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Beazer Homes Reports Fourth Quarter and FY 2006 Financial Results

November 7, 2006 at 6:31 AM EST

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2006--Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE: BZH) (www.beazer.com) today announced results for the quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2006. Highlights of both the quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2006, compared to the same periods of the prior year, are as follows:

    Quarter Ended September 30, 2006

    --  Net income of $91.9 million, or $2.19 per diluted share,
        compared to net income of $164.4 million, or $3.61 per diluted
        share in the prior year's fourth quarter.

    --  Home closings: 6,411 homes, compared to 6,339 in the prior
        year.

    --  Total revenues: $1.88 billion, compared to $1.81 billion in
        the prior year.

    --  Operating income margin: 8.0%, compared to 14.1% in the prior
        year.

    --  New orders: 2,064 homes, compared to 4,937 in the prior year.

    --  Repurchased 557,400 shares for approximately $22.1 million.

    Year Ended September 30, 2006

    --  Net income of $388.8 million, or $8.89 per diluted share,
        compared to reported net income of $262.5 million, or $5.87
        per diluted share, and adjusted net income of $392.8, or $8.72
        per diluted share in FY 2005.

    --  Home closings: 18,669 compared to 18,146 in the prior year.

    --  Total revenues: $5.46 billion, compared to $5.00 billion in
        the prior year.

    --  Operating income margin: 11.2% compared 9.7% on a reported
        basis and 12.4% on an adjusted basis in FY 2005.

    --  New orders: 14,538 compared to 18,923 in the prior year.

    --  Backlog at 9/30/06: 5,102 homes with a sales value of $1.56
        billion, compared to 9,233 homes with a sales value $2.72
        billion in the prior year.

    --  Repurchased 3.65 million shares for approximately $205.4
        million.

    --  Year-end net debt-to-capitalization ratio as of 9/30/06: 49.5%

"Beazer Homes had record fourth quarter closings and revenues in fiscal 2006 as we focused on converting our existing backlog in what remains a challenging housing market," said President and Chief Executive Officer, Ian J. McCarthy. "Despite our strong close of fiscal 2006, most markets across the country continue to experience higher levels of resale home inventories, lower levels of demand for new homes, significant increases in cancellation rates and significantly higher discounting. As it is difficult to predict the duration of these factors, we have proactively taken steps to align our overhead structure and capital spending with our expectations for a reduced level of home closings in fiscal 2007. We believe this disciplined commitment to profitability and prudent capital allocation, coupled with our broad geographic and product diversity, will position us well for the continuing difficult market environment and the eventual upturn. We continue to believe that the long-term industry fundamentals, based on demographic driven demand and employment trends, together with further supply constraints, remain compelling."

Total home closings of 6,411 in the quarter were 1% above the prior year's record quarter as decreased closings in Florida and the Mid-Atlantic were offset by increases in the West, Southeast and Other homebuilding segments. Net new home orders totaled 2,064 homes for the quarter, a decline of 58% from the fourth quarter of the prior year, resulting from both reduced demand across the company's markets and a significantly higher rate of cancellations from the prior year.

"We remain focused on reducing costs and efficiently allocating capital in this challenging business environment," said James O'Leary, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "During September and October, we undertook a comprehensive review of our overhead structure in light of our reduced volume expectations for fiscal 2007, bringing our overall headcount down by approximately 1,000 positions, or 25%. We also reduced our controlled lot count by over 15% during the fourth quarter by eliminating non-strategic positions to align our land supply with our current expectations for home closings. These steps are intended to maintain our sound balance sheet and strong financial position so that we can capitalize on those future opportunities that will generate meaningfully higher returns prospectively."

Operating margin declined to 8.0% in the fourth quarter as a result of a higher percentage of closings from lower margin markets, higher market driven sales incentives and costs associated with overhead structure realignment and exiting of land positions. These results included pre-tax charges of approximately $18.2 million to write off land options and exit positions that were no longer providing sufficient returns and $5.6 million to recognize inventory impairments. The company also incurred approximately $1.1 million in severance costs during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006 related to the alignment of its overhead structure.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006, the company repurchased 557,400 shares of its common stock for $22.1 million under its 10 million share repurchase authorization. For fiscal year 2006, the company repurchased 3,648,300 shares for $205.4 million. At September 30, net debt to total capitalization stood at 49.5%, and the company had no outstanding borrowings under its primary revolving credit facility.

Fiscal 2007 Outlook

The company previously announced that it anticipates home closings in the range of 12,000 - 13,500 in fiscal 2007. It expects new orders in the range of 12,000 - 14,000 for this period. The attainment of closings and new orders in these ranges assumes the resumption of positive year-over-year sales comparisons at varying levels by the last quarter of the 2007 fiscal year.

Achievement of the company's fiscal 2007 forecast of 13,500 closings is expected to result in diluted earnings per share of approximately $3.65. This forecast assumes a stabilization of average gross margins during fiscal 2007 at or near the levels attained in the fiscal 2006 fourth quarter. The company has not provided a diluted earnings per share estimate for the 12,000 unit level of closings as there is insufficient visibility to assess the level of margins, the potential for additional impairments, or further overhead reductions required at this volume level.

