Connect with us

Technology

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2024 Financial Results

Published

on

Highlights

Fourth Quarter 2024

Sales of $873 million exceeded high-end of guidance range, grew 6% as reported and 8% in constant currencyInstruments grew 8% and recurring revenue grew 9% in constant currency, as growth accelerated across all three reported regionsPharma grew 10% in constant currency, reflecting stronger-than-expected year-end spending dynamics and broad-based growth across the Americas, Europe, and AsiaGAAP EPS of $3.88; non-GAAP EPS of $4.10 grew 13% as strong operational performance and better-than-expected sales volume offset foreign exchange headwinds

Full-Year 2024

Sales exceeded guidance at $2,958 million, flat as reported and in organic constant currencyGAAP operating income margin of 27.9%; operational excellence drove adjusted operating income margin expansion to 31.0%, effectively neutralizing the challenges posed by foreign exchange headwindsGAAP EPS of $10.71; non-GAAP EPS of $11.86 grew 1% versus 2023, which includes a 5% impact due to foreign exchange headwindsGenerated $762 million in operating cash flow; $744 million in free cash flow, representing 25% of full-year sales, and a free cash flow to adjusted net income ratio of 105%

MILFORD, Mass., Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2024.

Sales for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $873 million, an increase of 6% as reported, compared to sales of $819 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Currency translation decreased sales by 2%.

On a GAAP basis, diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $3.88, compared to $3.65 for the fourth quarter of 2023. On a non-GAAP basis, EPS increased by 13% to $4.10, compared to $3.62 for the fourth quarter of 2023. This includes a decline of approximately 9% due to foreign exchange headwinds, which were 6% or $0.23 adverse to guidance.

“We delivered excellent results in the fourth quarter, led by double-digit growth in Pharma, while instruments and recurring revenue both grew high single-digits in constant currency,” said Dr. Udit Batra, President & CEO, Waters Corporation. “Growth accelerated across all regions, driven by strong adoption of new products and the success of our strategic initiatives.”

Dr. Batra continued, “Our team has done a commendable job of consistently executing our strategy and delivering a second consecutive year of margin expansion while overcoming significant headwinds in foreign exchange, volume, and inflation. With the strong operational execution, the traction of our differentiated portfolio and the success of our strategic initiatives, Waters is very well positioned for the next phase of growth.”

Fourth Quarter 2024

During the fourth quarter of 2024, sales into the pharmaceutical market increased 8% as reported and 10% in constant currency. Sales into the industrial market increased 1% as reported and 2% in constant currency. Sales into the academic and government market increased 15% as reported and 16% in constant currency.

During the quarter, instrument system sales increased 6% as reported and 8% in constant currency. Recurring revenues, which represent the combination of service and precision chemistries, increased 7% as reported and 9% in constant currency.

Geographically, sales in Asia during the quarter increased 4% as reported and 9% in constant currency. Sales in the Americas increased 6% as reported and in constant currency. Sales in Europe increased 10% as reported and 11% in constant currency.

Full-Year 2024

Sales for the fiscal year 2024 were $2,958 million, flat as reported, compared to sales of $2,956 million for fiscal year 2023. Currency translation decreased sales by approximately 1%, while the impact of acquisitions increased sales by approximately 1%.

On a GAAP basis, EPS for fiscal year 2024 was $10.71, compared to $10.84 for fiscal year 2023. On a non-GAAP basis, EPS increased by 1% to $11.86, compared to $11.75 for fiscal year 2023. This includes a decline of approximately 5% due to foreign exchange headwinds, which were 2% adverse to guidance.

Unless otherwise noted, sales growth and decline percentages are presented on an as-reported basis. A description and reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results appear in the tables below and can be found on the Company’s website www.waters.com in the Investor Relations section.

Full-Year and First Quarter 2025 Financial Guidance

Full-Year 2025 Financial Guidance

The Company expects full-year 2025 constant currency sales growth to be in the range of +4.5% to +7.0%. Currency translation is expected to decrease full-year sales growth by approximately 2.0%. The resulting full-year 2025 reported sales growth is expected in the range of +2.5% to +5.0%.

The Company expects full-year 2025 non-GAAP EPS to be in the range of $12.70 to $13.00, which includes an estimated headwind of approximately 4% due to unfavorable foreign exchange.

Please refer to the tables below for a reconciliation of the projected GAAP to non-GAAP financial outlook for the full-year.

First Quarter 2025 Financial Guidance

The Company expects first quarter 2025 constant currency sales growth to be in the range of +4.0% to +7.0%. Currency translation is expected to decrease first quarter sales growth by approximately 3.0%. The resulting first quarter 2025 reported sales growth is expected in the range of +1.0% to +4.0%.

