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Zurn Elkay Water Solutions 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: 1 raised, 5 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Q2 net sales reached $491 million, up 10%: Net sales in the second quarter were $491 million, up from $445 million in the prior year quarter, an increase of 10 percent. Core sales, excluding acquisitions and foreign currency effects, also grew 10 percent. Source
  • Net income from continuing operations doubled: Net income from continuing operations was $113 million with diluted EPS of $0.67 compared with $50 million and diluted EPS of $0.29 in the prior year second quarter. First half earnings also more than doubled. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margins expanded 120 basis points: Adjusted EBITDA was $136 million or 27.7 percent of net sales in Q2 2026 compared with $118 million or 26.5 percent in Q2 2025. The 120 basis point margin expansion reflects pricing, volume and productivity gains. Source
  • Completed Intellihot acquisition in July 2026: Zurn Elkay completed the acquisition of Intellihot in July 2026. The deal was announced as signed on July 20 with expected early Q3 close. Intellihot had net sales expected of approximately $37 million for full year 2026. Source
  • $100 million in share repurchases in H1 2026: The company repurchased $50 million in the second quarter, bringing the total to $100 million over the first half of 2026. Q2 repurchases reduced share count by 1.0 million shares. Source

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Third quarter 2026 core sales growth SourceThird quarter 2026approximately 6% to 7%New
Third quarter 2026 adjusted EBITDA margins SourceThird quarter 2026around 28%New
Full year 2026 adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$503 million to $513 millionRaised
Full year 2026 adjusted EBITDA margin expansion vs 2025 SourceFull year 2026roughly 140 basis pointsNew
Intellihot sales contribution remainder 2026 SourceSecond half 2026approximately $16 millionNew
Full year 2026 free cash flow SourceFull year 2026at least $350 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The company completed the acquisition of Intellihot, a leader in tankless water heater solutions for healthcare, education, hospitality and commercial markets. The deal was announced as signed on July 20 with closing expected early Q3. Source

Sales Growth and Core Performance

  • Q2 net sales reached $491 million, up 10%: Net sales in the second quarter were $491 million, up from $445 million in the prior year quarter, an increase of 10 percent. Core sales, excluding acquisitions and foreign currency effects, also grew 10 percent. Source
  • All product categories contributed to growth: Core sales improved 10 percent year-over-year with growth across all product categories. Growth reflects pricing realization and volume improvements driven by market demand and company sales initiatives. Source
  • Operating leverage improved significantly: Excluding the non-recurring tariff refund, operating income increased by $27.1 million year-over-year as a result of favorable impact of sales growth inclusive of price realization and Zurn Elkay Business System productivity. Source

Profitability and Earnings

  • Net income from continuing operations doubled: Net income from continuing operations was $113 million with diluted EPS of $0.67 compared with $50 million and diluted EPS of $0.29 in the prior year second quarter. First half earnings also more than doubled. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margins expanded 120 basis points: Adjusted EBITDA was $136 million or 27.7 percent of net sales in Q2 2026 compared with $118 million or 26.5 percent in Q2 2025. The 120 basis point margin expansion reflects pricing, volume and productivity gains. Source
  • Adjusted earnings per share increased 19 percent: Adjusted EPS on a diluted basis was $0.50 compared with $0.42 in the prior year quarter. Six-month adjusted EPS was $0.91 versus $0.73 in the prior year period. Source

Tariff Refunds and One-Time Benefits

  • $48 million tariff refunds received in Q2: During Q2 2026, the company received $47.6 million of cash refunds related to previously paid International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) reciprocal tariffs. The benefit was recorded in cost of sales and excluded from adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Operating income improved on tariff-adjusted basis: Excluding the tariff refund, operating income increased by $27.1 million year-over-year, a 380 basis point improvement from favorable sales growth and Zurn Elkay Business System productivity initiatives. This represents the underlying operational improvement. Source

Intellihot Acquisition and Market Entry

  • Completed Intellihot acquisition in July 2026: Zurn Elkay completed the acquisition of Intellihot in July 2026. The deal was announced as signed on July 20 with expected early Q3 close. Intellihot had net sales expected of approximately $37 million for full year 2026. Source
  • Entry into high-efficiency water heating market: Intellihot offers gas and electric tankless water heaters with market-leading energy efficiency and cost savings compared to traditional tanked heaters. It serves healthcare, education, hospitality and commercial end markets with category-leading efficiency and reliability. Source

Product Development and Innovation

  • New products launching in 2026-2027: Management expects to launch several new products into adjacent categories in the back half of 2026 and into 2027. These launches are designed to expand the company's served available market. Source
  • Zurn Elkay Business System driving margin growth: The company continues to leverage the Zurn Elkay Business System to drive above-market growth and incremental margins through relentless deployment of 80/20 analysis, supply chain initiatives and continuous improvement by associates. Source

Capital Allocation and Shareholder Returns

  • $100 million in share repurchases in H1 2026: The company repurchased $50 million in the second quarter, bringing the total to $100 million over the first half of 2026. Q2 repurchases reduced share count by 1.0 million shares. Source
  • Paid $37 million in dividends in first half: Cash dividends paid in the first half of 2026 totaled $37 million. Management continues to be disciplined and strategic, balancing repurchases, dividends and acquisitions while maintaining low leverage. Source
  • Flexible capital deployment strategy maintained: Robust and increasing free cash flow provides flexibility for disciplined strategic deployment. The company's strong balance sheet, leverage, liquidity and cash flow generation put it in a strong position for organic and inorganic growth. Source

Cash Flow and Financial Position

  • Net debt leverage maintained at 0.3x: As of June 30, 2026, net debt leverage was 0.3x, demonstrating a strong balance sheet. With cash of $365 million and long-term debt of $498 million, the company maintains significant financial flexibility. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 July 2026

  • New products launching in 2026-2027: Management expects to launch several new products into adjacent categories in the back half of 2026 and into 2027 to expand the served available market. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management stated the company remains on track to launch several new products into adjacent categories in the back half of 2026 and into 2027. 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.