Trex Company Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results

Second Quarter Sales Growth Led by Premium Products

Gross Margin Expansion Driven by Higher Utilization and Production Efficiencies

Guiding to Third Quarter Revenues of $220 million to $230 million

Full Year Sales Guidance Adjusted to Reflect Softness in Entry-Level Consumer Demand and Uncertain Economic Outlook; Maintains Full Year EBITDA Margin Guidance of 30% to 30.5%

Trex Company, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of high-performance, low-maintenance composite decking and railing, and a leading brand of outdoor living products, announced financial results for the second quarter of 2024.

Second Quarter Financial 2024 Highlights

• Net sales of $376 million
• Gross margin of 44.7%
• Net income of $87 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.80
• EBITDA of $130 million and EBITDA margin of 34.6%

CEO Comments

“Second quarter sales increased at a mid-single-digit rate led by our premium products, including Trex Transcend^® Lineage and Trex Signature^® decking, where sell-through continued to track at a double-digit rate and contractor lead-times averaged six to eight weeks,” said Bryan Fairbanks, President and CEO. “Sales of our lower-priced product lines, however, were below our expectations, consistent with recent data indicating lower than anticipated purchasing by consumers in this segment. We expect additional softness in this market in the second half of this year. Conversely, our premium product sales continue to outperform entry-level products, and pro channel inventories are aligning with projected demand.

“Trex continued to post industry-leading margins in the second quarter, benefiting from higher utilization, cost-out programs, and other efficiency initiatives that drove an 80-basis point expansion in gross margin. Additionally, we succeeded in expanding EBITDA margin by 180 basis points and leveraging our SG&A spend, while increasing our investments in branding and product development. We expect to continue to benefit from our cost-out programs in the second half of this year, enabling us to maintain our EBITDA margin guidance for the full year, despite reduced sales expectations.

“In the second quarter we continued to move forward with new product launches. Introducing new products that expand the appeal and price range of our decking and railing product lines, while gaining share in attractive adjacent categories remains a strategic priority for Trex. In developing new products, we are committed to providing customers with superior options that are differentiated by customized engineering and long-lasting quality. We recently announced new additions to our railing portfolio, and we are preparing to expand the color options for our Trex Enhance^® decking lines. Also, we are pleased with the pace of orders for our recently introduced Trex^® branded deck fasteners, which are engineered for ease of installation and designed to provide a cohesive esthetic to the consumer,” Mr. Fairbanks noted.

Second Quarter 2024 Results

Second quarter 2024 net sales were $376 million, an increase of 6% compared to $357 million reported in the prior-year quarter and driven by volume predominantly in the premium product category. Based on the Company’s definition of sell-through, which only considers point of sale transactions at both home centers and within the pro channel, total sell-through increased at a low-single-digit rate in the second quarter.

Gross profit was $168 million and gross margin was 44.7%, up 8% and 80 basis points, respectively, compared to the $156 million and 43.9% reported in the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily the result of higher absorption due to increased production levels and the Company’s ongoing continuous improvement activities.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $51 million, or 13.6% of net sales, compared to $52 million, or 14.5% of net sales, in the 2023 second quarter. The reduction is primarily related to lower personnel-related expenses, partially offset by increases in branding and other expenses.

Net income for the 2024 second quarter was $87 million, or $0.80 per diluted share, an increase of 13% from the $77 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, reported in the 2023 second quarter. EBITDA increased 11% to $130 million from $117 million, and EBITDA margin expanded 180 basis points to 34.6% from 32.8% in the prior year period.

Year-to-Date Results

Year-to-date net sales increased 26% to $750 million from $595 million in the year-ago period. Gross profit was $338 million and gross margin was 45.0%, up 35% and 290 basis points, respectively, from the $251 million and 42.1% during the same period in 2023.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $102 million, or 13.6% of net sales, compared to $89 million, or 15.0% of net sales, in the year-ago period.

