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Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (NASDAQ:FELE), a $4.25 billion market cap company with strong financial health according to InvestingPro analysis, announced Monday that it has entered into a Single Premium Guaranteed Annuity Contract Purchase Agreement with Principal Life Insurance (NSE:LIFI) Company. The agreement, signed July 22, is connected to the termination of the Franklin Electric Co., Inc. Pension Plan, which became effective May 12.
Under the agreement, Franklin Electric will purchase a nonparticipating group annuity contract from Principal Life Insurance. This contract will transfer the future benefit obligations and annuity administration for approximately 684 retirees and beneficiaries, referred to as Transferred Participants, from the company’s pension plan to the insurer. Once the premium is paid and the transaction closes, Principal Life Insurance will guarantee the pension benefits of these participants. Franklin Electric expects this transfer to reduce its U.S. pension plan liabilities by about $30 million.
The company stated that the purchase of the group annuity contract will be funded directly by assets of the pension plan, and no additional company contributions are expected before the transaction is completed. The closing of the transaction and the purchase of the annuity contract are expected to occur by Tuesday, assuming all closing conditions are met.
Principal Life Insurance will assume responsibility for making monthly benefit annuity payments to the transferred participants starting July 29 for deferred annuitants and October 1 for retired annuitants.
In a related event, on July 9, Franklin Electric settled approximately $59.9 million in lump sum payouts to 1,405 plan participants who chose a lump sum payment instead of an annuity. These payments were also funded directly by the plan’s assets.
The company expects to recognize a non-cash pension settlement charge of around $60 million (about $40 million after tax, or $1 per share), subject to final actuarial and accounting adjustments, in the third quarter of 2025.
All information is based on a press release statement included in the company’s recent SEC filing.
In other recent news, Franklin Electric Co. Inc. reported its first-quarter earnings for 2025, which showed a decline in both earnings per share (EPS) and revenue compared to analyst expectations. The company posted an EPS of $0.67, missing the forecasted $0.76, and revenue came in at $455.2 million, below the expected $472.1 million. Additionally, Franklin Electric has finalized an amendment to its credit agreement, extending the maturity date and maintaining its revolving commitment at $350 million, with the potential to increase up to $525 million.
In leadership changes, Jennifer Wolfenbarger has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, bringing experience from her previous role at Owens Corning (NYSE:OC). The company also announced the appointment of Daniela Williams as Chief Human Resources Officer, who will lead the strategic direction for talent acquisition and management. Furthermore, Jennifer L. Sherman has been elected as the new Chairperson of the Board, and Mark A. Carano joins as a new board member, both bringing extensive experience to their roles. These developments highlight significant changes in Franklin Electric’s financial and leadership strategies.
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