greeksoup/ stock research

Waters Corp.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 9 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 13 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter sales at top of range: Fourth-quarter sales were $932 million, up 7% as reported and 6% in constant currency, from $873 million a year earlier. Management said this landed at the high end of the reported growth guidance range. Source
  • Full-year sales grew 7%: Full-year 2025 sales were $3,165 million, up 7% as reported and in constant currency, from $2,958 million in 2024. Source
  • Full-year non-GAAP EPS up 11%: Full-year non-GAAP EPS rose 11% to $13.13 from $11.86. Fourth-quarter non-GAAP EPS was $4.53 against $4.10 a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted operating margin 35.2% vs 35.5%: Adjusted operating margin was 35.2% in the quarter against 35.5% a year earlier. GAAP operating margin was 29.0% against 33.5%. Source
  • Free cash flow lower for the year: Adjusted free cash flow was $677,318 thousand for the year against $744,307 thousand, and $125,205 thousand in the quarter against $188,035 thousand. Source
  • Reported revenue includes acquired business: Reported 2026 revenue guidance adds the acquired business on an owned-period basis and expected revenue synergies. Organic guidance is shown separately. Source
  • BD business added to Waters: Management described adding the BD Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business as a transformative step as the company enters 2026. Source

“Our team delivered industry-leading results in 2025, achieving high single-digit revenue growth and double-digit adjusted EPS growth.”

Udit Batra, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer, Waters Corporation

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Organic constant currency revenue growth Sourcefull-year 2026+5.5% to +7.0%New
Organic reported revenue Sourcefull-year 2026$3.355 billion to $3.405 billionNew
Acquired business contribution to reported revenue Sourcefull-year 2026approximately $3.000 billionNew
Total company reported revenue Sourcefull-year 2026$6.405 billion to $6.455 billionNew
Non-GAAP EPS Sourcefull-year 2026$14.30 to $14.50New
Non-GAAP EPS growth Sourcefull-year 2026approximately +8.9% to +10.4%New
Non-GAAP EPS accretion from BD combination Sourcefull-year 2026$0.10New
Combined company sales growth at mid-point Source20265.3%New
Organic constant currency revenue growth Sourcefirst quarter 2026+7.0% to +9.0%New
Organic reported revenue Sourcefirst quarter 2026$718 million to $731 millionNew
Acquired business contribution to reported revenue Sourcefirst quarter 2026approximately $480 millionNew
Total company reported revenue Sourcefirst quarter 2026$1.198 billion to $1.211 billionNew
Non-GAAP EPS Sourcefirst quarter 2026$2.25 to $2.35New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full-year and first-quarter 2026 guidance issued for the first time; the prior release covered 2025 guidance only. Source
  • New: The BD Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions transaction closes on the release date; the prior release described it as proposed. Source
  • New: Commercial excellence initiatives launched on instrument replacement, e-commerce and service attachment. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Fourth-quarter sales at top of range: Fourth-quarter sales were $932 million, up 7% as reported and 6% in constant currency, from $873 million a year earlier. Management said this landed at the high end of the reported growth guidance range. Source
  • Full-year sales grew 7%: Full-year 2025 sales were $3,165 million, up 7% as reported and in constant currency, from $2,958 million in 2024. Source
  • Full-year non-GAAP EPS up 11%: Full-year non-GAAP EPS rose 11% to $13.13 from $11.86. Fourth-quarter non-GAAP EPS was $4.53 against $4.10 a year earlier. Source
  • Recurring revenue led by chemistry: For the full year, recurring revenue grew 8% in constant currency, with chemistry growth of 12% as the main contributor. Source

Segments and regions

  • Pharma and industrial led the quarter: Pharmaceutical sales rose 8% as reported and 7% in constant currency. Industrial sales rose 8%, and academic and government fell 2% as reported and 3% in constant currency. Source
  • Asia rose 11% in constant currency: Asia sales rose 4% as reported and 11% in constant currency in the quarter. Americas sales rose 4%, and Europe rose 13% as reported and 4% in constant currency. Source
  • Full-year Asia and Europe growth: For the year, Asia rose 7% as reported and 13% in constant currency. Europe rose 10% as reported and 5% in constant currency. Source
  • Academic demand flat for the year: Full-year industrial sales rose 6% and pharmaceutical sales rose 9%. Academic and government sales were flat as reported and down 1% in constant currency. Source