The Company expects first quarter 2025 non-GAAP EPS to be in the range of $2.17 to $2.25, which includes an estimated headwind of approximately 7% due to unfavorable foreign exchange.

Please refer to the tables below for a reconciliation of the projected GAAP to non-GAAP financial outlook for the first quarter.

Conference Call Details

Waters Corporation will webcast its fourth quarter 2024 financial results conference call today, February 12, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To listen to the call and see the accompanying slide presentation, please visit www.waters.com, select “Investor Relations” under the “About Waters” section, navigate to “Events & Presentations,” and click on the “Webcast.” A replay will be available through at least March 5, 2025.

About Waters Corporation

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is a global leader in analytical instruments, separations technologies, and software, serving the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences for over 65 years. Our Company helps ensure the efficacy of medicines, the safety of food and the purity of water, and the quality and sustainability of products used every day. In over 100 countries, our 7,600 passionate employees collaborate with customers in laboratories, manufacturing sites, and hospitals to accelerate the benefits of pioneering science.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial measures, such as organic constant currency growth rates, adjusted operating income, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per diluted share and free cash flow, among others, which are considered “non-GAAP” financial measures under applicable U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered supplemental to, and not a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Company’s definitions of these non-GAAP measures may differ from similarly titled measures used by others. The non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release adjust for specified items that can be highly variable or difficult to predict. The Company generally uses these non-GAAP financial measures to facilitate management’s financial and operational decision-making, including evaluation of the Company’s historical operating results, comparison to competitors’ operating results and determination of management incentive compensation. These non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of the Company’s operations that, when viewed with GAAP results and the reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures, may provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting the Company’s business. Because non-GAAP financial measures exclude the effect of items that will increase or decrease the Company’s reported results of operations, management strongly encourages investors to review the Company’s consolidated financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the tables accompanying this release.

Cautionary Statement

This release contains “forward-looking” statements regarding future results and events. For this purpose, any statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “feels”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “suggests”, “appears”, “estimates”, “projects” and similar expressions, whether in the negative or affirmative, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company’s actual future results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward- looking statements within this release for a variety of reasons, including and without limitation, risks related to, and expectations or ability to realize commercial success of the Wyatt transaction; the impact of this transaction on the Company’s business, anticipated progress on Waters’ research programs, development of new analytical instruments and associated software or consumables, manufacturing development and capabilities; the increased indebtedness of the Company as a result of the Wyatt transaction, the repayment of which could impact the Company’s future results, market prospects for its products and sales and earnings guidance; foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations potentially affecting translation of the Company’s future non-U.S. operating results, particularly when a foreign currency weakens against the U.S. dollar; current global economic, sovereign and political conditions and uncertainties, including the effect of new or proposed tariff or trade regulations as well as other new or changed domestic and foreign laws, regulations and policies; changes in inflation and interest rates; the impacts and costs of war, in particular as a result of the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East, and the possibility of further escalation resulting in new geopolitical and regulatory instability; the Chinese government’s ongoing tightening of restrictions on procurement by government-funded customers; the Company’s ability to access capital, maintain liquidity and service the Company’s debt in volatile market conditions; risks related to the effects of any pandemic on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects; changes in timing and demand for the Company’s products among the Company’s customers and various market sectors, particularly as a result of fluctuations in their expenditures or ability to obtain funding; the ability to realize the expected benefits related to the Company’s various cost-saving initiatives, including workforce reductions and organizational restructurings; the introduction of competing products by other companies and loss of market share, as well as pressures on prices from competitors and/or customers; changes in the competitive landscape as a result of changes in ownership, mergers and continued consolidation among the Company’s competitors; regulatory, economic and competitive obstacles to new product introductions; lack of acceptance of new products and inability to grow organically through innovation; rapidly changing technology and product obsolescence; risks associated with previous or future acquisitions, strategic investments, joint ventures and divestitures, including risks associated with achieving the anticipated financial results and operational synergies; contingent purchase price payments and expansion of our business into new or developing markets; risks associated with unexpected disruptions in operations; failure to adequately protect the Company’s intellectual property, infringement of intellectual property rights of third parties and inability to obtain licenses on commercially reasonable terms; the Company’s ability to acquire adequate sources of supply and its reliance on outside contractors for certain components and modules, as well as disruptions to its supply chain; risks associated with third-party sales intermediaries and resellers; the impact and costs of changes in statutory or contractual tax rates in jurisdictions in which the Company operates as well as shifts in taxable income among jurisdictions with different effective tax rates, the outcome of ongoing and future tax examinations and changes in legislation affecting the Company’s effective tax rate; the Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified employees and management personnel; risks associated with cybersecurity and technology, including attempts by third parties to defeat the security measures of the Company and its third-party partners; increased regulatory burdens as the Company’s business evolves, especially with respect to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, among others, and in connection with government contracts; regulatory, environmental and logistical obstacles affecting the distribution of the Company’s products, completion of purchase order documentation and the ability of customers to obtain letters of credit or other financing alternatives; risks associated with litigation and other legal and regulatory proceedings; and the impact and costs incurred from changes in accounting principles and practices. Such factors and others are discussed more fully in the sections entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as well as in the sections entitled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” of the Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 30, 2024, June 29, 2024, and September 28, 2024, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which discussions are incorporated by reference in this release, as updated by the Company’s future filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this release represent the Company’s estimates or views as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date of this release. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

