Investing.com -- Shares of Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW) declined 2.4% today after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings that narrowly beat analyst expectations but fell short on revenue. The industrial products manufacturer posted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.54, $0.04 above the $2.50 estimate, while revenue for the quarter was $3.93 billion, missing the consensus estimate of $3.99 billion.
The Glenview, Illinois-based company also provided its full-year 2025 earnings guidance, projecting an EPS range of $10.15 to $10.55, which is below the analyst consensus of $10.67. This guidance includes a foreign currency translation headwind of $0.30.
Despite a record operating margin of 26.2% in the fourth quarter, which reflected a 140 basis points improvement, and a 10% increase in free cash flow, the market reacted negatively to the revenue shortfall. The company's organic growth declined by 0.5%, though it turned positive, excluding Product Line Simplification (PLS) reductions of 0.9%.
For the full year 2024, Illinois Tool Works reported a revenue decrease of 1.3% to $15.9 billion, with organic growth down by 0.7% in markets that were down low to mid-single digits. However, the company achieved a record GAAP EPS of $11.71, marking a 20% increase.
Christopher A. O’Herlihy, President and CEO of Illinois Tool Works, stated, "ITW delivered a solid finish to the year as we outperformed underlying end markets, expanded operating margin by 140 basis points, generated record free cash flow, and delivered seven percent earnings per share growth in the fourth quarter."
Looking ahead, the company forecasts above-market organic growth of 0 to 2% based on current demand levels, with organic growth of 1 to 3% when excluding the anticipated PLS reduction of approximately 1%. The projected operating margin for 2025 is between 26.5% and 27.5%, with enterprise initiatives expected to contribute around 100 basis points to margin improvement.
Illinois Tool Works plans to continue its shareholder return strategy, with intentions to repurchase approximately $1.5 billion of its own shares. The projected effective tax rate for the coming year is between 24% and 24.5%. Despite the strong operational performance and margin expansion, the revenue miss and cautious outlook for 2025 have put pressure on the stock in today's trading session.
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