Investors | News Releases | Beazer Homes Reports Third Quarter 2006 EPS of $2.37; Company Repurchases 1.1 Million Shares in Q3 06; Diluted EPS Now Expected to be in the Range of $9.25 - $9.75 for Fiscal Year 2006

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Beazer Homes Reports Third Quarter 2006 EPS of $2.37; Company Repurchases 1.1 Million Shares in Q3 06; Diluted EPS Now Expected to be in the Range of $9.25 - $9.75 for Fiscal Year 2006

July 27, 2006 at 6:32 AM EDT

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 27, 2006--Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE: BZH) (www.beazer.com) today announced results for the quarter ended June 30, 2006. Highlights of the quarter are as follows:

Quarter Ended June 30, 2006

  • Net income of $102.6 million, or $2.37 per diluted share, compared to net income of $112.7 million, or $2.50 per diluted share in the prior year's third quarter.


  • Home closings: 4,156, compared to 4,631 in the prior year.


  • Total revenues: $1.20 billion, compared to $1.29 billion in the prior year.


  • Operating income margin: 13.0%, compared to 13.8% in the prior year.


  • New orders: 4,378 homes, compared to 5,202 in the prior year.


  • Backlog at 6/30/06: 9,449 homes with a sales value of $2.85 billion, compared to 10,635 homes with a sales value of $3.12 billion at 6/30/05.


  • Repurchased 1.07 million shares for approximately $50.1 million; year-to-date share repurchases totaled 3.09 million for $183.3 million.

"Beazer Homes delivered solid fiscal third quarter financial results in an increasingly difficult housing market," said President and Chief Executive Officer, Ian J. McCarthy. "Across the country, the housing markets that had experienced rapid price appreciation have seen significant increases in cancellation rates and resale home inventories. While it is difficult to predict the duration of these current market trends, our broad geographic and product diversity, coupled with our commitment to profitability and prudent capital allocation, should position us well for the future. 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 declined 10.3% from the prior year as decreases in closings in the West and Florida homebuilding segments were offset partially by increases in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Other homebuilding segments. Net new home orders totaled 4,378 homes for the quarter, a decline of 15.8% from the third quarter of the prior year. Increases in several markets in the Southeast homebuilding segment and Texas in the Other homebuilding segment were offset primarily by significantly decreased new home orders in the West and Florida homebuilding segments. Conditions in each of the company's major markets have become considerably more challenging as the seasonal strengthening of sales trends did not materialize to the extent previously anticipated and historically experienced.

The company achieved an operating income margin of 13.0% in the third quarter, a decline of 80 basis points from the prior year, as a result of a higher percentage of closings from lower margin markets, higher market driven sales incentives and costs associated with exiting markets and land option contracts no longer meeting the company's return criteria. These costs were offset by both a reduction in warranty accruals and insurance recoveries related to progress made in resolving the Trinity Homes warranty issue.

    Capital Allocation Initiatives, Liquidity and Share Repurchases

"While the current market environment is more challenging than anticipated earlier in the year, we remain focused on the value drivers which we believe will benefit us in the long term," said James O'Leary, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "During the quarter, we exited less profitable markets and positions while raising the liquidity required to take advantage of the opportunities that will generate meaningfully higher returns in the future. The increase in our revolving credit facility and the two debt offerings completed this quarter meaningfully strengthened our financial position and liquidity, positioning us for the eventual upturn. We will continue to focus on opportunistically growing our business while prudently returning capital to our shareholders during this more challenging period."

The results for the quarter included approximately $11 million in pre-tax charges to write off land options and exit positions that were no longer providing sufficient returns. The company also incurred approximately $1 million of additional pre-tax charges during the quarter to exit land positions and close its operations in Ft. Wayne and Lafayette, Indiana while significantly downsizing its operations in Memphis, Tenn. Collectively, these actions will focus the company's spending on its highest value opportunities.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2006, the company repurchased 1,069,100 shares of its common stock under its 10 million share repurchase authorization for approximately $50.1 million or $46.88 per share. Year to date, the company has repurchased 3,090,900 shares, for a total of $183.3 million. At June 30, net debt to total capitalization stood at 52%. The company expects its net debt to capitalization ratio to be in its year-end target range of under 50% at September 30 after it completes what is its historically strongest quarter for closings and cash flow generation.

