/ News / Xylem Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2021 Earnings

Xylem Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2021 Earnings

Parul Dubey on February 4, 2022 - in News
  • Full-year organic growth, adjusted EBITDA margin expansion, adjusted earnings per share in line with November guidance
  • Full-year revenue of $5.2 billion, up 7% on a reported basis, up 4% organically
  • Full-year reported earnings per share of $2.35, up 68%; adjusted earnings per share of $2.49, up 21%
  • Strong demand drives continuing commercial momentum in all business segments; fourth quarter and full-year reported and organic orders growth in excess of 20%
  • Provides 2022 organic revenue growth guidance range of 3% to 5% and adjusted earnings per share range of $2.35 to $2.70, reflecting ongoing chip constraints across the technology sector

 

RYE BROOK, N.Y. – Xylem Inc. (NYSE: XYL), a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, today reported fourth quarter revenue of $1.32 billion, and full-year 2021 revenue of $5.20 billion, in line with previous guidance.

Fourth quarter adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin decreased 260 basis points to 16.2 percent. Inflation and strategic investments drove the margin decline, exceeding the benefits of price realization and productivity savings. Xylem generated net income of $113 million, or $0.62 per share, and adjusted net income of $115 million, or $0.63 per share, which excludes the impact of restructuring, realignment and special charges.

For the full year, Xylem delivered adjusted EBITDA margin of 17.1 percent, up 80 basis points year-over-year. Productivity and volume drove the increase, exceeding inflation impacts. Full-year reported net income was $427 million, or $2.35 per share, and adjusted net income, which excludes the impact of restructuring, realignment and special charges, was $452 million, or $2.49 per share. The Company generated $538 million of operating cash flow, representing a 126 percent conversion, and $330 million of free cash flow, representing a 77 percent conversion.

“The team closed out 2021 with a strong performance, delivering full-year margin expansion alongside solid growth in revenue and earnings in the face of accelerating supply chain headwinds through the quarter,” said Patrick Decker, president and CEO of Xylem. “To mitigate the effects of inflation, the team also drove solid productivity improvements and price realization above our expectations. Market demand was clearly robust, as evidenced by continued strong orders and backlog growth in both the quarter and the year.”

“We expect the first half of 2022 to continue to be supply constrained due to ongoing chip shortages,” Decker continued. “Order-to-revenue conversion is set to pick up pace progressively, as we expect those constraints to begin easing in the latter part of the year. Overall, we expect full-year growth in the mid-single digits, with significant margin expansion in the second half, keeping us on track to achieve our 2025 growth and strategic milestones.”

Xylem announced that its Board of Directors declared a dividend in the amount of $0.30 per share, an increase of 7 percent. The dividend is payable on March 17, 2022, to shareholders of record as of February 17, 2022.

Full-year 2022 Outlook

Xylem forecasts full-year 2022 revenue in the range of $5.25 to $5.35 billion, up 1 to 3 percent on a reported basis and up 3 to 5 percent on an organic basis.

Full-year 2022 adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be in the range of 16 to 17 percent. This results in adjusted earnings per share of $2.35 to $2.70, which represents a decline of 6 percent to an increase of 8 percent from Xylem’s 2021 adjusted results. Further 2022 planning assumptions are included in Xylem’s fourth quarter 2021 earnings materials posted at www.xylem.com/investors. 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.

Fourth 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.

  • Fourth quarter 2021 revenue was $622 million, a 2 percent increase compared with fourth quarter 2020. This result was driven by healthy growth in the industrial end market, particularly in the Emerging Markets, partially offset by delayed revenue conversion in the U.S. utilities market primarily due to extended lead-times for ocean transit.
  • Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA margin was 21.7 percent, down 50 basis points from the prior year. Reported operating income for the segment was $122 million. Adjusted operating income for the segment, which excludes $2 million of restructuring and realignment, was $124 million, flat versus the comparable period last year. Reported operating margin for the segment was 19.6 percent, up 60 basis points versus the prior year, and adjusted operating margin was 19.9 percent, down 20 basis points versus prior year. Productivity benefits and price realization were more than offset by inflation and investments.

 

Applied Water

Xylem’s Applied Water segment consists of its portfolio of businesses in residential and commercial building services, and industrial applications.