Twelve Months Ended

December 31,
2024

December 31,
2023

December 31,
2024

December 31,
2023

Net sales

$               872,714

$               819,474

$            2,958,387

$            2,956,416

Costs and operating expenses:

Cost of sales

348,516

318,360

1,200,201

1,195,223

Selling and administrative expenses

173,268

180,357

690,148

736,014

Research and development expenses

46,914

44,386

183,027

174,945

Purchased intangibles amortization

11,753

12,148

47,090

32,558

Litigation provision

11,568

Operating income

292,263

264,223

826,353

817,676

Other (expense) income, net

(843)

(557)

776

807

Interest expense, net

(14,437)

(26,066)

(72,261)

(82,240)

Income from operations before income taxes

276,983

237,600

754,868

736,243

Provision for income taxes

45,585

21,395

117,034

94,009

Net income

$               231,398

$               216,205

$               637,834

$               642,234

Net income per basic common share

$                     3.90

$                     3.66

$                   10.75

$                   10.87

Weighted-average number of basic common shares

59,386

59,142

59,333

59,076

Net income per diluted common share

$                     3.88

$                     3.65

$                   10.71

$                   10.84

Weighted-average number of diluted common shares and equivalents

59,645

59,311

59,552

59,270

 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Non-GAAP

Net Sales by Operating Segments, Products & Services, Geography and Markets

Three Months Ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023

(In thousands)

Constant

Three Months Ended

Percent

Impact of

Currency

December 31, 2024

December 31, 2023

Change

Currency

Growth Rate (a)

NET SALES – OPERATING SEGMENTS

Waters

$

764,309

$

716,932

7 %

(2 %)

8 %

TA

108,405

102,542

6 %

(1 %)

7 %

Total

$

872,714

$

819,474

6 %

(2 %)

8 %

NET SALES – PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Instruments

$

419,616

$

397,201

6 %

(2 %)

8 %

Service

301,844

278,888

8 %

(1 %)

9 %

Chemistry

151,254

143,385

5 %

(2 %)

7 %

Total Recurring

453,098

422,273

7 %

(2 %)

9 %

Total

$

872,714

$

819,474

6 %

(2 %)

8 %

NET SALES – GEOGRAPHY

Asia

$

272,903

$

261,893

4 %

(5 %)

9 %

Americas

321,005

303,746

6 %

0 %

6 %

Europe

278,806

253,835

10 %

(1 %)

11 %

Total

$

872,714

$

819,474

6 %

(2 %)

8 %

NET SALES – MARKETS

Pharmaceutical

$

498,807

$

463,698

8 %

(3 %)

10 %

Industrial

264,027

260,249

1 %

(1 %)

2 %

Academic & Government

109,880

95,527

15 %

(1 %)

16 %

Total

$

872,714

$

819,474

6 %

(2 %)

8 %

(a)

The Company believes that referring to comparable constant currency growth rates is a useful way to evaluate the underlying performance of Waters Corporation’s net sales. Constant currency growth, a non-GAAP financial measure, measures the change in net sales between current and prior year periods, excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rates during the current period. See description of non-GAAP financial measures contained in this release.

 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Non-GAAP

Net Sales by Operating Segments, Products & Services, Geography and Markets

Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023

(In thousands)

Organic

Constant

Twelve Months Ended

Percent

Impact of

Impact of

Currency

December 31, 2024

December 31, 2023

Change

Currency

Acquisitions

Growth Rate (a)

NET SALES – OPERATING SEGMENTS

Waters

$

2,604,421

$

2,601,590

0 %

(1 %)

1 %

0 %

TA

353,966

354,826

0 %

(1 %)

0 %

1 %

Total

$

2,958,387

$

2,956,416

0 %

(1 %)

1 %

0 %

NET SALES – PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Instruments

$

1,278,695

$

1,361,581

(6 %)

(1 %)

2 %

(7 %)

Service

1,114,211

1,053,366

6 %

(1 %)

1 %

6 %

Chemistry

565,481

541,469

4 %

(1 %)

