Boardroom Alpha
Meeting calendar
XYL · Annual meeting · Thursday, May 14, 2026

Xylem Inc

9 nominees · 4 ballot items.

Election of nine directors; ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as independent auditor for 2026; advisory (non-binding) approval of named executive officer compensation (Say-on-Pay); and shareholder approval to implement the Xylem Inc. 2026 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).

Market cap
$29.8B
1Y TSR
-10.4%
Board grade
C+
Record date
Mar 19, 2026
Filing
DEF 14A
Meeting concluded · May 14, 2026

Follow how the vote landed and what changed on Xylem Inc’s board — director track records, governance grades, and ongoing monitoring — on the Boardroom Alpha platform.

Proposals

On the ballot4

  1. 1

    Election of Directors

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Election of nine director nominees named in the Proxy Statement to serve one-year terms.

  2. 2

    Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as Xylem’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.

  3. 3

    Advisory Approval of Named Executive Officer Compensation (Say-on-Pay

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Non-binding advisory vote asking shareholders to approve the compensation paid to Xylem’s named executive officers as disclosed in the Proxy Statement.

    More detail

    This management-sponsored non-binding advisory proposal asks shareholders to approve the Company’s 2025 executive compensation as disclosed in the proxy, giving investors a direct mechanism to signal support or concern for pay practices. Management is seeking shareholder approval to affirm its compensation philosophy that emphasizes pay-for-performance, a mix of annual and long-term incentives (PSUs, RSUs, and options), and targeted changes made after shareholder engagement — including metrics alignment and a mixture of internal and external performance measures. The Board and its Leadership Development & Compensation Committee cite prior shareholder support (approximately 87% in 2025), ongoing shareholder engagement, and benchmarking to the company peer group as reasons to continue the current framework. The advisory nature of the vote means it is not binding, but management commits to seriously consider the outcome when designing future compensation; the Board also has a policy to hold this advisory vote annually. Relevant context includes the company’s recent strong financial performance, multi-year LTIP structures that vest on performance cycles, and the use of relative TSR and cumulative Adjusted EPS in PSU design to align executives with long-term shareholder returns. Potential shareholder concerns center on CEO and NEO pay levels (notably CEO compensation disclosed in the Summary Compensation Table) and whether realized pay tracks underlying performance metrics; management addresses these through clawbacks, stock ownership guidelines, and a mix of performance and time-based awards. The committee’s recommendation emphasizes retention, alignment with shareholder value creation, and responsiveness to investor feedback, while critics might argue that advisory votes should be used to push for specific reforms (e.g., metric weighting or disclosure enhancements). Ultimately, the vote functions as a governance feedback tool: a strong affirmative result validates management’s pay program and supports continuity, whereas a weak result would trigger additional shareholder outreach, potential plan refinements, and public disclosure of changes in response to investor concerns.

  4. 4

    Implementation of the Xylem Inc. 2026 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP

    ManagementBoard: FOR

    Shareholder approval to implement the Xylem Inc. 2026 Employee Stock Purchase Plan providing eligible employees the ability to buy shares through payroll deductions (up to 4,000,000 shares, 85% purchase price formula and Section 423-qualified features where applicable).

    More detail

    This management proposal seeks shareholder approval to implement a new Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) that would make up to 4,000,000 shares available for employee purchase through payroll deductions, generally at an 85% purchase-price discount to the lower of the offering-period start or end price and designed to qualify under Section 423 where practicable. Management argues the ESPP aligns employees with shareholders by encouraging ownership, supports retention and recruitment (about 17,000 eligible employees as of March 19, 2026), and provides a tax-advantaged, broad-based mechanism for long-term value creation. The Plan grants the Leadership Development & Compensation Committee wide administrative discretion, including authority to establish non-423 sub-plans for non-U.S. jurisdictions, set offering periods, and adjust technical terms to comply with local laws, which helps facilitate global participation but creates variability in plan implementation. From a governance standpoint, shareholder approval is requested because of potential dilution and NYSE/Section 423 shareholder-approval requirements; management discloses the 4,000,000-share limit and describes anti-dilution adjustment mechanisms for corporate events. Investor considerations include dilution (share reserve relative to outstanding shares), the modest cost of broad-based discounts versus the retention and engagement benefits, and the plan’s parameters (1%–15% payroll contribution, $25,000 annual purchase limit under Code Section 423). The committee’s rationale emphasizes alignment and long-term ownership culture, while potential shareholder concerns include incremental share overhang and the aggregate impact on EPS and equity incentive run-rate; the proxy discloses administration, eligibility, and tax consequences to help investors assess trade-offs. Overall, the ESPP is a conventional, market-standard tool to broaden employee ownership and is likely to receive management support given the program’s design, but investors will weigh dilution and program economics against retention and engagement benefits when casting their votes.

Director elections

Nominees on the ballot9

Independent
Tenure on this board
13.6 yrs
Also a director at
West Pharmaceutical Services Inc (WST)
Independent
Tenure on this board
3.2 yrs
Also a director at
Fluor Corp (FLR)
Independent
Tenure on this board
14.7 yrs
Also a director at
Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc (HII)Philip Morris International Inc (PM)
Independent
Tenure on this board
4.5 yrs
Also a director at
Vontier Corp (VNT)
Independent
Tenure on this board
13.2 yrs
Also a director at
Ashland Inc (ASH)
Not independent
Tenure on this board
2.5 yrs
Also a director at
Trane Technologies PLC (TT)
Ownership

Top institutional holders10

Latest 13F quarter
1VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC6.7%15,816,928$1.9B
2VANGUARD PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT LLC5.4%12,771,229$1.5B
3STATE STREET CORP4.7%11,173,697$1.3B
4BlackRock, Inc.3.4%7,995,752$955M
5GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC2.4%5,626,511$669M
6Swedbank AB2.3%5,526,255$660M
7BlackRock, Inc.2.1%4,973,978$594M
8Impax Asset Management Group plc1.9%4,585,548$548M
9Pictet Asset Management Holding SA1.8%4,334,794$518M
10BlackRock, Inc.1.8%4,322,658$517M
Filings

Recent key filings

Periodic reports
Definitive proxies
Reference

Frequently asked questions

When is the Xylem Inc 2026 annual meeting?
Xylem Inc (XYL) holds its 2026 annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
What is the record date for the Xylem Inc 2026 meeting?
The record date for the Xylem Inc 2026 meeting is Thursday, March 19, 2026. Shareholders of record on or before that date are eligible to vote.
Who are the director nominees for Xylem Inc's 2026 meeting?
The board is presenting 9 director nominees at the Xylem Inc 2026 meeting, listed with their independence status and background.
What proposals will shareholders vote on at the Xylem Inc 2026 meeting?
Shareholders will vote on 4 proposals at the Xylem Inc 2026 meeting, each tagged with who proposed it and the board's recommendation.
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