JULY 31, 2018
Xylem Inc. (NYSE: XYL), a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, today reported second quarter 2018 net income of $115 million, or $0.64 per share. Excluding the impact of restructuring, realignment and other special items, the Company delivered adjusted net income of $131 million or $0.73 per share in the quarter, a 24-percent increase over the prior year period. Second quarter revenue was $1.3 billion, up 13 percent including the impact of foreign exchange and acquisitions. Revenue for the quarter increased eight percent on an organic basis, driven by double-digit growth in utilities and continued strength in the industrial and commercial end markets across nearly all major geographies. Orders increased eight percent organically in the quarter. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin improved by 70 basis points year-over-year to 19.3 percent driven by volume leverage and savings from productivity initiatives. Reported operating margin in the quarter was 13 percent and adjusted operating margin increased 70 basis points year-over-year to 13.8 percent, including a 20-basis-point negative impact due to purchase accounting amortization.
Patrick Decker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xylem, said, “Our second quarter results were very strong as our team continued to successfully execute on our strategy to generate consistent, profitable growth. Once again, we delivered high single-digit organic growth in revenue and orders globally, reflecting solid growth in each of the major geographic markets in which we operate. We are capturing share in the utilities end market where strong orders and backlog growth reflect continued momentum. As we indicated previously, we began implementing price increases earlier this year and I’m pleased with the traction we’ve gained in the marketplace. Our ability to successfully realize meaningful pricing impact, while continuing to execute our productivity initiatives, has and will continue to help us mitigate higher input costs from inflationary pressures and tariffs. Our strong operational performance in the first half of the year and continued momentum underpins our confidence in our updated expectations for the full year.”
Updated Full-year 2018 Outlook
Xylem now forecasts full-year 2018 revenue of approximately $5.2 billion, up more than 10 percent versus the prior year, including growth from previously announced acquisitions. On an organic basis, Xylem now anticipates revenue growth in the range of six to seven percent.
The Company has narrowed the range of its full-year 2018 earnings expectations. Reflected in this expectation is $0.04 of operational improvement driven by stronger operational execution and price realization offset by the impact of a strengthening dollar and divestiture of a non-core business. Full-year 2018 adjusted operating margin is now expected to be in the range of 13.9 to 14.2 percent, resulting in adjusted earnings per share of $2.85 to $2.95. This represents an increase of 19 to 23 percent from Xylem’s 2017 adjusted results. The Company’s adjusted earnings outlook excludes projected integration, restructuring and realignment costs, which now are expected to be approximately $45 million for the year. Excluding revenue, Xylem provides guidance only on a non-GAAP basis due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting certain amounts that would be included in GAAP earnings, such as discrete tax items, without unreasonable effort.
Second Quarter Segment Results
Water Infrastructure
Xylem’s Water Infrastructure segment consists of its portfolio of businesses serving clean water delivery, wastewater transport and treatment, and dewatering.
- Second quarter 2018 revenue was $546 million, up 11 percent organically compared with second quarter 2017. This growth includes strong results in the utilities end market, particularly in the U.S., which was up 13 percent in the quarter. Large project deliveries along with strong aftermarket performance drove a nearly 30 percent year-over-year increase in the Company’s treatment business. The industrial end market also continued to show solid growth, reflecting solid global demand in dewatering.
- Second quarter reported operating income for the segment was $92 million. Adjusted operating income for the segment, which excludes $5 million of restructuring and realignment costs, was $97 million, a 23-percent increase over the same period a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the Water Infrastructure segment increased 80 basis points to 20.1 percent. Reported operating margin for the segment was 16.8 percent, up 140 basis points versus the prior year, and adjusted operating margin increased 140 basis points to 17.8 percent. This growth reflects volume leverage, productivity gains and price realization, partially offset by inflation and a higher mix of treatment project deliveries.
Applied Water
Xylem’s Applied Water segment consists of its portfolio of businesses in residential and commercial building services, and industrial applications.