0 %

5 %

Total Recurring

1,679,692

1,594,835

5 %

(1 %)

0 %

6 %

Total

$

2,958,387

$

2,956,416

0 %

(1 %)

1 %

0 %

NET SALES – GEOGRAPHY

Asia

$

969,222

$

1,007,825

(4 %)

(4 %)

1 %

(1 %)

Americas

1,115,780

1,108,573

1 %

0 %

2 %

(1 %)

Europe

873,385

840,018

4 %

1 %

1 %

2 %

Total

$

2,958,387

$

2,956,416

0 %

(1 %)

1 %

0 %

NET SALES – MARKETS

Pharmaceutical

$

1,718,899

$

1,696,875

1 %

(2 %)

2 %

1 %

Industrial

908,486

909,003

0 %

0 %

0 %

0 %

Academic & Government

331,002

350,538

(6 %)

0 %

1 %

(7 %)

Total

$

2,958,387

$

2,956,416

0 %

(1 %)

1 %

0 %

(a)

The Company believes that referring to comparable organic constant currency growth rates is a useful way to evaluate the underlying performance of Waters Corporation’s net sales. Organic constant currency growth, a non-GAAP financial measure, measures the change in net sales between current and prior year periods, excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rates during the current period and excluding the impact of acquisitions made within twelve months of the acquisition close date. See description of non-GAAP financial measures contained in this release.

 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Non-GAAP Financials

Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023

(In thousands, except per share data)

Income from

Operations

Selling &

Research &

Operating

Other

before

Provision for

Diluted

Administrative

Development

Operating

Income

(Expense)

Income

Income

Net

Earnings

Expenses(a)

Expenses

Income

Percentage

Income

Taxes

Taxes

Income

per Share

Three Months Ended December 31, 2024

GAAP

$

185,021

$

46,914

$

292,263

33.5 %

$

(843)

$

276,983

$

45,585

$

231,398

$

3.88

Adjustments:

Purchased intangibles amortization (b)

(11,753)

11,753

1.3 %

11,753

2,813

8,940

0.15

Restructuring costs and certain other items (d)

(1,480)

1,480

0.2 %

1,480

354

1,126

0.02

ERP implementation and transformation costs (h)

(1,346)

1,346

0.2 %

1,346

337

1,009

0.02

Retention bonus obligation (f)

(1,911)

(636)

2,547

0.3 %

2,547

612

1,935

0.03

Adjusted Non-GAAP

$

168,531

$

46,278

$

309,389

35.5 %

$

(843)

$

294,109

$

49,701

$

244,408

$

4.10

Three Months Ended December 31, 2023

GAAP

$

192,505

$

44,386

$

264,223

32.2 %

$

(557)

$

237,600

$

21,395

$

216,205

$

3.65

Adjustments:

Purchased intangibles amortization (b)

(12,148)

12,148

1.5 %

12,148

2,906

9,242

0.16

Restructuring costs and certain other items (d)

(1,036)

1,036

0.1 %

130

1,166

266

900

0.02

Acquisition related costs (e)

(649)

649

0.1 %

649

156

493

0.01

Retention bonus obligation (f)

(5,725)

(1,909)

7,634

0.9 %

7,634

1,832

5,802

0.10

Certain income tax items (g)

17,651

(17,651)

(0.30)

Adjusted Non-GAAP

$

172,947

$

42,477

$

285,690

34.9 %

$

(427)

$

259,197

$

44,206

$

214,991

$

3.62

Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024

GAAP

$

748,806

$

183,027

$

826,353

27.9 %

$

776

$

754,868

$

117,034

$

637,834

$

10.71

Adjustments:

Purchased intangibles amortization (b)

(47,090)

47,090

1.6 %

47,090

11,269

35,821

0.60

Litigation provision and settlement (c)

(11,568)

11,568

0.4 %

11,568

2,776

8,792

0.15

Restructuring costs and certain other items (d)

(12,160)

12,160

0.4 %

12,160

2,971

9,189

0.15

ERP implementation and transformation costs (h)

(1,346)

1,346

0.0 %

1,346

337

1,009

0.02

Retention bonus obligation (f)

(13,362)

(4,453)

17,815

0.6 %

17,815

4,276

13,539

0.23

Adjusted Non-GAAP

$

663,280

$

178,574

$

916,332

31.0 %

$

776

$

844,847

$

138,663

$

706,184

$

11.86

Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2023

GAAP

$

768,572

$

174,945

$

817,676

27.7 %

$

807

$

736,243

$

94,009

$

642,234

$

10.84

Adjustments:

Purchased intangibles amortization (b)

(32,558)

32,558

1.1 %

32,558

7,758

24,800

0.42

Restructuring costs and certain other items (d)

(29,917)

29,917

1.0 %

(521)

29,396

7,126

22,270

0.38

Acquisition related costs (e)

(13,947)

13,947

0.5 %

13,947

3,347

10,600

0.18

Retention bonus obligation (f)

(14,093)

(4,699)

18,792

0.6 %

18,792

4,510

14,282

0.24

Certain income tax items (g)

17,651

(17,651)

(0.30)

Adjusted Non-GAAP

$

678,057

$

170,246

$

912,890

30.9 %

$

286

$

830,936

$

134,401

$

696,535

$

11.75

(a)

Selling & administrative expenses include purchased intangibles amortization and litigation provisions and settlements.