  • Fourth quarter 2021 Applied Water revenue was $406 million, a 3 percent increase organically year-over-year. Industrial end-market strength in Emerging Markets, US and Western Europe was partially offset by weakness in the residential market in China particularly in light of strong prior-year performance.
  • Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA margin was 13.8 percent, down 340 basis points from the prior year. Reported operating income for the segment was $50 million and adjusted operating income, which excludes $2 million of restructuring and realignment costs, was $52 million, a 16 percent decrease versus the comparable period last year. The segment reported operating margin was 12.3 percent, down 310 basis points versus the prior year period. Adjusted operating margin declined 290 basis points to 12.8 percent. Productivity benefits and price realization were more than offset by inflation.

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.

  • Fourth quarter 2021 Measurement & Control Solutions revenue was $295 million, down 17 percent organically versus the prior year. The decline is in-line with our expectations and a result of the ongoing chip supply shortage and the outsized impact to our North American smart metering business.
  • Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA margin was 7.1 percent, down 750 basis points from the prior year. Reported operating income for the segment was -$17 million, and adjusted operating income, which excludes $2 million of restructuring and realignment costs, was -$15 million, a 194 percent decrease versus the comparable period last year. The Measurement & Control Solutions segment reported operating margin was -5.8 percent, down 970 basis points versus the prior year period. Adjusted operating margin of -5.1 percent also decreased 950 basis points over the prior year period. Volume declines from component shortages as well as inflation more than offset productivity savings and modest price realization.

Supplemental information on Xylem’s fourth quarter 2021 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 solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation. Our 17,000 diverse employees delivered revenue of $5.2 billion in 2021. We are creating a more sustainable world by enabling our customers to optimize water and resource management, and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure. Join us at www.xylem.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Generally, the words “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “contemplate,” “predict,” “forecast,” “likely,” “believe,” “target,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “potential,” “may” and similar expressions or their negative, may, but are not necessary to, identify forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements address uncertain matters and include any statements that: are not historical, such as statements about our strategy, financial plans, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals (including those related to our social, environmental and other sustainability goals); or address possible or future results of operations or financial performance, including statements relating to orders, revenues, operating margins and earnings per share growth.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in any of our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any of our forward-looking statements. Our future financial condition and results of operations, as well as any forward-looking statements, are subject to change and to inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Additionally, many of these risks and uncertainties are, and may continue to be, amplified by the ongoing coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. Important factors that could cause our actual results, performance and achievements, or industry results to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in or implied by our forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: overall industry and economic conditions, including industrial, governmental and private sector spending and the strength of the residential and commercial real estate markets; geopolitical, regulatory, economic and other risks associated with international operations; continued uncertainty around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic’s magnitude, duration and impacts on our business, operations, growth, and financial condition; actual or potential other epidemics, pandemics or global health crises; availability, shortage or delays in receiving products, parts, electronic components and raw materials from our supply chain; manufacturing and operating cost increases due to inflation, prevailing price changes, tariffs and other factors; demand for our products, disruption, competition, pricing pressures in the markets we serve; cybersecurity incidents or other disruptions of information technology systems on which we rely, or involving our products; disruptions in operations at our facilities or that of third parties upon which we rely; ability to retain and attract senior management and other diverse and key talent, as well as increasing competition for overall talent and labor; difficulty predicting our financial results; defects, security, warranty and liability claims, and recalls with respect to products; availability, regulation or interference with radio spectrum used by certain of our products; uncertainty related to restructuring and realignment actions and related charges and savings; our ability to continue strategic investments for growth; our ability to successfully identify, execute and integrate acquisitions; volatility in served markets or impacts on business and operations due to weather conditions, including the effects of climate change; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; our ability to borrow or refinance our existing indebtedness and the availability of liquidity sufficient to meet our needs; risk of future impairments to goodwill and other intangible assets; failure to comply with, or changes in, laws or regulations, including those pertaining to anti-corruption, data privacy and security, export and import, competition, domestic content requirements, and the environment and climate change; changes in our effective tax rates or tax expenses; legal, governmental or regulatory claims, investigations or proceedings and associated contingent liabilities; and other factors set forth under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in subsequent filings we have made or may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Forward-looking and other statements in this press release regarding our environmental and other sustainability plans and goals are not an indication that these statements are necessarily material to investors or required to be disclosed in our filings with the SEC. In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking social, environmental and sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the future.

All forward-looking statements made herein are based on information currently available to us as of the date of this press release. We undertake 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.

 

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