Meritage Homes reports first quarter 2018 diluted EPS of $1.07, with a 33% increase in pretax earnings on 10% growth in home closing revenue, higher home closing gross margin and greater overhead leverage; Strong demand for entry-level homes helps drive 10% increase in orders

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH), a leading U.S. homebuilder, reported its first quarter results for the period ended March 31, 2018.


Summary Operating Results (unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2018   2017   % Chg
Homes closed (units) 1,725     1,581     9 %
Home closing revenue $ 728,532     $ 660,617     10 %
Average sales price - closings $ 422     $ 418     1 %
Home orders (units) 2,358     2,135     10 %
Home order value $ 962,796     $ 892,703     8 %
Average sales price - orders $ 408     $ 418     (2)%
Ending backlog (units) 3,508     3,181     10 %
Ending backlog value $ 1,482,205     $ 1,367,844     8 %
Average sales price - backlog $ 423     $ 430     (2)%
Earnings before income taxes                                          $ 48,884     $ 36,769     33 %
Net earnings $ 43,874     $ 23,572     86 %
Diluted EPS $ 1.07     $ 0.56     91 %
                   
                   

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS

“Our first quarter 2018 results reflected performance improvements from our strategic initiatives, as well as strong demand in our markets and growth from our entry-level business,” said Steven J. Hilton, chairman and chief executive officer of Meritage Homes. “Net earnings for the quarter were up 86% over last year’s first quarter, on a 10% increase in home closing revenue, coupled with a 90 bps increase in home closing gross margin and a 30 bps improvement in selling costs and overhead leverage, two of our strategic initiatives to drive earnings growth. We also benefited from a favorable legal settlement, and the extension of energy tax credits on qualifying homes closed in 2017 increased our net earnings for the quarter by approximately $6.3 million.”

He continued, “Total orders for the first quarter were up 10% year-over-year due to increases in our orders pace across all regions. Most notably, a 24% increase in our East region orders pace demonstrates continued progress from the strategic improvements we’ve made in our product, people and execution within those markets.

“Our strategy to focus on the growing demand for entry-level homes with our LiVE.NOW.™ product addresses the need for lower-priced homes as interest rates rise, in order to keep homes affordable for first-time buyers, including millions of Millennials expected to enter the market over the next decade,” explained Mr. Hilton. “As part of this strategic shift, we have simplified our business to gain operating efficiencies and improve our buyers’ experiences throughout the entire home-buying process, which has been very well-received.

"We are pleased with our first quarter performance, especially the improvements in home closing gross margin and our East region operations," he concluded. “We continue to see strong demand for our homes and positive market conditions for homebuilders. Therefore, we are projecting home closings and total home closing revenue will grow to approximately 8,450-8,850 and $3.5-3.65 billion, respectively, for the full year 2018. We're also expecting home closing gross margin to come in at least 18% for the year, a little higher than previously projected. Slightly better overhead leverage should also help drive a strong increase in pre-tax earnings, projected at $285-305 million for the full year. Net earnings growth should be even better with the added benefit of a lower statutory tax rate in 2018 and the one-time catch up for 2017 energy tax credits that we captured in the first quarter.”

FIRST QUARTER RESULTS

  • Net earnings of $43.9 million ($1.07 per diluted share) for the first quarter of 2018, increased 86% and 91%, respectively, compared to the first quarter of 2017. Earnings before income taxes were up 33% year-over-year, primarily due to increases in home closing revenue and home closing gross margin.

  • Home closing revenue increased 10% on a 9% increase in closing volume and a 1% increase in average sales price over the first quarter of 2017. The increases in closings and revenue were led by the East region (Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee), which delivered a 25% increase in home closing revenue from 29% more home closings at an average sales price 3% lower than the first quarter of 2017. The Central region (Texas) delivered home closings and revenue growth of 9% and 10%, respectively. A 2% increase in West region home closing revenue (California, Colorado and Arizona) was due to a 7% increase in average sales prices compared to the first quarter of 2017, which offset a 5% decline in closings due to 14% fewer communities open on average during the first quarter in 2018 than 2017.

