UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 17, 2015

THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (704) 625-4900

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

The Babcock & Wilcox Company (the “Company”) has been notified by the plan administrator of The Babcock & Wilcox Company Thrift Plan (the “Plan”) that two blackout periods (each a “Blackout Period”) will occur in connection with the Company’s previously announced spin-off of its Power Generation business into an independent publicly traded company, Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (“New B&W”). The Blackout Periods are necessary in connection with the spin-off to enable the Plan administrator to transition assets between the Company’s Plan and New B&W’s plan.

During the first blackout period (the “First Blackout Period”) certain participants in and beneficiaries of the Plan will be unable to move assets between funds within the Plan, change funds within the Plan, change the amount of each paycheck invested in the Plan, change the address of the account, request a loan, make unscheduled loan payments or request withdrawals or distributions. During the second blackout period (the “Second Blackout Period”), no participants in or beneficiaries of the Plan will be able to conduct any transactions involving stock of the Company or New B&W that is held in accounts in the Plan.

The First Blackout Period is expected to begin at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 18, 2015, and end during the week of May 24, 2015. Plan participants and beneficiaries will be advised of when the First Blackout Period ends. The Second Blackout Period is expected to begin two business days before the distribution date of the spin-off and end approximately one week later. Participants in and beneficiaries of the Plan will receive timely information about the exact dates of the Second Blackout Period.

The Company received the notice required by Section 101(i)(2)(E) of the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 on April 17, 2015.

Pursuant to Rule 104(b)(2)(i) of Regulation BTR, the Company gave its directors and executive officers notice on April 23, 2015 that they will be prohibited from purchasing and selling shares of Company common stock (including derivative securities pertaining to such shares) acquired in connection with their service or employment as a director or executive officer of the Company, in accordance with Section 306(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Securities and Exchange Commission regulations during the Blackout Periods.

During the Blackout Periods and for a period of two years after the end of the Blackout Periods, security holders or other interested persons may obtain, without charge, information about the actual beginning and ending dates of the Blackout Periods and other information regarding the Blackout Periods by contacting the Company’s General Counsel, by telephone at (704) 625-4900, or in writing at The Babcock & Wilcox Company, attention: General Counsel, 11525 N. Community House Road, Suite 600, Charlotte, NC 28277.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.