Xylem Inc. (NYSE: XYL), has reported a fourth quarter revenue of $1.32 billion, and a full-year 2021 revenue of $5.20 billion, in line with previous guidance.
For the full year, Xylem delivered an adjusted EBITDA margin of 17.1 percent, up 80 basis points year-over-year. The 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 on their website. 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.