  • Home closing gross margin increased 90 bps to 17.1% for the first quarter of 2018, compared to 16.2% in the first quarter of 2017, primarily due to improved margins in the East region, as well as moderate increases in home prices and greater cost efficiencies throughout our regions.

  • Land closing gross profit declined $3.7 million year-over-year due to a $1.2 million net loss from the sale of various land parcels during the first quarter of 2018, compared to land closing gross profit of $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2017.

  • Selling, general and administrative expenses were 11.5% of first quarter 2018 home closing revenue, 30 bps less than 2017’s first quarter SG&A of 11.8% of home closing revenue, reflecting cost controls and greater leverage on higher closing volumes and revenue.

  • Other income increased $4.3 million year-over-year, primarily due to a $4.8 million settlement from long-standing litigation related to a previous joint venture in Nevada.

  • Interest expense declined $0.7 million for the first quarter of 2018 compared to 2017. The reduction was due to a greater percentage of interest capitalized to qualified assets under development, despite a $3.0 million increase in total interest incurred. The Company issued $300 million in new 5.125% senior notes in June 2017 that were primarily used to repay borrowings under the Company’s revolving credit facility and to retire all $126.5 million of the Company's 1.875% convertible senior notes. The Company also issued an additional $200 million of 6.00% senior unsecured notes in March of 2018 and used the net proceeds to repay outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility, which included $175 million of borrowings for the February 2018 redemption of the Company’s 4.50% senior notes due in March 2018.

  • First quarter effective tax rate was approximately 10% in 2018, compared to 36% in 2017, reflecting lower corporate income tax rates enacted for 2018, as well as $6.3 million of energy tax credits recorded in the first quarter of 2018 for all homes closed in 2017 that qualified for the credits. These energy tax credits were extended by Congress in 2018 for 2017 only, and are expected to reduce the full year 2018 effective tax rate by about 200 basis points.

  • Total orders for the first quarter of 2018 increased 10% year-over-year, driven by a 10% increase in absorption pace (orders per average active community). Total active community count increased during the first quarter of 2018, though the ending and average community counts were consistent year-over-year. The improved performance in the East region reflected management’s focused efforts over the past year on new regional product offerings and better sales execution. Strong order growth of 23% and 17% respectively in the East and Central regions offset a 2% decline in orders within the West region.  The decline in the West region reflected fewer average actively selling communities in the first quarter of 2018 over 2017. Most of the new communities opened during the first quarter in the West were opened late in the quarter and only minimally contributed to first quarter 2018 orders. Community count is expected to increase in the West region this year.

  • Partially offsetting the 10% increase in orders was a 2% decrease in average sales price (ASP) as the ratio of lower-priced entry-level homes increased, resulting in an 8% increase in the total value of orders. California’s ASP was a notable exception, increasing 24% year-over-year primarily due to high demand in several higher-priced communities in the first quarter of 2018.

BALANCE SHEET

  • Cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2018, totaled $172.6 million, compared to $170.7 million at December 31, 2017, as net cash generated was invested in real estate to support additional orders and closings. Real estate assets increased to $2.80 billion at March 31, 2018, compared to $2.73 billion at December 31, 2017. Approximately $82.3 million of the increase related to homes under construction or completed, offset by a slight decrease in finished home sites or land under development.

  • Meritage ended the first quarter of 2018 with approximately 34,000 total lots owned or under control, compared to approximately 31,300 total lots at March 31, 2017. Approximately 80% of the lots added during the first quarter were in communities planned for entry-level product.

  • Debt-to-capital ratios were 44.7% at March 31, 2018 and 44.9% at December 31, 2017, with net debt-to-capital ratios of 41.2% and 41.4%, respectively, remaining well within management’s target range for this key ratio.

CONFERENCE CALL

Management will host a conference call to discuss the results at 8:00 a.m. Arizona Time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time) on Thursday, April 26.

