Cash Flow and Capital Allocation
● | For 2023, operating cash flow was $311 million and net capital expenditures were $30 million, resulting in free cash flow of $281 million. In 2022, operating cash flow was $224 million and net capital expenditures were $23 million, resulting in free cash flow of $201 million. Operating and free cash flow increased year-over-year due to higher net income and reduced working capital investment. |
● | The Company repatriated approximately $64 million in cash during the fourth quarter of 2023 and approximately $118 million for full year 2023. The proceeds were used to pay down revolving debt and to fund acquisitions. The Company deployed approximately $301 million of capital for the acquisition of Bradley Corporation during the fourth quarter. The acquisition was funded with cash on hand and borrowing on the Company’s revolving line of credit. |
● | The Company repurchased approximately 23,000 shares of Class A common stock at a cost of $4.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2023. For full year 2023, the Company repurchased approximately 92,000 shares at a cost of approximately $16 million. Approximately $12 million remains available under the stock repurchase program authorized in 2019, which does not have an expiration date. An additional $150 million remains available under the stock repurchase program authorized in July 2023, which also has no expiration date. |
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 webcast of its conference call to discuss fourth quarter and full year 2023 results on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. EST. This press release and the live webcast can be accessed by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.wattswater.com. Following the webcast, the call recording will be available at the same address until February 12, 2025.
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’ expertise in a wide variety of water technologies enables us 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 expected 2024 financial results, our strategy, the benefits from recent acquisitions and our ability to manage challenging macro-economic and softer market conditions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events. You should not rely on forward-looking statements because our actual results may differ materially from those predicted as a result of a number of potential risks and uncertainties. These potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the effectiveness, timing and expected savings associated with our cost-cutting actions, restructuring and initiatives; integration of acquired businesses in a timely and cost-effective manner, retention of supplier and customer relationships and key employees, and the ability to achieve synergies and cost savings in the amounts and within the time frames currently anticipated; current economic and financial conditions, which can affect the housing and construction markets where our products are sold, manufactured and marketed; shortages in and pricing of raw materials and supplies; our ability to compete effectively; changes in variable interest rates on our borrowings; inflation; failure to expand our markets through acquisitions; failure to successfully develop and introduce new product offerings or enhancements to existing products; failure to manufacture products that meet required performance and safety standards; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; cyclicality of industries where we market our products, such as plumbing and heating wholesalers and home improvement retailers; environmental compliance costs; product liability risks and costs; changes in the status of current litigation; the war in Ukraine and other global crises; supply chain and logistical disruptions or labor shortages and workforce disruptions that could negatively affect our supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, or other business processes; and other risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and in Note 16 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC, as well as risk factors disclosed in our subsequent filings with the SEC. We undertake no duty to update the information contained in this Press Release, except as required by law.