- Second quarter 2018 Applied Water revenue was $388 million, a six-percent increase organically year-over-year. This performance reflects solid growth in the U.S. in both the industrial and commercial sectors, and double-digit growth in Emerging Markets. Increased project business as well as continued commercial growth drove a double-digit increase in China.
- Second quarter reported operating income for the segment was $61 million and adjusted operating income, which excludes $2 million of restructuring and realignment costs, was $63 million, a 19-percent increase over the comparable period last year. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the Applied Water segment was 18 percent, an increase of 110 basis points over the prior year. Reported operating margin was 15.7 percent, up 240 basis points year-over-year, and adjusted operating margin increased 150 basis points to 16.2 percent as volume leverage, productivity initiatives and price realization more than offset inflation and unfavorable mix.
Measurement & Control Solutions
Xylem’s Measurement & Control Solutions segment consists of its portfolio of businesses in smart metering, network technologies, advanced infrastructure analytics and analytic instrumentation.
- Second quarter 2018 Measurement & Control Solutions revenue was $383 million, up eight percent organically versus the prior year period. This reflects solid growth in the Sensus business, up high single digits year-over-year, driven by large project deployments in the energy sector in North America. Revenue in Xylem’s analytics business increased six percent organically in the quarter.
- Second quarter reported operating income for the segment was $31 million, and adjusted operating income, which excludes $4 million of restructuring and realignment costs and acquisition-related costs, was $35 million, a three-percent increase over the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the Measurement & Control Solutions segment decreased 140 basis points to 18.5 percent. Reported operating margin for the segment was 8.1 percent. The benefits of volume leverage were more than offset by the negative impact of mix driven by large deployments in the energy business as well as the funding of strategic R&D and commercial investments to accelerate growth and higher purchase accounting amortization. This resulted in a 150-basis-point decrease in adjusted operating margin to 9.1 percent.
Supplemental information on Xylem’s second quarter 2018 earnings and reconciliations for certain non-GAAP items is posted at www.xylem.com/investors.
About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to developing innovative technology solutions to the world’s water challenges. The Company’s products and services move, treat, analyze, monitor and return water to the environment in public utility, industrial, residential and commercial building services settings. Xylem also provides a leading portfolio of smart metering, network technologies and advanced infrastructure analytics solutions for water, electric and gas utilities. The Company’s more than 16,500 employees bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on identifying comprehensive, sustainable solutions. Headquartered in Rye Brook, New York with 2017 revenue of $4.7 billion, Xylem does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands.
The name Xylem is derived from classical Greek and is the tissue that transports water in plants, highlighting the engineering efficiency of our water-centric business by linking it with the best water transportation of all – that which occurs in nature. For more information, please visit us at www.xylem.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains information that may constitute “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Generally, the words “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “forecast,” “believe,” “target,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
These forward-looking statements include statements about the capitalization of Xylem Inc. (the “Company”), the Company’s restructuring and realignment, future strategic plans and other statements that describe the Company’s business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals. All statements that address operating or financial performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future – including statements relating to orders, revenues, operating margins and earnings per share growth, and statements expressing general views about future operating results – are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in, or reasonably inferred from, such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause results to differ materially from those anticipated include: economic, political and other risks associated with our international operations, including military actions, economic sanctions or trade barriers and embargoes that could affect customer markets, and non-compliance with laws, including foreign corrupt practice laws, export and import laws and competition laws; potential for unexpected cancellations or delays of customer orders in our reported backlog; our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; competition and pricing pressures in the markets we serve; the strength of housing and related markets; ability to retain and attract key members of management; our relationship with and the performance of our channel partners; our ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions; our ability to borrow or to refinance our existing indebtedness and availability of liquidity sufficient to meet our needs; changes in the value of goodwill or intangible assets; risks relating to product defects, product liability and recalls; governmental investigations; security breaches or other disruptions of our information technology systems; litigation and contingent liabilities; and other factors set forth in Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and those described from time to time in subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements made herein are based on information currently available to the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
