Franklin Electric Acquires Wood Bros. and Related Entities
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 12 2026
0mins
A. Buchholtz & Company announced the sale of its client, Wood Bros. and related entities to Franklin Electric Co. Headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, Wood Bros. is a distributor of water treatment systems to wholesale and retail customers from its three locations in Lincoln, Phoenix, Arizona and Indianapolis, Indiana. The acquisition enhances Franklin Electric's Water Treatment business by adding synergistic distribution capabilities and expanding access to customers and markets. The related entities acquired include both Reverse Osmosis Superstore and Vistar Water Technologies, both of which provide customers with water treatment solutions online.
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Analyst Views on FELE
Wall Street analysts forecast FELE stock price to rise
1 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 96.680
Low
112.00
Averages
112.00
High
112.00
Current: 96.680
Low
112.00
Averages
112.00
High
112.00
About FELE
Franklin Electric Co., Inc. is engaged in designing, manufacturing and distributing water and fuel pumping systems, composed primarily of submersible motors, pumps, electronic controls and related parts and equipment. Its segments include Water Systems, Distribution, and Energy Systems. The Water Systems segment designs, manufactures and sells motors, pumps, drives, electronic controls, monitoring devices, and related parts and equipment primarily for use in groundwater, water transfer and wastewater. The distribution segment is operated as a collection of wholly owned groundwater distributors known as the Headwater Companies. The Energy Systems segment designs, manufactures and sells pumps, motors, pipes, sumps, fittings, vapor recovery components, electronic controls, monitoring devices and related parts and equipment. It also operates as a wholesale supplier and online retailer specializing in water treatment systems, components, and accessories primarily based in Lincoln, Nebraska.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Franklin Electric Acquires Wood Bros. to Enhance Water Treatment Business
- Acquisition Overview: A. Buchholtz & Company announces the sale of its client, Wood Bros. and related entities, to Franklin Electric Co., Inc. in an all-cash deal, further enhancing Franklin's market position in the water treatment sector.
- Market Expansion Benefits: This acquisition allows Franklin Electric to synergize Wood Bros.' distribution capabilities with its existing operations, significantly expanding customer access in key markets such as Nebraska, Arizona, and Indiana.
- Enhanced Customer Service: With decades of experience in customer service, Wood Bros. will benefit from Franklin's broad sourcing capabilities and greater geographic reach, thereby improving customer satisfaction and competitive positioning in the market.
- Management Team Strength: Franklin Electric's management team possesses extensive experience in acquiring and integrating similar water treatment distribution businesses, making this acquisition a strategic decision that signals future growth potential.
See More
Franklin Electric Q1 2026 Earnings Highlights
- Significant Sales Growth: In Q1 2026, Franklin Electric reported sales of $500.4 million, reflecting a 10% year-over-year increase, which demonstrates healthy organic growth across all segments and effective pricing strategies, thereby enhancing the company's competitive position in a challenging market.
- Improved Profitability: The company's adjusted earnings per share (EPS) reached $0.83 in the first quarter, marking a new record for Q1 and a 24% increase from $0.67 in the same period of 2025, indicating substantial progress in cost control and operational efficiency.
- Stable Outlook: Despite uncertainties in global markets, Franklin Electric maintains its full-year sales expectations between $2.17 billion and $2.24 billion, with adjusted EPS projected at $4.40 to $4.60, reflecting management's confidence in future performance.
- Restructuring Cost Impact: The company incurred $3.9 million in restructuring costs in Q1, primarily related to structural improvements in its global water operations, with expectations that these initiatives will yield savings in 2026 and positively impact results in 2027, further driving long-term growth.
See More
Franklin Electric Reports Q1 Net Income Growth
- Net Income Growth: Franklin Electric's net income for Q1 reached $34.33 million, translating to $0.77 per share, up from $30.96 million or $0.67 per share in the same quarter last year, indicating a significant improvement in profitability and strong market demand.
- Adjusted Earnings Performance: Excluding items, the adjusted earnings for the latest quarter stood at $0.83 per share, reflecting positive progress in cost control and operational efficiency, which enhances investor confidence in the company's financial health.
- Sales Growth: The company reported a 10% year-over-year increase in net sales, totaling $500.44 million compared to $455.25 million in the prior year, showcasing strong performance in market competition and sustained product demand.
