Financial Highlights
● | Sales decreased 3% on a reported basis and 5% on an organic basis, as compared to the third quarter last year. Reported operating margin increased 10 basis points and adjusted operating margin increased 50 basis points. Reported and adjusted operating margin increased as cost reduction actions and productivity more than offset lower volume primarily resulting from the impact of COVID-19. GAAP operating margin was also negatively impacted by higher restructuring and other related costs, acquisition charges and a loss on disposal. |
From a regional perspective:
Americas
| o | Sales decreased 3% on a reported basis and 4% on an organic basis, with declines in heating and hot water, plumbing and drains products. Operating margin increased 10 basis points and 30 basis points on a GAAP and adjusted basis, respectively, as benefits from cost reduction actions and productivity initiatives offset COVID-19 volume declines and incremental investments. GAAP operating margin also declined due to restructuring and other charges recorded in the third quarter of 2020. |
Europe
| o | Reported sales decreased 1%, including a positive impact of 5% from foreign exchange movements. Sales were down 6% organically, with declines in most regions and product lines resulting from COVID-19. Operating margin decreased 150 basis points on a GAAP basis and increased 10 basis points on an adjusted basis. GAAP operating margin was negatively impacted by higher restructuring charges year-over-year. Both measures were positively affected by cost reduction actions and productivity initiatives that more than offset volume reductions and incremental investments. |
APMEA
| o | Reported and organic sales decreased 4% and 22%, respectively, with sales generally down in most regions due to COVID-19. GAAP operating margin decreased 930 basis points and adjusted operating margin increased 640 basis points. GAAP and adjusted operating margin benefited from cost reduction actions and productivity initiatives, as well as higher affiliate volume, which were partially offset by lower third-party volume. GAAP operating margin was also impacted by restructuring charges, acquisition related costs and a loss on disposal recorded in the third quarter of 2020 |
Cash Flow and Capital Allocation
● | For the first nine months of 2020, operating cash flow was $127 million, net capital expenditures were $32 million and free cash flow was $95 million. In the comparable period last year, operating cash flow was $95 million, net capital expenditures were approximately $19 million and free cash flow was approximately $76 million. The free cash flow increase was primarily driven by lower working capital including reductions in accounts receivable. We expect continued improvement in free cash flow through the fourth quarter of 2020, due to normal seasonality. |
● | Year-to-date, we have repatriated approximately $56 million in cash, and used a majority of that cash to pay down debt. |
● | We repurchased approximately 41,000 shares of Class A common stock at a cost of $3.7 million during the third quarter. For the first nine months of 2020, we repurchased approximately 295,000 shares at a cost of approximately $24.8 million, which more than offset dilution from our stock compensation programs. |
For a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP items and a statement regarding the usefulness of these measures to investors and management in evaluating our operating performance, please see the tables attached to this press release.
Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will hold a live web-cast of its conference call to discuss third quarter results for 2020 on Thursday, November 5, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. This press release and the live web-cast can be accessed by visiting the Investors section of the Company's website at www.wattswater.com. Following the web-cast, an archived version of the call will be available at the same address until November 5, 2021.
Watts Water Technologies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a world leader in the manufacture of innovative products to control the efficiency, safety, and quality of water within residential, commercial, and institutional applications. Watts’s expertise in a wide variety of water technologies enables it to be a comprehensive supplier to the water industry.
This Press Release includes “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the impact of COVID-19 on our 2020 results, expected volume and margin improvement in the fourth quarter of 2020, and anticipated free cash flow improvements during the fourth quarter of 2020. These forward-looking statements