MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 31, 2012) - Pentair, Inc. announced full year 2011 sales of $3.5 billion, an increase of 14 percent from the prior year. The full year sales increase reflected broad-based growth in both Water and Technical Products, and included 8 percentage points from the acquisition of Clean Process Technologies (CPT) and a point from favorable foreign exchange. Earnings per diluted share from continuing operations (EPS) were $0.34 for the full year 2011, which included a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $1.82 per share, restructuring charges totaling $0.10 per share and acquisition related costs of $0.15 per share. Excluding these items, the company achieved EPS of $2.41 in 2011, up 21 percent from the prior year.
During the year, Pentair generated $248 million in free cash flow, which represented another year of greater than 100 percent conversion of net income. The company paid approximately $80 million in dividends in 2011, or $0.80 per share. The new quarterly dividend effective in the first quarter of 2012 equates to an annual cash dividend of $0.88 cents per share, up 10 percent.
"Delivering strong sales and over 20 percent adjusted earnings growth for the year were significant accomplishments given challenging market conditions," said Randall J. Hogan, Pentair chairman and chief executive officer. "Robust sales in fast growth regions, along with distribution gains and new product introductions drove sales higher. Pricing and productivity discipline enabled another year of margin expansion, and we continued to invest in the innovation, brands and global capabilities that we believe position us well to deliver long-term, sustainable growth."
FOURTH QUARTER RESULTS
Total company fourth quarter sales increased 15 percent over the prior year quarter to $866 million, and included 12 percentage points from the CPT acquisition and a minimal negative impact from foreign exchange. Sales in fast growth regions grew 65 percent in the quarter, including a 42 percentage point contribution from the CPT acquisition. Year-over-year sales growth in the quarter included a negative 2 percentage point impact due to sales in 2010 related to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) project.
The company reported a fourth quarter operating loss of $120 million compared to operating income of $80 million in the prior year quarter. Fourth quarter results included a pre-tax non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $201 million in the Residential Filtration business as a result of the company's annual impairment analysis of goodwill. The company concluded that due to continued softness in the end-markets served by residential water treatment components, the carrying amount of this business exceeded its fair value. This non-cash charge does not impact the company's normal business operations or debt covenants.
The company also recorded a pre-tax restructuring charge of $11 million in the fourth quarter as a result of repositioning actions taken to reduce the company's cost structure and better align around channels and growth platforms. Excluding the impairment and restructuring charges and acquisition related costs, operating income increased 18 percent over the prior year quarter to $94 million and operating margins expanded 30 basis points to 10.9 percent.
"We delivered strong sales and cash flow performance in the fourth quarter," added Hogan, "despite softness in western European and residential water treatment component sales. While the goodwill impairment charge and restructuring initiatives significantly impacted reported profitability in the quarter, adjusted operating performance was solid as pricing and productivity helped offset inflation and continued global investments."