The call will be webcast with an accompanying slideshow available on the "Investor Relations" page of the Company's web site at http://investors.meritagehomes.com. Telephone participants may avoid any delays by pre-registering for the call using the following link to receive a special dial-in number and PIN.

Conference Call registration link: http://dpregister.com/10118384

Telephone participants who are unable to pre-register may dial in to 866-226-4948 on the day of the call. International dial-in number is 1-412-902-4125 or 1-855-669-9657 for Canada.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at approximately 1:00 p.m. ET on April 26 and extending through May 10, 2018, on the website noted above or by dialing 877-344-7529, 1-412-317-0088 for international or 1-855-669-9658 for Canada, and referencing conference number 10118384.

Meritage Homes Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Income Statements
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

    Three Months Ended March 31,
    2018   2017
Homebuilding:      
  Home closing revenue $ 728,532     $ 660,617  
  Land closing revenue 14,032     12,155  
  Total closing revenue 742,564     672,772  
  Cost of home closings (604,202 )   (553,349 )
  Cost of land closings (15,242 )   (9,660 )
  Total cost of closings (619,444 )   (563,009 )
  Home closing gross profit 124,330     107,268  
  Land closing gross (loss)/profit (1,210 )   2,495  
  Total closing gross profit 123,120     109,763  
Financial Services:      
  Revenue 3,048     2,944  
  Expense (1,484 )   (1,379 )
  Earnings from financial services unconsolidated entities and other, net 2,656     2,725  
  Financial services profit 4,220     4,290  
Commissions and other sales costs (52,752 )   (48,320 )
General and administrative expenses (30,893 )   (29,622 )
(Loss)/earnings from other unconsolidated entities, net (46 )   373  
Interest expense (136 )   (825 )
Other income, net 5,371     1,110  
Earnings before income taxes 48,884     36,769  
Provision for income taxes (5,010 )   (13,197 )
Net earnings $ 43,874     $ 23,572  
       
Earnings per share:      
  Basic      
  Earnings per share $ 1.08     $ 0.59  
  Weighted average shares outstanding 40,488     40,178  
  Diluted      
  Earnings per share $ 1.07     $ 0.56  
  Weighted average shares outstanding 41,140     42,808  
             
             

Meritage Homes Corporation and Subsidiaries
 Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

    March 31, 2018     December 31, 2017
Assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents   $       172,552   $ 170,746
Other receivables   74,380   79,317
Real estate (1)   2,802,798   2,731,380
Real estate not owned   38,864   38,864
Deposits on real estate under option or contract                                                          52,539   59,945
Investments in unconsolidated entities   16,441   17,068
Property and equipment, net   49,761   33,631
Deferred tax asset   35,269   35,162
Prepaids, other assets and goodwill   84,560   85,145
Total assets   $         3,327,164   $ 3,251,258
Liabilities:        
Accounts payable   $ 140,557   $ 140,516
Accrued liabilities   181,188   181,076
Home sale deposits   33,761   34,059
Liabilities related to real estate not owned   34,978   34,978
Loans payable and other borrowings   16,854   17,354
Senior notes, net   1,294,494   1,266,450
Total liabilities   1,701,832   1,674,433
Stockholders' Equity:        
Preferred stock    
Common stock   406   403
Additional paid-in capital   589,791   584,578
Retained earnings   1,035,135   991,844
Total stockholders’ equity   1,625,332   1,576,825
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 3,327,164   $ 3,251,258
 

(1) Real estate – Allocated costs:
       
Homes under contract under construction   $ 668,579   $ 566,474
Unsold homes, completed and under construction   499,998   516,577
Model homes   138,848   142,026
Finished home sites and home sites under development   1,495,373   1,506,303
Total real estate   $ 2,802,798   $ 2,731,380

 

 

Supplemental Information and Non-GAAP Financial Disclosures (Dollars in thousands – unaudited):

  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2018   2017
Depreciation and amortization $ 5,866     $ 3,670  
       