(b)

The purchased intangibles amortization, a non-cash expense, was excluded to be consistent with how management evaluates the performance of its core business against historical operating results and the operating results of competitors over periods of time.

(c)

Litigation provisions and settlement gains were excluded as these items are isolated, unpredictable and not expected to recur regularly.

(d)

Restructuring costs and certain other items were excluded as the Company believes that the cost to consolidate operations, reduce overhead, and certain other income or expense items are not normal and do not represent future ongoing business expenses of a specific function or geographic location of the Company.

(e)

Acquisition related costs include all incremental expenses incurred, such as advisory, legal, accounting, tax, valuation, and other professional fees. The Company believes that these costs are not normal and do not represent future ongoing business expenses.

(f)

In connection with the Wyatt acquisition, the Company started to recognize a two-year retention bonus obligation that is contingent upon the employee’s providing future service and continued employment with Waters. The Company believes that these costs are not normal and do not represent future ongoing business expenses.

(g)

Certain income tax items were excluded as these non-cash expenses and benefits represent updates in management’s assessment of ongoing examinations, tax audit settlements, or other tax items that are not indicative of the Company’s normal or future income tax expense.

(h)

ERP implementation and transformation costs represent costs related to the Company’s initiative to transition from its legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to a new global ERP solution with a cloud-based infrastructure. These costs, which do not represent normal or future ongoing business expenses, are one-time, non-recurring costs related to the establishment of our new global ERP solution that were determined to be non-capitalizable in accordance with accounting standards.

 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries

Preliminary Condensed Unclassified Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands and unaudited)

December 31, 2024

December 31, 2023

Cash, cash equivalents and investments

$                325,355

$                395,974

Accounts receivable

733,365

702,168

Inventories

477,261

516,236

Property, plant and equipment, net

651,200

639,073

Intangible assets, net

567,906

629,187

Goodwill

1,295,720

1,305,446

Other assets

502,988

438,770

   Total assets

$             4,553,795

$             4,626,854

Notes payable and debt

$             1,626,488

$             2,355,513

Other liabilities

1,098,800

1,121,000

   Total liabilities

2,725,288

3,476,513

Total stockholders’ equity

1,828,507

1,150,341

   Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

$             4,553,795

$             4,626,854

 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries

Preliminary Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023

(In thousands and unaudited)

Three Months Ended

Twelve Months Ended

December 31, 2024

December 31, 2023

December 31, 2024

December 31, 2023

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$                     231,398

$                   216,205

$                   637,834

$                   642,234

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net

cash provided by operating activities:

Stock-based compensation

11,716

4,644

44,709

36,868

Depreciation and amortization

48,575

48,060

191,825

165,905

Change in operating assets and liabilities and other, net

(51,550)

(38,787)

(112,245)

(242,198)

Net cash provided by operating activities

240,139

230,122

762,123

602,809

Cash flows from investing activities:

Additions to property, plant, equipment

and software capitalization

(52,104)

(41,588)

(142,481)

(160,632)

Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired

3,553

(1,282,354)

Proceeds from (investments in) unaffiliated companies

91

(1,489)

742

Net change in investments

(9)

(53)

(21)

Net cash used in investing activities

(52,113)

(37,944)

(144,023)

(1,442,265)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Net change in debt

(200,000)

(150,001)

(730,000)

779,600

Proceeds from stock plans

5,293

11,700

30,366

29,792

Purchases of treasury shares

(66)

156

(13,541)

(70,277)

Other cash flow from financing activities, net

1,195

7,658

16,500

15,836

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

(193,578)

(130,487)

(696,675)

754,951

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(541)

(3,029)

7,920

(948)

(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

(6,093)

58,662

(70,655)

(85,453)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

330,514

336,414

395,076

480,529

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$                     324,421

$                   395,076

$                   324,421

$                   395,076

Reconciliation of GAAP Cash Flows from Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow (a)

Net cash provided by operating activities – GAAP

$                     240,139

$                   230,122

$                   762,123

$                   602,809

Adjustments:

Additions to property, plant, equipment

and software capitalization

(52,104)

(41,588)

(142,481)

(160,632)

Tax reform payments

95,645

72,101

Litigation settlements (received) paid, net

(375)

9,250

(1,500)

Major facility renovations

3,494

15,645

Payment of acquired Wyatt liabilities (b)

25,617

Payment of Wyatt retention bonus obligation (c)

19,770

Free Cash Flow – Adjusted Non-GAAP

$                     188,035

$                   191,653

$                   744,307

$                   554,040

(a)

The Company defines free cash flow as net cash flow from operations accounted for under GAAP less capital expenditures and software capitalizations plus or minus any unusual and non recurring items. Free cash flow is not a GAAP measurement and may not be comparable to free cash flow reported by other companies.

(b)

In connection with the Wyatt acquisition, the Company assumed certain obligations of Wyatt and paid those obligations immediately upon closing the transaction. The Company believes that the assumed obligations do not represent future ongoing business expenses.

(c)

During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the Company made its first retention payment under the Wyatt retention bonus program. The Company believes that these payments are not normal and do not represent future ongoing business expenses.

 

Waters Corporation and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of Projected GAAP to Adjusted Non-GAAP Financial Outlook

Twelve Months Ended

Three Months Ended

December 31, 2025

March 29, 2025

Range

Range

Projected Sales

Constant currency sales growth rate (a)

4.5 %

7.0 %

4.0 %

7.0 %

Currency translation impact

(2.0 %)

(2.0 %)

(3.0 %)

(3.0 %)

Sales growth rate as reported

2.5 %

5.0 %

1.0 %

4.0 %

Range

Range

Projected Earnings Per Diluted Share

GAAP earnings per diluted share

$    11.83

$    12.13

$      1.96

$      2.04

Adjustments:

Purchased intangibles amortization

$      0.60

$      0.60

$      0.15

$      0.15

ERP implementation and transformation costs

$      0.22

$      0.22

$      0.03

$      0.03

Retention bonus obligation

$      0.05

$      0.05

$      0.03

$      0.03

Adjusted non-GAAP earnings per diluted share

$    12.70

$    13.00

$      2.17

$      2.25

(a) Constant currency growth rates are a non-GAAP financial measure that measures the change in net sales between current and prior year periods, excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rates during the current period. These amounts are estimated at the current foreign currency exchange rates and based on the forecasted geographical sales in local currency, as well as an assessment of market conditions as of today, and may differ significantly from actual results.

These forward-looking adjustment estimates do not reflect future gains and charges that are inherently difficult to predict and estimate due to their unknown timing, effect and/or significance.

 

Contact: Caspar Tudor, Head of Investor Relations – (508) 482-2429

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waters-corporation-nyse-wat-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2024-financial-results-302374016.html

SOURCE Waters Corporation

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Northern Hemisphere Heat Drives Demand for Cooling and Sun-Protection Products on Yiwugo

Published

on

By

YIWU, China, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Yiwugo.com, the official website of the Yiwu Commodity Market, is the largest commodity wholesale market in the world. The final whistle may have blown on the World Cup, but the intense heat gripping the Northern Hemisphere shows no sign of letting up. Europe has experienced unusually hot weather this year, sparking not only a surge in demand for air conditioners but also a boom in portable handheld fans. Merchants on Yiwugo say that in previous years, European customers would begin placing orders in March or April and take their time completing their annual procurement. This year, however, the purchasing season has stretched well into summer, with a flood of new buyers coming in, most of them looking for small handheld fans. With customers eager to capitalize on the peak summer season, delivery timelines have also become significantly tighter. Whereas orders in previous years could generally be fulfilled within a month, merchants are now frequently being asked to deliver within about a week, leaving manufacturers scrambling to keep pace with demand.

Lingpan Official Flagship Store has specialized in the production and sales of small fans, insulated cups, and related products for 15 years. This summer, demand from European customers for high-speed small fans has risen sharply, accompanied by urgent delivery requirements. Many customers began requesting shipment just one week after placing their orders, hoping the products would arrive in time for the World Cup and the ongoing heatwave across Europe. One long-standing European customer purchased only five models of small fans from Lingpan last year. Anticipating stronger demand ahead of this summer, the customer expanded the order to 10 models. The first shipment sold out soon after arriving at port, prompting several subsequent repeat orders. European buyers have shown particular interest in high-speed cooling fans and placed great requirements on product quality. So far this year, Lingpan’s fan sales have more than doubled compared with the same period last year, with total purchases reaching approximately RMB 1 million.

Beyond Europe, the owner of Lingpan, Ling Pan pointed out that the Indian market has also undergone significant changes over the past two years. Indian customers are showing great interest in panda-shaped fans, drinking cups, and related products. Procurement volumes among many Indian buyers have increased substantially, with average annual purchases now reaching several hundred thousand yuan.

