Earnings

Mettler-Toledo Raises 2026 Profit Outlook After Asia Sales Climb 16%

The instrument maker lifted its full-year adjusted earnings forecast to $47.70-$47.90 a share and guided 2027 to $52.50-$53.50.

Matteo Parrino Jonathan Ponciano

Matteo Parrino, Jonathan Ponciano

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Mettler-Toledo Raises 2026 Profit Outlook After Asia Sales Climb 16%

Mettler-Toledo, which makes precision instruments and the software and services that go with them, raised its 2026 adjusted earnings forecast to $47.70 to $47.90 a share, up from $47.15 to $47.50, after third-quarter sales rose 6% to $1.094 billion. The company reported the results Thursday; Asia/Rest of World led, up 16% as reported.

Asia leads the quarter

Reported sales grew 3% in the Americas and were flat in Europe. On a local-currency basis, which strips out currency effects, Asia/Rest of World rose 14%, Europe 2% and the Americas 3%.

Adjusted earnings per share reached $12.57, up 13% from $11.15 a year earlier. Under standard accounting, earnings were $12.29 a share, against $10.57. Adjusted operating profit rose to $333.5 million from $309.9 million, and earnings before taxes to $300.2 million from $269.2 million.

CEO Patrick Kaltenbach said the company delivered "an excellent third quarter" while "capitalizing on improving market demand," and called performance "particularly strong in Asia / Rest of World."

Guidance for the fourth quarter and 2027

Management guided fourth-quarter adjusted earnings to $14.84 to $15.04 a share and expects local-currency sales up about 5%. For 2026 it expects local-currency sales growth of about 5%, excluding tariff refunds to customers, with adjusted earnings growth of about 12%.

For 2027, the company anticipates local-currency sales growth of about 5% and adjusted earnings of $52.50 to $53.50 a share, growth of about 10% to 12%. Management cautioned that market conditions are uncertain and could change quickly.

Buybacks and the balance sheet

The company spent $226.2 million repurchasing its own stock in the third quarter, compared with $218.7 million a year earlier, according to its cash flow statement. Net cash from operating activities was $308.6 million.

For the first nine months, sales rose 6% to $3.069 billion and adjusted earnings were $32.91 a share, up 12%. Those figures exclude a one-time $52 million benefit from tariff refunds and a related $28 million refund to customers in the second quarter.

Mettler-Toledo's laboratory products include balances, pipettes and titrators, and its industrial products include scales and inspection systems. Customers span pharmaceutical firms, labs and food makers.

Management will discuss the results on a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday.

Sources

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