Summary of Capitalized Interest:      
Capitalized interest, beginning of period $ 78,564     $ 68,196  
Interest incurred 20,869     17,895  
Interest expensed (136 )   (825 )
Interest amortized to cost of home and land closings             (17,469 )   (14,381 )
Capitalized interest, end of period $ 81,828     $ 70,885  
       
  March 31, 2018   December 31, 2017
Notes payable and other borrowings $ 1,311,348     $ 1,283,804  
Stockholders' equity 1,625,332     1,576,825  
Total capital 2,936,680     2,860,629  
Debt-to-capital 44.7 %   44.9 %
Notes payable and other borrowings                                                                        $ 1,311,348     $ 1,283,804  
Less: cash and cash equivalents $ (172,552 )   $ (170,746 )
Net debt 1,138,796     1,113,058  
Stockholders’ equity 1,625,332     1,576,825  
Total net capital $    2,764,128     $ 2,689,883  
Net debt-to-capital 41.2 %     41.4 %
           
           

Meritage Homes Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

    Three Months Ended March 31,
    2018   2017
Cash flows from operating activities:        
Net earnings   $ 43,874     $ 23,572  
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash used in operating activities:         
Depreciation and amortization   5,866     3,670  
Stock-based compensation   5,209     3,295  
Equity in earnings from unconsolidated entities   (2,610 )   (3,098 )
Distribution of earnings from unconsolidated entities   3,244     3,280  
Other   2,301     (18 )
Changes in assets and liabilities:        
Increase in real estate   (87,732 )   (89,222 )
Decrease in deposits on real estate under option or contract   7,406     5,532  
Decrease/(increase) in other receivables, prepaids and other assets   5,426     (20,162 )
Decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities   (15 )   (16,064 )
(Decrease)/increase in home sale deposits   (298 )   4,449  
Net cash used in operating activities   (17,329 )   (84,766 )
Cash flows from investing activities:        
Investments in unconsolidated entities       (10 )
Purchases of property and equipment   (6,383 )   (3,238 )
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment   30     49  
Maturities/sales of investments and securities   1,018     1,226  
Payments to purchase investments and securities   (1,018 )   (1,226 )
Net cash used in investing activities   (6,353 )   (3,199 )
Cash flows from financing activities:        
Proceeds from Credit Facility, net       45,000  
Repayment of loans payable and other borrowings   (2,197 )   (3,048 )
Repayment of senior notes   (175,000 )    
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes   206,000      
Payment of debt issuance costs   (3,315 )    
Net cash provided by financing activities   25,488     41,952  
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   1,806     (46,013 )
Beginning cash and cash equivalents   170,746     131,702  
Ending cash and cash equivalents   $ 172,552     $ 85,689  
 
 

Meritage Homes Corporation and Subsidiaries
Operating Data
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)

                 
    Three Months Ended March 31,
    2018   2017
    Homes   Value   Homes   Value
Homes Closed:                
Arizona   275   $ 90,996   296   $ 100,550
California   231   159,391   210   132,094
Colorado   94   54,386   128   67,360
West Region   600   304,773   634   300,004
Texas   542   191,745   495   174,709
Central Region                                            542   191,745   495   174,709
Florida   260   112,787   146   65,574
Georgia   73   24,973   55   20,475
North Carolina   128   50,673   131   56,907
South Carolina   66   22,121   73   26,055
Tennessee   56   21,460   47   16,893
East Region   583   232,014   452   185,904
Total   1,725   $ 728,532   1,581   $ 660,617
Homes Ordered:                
Arizona   459   $ 153,161   403   $ 133,832
California   219   160,398   328   193,758
Colorado   175   97,095   143   82,095
West Region   853   410,654   874   409,685
Texas   809   279,503   693   251,773
Central Region   809   279,503   693   251,773
Florida   263   112,670   239   101,560
Georgia   148   50,870   69   22,402
North Carolina   157   61,485   150   66,332
South Carolina   80   28,674   72   25,538
Tennessee   48   18,940   38   15,413
East Region   696   272,639   568   231,245
Total   2,358   $ 962,796   2,135   $ 892,703
                 