The company expects to close approximately 2,500 homes during the quarter ending December 31, 2006. During this quarter, the company also expects to incur approximately $4.0 million of additional severance and related costs associated with the previously referenced overhead alignment.

During this period, the Company is focused on maintaining balance sheet strength, reducing costs, and maximizing its financial resources to better position the company to take advantage of those opportunities that will arise when conditions stabilize. The steps taken in September and October to align the company's cost structure with the current environment are consistent with the company's goal to be in the top quartile of its peer group with respect to margins and returns.

Conference Call

The company will hold a conference call today, November 7, 2006, at 11:00 AM ET to discuss the results and take questions. You may listen to the conference call and view the company's slide presentation over the internet by going to the "Investor Relations" section of the company's website at www.beazer.com. To access the conference call by telephone, listeners should dial 800-369-1904. To be admitted to the call, verbally supply the passcode "BZH". A replay of the call will be available shortly after the conclusion of the live call. To directly access the replay, dial 866-480-3542 (available until 5:00 PM ET on November 14, 2006), or visit www.beazer.com.

Beazer Homes USA, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the country's ten largest single-family homebuilders with operations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia and also provides mortgage origination and title services to its homebuyers. Beazer Homes, a Fortune 500 company, is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BZH."

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

In addition to the results in this press release reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), the company has provided information regarding adjusted operating income margin, net income and earnings per share which excludes the effects of the non-cash goodwill impairment charge recorded during the second quarter of fiscal 2005. Management believes that these adjusted financial results are useful to both management and investors in the analysis of the Company's financial performance when comparing it to prior periods and that they provide investors with an important perspective on the current underlying operating performance of the business by isolating the impact of a non-cash adjustment related to a previous acquisition.

Below is a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP:



                                                   Twelve Months Ended
                                                    September 30, 2005

                                                   -------------------
(in thousands, except per share data)

Reported operating income                                    $486,918
Total revenues                                             $4,995,353
Reported operating income margin                                  9.7%

Adjusted operating income margin
Reported operating income                                    $486,918
Goodwill impairment loss                                      130,235
                                                   -------------------
Operating income, excluding goodwill impairment
 loss                                                        $617,153
                                                   ===================
Operating income margin, excluding goodwill
 impairment loss                                                 12.4%

Reported net income                                          $262,524
Reported net income per common share                            $5.87

Adjusted Net Income and Earnings Per Share:
Reported net income                                          $262,524
Goodwill impairment loss                                      130,235
                                                   -------------------
Net income, excluding goodwill impairment loss               $392,759
                                                   ===================

After-tax interest add-back to pro-forma net income
 for 'if converted' treatment of convertible notes
 in calculation of diluted net income per common
 share                                                         $5,325

Diluted net income per common share, excluding                  $8.72
     goodwill impairment loss

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding                    45,634

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, changes in general economic conditions, changes in levels of customer demand, fluctuations in interest rates, increases in raw materials and labor costs, levels of competition, implementation of overhead realignments and associated costs, potential liability as a result of construction defect, product liability and warranty claims, and other factors described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended September 30, 2005 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 25, 2006.

                            -Tables Follow-
                        BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.
              CONSOLIDATED OPERATING AND FINANCIAL DATA
           (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

FINANCIAL DATA
----------------------
                            Quarter Ended            Year Ended
                            September 30,           September 30,
                       ----------------------- -----------------------
                          2006        2005        2006        2005
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
STATEMENT OF INCOME
Total revenue          $1,883,758  $1,814,051  $5,462,003  $4,995,353
Home construction and
 land sales expenses    1,519,705   1,367,189   4,201,318   3,823,300
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Gross profit              364,053     446,862   1,260,685   1,172,053

Selling, general and
 administrative
 expenses                 212,727     191,345     649,010     554,900
Goodwill impairment
 charge                         -           -           -     130,235
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Operating income          151,326     255,517     611,675     486,918
Equity in income (loss)
 of unconsolidated
 joint ventures            (1,581)      1,871        (772)      5,021
Other income (loss)        (4,854)      2,408       2,311       7,395
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

Income before income
 taxes                    144,891     259,796     613,214     499,334
Income taxes               53,018      95,372     224,453     236,810
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Net income                $91,873    $164,424    $388,761    $262,524
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========

Net income per common
 share:
 Basic                      $2.39       $4.04       $9.76       $6.49
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========
 Diluted                    $2.19       $3.61       $8.89       $5.87
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========


Weighted average
 shares outstanding,
 in thousands:
 Basic                     38,420      40,669      39,812      40,468
 Diluted                   42,627      45,935      44,345      45,634

