cash flow rose 20.5% to $207.3 million, after capital expenditures for the year of $55.6 million. Source
  • Capital spending centered on foundries: Fiscal 2026 capital expenditures were $55.6 million, up from $47.3 million, mainly for iron foundry investments. Fourth-quarter capital expenditures were $12.0 million. Source
  • Liquidity and debt position: Total liquidity was $730.7 million, including $164.7 million of ABL availability. Debt was $453.8 million, with no maturities until June 2029. Source
  • Fiscal 2026 shareholder returns: Returned $74.3 million to shareholders in fiscal 2026, including $43.8 million in dividends and $30.5 million in common stock repurchases. Source

Fiscal 2027 guidance

  • Fiscal 2027 guidance introduced: Management introduced fiscal 2027 guidance for net sales, adjusted EBITDA, margin and other lines. Source
  • Second-half margin expected higher: Management expects second-half fiscal 2027 adjusted EBITDA margin to exceed the first half, from sales seasonality, portfolio optimization and operational improvements. Source
  • Cash conversion target set: Management expects free cash flow conversion, measured against adjusted net income, to be above 80% in fiscal 2027. Source
  • Tax rate range widened upward: Fiscal 2027 effective tax rate range is 24% to 26%, compared with the prior fiscal 2026 range of 21% to 23% stated in the Q3 release. Source

Portfolio and organization

  • Metering business to ZENNER USA: Management said it agreed to transfer its metering business, run through Mueller Systems, to ZENNER USA, part of the Minol-ZENNER Group. Source
  • Metering excluded from guidance: Fiscal 2027 guidance excludes all metering results. Metering-related net sales were approximately $40 million in fiscal 2026. Source
  • Streamlined organization and operating system: Management described a more streamlined organization built through portfolio optimization and the Mueller Operating System, to share problem-solving and best practices. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Dividend payment date: Quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share is payable November 19, 2026, to holders of record at the close of business on November 9, 2026. Source
  • Metering transfer to ZENNER USA: Transfer of the metering business to ZENNER USA is under agreement; the documents do not state a closing date. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Slower new residential construction activity was cited as a factor in the year's results. Source
  • External: Management said it remains mindful of market uncertainty heading into fiscal 2027. Source
  • External: Gross margin was partly offset by inflationary pressures, lower volumes, product mix and tariffs. Source
  • Operational: Closure of the legacy brass foundry in Decatur, Illinois, drove the quarter's strategic reorganization charges. 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.