Order Backlog:                
Arizona   510   $ 181,979   551   $ 194,625
California   306   223,982   349   215,302
Colorado   280   157,602   288   168,819
West Region          1,096   563,563          1,188   578,746
Texas            1,287   470,392           1,129   431,798
Central Region   1,287   470,392   1,129   431,798
Florida   449   196,470   346   152,440
Georgia   226   76,358   105   35,290
North Carolina   272   107,578   212   96,677
South Carolina   113   42,027   115   40,119
Tennessee   65   25,817   86   32,774
East Region   1,125   448,250   864   357,300
Total   3,508   $ 1,482,205   3,181   $ 1,367,844
 
 

Meritage Homes Corporation and Subsidiaries
Operating Data
(Unaudited)

                 
    Three Months Ended March 31,
    2018   2017
    Ending   Average   Ending   Average
Active Communities:                
Arizona   37   37.5   42   42.0
California   15   17.5   29   28.5
Colorado   17   14.0   10   10.0
West Region   69   69.0   81   80.5
Texas   97   94.5   85   82.5
Central Region   97   94.5   85   82.5
Florida   28   28.0   32   29.5
Georgia   21   20.0   17   17.0
North Carolina   20   18.5   18   17.5
South Carolina   12   12.5   15   15.0
Tennessee   6   6.0   8   7.5
East Region   87   85.0   90   86.5
Total   253   248.5   256   249.5

About Meritage Homes Corporation

Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2017. Meritage Homes builds and sells single-family homes for first- time, move-up, and active adult buyers in markets including California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. Meritage Homes has designed and built over 110,000 homes in its 32-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and positive customer experience. Meritage Homes is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award every year since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding.

For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com.

The information included in this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include management's projected home closings, home closing revenue, home closing gross margin and pre-tax earnings for the full year 2018, as well as improved overhead leverage and net earnings growth in 2018; and expected future growth and earnings expansion opportunities from millions of Millennials expected to enter the homebuilding market in the next decade.

Such statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of Company management, and current market conditions, which are subject to significant uncertainties and fluctuations. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The Company makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or changes in these expectations. Meritage's business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, the Company's stock and note prices may fluctuate dramatically. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the availability and cost of finished lots and undeveloped land; shortages in the availability and cost of labor; changes in interest rates and the availability and pricing of residential mortgages; changes in tax laws that adversely impact us or our homebuyers; inflation in the cost of materials used to develop communities and construct homes; the success of strategic initiatives; the ability of our potential buyers to sell their existing homes; cancellation rates; the adverse effect of slow absorption rates; competition; impairments of our real estate inventory; a change to the feasibility of projects under option or contract that could result in the write-down or write-off of earnest or option deposits; our potential exposure to and impacts from natural disasters or severe weather conditions; home warranty and construction defect claims; failures in health and safety performance; our success in prevailing on contested tax positions; our ability to obtain performance bonds in connection with our development work; the loss of key personnel; failure to comply with laws and regulations; our limited geographic diversification; fluctuations in quarterly operating results; our level of indebtedness; our ability to obtain financing if our credit ratings are downgraded; our ability to successfully integrate acquired companies and achieve anticipated benefits from these acquisitions; our compliance with government regulations, the effect of legislative and other governmental actions, orders, policies or initiatives that impact housing, labor availability, construction, mortgage availability, our access to capital, the cost of capital or the economy in general, or other initiatives that seek to restrain growth of new housing construction or similar measures; legislation relating to energy and climate change; the replication of our energy-efficient technologies by our competitors; our exposure to information technology failures and security breaches; negative publicity that affects our reputation; and other factors identified in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 under the caption "Risk Factors," which can be found on our website at www.investors.meritagehomes.com.

   
Contacts:      Brent Anderson, VP Investor Relations
  (972) 580-6360 (office)
  investors@meritagehomes.com

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Source: Meritage Homes Corporation