Interest incurred         $35,770     $25,409    $120,965     $89,678
Interest amortized to
 cost of sales            $35,454     $27,508     $96,242     $82,388
EPS interest add back
 - Convertible Debt        $1,329      $1,332      $5,367      $5,325
Depreciation and
 amortization              $6,960      $5,863     $26,057     $21,174

SELECTED BALANCE SHEET
 DATA                   Sept. 30,   Sept. 30,
                          2006        2005
                       ----------- -----------
Cash                     $172,443    $297,098
Inventory               3,520,332   2,901,165
Total assets            4,559,431   3,770,516
Total debt (net of
 discount of $3,578
 and $4,118)            1,838,660   1,321,936
Shareholders' equity    1,701,923   1,504,688

                        BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.
              CONSOLIDATED OPERATING AND FINANCIAL DATA
                        (Dollars in thousands)


OPERATING DATA
------------------------------

                                    Quarter Ended        Year Ended
                                    September 30,       September 30,
                               ----------------------- ---------------
SELECTED OPERATING DATA              2006        2005    2006    2005
                               ----------- ----------- ------- -------
Closings:
          West region               1,741       1,714   5,035   5,686
          Mid-Atlantic region         654         695   2,086   1,870
          Florida region              899       1,002   2,274   2,236
          Southeast region          1,471       1,382   4,289   3,995
          Other homebuilding        1,646       1,546   4,985   4,359
                               ----------- ----------- ------- -------
Total closings                      6,411       6,339  18,669  18,146
                               =========== =========== ======= =======
New orders, net of
 cancellations:
          West region                 417       1,200   3,216   5,673
          Mid-Atlantic region         209         434   1,470   2,016
          Florida region               70         696   1,523   2,295
          Southeast region            541       1,313   3,856   4,372
          Other homebuilding          827       1,294   4,473   4,567
                               ----------- ----------- ------- -------
Total new orders                    2,064       4,937  14,538  18,923
                               =========== =========== ======= =======
Backlog units at end of
 period:
          West region               1,175       2,994
          Mid-Atlantic region         577       1,193
          Florida region              508       1,259
          Southeast region          1,321       1,754
          Other homebuilding        1,521       2,033
                               ----------- -----------
Total backlog units                 5,102       9,233
                               =========== ===========
Dollar value of backlog at end
 of period                     $1,555,456  $2,721,744
                               =========== ===========


                        BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.
        CONSOLIDATED OPERATING AND FINANCIAL DATA (Continued)
                        (Dollars in thousands)

                            Quarter Ended            Year Ended
                            September 30,           September 30,
                       ----------------------- -----------------------
SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL
 DATA:                    2006        2005        2006        2005
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------

Revenues
 Homebuilding
  operations           $1,833,942  $1,796,491  $5,325,588  $4,922,793
 Land and lot sales        26,098       4,760      90,217      34,527
 Financial Services        29,303      18,438      65,808      54,310
 Intercompany
  elimination              (5,585)     (5,638)    (19,610)    (16,277)
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total revenues         $1,883,758  $1,814,051  $5,462,003  $4,995,353
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========
Gross Profit
 Homebuilding
  operations             $334,557    $429,135  $1,195,991  $1,112,670
 Land and lot sales           193        (711)     (1,114)      5,073
 Financial Services        29,303      18,438      65,808      54,310
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total gross profit       $364,053    $446,862  $1,260,685  $1,172,053
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========
Selling, general and
 administrative
 Homebuilding
  operations             $195,178    $178,653    $600,428    $516,217
 Financial Services        17,549      12,692      48,582      38,683
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total selling, general
 and administrative      $212,727    $191,345    $649,010    $554,900
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========


SELECTED SEGMENT
 INFORMATION
Revenue:
 West region             $643,738    $612,516  $1,874,118  $1,946,822
 Mid-Atlantic region      300,887     347,199     965,874     848,083
 Florida region           272,902     281,709     694,803     598,950
 Southeast region         319,053     272,298     900,663     761,030
 Other homebuilding       323,460     287,529     980,347     802,435
 Financial services        29,303      18,438      65,808      54,310
 Intercompany
  elimination              (5,585)     (5,638)    (19,610)    (16,277)
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total revenue          $1,883,758  $1,814,051  $5,462,003  $4,995,353
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========

Operating income
 West region              $69,410    $123,770    $280,731    $421,968
 Mid-Atlantic region       57,327      95,364     213,279     206,627
 Florida region            56,696      55,696     143,380      97,263
 Southeast region          34,425      18,006      86,451      49,098
 Other homebuilding           215      (2,614)     (4,301)      5,902
 Financial services        11,754       5,746      17,226      15,627
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
 Segment operating
  income                  229,827     295,968     736,766     796,485
 Corporate and
  unallocated             (78,501)    (40,451)   (125,091)   (309,567)
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Total operating income   $151,326    $255,517    $611,675    $486,918
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========

CONTACT: Beazer Homes USA
Leslie H. Kratcoski, 770-829-3764
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
lkratcos@beazer.com

SOURCE: Beazer Homes USA, Inc.