Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) has reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 results.

“The ITW team closed out 2020 with another quarter of strong execution and financial performance, generating revenue of $3.5 billion and delivering all-time record Q4 operating income, operating margin, and ROIC performance,” said E. Scott Santi, chairman and CEO.

“Looking back at 2020 in its entirety, our people around the world provided another meaningful demonstration of the power of the ITW Business Model and the differentiating value of our decentralized entrepreneurial culture in how the company responded to the unprecedented events and challenges of the past year. While it was the unique circumstances that we faced and our response to them that defined the year, it was the sum total of all that the ITW team has built over the last eight years through the execution of our enterprise strategy that gave us the capabilities and options to respond as we did. In the face of a global pandemic, our ability to deliver strong operational and financial performance while remaining fully invested in the execution of our long-term enterprise strategy provides further evidence that ITW is a company that has the enduring competitive advantages, resilience, and agility necessary to deliver consistent top tier performance in any environment and over the long term. I offer my heartfelt thanks to all my ITW colleagues for their dedication and commitment to keeping their co-workers safe, serving our customers with excellence, and continuing to make progress on our path to ITW’s full-potential performance,” Santi concluded.

2020 Results
Fourth-quarter revenue of $3.5 billion increased 0.2 percent versus prior year, as organic revenue declined 0.9 percent, divestitures reduced revenue by 0.7 percent and foreign currency translation impact was favorable by 1.8 percent. Product Line Simplification (PLS) reduced organic revenue by 20 basis points. GAAP EPS increased two percent to $2.02. Excluding $0.11 of divestiture gains in the fourth quarter of 2019, EPS increased seven percent. Operating income increased seven percent to $883 million. Operating margin was 25.4 percent, an increase of 170 basis points with enterprise initiatives contributing 130 basis points. Free cash flow was $705 million, 110 percent of net income. After-tax return on invested capital improved to 32.0 percent compared to 28.9 percent in the prior year period. The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter was 22.1 percent.

Full year revenue of $12.6 billion declined 10.9 percent, as organic revenue declined 9.8 percent, divestitures reduced revenue by 0.9 percent and foreign currency translation impact was unfavorable by 0.2 percent. PLS reduced organic revenue by 30 basis points. 2020 GAAP EPS declined fourteen percent to $6.63. Operating margin of 22.9 percent was down from 24.1 percent in the prior year as the impact of lower volumes was partially offset by enterprise initiatives of 120 basis points. Free cash flow was $2.6 billion, 122 percent of net income. After-tax return on invested capital was 26.2 percent. The company repurchased $706 million of its own shares and raised its dividend seven percent in August 2020 to an annualized $4.56 per share. The effective tax rate for the full year was 22 percent.

2021 Guidance
The company initiated full-year GAAP EPS guidance in a range of $7.60 to $8 per share, an increase of 15 to 21 percent. Organic growth is expected to be in the range of seven to 10 percent. Revenue is expected to grow in the range of nine to 12 percent as foreign currency translation at current exchange rates is projected to increase revenues by approximately two percent. PLS impact is forecasted to be approximately 50 basis points. Operating margin is expected to be in a range of 24 to 25 percent, with enterprise initiatives contributing approximately 100 basis points. Free cash flow is expected to be greater than 100 percent of net income. The company plans to repurchase approximately $1 billion of its shares in 2021 and expects an effective tax rate in the range of 23 to 24 percent.