Net income year-to-date was $176 million, or $1.62 per share, representing 49% growth from the $118 million, or $1.09 per share, reported in the 2023 first half. EBITDA was $264 million, up 42% from the $186 million of the prior year. EBITDA margin expanded by 390 basis points to 35.1% from 31.2% in 2023.

Recent Developments & Recognitions

• Trex expanded its popular Trex Signature^® Railing line with the introduction of X-Series^™ Cable Rail and X-Series^™ Frameless Glass Rail. Now available through Trex channel partners, these two new offerings blend modern profiles with simplified installation to deliver a winning combination for contractors and clients.
• Green Builder Media named Trex as their Sustainable Brand Leader in the decking category for the 14^th year in a row. Trex is the only brand in the building industry to win top honors in its category every year since the program’s inception in 2010.
• Trex published its 2023 Sustainability Report, “Seeing More Value in Sustainability.” The report charts progress across the broad spectrum of Company activities and expands on several key points, including the Company’s commitment to circularity, its safety record, training and educational opportunities, manufacturing efficiency, and community engagement.

Summary and Outlook

“Our second quarter and first half results demonstrate the underlying earning capabilities of Trex Company, our ability to drive financial improvements within existing production capacity and leverage our SG&A expenses. The broad appeal of our decking and railing product lines, our innovative and new product introductions, and our leadership position in the attractive outdoor living category underpin our long-term growth opportunities,” continued Mr. Fairbanks.

“Looking ahead to the second half of 2024, we see encouraging data related to our mid-market and premium product sales and expect that channel inventory levels at the end of the year will be slightly lower than 2023 year-end levels. Given the uncertain economic outlook and the softness in the entry-level segment, we are taking a measured approach to adjusting our sales guidance for the full year. We now expect 2024 revenue to range from $1.13 billion to $1.15 billion and expect third quarter revenue to range from $220 million to $230 million. We are pleased to be able to maintain our full year EBITDA margin guidance range at 30.0% to 30.5%. SG&A as a percentage of net sales, is projected to be flat with the prior year at approximately 16%, depreciation and amortization is estimated between $53 million and $55 million, and our tax rate is expected to be in the 25% to 26% range.

“As the market leader, Trex is the primary beneficiary of long-term secular trends, including the large number of decks in the U.S. that are at or beyond replacement age, the record growth in U.S. homes that are candidates for remodel projects, and the ongoing conversion from wood to composites. Further, we continue to make considerable progress on our railing strategy and are moving forward to penetrate adjacent product lines. The modular build-out of our Arkansas capacity will strengthen our ability to efficiently manage the long-term incremental demand that we foresee in the coming years,” Mr. Fairbanks concluded.

For full results click here.

About Trex Company

For more than 30 years, Trex Company [NYSE: TREX] has invented, reinvented and defined the composite decking category. Today, the Company is the world’s #1 brand of sustainably made, wood-alternative decking and deck railing – all proudly manufactured in the U.S.A. – and a leader in high performance, low-maintenance outdoor living products. Trex boasts the industry’s strongest distribution network with products sold through more than 6,700 retail outlets across six continents. Through strategic licensing agreements, the Company offers a comprehensive outdoor living portfolio that includes deck drainage, flashing tapes, LED lighting, outdoor kitchen components, pergolas, spiral stairs, fencing, lattice, cornhole and outdoor furniture – all marketed under the Trex^® brand. Based in Winchester, Va., Trex is proud to have been honored with Lowe’s 2023 Sustainability Award, recognized as one of the 100 Best ESG Companies for 2023 by Investor’s Business Daily, and ranked by Newsweek magazine as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies. For more information, visit Trex.com. You may also follow Trex on Facebook (trexcompany), Instagram (trexcompany), X (Trex_Company), LinkedIn (trex-company), TikTok (trexcompany), Pinterest (trexcompany) and Houzz (trex-company-inc), or view product and demonstration videos on the brand’s YouTube channel (TheTrexCo).

Contact:

Lynn Morgen – ADVISIRY Partners – lynn.morgen@advisiry.com – (212) 750-5800

Source: Trex Company, Inc.