Atmus Filtration Technologies(ATMU 6.16%) reported its second quarter of 2025 results on August 8, 2025, delivering record sales of $454 million (up 4.8% year-over-year), adjusted EBITDA of $95 million at a 21.0% margin, and raised full-year guidance for both revenue growth (1%-4%) and adjusted EPS ($2.40-$2.60 per share, non-GAAP). This summary analyzes key takeaways relating to operational independence, capital allocation, and aftermarket execution, as well as guidance on end-market trends and industrial expansion.

Atmus completes operational separation from Cummins

Operational independence, a multi-year process, will finish in the third quarter of 2025 with all eight global distribution centers, including the complex Belgium and final South Africa sites, now under Atmus’s direct control, projecting full-year 2025 outlays of $20 million-$30 million for related transition activities.Cummins(NYSE:CMI) is the former parent company from which Atmus is completing its separation.

"We are now fully on the Atmus distribution network as we recently completed the transition of our final distribution location from Cummins in South Africa. Additionally, our Belgium distribution location is now operating at a normalized level and providing our customers with the product and service levels we expect. This location was our most complex distribution transition, and I am proud of our team for their focus on our customers. With 100% of our distribution net now under our direct control, we are focused on continuing to improve on-shelf availability and ensure we have the right products for our customers when and where they need our filtration solutions."
— Stephanie Disher, Chief Executive Officer

This milestone grants Atmus full control over logistics, inventory, and customer delivery standards globally, strengthening service reliability and laying the foundation for improved on-shelf availability and product access.

Disciplined capital allocation balances share repurchases and M&A

The company has repurchased $50 million of stock since July 2024, advancing buybacks to $20 million in the second quarter and setting a full-year target of 1%-3% of current market capitalization, while retaining $591 million of liquidity ($191 million cash, $400 million undrawn revolver). Management stated that inorganic growth in industrial filtration remains the priority, with a broad M&A pipeline under review and flexibility to deploy capital opportunistically as separation costs wind down.

"We accelerated our share repurchase program in the second quarter, repurchasing $20 million of stock, bringing our year-to-date total to $30 million. Since the announcement of our share repurchase program last July, we have repurchased a total of $50 million of stock. We remain committed to investing for organic growth and executing our inorganic industrial filtration strategy. However, the timing of these opportunities can vary, and we will continue to deploy capital in a manner that creates value for our shareholders. We expect share repurchases to remain an important component of our capital allocation strategy and anticipate our full-year repurchases will be in a range of approximately 1%-3% of our current market capitalization."
— Stephanie Disher, Chief Executive Officer

This disciplined approach maximizes shareholder value by ensuring Atmus remains well-capitalized for acquisitions while transparently committing to ongoing return of capital even amidst sector volatility.

Aftermarket execution fuels share gains and record sales at Atmus

The aftermarket represents 86% of revenue. It accounted for 4% year-over-year volume growth and 2% expected full-year share gains, with management also highlighting new regional partnerships in the U.S. and Latin America, as well as fully normalized Belgium and South African facilities. Second-quarter pricing contributed 2% to revenue gains but was partially offset by unfavorable foreign exchange and a temporary benefit from “pre-buy” activity ahead of July price increases and tariff changes.

"Our second pillar is focused on accelerating profitable growth in the aftermarket. We are winning share in the aftermarket as our distribution partners continue to grow their businesses, and we expand our product coverage through a multichannel path to market. This growth is supported with our expanded use of advanced data analytic tools, which increases our ability to provide industry-leading FleetGuard products for our customers when and where they need them."
— Stephanie Disher, Chief Executive Officer

Superior aftermarket performance provides a resilient earnings base and ensures Atmus can offset weaknesses in the more cyclical first-fit (original equipment) market, supporting above-market growth even in a challenged macro environment.

Looking ahead

Atmus raised full-year revenue guidance to $1.685 billion-$1.735 billion (up 1%-4% year-over-year), with adjusted EBITDA margin forecast in the 19.25%-20% range and adjusted EPS of $2.40-$2.60 per share. Guidance assumes a flat to marginally positive aftermarket (-0.5% to 1.5% year-over-year), 2% share gain, and 2.2% total pricing contribution, with heavy and medium-duty U.S. markets projected down 15%-25% year-over-year and Indian/Chinese first-fit facing ongoing weakness. Management confirmed M&A remains the top capital deployment priority and expects full separation from Cummins to conclude in the third quarter.