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Veralto Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 4 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales up 7.6%, core up 4.2%: Sales were $1,474 million, up 7.6% from $1,371 million. Core growth was 4.2%; acquisitions added about 2.4 points and currency about 1.0 point to reported growth. Source
  • Adjusted margin 24.6%, reported 21.4%: Adjusted operating margin was 24.6% against 23.7% a year earlier; reported operating margin was 21.4% against 22.8%. Source
  • Adjusted EPS $1.11, up 19%: Diluted EPS was $0.98 against $0.89. Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.11 against $0.93, up 19%. Source
  • Water Quality core growth 5.7%: Water Quality grew 10.1% reported and 5.7% core in the quarter; the company said both segments showed sequential acceleration. Source
  • PQI growth expected to accelerate in H2: Management expects PQI core growth to accelerate meaningfully in the second half, citing digital workflow adoption and recent product launches. Source
  • Restructuring cost under cost program: Restructuring costs under the 2026 Cost Optimization Program were $29 million pretax in the quarter and are excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Free cash flow $328 million: Operating cash flow was $340 million against $339 million; free cash flow was $328 million against $323 million after $12 million of capital expenditures. Source

“In the second quarter, total sales grew approximately 8%, adjusted earnings per share increased 19%, and we generated robust free cash flow.”

Jennifer L. Honeycutt, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Core sales growth Sourcethird quarter 20264.0% to 5.0%New
Adjusted operating profit margin Sourcethird quarter 2026approximately 25 basis pointsNew
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcethird quarter 2026$1.06 to $1.09New
Core sales growth Sourcefull year 20264.0% to 4.5%Raised from 3.0% to 4.5%
Adjusted operating profit margin Sourcefull year 202625 to 50 basis pointsRaised from approximately 25 basis points
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefull year 2026$4.35 to $4.43Raised from $4.20 to $4.28
Free cash flow conversion Sourcefull year 2026greater than 100% of GAAP net earningsRaised from approximately 100% of GAAP net earnings
Core sales growth Sourcesecond half 2026approximately 5% to 6%New

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year core sales growth range raised from 3.0% to 4.5% to 4.0% to 4.5%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance raised from $4.20 to $4.28 to $4.35 to $4.43. Source
  • Guidance raised: Free cash flow conversion guidance raised from about 100% to greater than 100% of GAAP net earnings. Source
  • New guidance: Third-quarter guidance given for core sales growth, adjusted operating margin and adjusted diluted EPS. Source
  • New: Alfaa UV named as the most recent bolt-on acquisition, following In-Situ and GlobalVision. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales up 7.6%, core up 4.2%: Sales were $1,474 million, up 7.6% from $1,371 million. Core growth was 4.2%; acquisitions added about 2.4 points and currency about 1.0 point to reported growth. Source
  • Adjusted margin 24.6%, reported 21.4%: Adjusted operating margin was 24.6% against 23.7% a year earlier; reported operating margin was 21.4% against 22.8%. Source
  • Adjusted EPS $1.11, up 19%: Diluted EPS was $0.98 against $0.89. Adjusted diluted EPS was $1.11 against $0.93, up 19%. Source
  • IEEPA tariff recoveries added $0.05: Second-quarter results include about $0.05 per share of recoveries of tariffs previously collected under the IEEPA. Source

Segments and regions

  • Water Quality core growth 5.7%: Water Quality grew 10.1% reported and 5.7% core in the quarter; the company said both segments showed sequential acceleration. Source
  • PQI core growth 2.0%: Product Quality and Innovation grew 3.8% reported and 2.0% core, with acquisitions adding 1.2 points and currency 0.6 points. Source
  • Acquisition and currency effects by segment: Water Quality growth included 3.2 points from acquisitions and 1.2 points from currency; the table shows the same impacts for each segment. Source

“These actions reflect the accelerating growth profile of our portfolio, our VES-driven execution and commitment to disciplined capital allocation”

Jennifer L. Honeycutt, President and Chief Executive Officer

Products, customers and demand

  • Water Quality demand across three areas: Management said demand in Water Quality continues across industrial water treatment, water reuse initiatives and environmental water monitoring workflows. Source
  • Municipal water analytics steady: Demand for water analytics supporting municipal customers’ daily operations was described as steady. Source
  • PQI marking steady, digital growing: Marking and coding demand in PQI was described as steady; digital workflow solutions in packaging and color were said to deliver underlying growth. Source
  • PQI growth expected to accelerate in H2: Management expects PQI core growth to accelerate meaningfully in the second half, citing digital workflow adoption and recent product launches. Source

Costs and margins

  • SG&A and cost of sales rose: Cost of sales was $572 million against $549 million; SG&A was $514 million against $442 million in the second quarter. Source
  • Restructuring cost under cost program: Restructuring costs under the 2026 Cost Optimization Program were $29 million pretax in the quarter and are excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Intangible amortization rose: Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles was $17 million pretax against $9 million a year earlier, and is excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Income tax expense fell: Income taxes were $48 million in the quarter against $63 million a year earlier; the reconciliation shows an $11 million tax effect on adjustments. Source

“Supported by a strong balance sheet and robust cash generation, we remain focused on compounding long-term shareholder value through high-quality growth, VES-driven execution and disciplined capital allocation”

Jennifer L. Honeycutt, President and Chief Executive Officer

Capital, cash and returns

  • Free cash flow $328 million: Operating cash flow was $340 million against $339 million; free cash flow was $328 million against $323 million after $12 million of capital expenditures. Source
  • Trailing free cash flow margin 18.4%: Trailing twelve-month free cash flow was $1,047 million on sales of $5,696 million, a free cash flow margin of 18.4%. Source
  • Investing and financing cash flows: Investing activities used $206 million against $40 million; the table lists financing activities at $558 million against $(15) million a year earlier. Source
  • Q1 buybacks; Q2 amount not given: The first-quarter release reported $300 million of share repurchases, 1.3% of outstanding shares; the second-quarter release gives no repurchase amount.

Strategy and acquisitions

  • Acquisitions completed earlier in 2026: In the first-quarter release the company said it had completed the In-Situ and GlobalVision acquisitions for about $620 million.
  • Free cash flow and disciplined levers: The first-quarter release said the deals and repurchases underscored free cash flow strength and multiple disciplined levers for creating shareholder value.
  • Balance sheet gives acquisition room: The first-quarter release said the balance sheet provided flexibility to pursue further acquisitions and share repurchases.

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The first-quarter release expected core sales growth to accelerate through the year; the second-quarter release does not state whether this was met.
  • Not stated: The first-quarter release guided second-quarter core sales growth to 3.0% to 4.0%; the second-quarter release reports 4.2%.
  • Not stated: The first-quarter release expected a charge of $85 to $105 million and annual savings of $65 to $75 million by 2028; the second-quarter release reports $29 million of pretax costs in the quarter.

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.