Trinity Homes Update

The company regularly reviews its estimate of the costs required to resolve the claims associated with the Trinity Homes class action lawsuit which was settled in October 2004. During the recent quarter's review, the company concluded that, based on the numbers of homes remediated and estimates of costs to resolve the remaining claims, approximately $15 million of accruals associated with this matter were no longer required. Since the commencement of the remediation program, the company's cost per home has continued to decrease as homes requiring more extensive repairs were addressed first, coupled with improvement in the internal processes and procedures as the company gained experience in addressing these issues. These improvements, which include enhanced bidding and inspection processes, have yielded meaningful benefits on a per home basis. Also during the quarter the company realized approximately $4 million in insurance and subcontractor recoveries related to reimbursement for defense, investigative and remediation costs. The company continues to aggressively pursue recovery of defense, investigative and remediation costs from both its insurance carriers and subcontractors to obtain maximum restitution.

Fiscal 2006 EPS Outlook

McCarthy concluded, "We expect continued execution of our Profitable Growth Strategy, including our share repurchase program, to result in continued profitability and enhanced shareholder value in the near and long term. Looking ahead, we do not see conditions in the housing markets improving significantly in the remainder of the fiscal year. As such, we have adjusted our expectation for our fiscal 2006 diluted earnings per share to be in a range of $9.25- $9.75. This compares to adjusted earnings per share of $8.72 in fiscal 2005."

Conference Call

The company will hold a conference call today, July 27, 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 888-568-0121 (available through August 3, 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."

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, potential liability as a result of construction defect, product liability and warranty claims, the possibility that the company's strategies to broaden target price points and lessen dependence on the entry-level product offering in certain markets will not achieve desired results, 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.

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 fiscal 2005 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 this adjusted financial result is useful to both management and investors in the analysis of the company's financial performance when comparing it to prior periods and that it provides 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 this non-GAAP financial measure, adjusted fiscal 2005 earnings per share, as well as adjusted fiscal 2005 net income used to derive adjusted fiscal 2005 earnings per share, 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 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
                            -Tables Follow-
                        BEAZER HOMES USA, INC.
              CONSOLIDATED OPERATING AND FINANCIAL DATA
           (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

FINANCIAL DATA
--------------
                              Quarter Ended       Nine Months Ended
                                 June 30,              June 30,
                           --------------------- ---------------------
                             2006       2005       2006       2005
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
INCOME STATEMENT
Total revenue             $1,203,538 $1,293,227 $3,578,245 $3,181,302
Home construction and land
 sales expenses              894,231    963,699  2,681,613  2,456,111
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Gross profit                 309,307    329,528    896,632    725,191

Selling, general and
 administrative expenses     153,412    150,891    436,283    363,555
Goodwill impairment charge         -          -          -    130,235
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Operating income             155,895    178,637    460,349    231,401
Equity in income of
 unconsolidated joint
 ventures                        127      2,951        809      3,150
Other income                   1,480        987      7,165      4,987
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

Income before income taxes   157,502    182,575    468,323    239,538
Income taxes                  54,878     69,835    171,435    141,438
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Net income                $  102,624 $  112,740 $  296,888 $   98,100
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========

Net income per common
 share:
Basic                     $     2.60 $     2.78 $     7.37 $     2.43
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========
Diluted                   $     2.37 $     2.50 $     6.70 $     2.24
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========


Weighted average shares
 outstanding, in thousands:
Basic                         39,435     40,497     40,281     40,400
Diluted                       43,929     45,666     44,909     45,510

Interest incurred         $   31,759 $   22,798 $   85,195 $   64,269
Interest amortized to cost
 of sales                 $   22,071 $   21,568 $   60,788 $   54,880
EPS interest add back -
 Convertible debt         $    1,347 $    1,331 $    4,038 $    3,993
Depreciation and
 amortization             $    8,055 $    5,676 $   19,097 $   15,311

