ITW Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

• Revenue of $4.0 billion, a decrease of 2% as organic growth declined 1%
• Operating margin of 26.5% as enterprise initiatives contributed 130 basis points
• GAAP EPS of $3.91 included a divestiture gain of $1.26; ex-gain EPS of $2.65, an increase of 4%
• Raising full year GAAP EPS guidance by $1.33 to a range of $11.63 to $11.73 per share

GLENVIEW, Ill., Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) today reported its third quarter 2024 results.

“ITW delivered solid third quarter results, as our worldwide team continued to successfully navigate and overcome market challenges with strong operational execution as evidenced by operating margin of 26.5 percent, including 130 basis points contribution from enterprise initiatives, and EPS growth to $2.65 per share excluding a divesture gain,” said Christopher A. O’Herlihy, President and Chief Executive Officer. “All year, our focused execution and operational excellence have enabled the Company to effectively counter persistent market headwinds and achieve solid growth in margin and profitability while we continued to manage and invest in ITW to maximize growth and performance over the long term.”

“As we look ahead to the balance of the year and beyond, ITW remains well-positioned to continue to execute at a high level through these near-term end market macro challenges while we remain focused on driving continued progress on our long-term strategy to build above-market organic growth, fueled by customer-back innovation, into a core ITW strength,” O’Herlihy concluded.

Third Quarter 2024 Results
Third quarter revenue of $4.0 billion declined by 1.6 percent as organic growth declined by 1.4 percent. Foreign currency translation impact reduced revenue by 0.4 percent and acquisitions increased revenue by 0.2 percent.

GAAP EPS increased 53 percent to $3.91 per share and included a divestiture gain of $1.26 from the previously announced sale of the Company’s equity interest in Wilsonart International Holdings LLC (“Wilsonart”). Excluding this gain, EPS of $2.65 increased four percent.

Operating income was $1.05 billion and operating margin of 26.5 percent was flat with prior year. Enterprise initiatives contributed 130 basis points and six of seven segments expanded operating margin. Sequentially, operating margin improved 30 basis points from the second quarter of 2024.

Operating cash flow was $891 million, and free cash flow was $783 million, with a conversion rate to adjusted net income of 102 percent. During the quarter, the company repurchased $375 million of its own shares and raised its dividend seven percent to an annualized $6.00 per share. The effective tax rate for the third quarter was 14.9 percent.

Wilsonart Divestiture
On August 5, 2024, the company announced the sale of its noncontrolling equity interest in Wilsonart. Proceeds from the transaction, net of transaction costs, were $395 million, resulting in a pre-tax gain of $363 million. Income taxes on the gain were more than offset by a discrete tax benefit of $107 million related to the utilization of capital loss carryforwards which resulted in a favorable GAAP EPS impact of $1.26. The sale is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial results in future quarters.

2024 Guidance
ITW is incorporating the impact of the divestiture gain and a lower projected effective tax rate for the full year of approximately 21.5 percent into its 2024 guidance and raising GAAP EPS by $1.33 from the previous range of $10.30 to $10.40 to a new range of $11.63 to $11.73 per share. Based on current levels of demand and foreign currency exchange rates, the Company is maintaining its previous guidance for revenue and organic growth to be approximately flat for 2024. Operating margin is projected to be in the range of 26.5 to 27 percent, an improvement of 165 basis points at the midpoint, with enterprise initiatives projected to contribute more than 100 basis points. Free cash flow is projected to be approximately 100 percent of adjusted net income and the company plans to repurchase approximately $1.5 billion of its own shares.

Non-GAAP Measures
This earnings release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is included in the attached supplemental reconciliation schedule. The estimated guidance of free cash flow to net income conversion rate is based on assumptions that are difficult to predict, and estimated guidance for the most directly comparable GAAP measure and a reconciliation of this forward-looking estimate to its most directly comparable GAAP estimate have been omitted due to the unreasonable efforts required in connection with such a reconciliation and the lack of reliable forward-looking cash flow information. For the same reasons, the company is unable to address the potential significance of the unavailable information, which could be material to future results.

Forward-looking Statements
This earnings release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding global supply chain challenges, expected impact of inflation including raw material inflation and rising interest rates, the impact of enterprise initiatives, future financial and operating performance, free cash flow and free cash flow to net income conversion rate, organic and total revenue, operating and incremental margin, price/cost impact, statements regarding diluted income per share, expected dividend payments, after-tax return on invested capital, effective tax rates, exchange rates, expected timing and amount of share repurchases, end market economic and regulatory conditions, the impact of recent or potential acquisitions and/or divestitures, and the Company’s 2024 guidance. These statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Important risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include those that are detailed in ITW’s Form 10-K for 2023 and subsequent reports filed with the SEC.

About Illinois Tool Works

ITW (NYSE: ITW) is a Fortune 300 global multi-industrial manufacturing leader with revenue of $16.1 billion in 2023. The company’s seven industry-leading segments leverage the unique ITW Business Model to drive solid growth with best-in-class margins and returns in markets where highly innovative, customer-focused solutions are required. ITW’s approximately 45,000 dedicated colleagues around the world thrive in the company’s decentralized and entrepreneurial culture. www.itw.com

Investor Relations & Media Contact:   
Erin Linnihan
Tel: 224.661.7431
investorrelations@itw.com | mediarelations@itw.com

⁽¹⁾  Effective tax rate used for interest expense and other (income) expense for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was 23.7% and 23.8%, respectively. Effective tax rate used for interest expense and other (income) expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was 23.9% and 23.4%, respectively.

⁽²⁾  Average invested capital is calculated using the total invested capital balances at the start of the period and at the end of each quarter within each of the periods presented.

⁽³⁾  Returns for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were converted to an annual rate by multiplying the calculated return by 4. Returns for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were converted to an annual rate by dividing the calculated return by 3 and multiplying it by 4.

After-tax ROIC for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 included 110 basis points of favorable impact related to the cumulative effect of the change from the LIFO method of accounting to the FIFO method for certain U.S. businesses ($117 million pre-tax, or $88 million after-tax) in the first quarter of 2024.

A reconciliation of the tax rate for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2024, excluding the third quarter 2024 net discrete tax benefit of $121 million, which included favorable discrete tax benefits of $107 million related to the utilization of capital loss carryforwards upon the sale of Wilsonart International Holdings LLC (“Wilsonart”) and $87 million related to a reorganization of the Company’s intellectual property, partially offset by a $73 million discrete tax expense related to the remeasurement of unrecognized tax benefits associated with various intercompany transactions, is as follows:

A reconciliation of the tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, excluding the second quarter 2023 discrete tax benefit of $20 million related to amended 2021 U.S. taxes, is as follows:

⁽¹⁾  Effective tax rate used for interest expense and other (income) expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 23.2%.

⁽²⁾  Average invested capital is calculated using the total invested capital balances at the start of the period and at the end of each quarter within the period presented.

A reconciliation of the 2023 effective tax rate excluding the second quarter 2023 discrete tax benefit of $20 million related to amended 2021 U.S. taxes, is as follows:

⁽¹⁾  Excluding the $363 million pre-tax gain on the sale of noncontrolling interest in Wilsonart and related taxes, and a discrete tax benefit of $87 million related to a reorganization of the Company’s intellectual property, partially offset by a $73 million discrete tax expense related to the remeasurement of unrecognized tax benefits associated with various intercompany transactions, the free cash flow to net income conversion rate would have been 102% for the three months ended September 30, 2024.

⁽¹⁾  Includes the $363 million pre-tax gain on the sale of noncontrolling interest in Wilsonart and related taxes.