Fortive Corporation’s Board of Directors approved an increase to its general share repurchase program on May 4, 2026, adding 20 million shares to the pool available for repurchase. The move expands the company’s ability to buy back shares on the open market or through private transactions, supplementing the existing $550 million special‑purpose program that was funded by the proceeds of the Ralliant spin‑off completed on June 28, 2025.
Fortive has been actively returning capital to shareholders. In the second half of 2025 the company repurchased approximately 26 million shares for more than $1.3 billion. Since launching its “New Fortive” strategy in mid‑2025, the company has deployed roughly $1.8 billion in share buybacks, reducing diluted share count by over 10 percent.
The expanded authorization is expected to lift earnings per share by reducing the share base while maintaining a conservative debt‑to‑EBITDA ratio. The company’s debt‑to‑EBITDA stood at 2.6× at the time of the announcement, a figure that has remained near 2.8× after the first quarter of 2026, indicating that the buyback activity is being financed within the company’s established leverage framework.
CEO Olumide Soroye highlighted the company’s strong execution in the first quarter of 2026, noting core revenue growth of about 5 percent, adjusted EBITDA growth of roughly 13 percent, and adjusted EPS growth of about 25 percent. He reaffirmed Fortive’s full‑year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $2.90 to $3.00, a range that is trending toward the upper end as the company continues to deploy capital efficiently.
The expansion underscores Fortive’s disciplined capital allocation philosophy and its focus on high‑margin, recurring‑revenue businesses. By increasing the share repurchase authorization, the company signals confidence in its valuation and a continued commitment to delivering shareholder value while preserving financial flexibility.
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