Fortive (NYSE:FTV – Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The technology company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.06, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $2.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.04 billion. Fortive had a return on equity of 12.66% and a net margin of 12.84%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.85 earnings per share. Fortive updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.900-3.000 EPS.
Here are the key takeaways from Fortive’s conference call:
- Fortive delivered a strong Q1 with core revenue up just over 5%, adjusted EBITDA up ~13% and adjusted EPS up >25%, and the company reaffirmed full?year adjusted EPS guidance of $2.90–$3.00, saying results are trending toward the upper half of that range.
- Management returned capital aggressively—about $500 million of share repurchases in Q1 and a >10% reduction in diluted shares since the July 2025 spin—underscoring a disciplined capital allocation approach.
- Innovation and AI product momentum (notably CertiFiber Max for data centers and Provation Mira for GI documentation) plus recurring?revenue initiatives drove strong order trends and outsized software growth across segments.
- Gross margins faced headwinds from tariffs (consolidated adjusted gross margin down ~100 bps; IOS down ~150 bps), and management noted tariffs will weigh through part of Q3; Q1 core growth also received ~150 bps of benefit from additional selling days.
- Cash flow and leverage remain supportive—Q1 free cash flow was $194 million, trailing 12?month FCF conversion >100%, and leverage at ~2.8x gross debt/adjusted EBITDA after modest commercial paper to fund buybacks, with management saying there is capacity for M&A, buybacks, and growth investment.
Fortive Stock Performance
Shares of FTV stock traded down $0.59 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $59.20. The stock had a trading volume of 3,258,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,050,056. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.23 billion, a PE ratio of 34.22, a PEG ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.09. Fortive has a twelve month low of $46.34 and a twelve month high of $74.67. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $57.70 and its 200 day moving average is $55.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.58.
Fortive Announces Dividend
Insider Activity at Fortive
In other news, Director Kate Mitchell sold 7,131 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.34, for a total transaction of $416,022.54. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 31,775 shares in the company, valued at $1,853,753.50. This represents a 18.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Trading of Fortive
Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Fortive in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in Fortive by 246.2% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 502 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in Fortive by 668.5% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,145 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 996 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in Fortive by 56.4% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,192 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 430 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Fortive in the fourth quarter valued at $82,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.94% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages recently issued reports on FTV. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Fortive from $65.00 to $58.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Fortive from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $65.00 price target on Fortive in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Barclays upped their price target on Fortive from $56.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Fortive from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Fortive has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $59.92.
View Our Latest Analysis on FTV
Key Headlines Impacting Fortive
Here are the key news stories impacting Fortive this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 results: Fortive reported stronger-than-expected Q1 results — core revenue growth (~5%), adjusted EBITDA up ~13%, and adjusted EPS growth of ~25% with reported revenue of $2.14B and EPS of $0.70, topping consensus estimates. This beat is cited as the primary near-term fundamental upside. Fortive Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst reaction: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target from $59 to $63 (sector perform), signaling some analyst confidence in the beat and the company’s strategy execution. The raise provides modest upside support. RBC raises Fortive price target to $63
- Neutral Sentiment: Earnings coverage & detail: Multiple transcripts and call highlights (earnings call transcript and slide deck) provide detail on demand strength and execution of the “Fortive Accelera” strategy; useful for judgment but not new catalyst. Fortive Corporation (FTV) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
- Neutral Sentiment: Industry note: Zacks’ industry outlook singled out AMETEK and Fortive among peers — a thematic mention that can influence relative-sector flows but is not a company-specific catalyst. Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights AMETEK and Fortive
- Negative Sentiment: Guidance and YoY EPS comparisons: Fortive set FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $2.90–$3.00 vs. consensus ~2.96 — roughly in line but slightly light at the midpoint — and GAAP EPS this quarter fell vs. the prior year (Q1 2026 $0.70 vs. Q1 2025 $0.85), which is keeping some investors cautious about growth durability. Fortive (NYSE:FTV) Beats Q1 CY2026 Sales Expectations
About Fortive
Fortive Corporation (NYSE: FTV) is a diversified industrial technology company headquartered in Everett, Washington. The company was created through a spin?off from Danaher Corporation in 2016 and has since focused on building a portfolio of professional instrumentation and industrial technology businesses. In 2020 Fortive completed a further portfolio separation with the spin?off of Vontier, concentrating Fortive’s activities on higher?margin instrumentation, software and services.
Fortive’s operations center on professional test and measurement, sensing and monitoring, software?enabled solutions, and lifecycle services that support industrial and commercial customers.
See Also
Receive News & Ratings for Fortive Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fortive and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