Unlike European countries grappling with sudden heat waves, Asian markets such as Japan and South Korea, where summers are consistently hot and air conditioners and fans are already everyday essentials, have shown much stronger demand for sun-protection products. From April 1, 2026 to date, sales of sun-protection masks on Yiwugo have increased by 31.6% YoY, while sales of sun-protection face shields surged by 72.42% and sun hats rose by 8.1%.

Chen Jia, a Yiwugo merchant, has engaged in the production and sales of sun-protection masks and sun-protection face shields for eight years. Chen operates the Xiao Zhen and Xiao Mian Sun-Protection Products Workshop in District 4 of the Yiwu International Trade Market. In recent years, the company has customized cooling nylon fabrics for customers in Japan and South Korea. Sun-protection masks and sun-protection face shields made from this material not only offer UPF 50+ protection, but also maintain a more structured shape and are less susceptible to snagging or deformation. Their protective performance remains effective after routine washing, and the products can last for more than five years under normal use.

In 2024, a TV shopping operator from South Korea contacted Xiao Zheng and Xiao Mian through Yiwugo and began placing orders after inspecting the products in person. Over the following two years, the company continued to improve the fitness and design of its sun-protection products. It introduced sun-protection face shields with breathable mesh panels and incorporated soft supports around the nose area to prevent the masks from rubbing against lipstick. These product upgrades have steadily driven up customer ratings on the client’s store. Annual procurement, initially valued at around RMB 300,000, has risen year by year, and the company has since developed into a recognized brand in the local market.

Persistent heat across the Northern Hemisphere has been creating new forms of cross-border consumer demand while enabling Yiwugo merchants to keenly capture shifts in overseas markets. From the strong sales of small portable fans in Europe to the rising demand for functional sun-protection products in Japan and South Korea, the diversity of orders reflects both consumers’ need for relief from extreme heat and the ability of Yiwu manufacturers to strengthen their presence in global markets through product innovation and rapid fulfillment. Faced with a rapidly changing international market, many merchants are continuing to refine product designs, upgrade fabric techniques, and enhance supply efficiency. By leveraging Yiwugo to broaden their export channels, they are keeping pace with overseas consumption trends and capitalizing on the expanding market for cooling and sun-protection products, turning the summer heat into new momentum for cross-border trade.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/northern-hemisphere-heat-drives-demand-for-cooling-and-sun-protection-products-on-yiwugo-302833166.html

SOURCE Yiwugo.com

Continue Reading

Technology

Snorkel AI Highlights First Wave of Open Benchmarks Grants Projects

Published

on

By

SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Snorkel AI today highlighted the first group of projects supported through Open Benchmarks Grants, a $3 million commitment to support open-source datasets, benchmarks, and evaluation research.

Launched in February 2026, Open Benchmarks Grants has received hundreds of applications from researchers, labs, and engineers working to address a growing challenge: AI systems are advancing faster than the field’s ability to rigorously measure their performance on realistic, consequential work.

“From complex environments and huge autonomy horizons to rich, sophisticated outputs, these projects tackle some of the field’s hardest evaluation challenges,” said Fred Sala, a member of the Open Benchmarks Grants steering committee and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “I’m excited to see the broader research community use, validate, and build on them.”

Open Benchmarks Grants provides selected teams with funding, expert data development support, research and engineering collaboration, and platform resources. Supported projects include:

Frontier-Bench (formerly Terminal-Bench 3.0), developed with Laude Institute and the Harbor community, is a harder, more domain-diverse successor to Terminal-Bench 2.1 — built in the open, task by task, under continuous adversarial review.Agents’ Last Exam, developed with UC Berkeley RDI and the RDI Foundation, evaluates agents on long-horizon, economically valuable professional workflows. It spans 55 sub-industries and includes more than 1,500 tasks toward a 5,000-task target, sourced and validated by more than 300 industry experts.OSWorld 2.0, developed with XLANG Lab, evaluates computer-use agents on 108 long-horizon workflows across 31 self-hosted web environments and professional desktop applications.Continual Learning Bench, developed with UC Berkeley SkyLab and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, measures whether agents genuinely improve across sequential, stateful tasks.SlopCode Bench, developed with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, measures how code quality degrades as coding agents repeatedly modify and extend their own solutions.Terminal-Bench 2.1, developed with Stanford University, Laude Institute and the Harbor community, evaluates agents on challenging work in terminal environments. The release corrected 28 tasks and introduced continuous validation.

With support from Open Benchmarks Grants, Terminal-Bench Science is also now in development, extending the Terminal-Bench framework to computational research workflows across the life, physical, earth, and mathematical sciences.