“We expect this momentum to continue into 2026, driven by strong execution of the multi-year instrument replacement cycle, continued contribution from pioneering innovation, and our Waters-specific idiosyncratic growth drivers”

Udit Batra, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer, Waters Corporation

Products and customers

  • Chemistry rose 12% on bioseparations: Chemistry grew 12% in constant currency in the quarter. Management tied this to new bioseparations products that continued to see significant customer demand. Source
  • Instrument sales up 3% in quarter: Instrument sales grew 3%. High single-digit LC-MS growth was partly offset by TA and by the transition to a subscription model for Empower. Source
  • Recurring revenue up 10% in quarter: Recurring revenues, service plus precision chemistries, rose 10% as reported and 9% in constant currency in the quarter. Service rose 8% in constant currency. Source

Costs, margins and earnings

  • Adjusted operating margin 35.2% vs 35.5%: Adjusted operating margin was 35.2% in the quarter against 35.5% a year earlier. GAAP operating margin was 29.0% against 33.5%. Source
  • Acquisition costs excluded from adjusted results: Acquisition-related costs of $39,975 thousand were recorded in the quarter and excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • GAAP operating income declined: GAAP operating income was $270,516 thousand in the quarter against $292,263 thousand, and $802,588 thousand for the year against $826,353 thousand. Source
  • Cost of sales rose year on year: Cost of sales was $362,864 thousand in the quarter from $348,516 thousand, and $1,288,822 thousand for the year from $1,200,201 thousand. Source

“Our starting 2026 guidance calls for an attractive 5.3% combined company sales growth at mid-point, with opportunity for outperformance as the year progresses.”

Udit Batra, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer, Waters Corporation

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow lower for the year: Adjusted free cash flow was $677,318 thousand for the year against $744,307 thousand, and $125,205 thousand in the quarter against $188,035 thousand. Source
  • Operating cash flow lower for year: Net cash from operations was $652,555 thousand against $762,123 thousand. Tax reform payments of $120,006 thousand are added back in the free cash flow reconciliation. Source
  • Net debt repayment for the year: Net change in debt was a $243,321 thousand reduction for the year. Notes payable and debt were $1,407,445 thousand at year-end. Source
  • Cash balance higher at year-end: Cash and cash equivalents were $587,831 thousand at year-end against $325,355 thousand a year earlier. Source
  • Capital additions lower than 2024: Additions to property, plant, equipment and software were $112,745 thousand for the year against $142,481 thousand. Purchases of treasury shares were $14,667 thousand for the year. Source

2026 guidance and expectations

  • Reported revenue includes acquired business: Reported 2026 revenue guidance adds the acquired business on an owned-period basis and expected revenue synergies. Organic guidance is shown separately. Source
  • BD accretion included in EPS guidance: Full-year non-GAAP EPS guidance includes accretion from the BD combination, measured against the company's standalone non-GAAP EPS profile. Source
  • First-quarter guidance set separately: First-quarter 2026 guidance is given on its own basis, with separate organic, reported and EPS ranges from the full-year figures. Source
  • Room for outperformance seen later: Management said the starting guidance leaves room for outperformance as the year progresses. Source

BD transaction and strategy

  • BD business added to Waters: Management described adding the BD Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business as a transformative step as the company enters 2026. Source
  • Commercial initiatives launch with close: Initiatives on instrument replacement, e-commerce and service attachment are intended to build momentum and drive the first phase of stated revenue synergies. Source
  • Integration progress described last quarter: The prior release said integration planning was progressing as expected and that management remained highly confident in the identified synergies.

Coming up, as management said on 9 February 2026

  • Cost synergy progress expected in months ahead: Management expects decisive progress on its stated cost synergies in the months ahead. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Q4 sales landed at the high end of the reported growth guidance range given in the prior release. Source
  • On track: Prior release said integration planning was progressing as expected and synergy targets were still held.
  • Not stated: Management referred to stated cost synergies and expects decisive progress in the months ahead. Source
  • Not stated: Commercial initiatives are expected to drive the first phase of the revenue synergies stated earlier. 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.