- Future Outlook: Looking ahead, Franklin Electric projects earnings per share in the range of $4.40 to $4.60 for fiscal 2026, with net sales expected between $2.17 billion and $2.24 billion, indicating management's optimistic outlook on future performance and reinforcing market confidence in its long-term growth potential.
See More
Franklin Electric Maintains 2026 Sales Guidance Amid Strong Q1 Results
- Strong Earnings Beat: Franklin Electric reported a Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.83, exceeding expectations by $0.06, which reflects the company's ongoing profitability enhancement and strengthens market confidence.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved revenue of $500.44 million in Q1, marking a 9.9% year-over-year increase and surpassing market expectations by $21.25 million, indicating robust performance across its business segments.
- Sales Increase Across Segments: Sales in Water Systems rose by 11%, Energy Systems by 7%, and Distribution by 6%, demonstrating the company's growing competitiveness in multiple market areas, which is crucial for sustained future growth.
- 2026 Sales Guidance Maintained: Franklin Electric maintains its 2026 net sales guidance in the range of $2.17 billion to $2.24 billion, aligning with the consensus of $2.21 billion, reflecting the company's confidence and stability in future performance.
See More
Franklin Electric to Announce Q1 Earnings on April 28
- Earnings Announcement: Franklin Electric (FELE) is set to release its Q1 2023 earnings on April 28 before market open, with a consensus EPS estimate of $0.77, reflecting a 26.7% year-over-year decline, which may negatively impact investor sentiment.
- Revenue Expectations: The revenue estimate stands at $479.19 million, indicating a 47.4% year-over-year increase; however, the company has only beaten revenue estimates 25% of the time over the past year, highlighting performance uncertainty.
- Earnings Revisions: Over the last three months, EPS estimates have seen one upward revision and two downward revisions, while revenue estimates have faced no upward revisions and four downward adjustments, indicating a weakening market confidence in the company's future performance.
- Future Guidance: Franklin Electric has outlined a sales guidance of $2.17 billion to $2.24 billion for 2026, focusing on margin expansion through value acceleration, demonstrating resilience in its long-term strategic outlook despite current performance pressures.
See More
Franklin Electric Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
- Quarterly Cash Dividend: Franklin Electric's Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.28 per share, payable on May 21, 2026, to shareholders of record on May 7, 2026, demonstrating the company's commitment to shareholder returns.
- Global Leadership: Franklin Electric is recognized as a global leader in the production and marketing of systems and components for the movement of water and energy, serving various sectors including residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, municipal, and fueling applications, showcasing its technical prowess and market influence.
- Responsibility and Trust: The company has been recognized in Newsweek's lists of America's Most Responsible Companies 2025, Most Trustworthy Companies 2025, and Greenest Companies 2025, reflecting its efforts and achievements in corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
- Forward-Looking Statement Risks: The company highlights in its forward-looking statements that market conditions, financial results, and various other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations, reminding investors to be aware of potential risks.
See More
Franklin Electric Acquires Wood Bros. to Enhance Water Treatment Business
- Acquisition Overview: A. Buchholtz & Company announces the sale of its client, Wood Bros. and related entities, to Franklin Electric Co., Inc. in an all-cash deal, further enhancing Franklin's market position in the water treatment sector.
- Market Expansion Benefits: This acquisition allows Franklin Electric to synergize Wood Bros.' distribution capabilities with its existing operations, significantly expanding customer access in key markets such as Nebraska, Arizona, and Indiana.
- Enhanced Customer Service: With decades of experience in customer service, Wood Bros. will benefit from Franklin's broad sourcing capabilities and greater geographic reach, thereby improving customer satisfaction and competitive positioning in the market.
- Management Team Strength: Franklin Electric's management team possesses extensive experience in acquiring and integrating similar water treatment distribution businesses, making this acquisition a strategic decision that signals future growth potential.
See More
Franklin Electric Q1 2026 Earnings Highlights
- Significant Sales Growth: In Q1 2026, Franklin Electric reported sales of $500.4 million, reflecting a 10% year-over-year increase, which demonstrates healthy organic growth across all segments and effective pricing strategies, thereby enhancing the company's competitive position in a challenging market.
