Group 1 - The article emphasizes the importance of strong foundational companies in the technology, industrial, and conglomerate sectors for long-term success [1] - It highlights the dual approach of analyzing financial data while narrating the stories and strategies of businesses to provide insights into market performance [1] - The focus on both quantitative analysis and qualitative storytelling reflects a commitment to understanding and explaining the financial landscape [1]

Blue Bird (BLBD) closed the most recent trading day at $40.80, moving -1.14% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.13%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 1.79%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 1.3%. Coming into today, shares of the school bus maker had gained 2.25% in the past month. In that same time, the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector lost 1.16%, while the S&P 500 gained 3.55%. Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Blue Bird in its upcoming earnin ...

One company that I have been very bullish on lately has been electric bus producer Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ: BLBD ). Even though I am cautious about the electric vehicle market at this time, management has proven itself toCrude Value Insights offers you an investing service and community focused on oil and natural gas. We focus on cash flow and the companies that generate it, leading to value and growth prospects with real potential.Subscribers get to use a 50+ stock model account, in-depth cash flow a ...

Blue Bird, which belongs to the Zacks Automotive - Domestic industry, posted revenues of $358.85 million for the quarter ended March 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.99%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $345.92 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on t ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved record quarterly revenue of $359 million, which is $13 million higher than the previous year [12][23] - Adjusted EBITDA reached $49 million, representing a 14% margin, which is 6.5% better compared to the same quarter last year [11][12] - Adjusted free cash flow for the quarter was $19 million, a decrease of $35 million year-over-year primarily due to a tax carryforward benefit in 2024 [14][23] - The company ended the quarter with $131 million in cash and reduced debt by approximately $5 million over the last year [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company sold 2,295 buses in Q2, with EV sales reaching a record of 265 units, which is 26% higher than last year [12][25] - Parts sales totaled $26 million in Q2, flat compared to Q1 but a small reduction of $2 million compared to the prior year [25] - The average selling price for buses increased by approximately 3%, from $141,000 to $145,000 per unit [15][25] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company ended the quarter with a backlog of nearly 5,000 units, representing over six months of production [8][14] - The mix of alternative power vehicles represented 57% of unit sales in Q2, significantly higher than the typical 10% to 15% mix for major competitors [15] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on improving operational efficiency and investing in new product development, including a new commercial chassis scheduled to launch in 2026 [20][41] - The company aims to maintain its leadership position in the alternative power segment while also strengthening its core internal combustion engine (ICE) business [10][13] - The company is navigating tariff impacts by implementing price increases and prioritizing ICE buses over EVs until the tariff situation stabilizes [33][34] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in maintaining full-year guidance despite tariff challenges, highlighting strong market demand for school buses [6][19] - The company anticipates continued strong demand for EVs, with a forecast of 800 to 1,000 EV unit sales for the full year [16][36] - Management noted that the Clean School Bus program remains a bipartisan initiative, which is expected to continue benefiting the company [48] Other Important Information - The company has executed $40 million in share repurchases over the last nine months, with an additional $20 million remaining in the current program [29] - The company is optimistic about the future of the Clean School Bus program, with funding for rounds two and three flowing to customers [17][39] Q&A Session Summary Question: Margin improvements and long-term targets - Management indicated it is early in the new CEO's tenure to speculate on margin improvements, but operational expertise may contribute positively [53][54] Question: EV pricing expectations - Current tariffs are hindering the company's ability to reduce EV prices as planned, but there is optimism for future price reductions once the tariff situation clarifies [58][59] Question: Dealer network response to pricing - The company has not faced significant pushback from dealers regarding price increases, and competitors are also implementing similar pricing actions [69][73] Question: Clean School Bus program funding - Management confirmed that rounds two and three of funding are flowing, and there is optimism for round four, although it is still in the early stages [75][106]

Blue Bird (BLBD) Q2 2025 Earnings Call May 07, 2025 04:30 PM ET Speaker0 This is a holding announcement for the Blue Bird Fiscal twenty twenty five Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. The call will begin shortly. Please stay on the lines. Good morning or good afternoon all, and welcome to the Blue Bird Fiscal twenty twenty five Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. My name is Adam, and I'll be your operator for today. I will now hand the floor to Mark Benefield to begin. Sir, Mark, please go ahead w ...

