Baird upgrades Builders FirstSource stock on positive outlook for 2025

Published 07/08/2024, 08:50
Baird upgrades Builders FirstSource stock on positive outlook for 2025

On Wednesday, Baird changed its stance on Builders FirstSource (NYSE:BLDR) stock, upgrading it from Neutral to Outperform and increasing the price target to $190 from $185. The firm anticipates a favorable outlook for the company as it moves past current challenges and capitalizes on various growth opportunities.

Builders FirstSource is expected to overcome key obstacles such as the normalization of multi-family sales margins and a reduction in single-family starts by 2025. Baird highlighted the company's potential, noting the significant role that increasing digital sales will play as a growth driver in the coming years.

The company's financial strategy also received positive remarks, with expectations of strong cash generation and deployment. Builders FirstSource is projected to have nearly $6 billion in deployable capital available by 2026. This financial strength is seen as a key factor in the company's growth trajectory.

Additionally, the firm's base business margins have been consistently strong, attributed to the expansion of value-added services and productivity improvements. These factors contribute to the analyst's confidence in the company's performance moving forward.

Despite the recent drop in stock value, down over 25% from the Spring 2024 highs, Baird believes that the current valuation of Builders FirstSource does not fully reflect its growth prospects and strong fundamentals, presenting an undervalued opportunity for investors.

In other recent news, Builders FirstSource reported its second quarter 2024 earnings, highlighting a solid EBITDA margin in the mid-teens and robust gross margins near 33%.

Despite a softening in sales due to affordability issues and a normalization in the multi-family sector, the company completed three acquisitions and initiated a new $1 billion share repurchase plan. However, the company revised its full-year 2024 outlook downward due to market challenges and anticipates further headwinds into 2025.

The company's digital platform is expected to drive organic growth, targeting $1 billion in incremental sales by 2026. Net sales decreased by 1.6%, with a significant 31% decline in multi-family sales. Meanwhile, adjusted EBITDA and net income both decreased compared to the prior year.

For the full year 2024, Builders FirstSource projects net sales to be between $16.4 billion and $17.2 billion, with adjusted EBITDA expected to be between $2.2 billion and $2.4 billion. Despite market challenges, the company anticipates a rebound in the multi-family sector in 2025. These are some of the recent developments related to Builders FirstSource.

InvestingPro Insights

Builders FirstSource (NYSE:BLDR) has been recognized by Baird for its promising future, and this sentiment is echoed by some of the InvestingPro Tips and real-time data. The management's aggressive share buyback program is a bullish signal, indicating confidence in the company's valuation and future performance. This strategic move can often lead to an increase in earnings per share and is a positive sign for investors.

On the financial front, Builders FirstSource operates with a moderate level of debt, which suggests a balanced approach to leveraging and financial risk. The company’s strong return over the last month, with a 17.44% price total return, also underscores its recent market performance, reflecting a potential rebound after a period of decline.

From a valuation perspective, the real-time data from InvestingPro shows a Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio of 13.13, with an adjusted P/E ratio for the last twelve months as of Q1 2024 at 12.97. This indicates that the company's earnings are reasonably priced in the market, which could be attractive to value investors. Additionally, the company's gross profit margin stands at 34.73%, highlighting its ability to retain a significant portion of revenue as profit.

For investors seeking additional insights, there are over 10 more InvestingPro Tips available, providing a deeper dive into Builders FirstSource's performance and future outlook. These tips can be found at InvestingPro's dedicated page for Builders FirstSource, offering comprehensive analysis and metrics for a well-rounded investment decision.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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