SELECTED BALANCE SHEET DATA June 30,   Sept. 30,  June 30,
                             2006       2005       2005
                           ---------- ---------- ----------
Cash                      $   24,366 $  297,098 $    8,098
Inventory                  3,752,862  2,901,165  2,986,994
Total assets               4,383,609  3,770,516  3,483,091
Total debt (net of
 discount of $3,766,
 $4,118 and $3,535)        1,791,903  1,321,936  1,265,924
Shareholders' equity       1,631,064  1,504,688  1,333,879


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


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

                              Quarter Ended       Nine Months Ended
                                 June 30,              June 30,
                           --------------------- ---------------------
SELECTED OPERATING DATA      2006       2005       2006       2005
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Closings:
West region                    1,037      1,630      3,294      3,972
Mid-Atlantic region              477        439      1,432      1,175
Florida region                   362        528      1,375      1,234
Southeast region               1,033        933      2,818      2,613
Other homebuilding             1,247      1,101      3,339      2,813
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total closings                 4,156      4,631     12,258     11,807
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========
New orders, net of
 cancellations:
West region                      861      1,464      2,799      4,473
Mid-Atlantic region              461        514      1,261      1,582
Florida region                   380        591      1,453      1,599
Southeast region               1,295      1,242      3,315      3,059
Other homebuilding             1,381      1,391      3,646      3,273
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total new orders               4,378      5,202     12,474     13,986
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========
Backlog units at end of
 period:
West region                    2,499      3,508
Mid-Atlantic region            1,022      1,454
Florida region                 1,337      1,565
Southeast region               2,251      1,823
Other homebuilding             2,340      2,285
                           ---------- ----------
Total backlog units            9,449     10,635
                           ========== ==========
Dollar value of backlog at
 end of period            $2,852,052 $3,121,702
                           ========== ==========



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

                              Quarter Ended       Nine Months Ended
                                 June 30,              June 30,
                           --------------------- --------------------
SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL
 DATA:                       2006       2005       2006       2005
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

Revenues
Homebuilding operations   $1,178,360 $1,262,890 $3,491,646 $3,126,302
Land and lot sales            18,568     20,789     64,119     29,767
Financial services            12,392     13,708     36,505     35,872
Intercompany elimination      (5,782)    (4,160)   (14,025)   (10,639)
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total revenues            $1,203,538 $1,293,227 $3,578,245 $3,181,302
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========
Gross profit
Homebuilding operations   $  300,058 $  312,877 $  861,434 $  683,535
Land and lot sales            (3,143)     2,943     (1,307)     5,784
Financial services            12,392     13,708     36,505     35,872
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total gross profit        $  309,307 $  329,528 $  896,632 $  725,191
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========
Selling, general and
 administrative
Homebuilding operations   $  143,250 $  141,315 $  405,250 $  337,564
Financial services            10,162      9,576     31,033     25,991
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total selling, general and
 administrative           $  153,412 $  150,891 $  436,283 $  363,555
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========


SELECTED SEGMENT INFORMATION
Revenue:
West region               $  389,934 $  533,667 $1,230,380 $1,334,306
Mid-Atlantic region          232,373    211,279    664,987    500,884
Florida region               108,551    139,181    421,901    317,241
Southeast region             215,708    197,333    581,610    488,732
Other homebuilding           250,362    202,219    656,887    514,906
Financial services            12,392     13,708     36,505     35,872
Intercompany elimination      (5,782)    (4,160)   (14,025)   (10,639)
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total revenue             $1,203,538 $1,293,227 $3,578,245 $3,181,302
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========

Operating income
West region               $   60,340 $  117,716 $  211,321 $  298,198
Mid-Atlantic region           53,336     50,706    155,952    111,263
Florida region                17,797     18,594     86,684     41,567
Southeast region              25,350     18,298     52,026     31,092
Other homebuilding             1,895      3,411     (4,516)     8,516
Financial services             2,230      4,132      5,472      9,881
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Segment operating income     160,948    212,857    506,939    500,517
Corporate and unallocated     (5,053)   (34,220)   (46,590)  (269,116)
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total operating income    $  155,895 $  178,637 $  460,349 $  231,401
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========

CONTACT: Beazer Homes USA, Inc.
Leslie H. Kratcoski, 770-829-3764
lkratcos@beazer.com

SOURCE: Beazer Homes USA, Inc.