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Timken Co.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 5 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter sales up 3.5 percent: Sales were $1.11 billion, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier; excluding currency, sales rose 1.3 percent organically. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS of $5.33: Full-year diluted EPS was $4.11 against $4.99. Adjusted EPS was $5.33 against $5.79, excluding special items. Source
  • Engineered Bearings margin fell to 16.1 percent: Engineered Bearings adjusted EBITDA was $114.9 million, or 16.1 percent of sales, against $122.0 million, or 17.2 percent, a year earlier. Source
  • Quarterly adjusted EBITDA margin 16.0 percent: Adjusted EBITDA was $177.8 million, or 16.0 percent of sales, against $178.2 million, or 16.6 percent. Net income margin was 5.6 percent against 6.6 percent. Source
  • Industrial Motion costs: volume helped: Industrial Motion adjusted EBITDA gains came from higher volume and lower operating costs, partly offset by incremental tariff costs. Source
  • Full-year sales up 0.2 percent: Full-year sales were $4.6 billion, up 0.2 percent, on higher pricing, CGI acquisition revenue and currency, mostly offset by lower demand. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow $406.1 million: Full-year net cash from operations was $554.3 million, up from $475.7 million. Free cash flow was $406.1 million, against $305.7 million. Source

“The Timken team remains focused on our near-term strategic priorities designed to structurally improve margins, accelerate growth in key market verticals, and create significant value for shareholders.”

Lucian Boldea, president and chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Diluted EPS (GAAP) Sourcefull-year 2026$4.50-$5.00New
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefull-year 2026$5.50-$6.00New
Total revenue growth Source2026 compared with 20252% to 4%New
Acquisition intangible amortization adjustment Sourcefull-year 2026$0.85 per shareNew
Impairment, restructuring and other special items adjustment Sourcefull-year 2026$0.15 per shareNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The company gave its first 2026 EPS ranges, after the prior quarter had given 2025 guidance. Source
  • Ended: The 2025 guidance from the prior quarter, with EPS of $3.90 to $4.00 and adjusted EPS of $5.20 to $5.30, is superseded by reported full-year 2025 results. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter sales up 3.5 percent: Sales were $1.11 billion, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier; excluding currency, sales rose 1.3 percent organically. Source
  • Fourth-quarter net income and EPS lower: Net income was $62.3 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, against $71.2 million, or $1.01. Adjusted EPS was $1.14 against $1.16. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS of $5.33: Full-year diluted EPS was $4.11 against $4.99. Adjusted EPS was $5.33 against $5.79, excluding special items. Source

Segment performance

  • Engineered Bearings sales up 0.9 percent: Engineered Bearings sales were $714.2 million in the quarter, up 0.9 percent. Source
  • Engineered Bearings margin fell to 16.1 percent: Engineered Bearings adjusted EBITDA was $114.9 million, or 16.1 percent of sales, against $122.0 million, or 17.2 percent, a year earlier. Source
  • Industrial Motion sales up 8.4 percent: Industrial Motion sales were $396.8 million, up 8.4 percent from $365.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Industrial Motion margin rose to 21.0 percent: Industrial Motion adjusted EBITDA was $83.2 million, or 21.0 percent of sales, against $70.7 million, or 19.3 percent, a year earlier. Source

“Management believes that free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure that is useful to investors because it is a meaningful indicator of cash generated from operating activities available for the execution of its business strategy.”

Timken Co., press release

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Quarterly adjusted EBITDA margin 16.0 percent: Adjusted EBITDA was $177.8 million, or 16.0 percent of sales, against $178.2 million, or 16.6 percent. Net income margin was 5.6 percent against 6.6 percent. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EBITDA margin 17.4 percent: Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $795.8 million, or 17.4 percent of sales, against $844.8 million, or 18.5 percent, in 2024. Source
  • Engineered Bearings costs: tariffs and volume: Engineered Bearings adjusted EBITDA declined on incremental tariff costs and lower volume, partly offset by lower operating, material and logistics costs and currency. Source
  • Industrial Motion costs: volume helped: Industrial Motion adjusted EBITDA gains came from higher volume and lower operating costs, partly offset by incremental tariff costs. Source

Demand and sales drivers

  • Pricing and volume drove quarterly sales: Higher pricing, favorable currency translation and higher Industrial Motion volumes drove the fourth-quarter sales increase. Source
  • Full-year sales up 0.2 percent: Full-year sales were $4.6 billion, up 0.2 percent, on higher pricing, CGI acquisition revenue and currency, mostly offset by lower demand. Source
  • Organic sales fell 1.0 percent in 2025: Excluding acquisitions and currency, full-year sales were $4,526.7 million, down 1.0 percent from $4,573.0 million. Source

Cash flow, debt and shareholder returns

  • Fourth-quarter free cash flow up: Fourth-quarter free cash flow was $140.7 million, after capital expenditures of $42.6 million, against $125.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow $406.1 million: Full-year net cash from operations was $554.3 million, up from $475.7 million. Free cash flow was $406.1 million, against $305.7 million. Source
  • Returned $155.7 million to shareholders: Dividends and the repurchase of 780 thousand shares totaled $155.7 million in 2025. 2025 was the twelfth consecutive year of higher annual dividends. Source
  • Total and net debt both reduced: Total debt fell $140.7 million and net debt fell $131.9 million during 2025. Source
  • Net debt to adjusted EBITDA at 2.0 times: Net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 2.0 times at December 31, 2025. The net debt to capital ratio was 31.8 percent, down from 36.1 percent. Source

Strategy and 2026 plan

  • Company describes its product portfolio: Company boilerplate describes it as designing a growing portfolio of next-generation products for diverse industries, operating from 45 countries. Source
  • 2026 guidance excludes pension remeasurement: The 2026 reconciliation states that the special-items amount excludes future pension remeasurement adjustments, which are not known until incurred. Source
  • Footprint reviewed, restructuring charges recorded: Impairment and restructuring charges were $8.5 million in the fourth quarter and $25.3 million for 2025, against $13.4 million in 2024. Source

Leadership transition

  • Lucian Boldea named chief executive: Lucian Boldea was appointed president and CEO effective September 1, 2025. Richard G. Kyle retired from his interim role. Source
  • Tarak Mehta departed in March 2025: Tarak B. Mehta left as president and CEO, and Richard G. Kyle served as interim president and CEO from that date. Source
  • CEO transition costs excluded from adjusted results: CEO transition expenses were $2.3 million in the fourth quarter and $20.8 million for 2025, against $3.7 million for 2024. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Corporate pension remeasurement added $10.8 million of fourth-quarter expense, excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Demand: Lower end-market demand in Engineered Bearings partly offset gains in the fourth quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: A plan stated last quarter to apply an 80/20 approach; this release describes near-term priorities aimed at similar margin and growth aims.
  • Not stated: The prior-quarter 2025 range was updated in that release; this release does not state a comparison against it.

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.