BlueLinx Announces Second Quarter 2024 Results
Net sales of $768 million
Gross profit of $122 million, gross margin of 15.9% and specialty product gross margin of 19.3%
Net income of $14 million, or $1.65 diluted earnings per share
Adjusted net income of $15 million, or $1.68 adjusted diluted earnings per share
Adjusted EBITDA of $34 million, 4.5% of net sales
Operating cash flow of $36 million and free cash flow of $29 million
Available liquidity of $838 million, including $491 million cash and cash equivalents on hand
$15 million in share repurchases, with $76 million remaining on our share repurchase authorization as of quarter-end
BlueLinx Holdings Inc. (“BlueLinx”), a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of building products, reported financial results for the three months ended June 29, 2024.
Second Quarter 2024 Highlights
“Our second quarter results were highlighted by solid volume growth in several of our key specialty product categories despite a challenging macro environment,” said Shyam Reddy, President and CEO of BlueLinx. “We also generated solid specialty product gross margins of approximately 19%, despite the effects of price deflation. The quarter was adversely impacted by structural products, primarily driven by declining lumber and panel prices, in addition to volume declines due to challenges in the housing and building products sector. Although current market conditions are challenging, we believe we are well-positioned for long-term success because our vision is supported by a well-defined sales growth strategy, strong liquidity, and minimal debt.”
“Our strong free cash flow generation of $29 million during the second quarter helped us end the period with $491 million in cash on hand and a net leverage ratio of (0.9x),” said Andy Wamser, Chief Financial Officer of BlueLinx. “During the second quarter, we purchased $15 million of stock under our share repurchase program, demonstrating our commitment to returning capital to shareholders. At the end of the quarter, we had $76 million remaining on our share repurchase authorization, and we will continue to be opportunistic in the market.”
Second Quarter 2024 Financial Performance
In the second quarter of 2024, net sales were $768 million, a decrease of $48 million, or 6% when compared to the second quarter of 2023. Gross profit was $122 million, a decrease of $13 million, or 10%, year-over-year, and gross margin was 15.9%, down 70 basis points from the same period last year.
Net sales of specialty products, which includes products such as engineered wood, siding, millwork, outdoor living, specialty lumber and panels, and industrial products, were $539 million, a decrease of $32 million, or 5.5% when compared to the second quarter of 2023. This decrease was due to price deflation across specialty products, partially offset by a slight increase in volumes. Gross profit from specialty product sales was $104 million, a decrease of $4 million, or 4.1% when compared to the second quarter of last year. Gross margin was 19.3% compared to 19.1% in the prior year period. The current period benefited from the reduction of an accrued estimate made in the first quarter of 2024 related to amounts the Company believes it may owe for discrepancies in duties paid in prior years for certain imported goods. Not including this benefit, specialty products’ gross margin would have been 18.9% in the current quarter.
Net sales of structural products, which includes products such as lumber, plywood, oriented strand board, rebar, and remesh, decreased $16 million, or 6.6% when compared to the second quarter of 2023, to $229 million in the second quarter of 2024. The decrease in structural sales was due primarily to lower volumes and a decline in our lumber selling prices which generally correlated to a year-over-year decline in the average composite price of framing lumber of 6%. Gross profit from sales of structural products was $18 million, a decrease of $9 million from the prior year period, and gross margin was 7.9%, compared to 11.0% in the prior year period.
Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $89 million in the second quarter of 2024, $1 million higher than the prior year period. The year-over-year change in SG&A was primarily due to higher technology expenses and legal expenses associated with duty-related matters, as well as lower logistics costs and share-based compensation expenses.
Net income was $14 million, or $1.65 per diluted share, versus $24 million, or $2.70 per diluted share, in the prior year period. Adjusted Net Income was $15 million, or $1.68 per diluted share compared to $26 million, or $2.91 per diluted share in the second quarter of last year.
Adjusted EBITDA was $34 million, or 4.5% of net sales, for the second quarter of 2024, compared to $49 million, or 6.0% of net sales in the second quarter of 2023. The current period includes the benefit of the duty-related matters, and not including these items, Adjusted EBITDA was $32 million, or 4.1% of net sales.
Net cash generated from operating activities was $36 million in the second quarter of 2024 and free cash flow was $29 million. The cash generated during the second quarter was driven by net income and improved working capital.
Capital Allocation and Financial Position
During the second quarter, we invested $6.5 million of cash in capital investments used to improve our distribution facilities and upgrade our fleet. Additionally, we purchased approximately $15 million of the Company’s common stock through open market transactions under our $100 million share repurchase program. At quarter-end, we had $76 million remaining under this authorization and we plan to continue being opportunistic in the market when repurchasing shares.
As of June 29, 2024, total debt and finance lease obligations, but excluding real property finance lease obligations, was $348 million, which consisted of $300 million of senior secured notes that mature in 2029 and $48 million of finance lease obligations for equipment. Net debt was ($143) million, which consisted of total debt and finance leases excluding real property finance lease obligations of $348 million less cash and cash equivalents of $491 million, resulting in a net leverage ratio of (0.9x) using a trailing twelve-month Adjusted EBITDA of $160 million. Available liquidity was $838 million which included an undrawn revolving credit facility that had $346 million of availability plus cash and cash equivalents of $491 million.
Third Quarter 2024 Outlook
Through the first four weeks of the third quarter of 2024, specialty product gross margin was in the range of 18% to 19% and structural product gross margin was in the range of 8% to 9%. Average daily sales volumes were improved versus the second quarter of 2024.
For the full second quarter results, click here.
About BlueLinx
BlueLinx (NYSE: BXC) is a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of residential and commercial building products with both branded and private-label SKUs across product categories such as lumber, panels, engineered wood, siding, millwork, and industrial products. With a strong market position, broad geographic coverage footprint servicing 50 states, and the strength of a locally focused sales force, we distribute a comprehensive range of products to our customers which include national home centers, pro dealers, cooperatives, specialty distributors, regional and local dealers and industrial manufacturers. BlueLinx provides a wide range of value-added services and solutions to our customers and suppliers, and we operate our business through a broad network of distribution centers. To learn more about BlueLinx, please visit www.bluelinxco.com .
Contact:
Tom Morabito – Investor Relations – investor@bluelinxco.com – (470) 394-0099
Source: BlueLinx Holdings, Inc.