Beyond the grants program, Snorkel led the development of Senior SWE-Bench with the research teams at Princeton University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The benchmark evaluates coding agents on senior-level engineering work, including implementing features from realistic instructions, investigating bugs that require runtime analysis, and producing code that follows existing codebase conventions.

Open Benchmarks Grants was established with support from Hugging Face, Prime Intellect, Together AI, Factory, Harbor, and PyTorch. Applications remain open and are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Learn more and apply for a grant at benchmarks.snorkel.ai.

About Snorkel AI
Snorkel AI is the frontier AI data lab, helping teams build the data and environments behind high-performing frontier and agentic AI. We combine technology with research-driven AI data development to create datasets, benchmarks, evals, and custom solutions for real-world AI systems. Founded out of the Stanford AI Lab in 2019, Snorkel works with leading AI labs and enterprises to move from better data to better outcomes. 

media@snorkel.ai

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/snorkel-ai-highlights-first-wave-of-open-benchmarks-grants-projects-302833805.html

SOURCE Snorkel AI

Continue Reading

Technology

Payzli Vaults to No. 3 on Tampa Bay’s Fast 50, Up From No. 22 in One Year

Published

on

By

Payments technology company, Payzli earns a second consecutive Fast 50 ranking, crediting the climb to accelerating partner and merchant growth on its proprietary technology stack.

TAMPA, Fla., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Payzli, the partner-first payments technology company, has been named the No. 3 fastest-growing company in the region on the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2026 Fast 50 – a 19-spot climb from its No. 22 debut last year, and the company’s second consecutive year on the list.

The ranking was announced July 23 at the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Fast 50 event in Tampa, where Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer Naim Hamdar accepted the award alongside members of the Payzli team.

Payzli attributed its growth to a compounding effect: a national network of ISOs, agents and ISVs bringing merchants onto a technology platform Payzli built and operated in-house. 

That platform rests on three proprietary pillars:

Payzli Connect: the company’s payment CRM and merchant-and-partner dashboard, giving agents and ISOs daily residuals visibility and giving merchants a single place to run their account.Payzli POS: AI-powered point-of-sale and business software purpose-built for service businesses, including salons, med spas, wellness studios, and independent operators.Payzli Transact: an online payment gateway built on Visa Platform Connect through Payzli’s partnership with Visa Acceptance Solutions.

The Visa Acceptance Solutions partnership is central to how Payzli frames its credibility: rather than assembling a growth story on top of borrowed infrastructure, the company processes on rails backed by one of the most established networks in the industry alongside Fiserv and TSYS – a point that matters to the partners and merchants deciding where to place their volume.

“A second year on this list, and a jump to No. 3, isn’t about one good quarter. It’s about a network deciding to build with us and stay,” said Naim Hamdar, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Payzli. “Every rank on this list represents partners we’ve earned and merchants who trust us to run their payments. We built the technology in-house so we could keep the promises the industry usually breaks: nothing hidden, a real person in reach, and daily residual visibility our agents can actually count on. That’s what this ranking measures and it’s why we’re doing it all, for the joy of business.”

“They say nothing in Tampa moves fast except the afternoon thunderstorms, so making the Fast 50 two years running feels pretty good,” said Kapil Pershad, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Payzli. “In all seriousness, this is a credit to our team and the businesses that trust us to power their growth.”

The Fast 50, produced by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, recognizes the fastest-growing private companies in the Tampa Bay region. Payzli’s return to the list and its move into the top three reflects a merchant-first product suite and a rapidly expanding national partner network across the payments and embedded-finance landscape.

About Payzli

Payzli is an end-to-end payments technology partner that makes accepting payments simpler and affordable for businesses of all sizes and risk levels. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Payzli brings together in-person processing, an advanced online gateway, AI-powered point of sale, and mobile and contactless payments – backed by its own technology, honest pricing, and dedicated human support. Built partner-first, Payzli equips ISOs, agents, developers, and independent software vendors to grow, with direct integrations to major processing platforms, in-house underwriting, a flexible credit policy, a Visa Acceptance Solutions foundation partnership, and sponsor-bank backing from Esquire Bank, a NASDAQ-listed strategic investor in Payzli. For more information, email partners@payzli.com or visit payzli.com.

Payzli is a registered trademark of United Payment Systems LLC. United Payment Systems LLC is a registered ISO of Esquire Bank (Jericho, NY), Commercial Bank of California (Irvine, CA), and KeyBank, National Association (Cleveland, OH).

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/payzli-vaults-to-no-3-on-tampa-bays-fast-50-up-from-no-22-in-one-year-302834198.html

SOURCE Payzli

Continue Reading

Trending