KB Home
(
KBH
) reported adjusted net loss per share (including an income tax
benefit) of 31 cents in the second quarter of fiscal 2012, narrower
than the adjusted loss (including an income tax benefit) of 89
cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
A double-digit rise in revenues and higher net order growth led
to the narrower loss in the quarter. The loss was also narrower
than the Zacks Consensus loss estimate of 36 cents per share.
Total revenue increased 11% over the year-ago quarter to $302.9
million driven by increase in homes delivered, net orders selling
price hike. Total revenue also breezed past the Zacks Consensus
Estimate of $300 million.
Homebuilding Revenue and Income
Housing revenue increased 11.3% over the prior-year quarter to
$300.6 million, driven by net order growth.
Net orders grew 3% in the second quarter of 2012 to 2,049 homes
from 1,998 homes in the year-ago quarter due to strong performance
of the West Coast and the Central regions, partially offset by weak
results from the Southwest and Southeast regions.
The value of net orders grew 18% to $503.1 million in the second
quarter of 2012 from $427.5 million in the second quarter of 2011.
The net orders of the second quarter of 2012 grew 71% from the
previous quarter of 2012.
The number of homes delivered increased 2% to 1,290 homes in the
quarter while average selling price rose 9% to $233,000.
As a percentage of gross orders, the company's cancellation rate
was 26% in the quarter compared with 25% in the prior-year period.
The company's homebuilding business (including housing and land)
reported gross margin of 20.3% in the second quarter of 2012
(excluding inventory impairment charges), up from 14.9% in the
second quarter of 2011.
The company's backlog totaled 2,962 homes as of May 31, 2012, up
22% from 2,422 homes as of May 31, 2011. Potential housing revenues
from backlog rose 38% to $693.4 million from $501.5 million,
primarily due to increases in backlog revenue in all operating
regions.
Financial Services Revenue and Income
The pre tax income of Financial Services business, which includes
KB Home's equity interest in an unconsolidated mortgage banking
joint venture, declined 7.9% to $1.5 million in the second quarter
of 2012.
KB Home has an agreement with Texas-based premier mortgage services
provider Nationstar Mortgage. As per the terms of the agreement,
Nationstar is KB Home's preferred mortgage lender for its
customers. The agreement did not have much impact on the results of
the second quarter of 2012 but the company expects its positive
influence in the future.
Financial Position
The company had total cash and cash equivalents (including
unrestricted cash of $314.3 million) of $377.4 million as of May
31, 2012, versus cash and cash equivalents of $368.1 million
(including unrestricted cash of $304.2 million) as of February 29,
2012.
Outlook
The company expects to be profitable by the fourth quarter of 2012
and for the full year 2013. The company expects the revenue of the
fourth quarter to grow 35% over the third quarter results, owing to
higher backlog conversion rate and average selling price in the
fourth quarter 2012.
The company intends to make a strategic shift in its geographic
footprint. The focus is to place the communities in highly
desirable land-constrained submarkets that enable it to sell
larger, higher priced homes, thus driving a strong increase in
average selling price.
The company intends to open about 25 new communities during the
third and fourth quarter 2012. Furthermore, it plans to acquire and
develop land to ensure profitability in 2013.
Our Recommendation
We believe that the housing market is slowly stabilizing with an
increase in employment rates and higher consumer confidence. We
appreciate the company's strategic initiatives like overhead
reduction, margin expansion, and land investments towards higher
priced, better located communities.
We believe that these initiatives along with the Nationstar deal
will help the company in the long run. However, we are aware that
the market is still experiencing uneven recovery and the company
may need time in order achieve profitability.
We currently have a Neutral recommendation on KB Home. The stock
carries a Zacks #3 Rank (a short-term Hold rating). One of its
peers,
Toll Brothers Inc.
(
TOL
), presently retains a Zacks #1 Rank, which translates into a
short-term Strong Buy rating.
Based in Los Angeles, California, KB Home is a homebuilder with
operations in the nine states and 32 major markets in the U.S. The
company caters to first-time, move-up and active adult homebuyers,
and builds single-family homes, town homes and condominiums. KB
Home also provides mortgage banking, title and insurance services
to homebuyers.
KB HOME (KBH): Free Stock Analysis Report
TOLL BROTHERS (TOL): Free Stock Analysis Report
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