- Improved Profitability: The company's adjusted earnings per share (EPS) reached $0.83 in the first quarter, marking a new record for Q1 and a 24% increase from $0.67 in the same period of 2025, indicating substantial progress in cost control and operational efficiency.
- Stable Outlook: Despite uncertainties in global markets, Franklin Electric maintains its full-year sales expectations between $2.17 billion and $2.24 billion, with adjusted EPS projected at $4.40 to $4.60, reflecting management's confidence in future performance.
- Restructuring Cost Impact: The company incurred $3.9 million in restructuring costs in Q1, primarily related to structural improvements in its global water operations, with expectations that these initiatives will yield savings in 2026 and positively impact results in 2027, further driving long-term growth.
See More
Franklin Electric Reports Q1 Net Income Growth
- Net Income Growth: Franklin Electric's net income for Q1 reached $34.33 million, translating to $0.77 per share, up from $30.96 million or $0.67 per share in the same quarter last year, indicating a significant improvement in profitability and strong market demand.
- Adjusted Earnings Performance: Excluding items, the adjusted earnings for the latest quarter stood at $0.83 per share, reflecting positive progress in cost control and operational efficiency, which enhances investor confidence in the company's financial health.
- Sales Growth: The company reported a 10% year-over-year increase in net sales, totaling $500.44 million compared to $455.25 million in the prior year, showcasing strong performance in market competition and sustained product demand.
- Future Outlook: Looking ahead, Franklin Electric projects earnings per share in the range of $4.40 to $4.60 for fiscal 2026, with net sales expected between $2.17 billion and $2.24 billion, indicating management's optimistic outlook on future performance and reinforcing market confidence in its long-term growth potential.
See More
Franklin Electric Maintains 2026 Sales Guidance Amid Strong Q1 Results
- Strong Earnings Beat: Franklin Electric reported a Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.83, exceeding expectations by $0.06, which reflects the company's ongoing profitability enhancement and strengthens market confidence.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved revenue of $500.44 million in Q1, marking a 9.9% year-over-year increase and surpassing market expectations by $21.25 million, indicating robust performance across its business segments.
- Sales Increase Across Segments: Sales in Water Systems rose by 11%, Energy Systems by 7%, and Distribution by 6%, demonstrating the company's growing competitiveness in multiple market areas, which is crucial for sustained future growth.
- 2026 Sales Guidance Maintained: Franklin Electric maintains its 2026 net sales guidance in the range of $2.17 billion to $2.24 billion, aligning with the consensus of $2.21 billion, reflecting the company's confidence and stability in future performance.
See More
Franklin Electric to Announce Q1 Earnings on April 28
- Earnings Announcement: Franklin Electric (FELE) is set to release its Q1 2023 earnings on April 28 before market open, with a consensus EPS estimate of $0.77, reflecting a 26.7% year-over-year decline, which may negatively impact investor sentiment.
- Revenue Expectations: The revenue estimate stands at $479.19 million, indicating a 47.4% year-over-year increase; however, the company has only beaten revenue estimates 25% of the time over the past year, highlighting performance uncertainty.
- Earnings Revisions: Over the last three months, EPS estimates have seen one upward revision and two downward revisions, while revenue estimates have faced no upward revisions and four downward adjustments, indicating a weakening market confidence in the company's future performance.
- Future Guidance: Franklin Electric has outlined a sales guidance of $2.17 billion to $2.24 billion for 2026, focusing on margin expansion through value acceleration, demonstrating resilience in its long-term strategic outlook despite current performance pressures.
See More
Franklin Electric Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
- Quarterly Cash Dividend: Franklin Electric's Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.28 per share, payable on May 21, 2026, to shareholders of record on May 7, 2026, demonstrating the company's commitment to shareholder returns.
- Global Leadership: Franklin Electric is recognized as a global leader in the production and marketing of systems and components for the movement of water and energy, serving various sectors including residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, municipal, and fueling applications, showcasing its technical prowess and market influence.
- Responsibility and Trust: The company has been recognized in Newsweek's lists of America's Most Responsible Companies 2025, Most Trustworthy Companies 2025, and Greenest Companies 2025, reflecting its efforts and achievements in corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
- Forward-Looking Statement Risks: The company highlights in its forward-looking statements that market conditions, financial results, and various other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations, reminding investors to be aware of potential risks.
See More