Financial Performance Highlights - Blue Bird achieved record quarterly sales of $359 million, a $13 million increase compared to FY2024 Q2[20, 57] - The company's Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 was $49 million, up $3 million from the same period last year[20, 57] - Adjusted Free Cash Flow for the quarter reached $19 million[20] - The Adjusted EBITDA margin was 13.7%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points year-over-year[30] - For the first half of FY2025, net sales reached $673 million, a $9 million increase compared to the first half of FY2024[28] - First half Adjusted EBITDA was $95 million, up $2 million from the previous year[28] Alternative Power and EV Focus - Alternative power sales accounted for 57% of the sales mix[20] - The firm order backlog for EVs is approximately $233 million[20] - Blue Bird has over 1,100 EVs booked and in backlog[20] Guidance and Outlook - The company is maintaining its full-year revenue guidance of $1.425 billion to $1.475 billion[41, 43] - Blue Bird confirmed its full-year Adjusted EBITDA guidance of $200 million, with an approximate 14% margin[43, 45]

Backlog and Demand - Blue Bird's backlog remained strong at approximately 4,900 units as of September 28, 2024, and 4,400 units as of March 29, 2025, despite selling 9,000 units in fiscal 2024 and over 4,400 units in the first half of fiscal 2025[92] - New bus orders during fiscal 2024 and continuing into fiscal 2025 remained robust, driven by pent-up demand from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain challenges[92] - The cumulative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a strong demand for school buses, contributing to the robust order backlog[92] Supply Chain and Costs - The company experienced higher purchasing costs and manufacturing inefficiencies due to supply chain disruptions, but cumulative increases in sales prices outpaced these costs, resulting in gross profit and gross margin consistent with or better than historic levels[90] - Supply chain disruptions continued into the first half of fiscal 2025, impacting the number and mix of school buses produced and increasing manufacturing costs[91] - Management believes that ongoing supply chain disruptions could materially impact results if parts and supplies cannot be obtained in sufficient quantities[93] - Supply chain constraints have negatively affected inventory procurement costs, gross profit, income, and cash flows since the second half of fiscal 2021[94] - The company experienced increased costs due to supply chain disruptions and inflation, impacting the cost of goods sold[103] Financial Performance - Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 were $358.9 million, an increase of $12.9 million, or 3.7%, compared to $345.9 million for the same period in fiscal 2024[113] - Gross profit for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $70.9 million, up from $63.6 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2024, reflecting a gross profit margin increase[113] - Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $49.2 million, compared to $45.8 million for the same quarter in fiscal 2024, resulting in an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 13.7%[113][114] - The Bus segment generated net sales of $332.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, an increase from $318.0 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2024[114] - Parts segment net sales decreased to $26.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 from $28.0 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2024[114] - Operating profit for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $33.7 million, slightly down from $36.1 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2024[113] - Net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 was $26.0 million, compared to $26.0 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2024, indicating stable profitability[113] Tax and Cash Flow - Income tax expense for the six months ended March 29, 2025, was $17.8 million, compared to $16.7 million for the six months ended March 30, 2024[148] - The effective tax rate for the six months ended March 29, 2025, was 25.8%, slightly higher than the 25.7% for the six months ended March 30, 2024[149][150] - Total cash provided by operating activities was $54.2 million for the six months ended March 29, 2025, consistent with $54.8 million for the same period in 2024[172] - Free Cash Flow for the six months ended March 29, 2025 was $40.564 million, which is $8.6 million lower than the $49.128 million reported for the six months ended March 30, 2024[177] - The decrease in Free Cash Flow was attributed to a $0.6 million decrease in net cash provided by operating activities and an $8.0 million increase in cash paid for fixed assets[177] Financing and Credit - The Company had $130.7 million of available cash and $143.3 million of additional borrowings available under its revolving credit facility as of March 29, 2025[153] - The Company entered into a $250.0 million five-year credit agreement on November 17, 2023, which includes a term loan facility of $100.0 million and a revolving credit facility of $150.0 million[154][155] - Total cash used in financing activities was $37.0 million for the six months ended March 29, 2025, compared to $35.0 million for the same period in 2024, reflecting a $2.0 million increase[174] Regulatory Environment - The company continues to navigate regulatory environments affecting pricing and purchasing decisions in the school bus market[102] - Changes in governmental policies and regulations could materially impact results in future periods, leading to significant economic disruption[98] - The company is taking actions to mitigate the impact of changes in trade policies and tariffs, including increasing the volume of steel purchased at fixed prices[95] Shareholder Activities - The Company purchased $30.1 million of common stock in connection with its share repurchase program during the first six months of fiscal 2025, with no similar activity in the same period of fiscal 2024[175]

BLUE BIRD REPORTS FISCAL 2025 SECOND QUARTER RESULTS; BEATS SECOND QUARTER GUIDANCE WITH RECORD RESULT; REAFFIRMS 2025 GUIDANCE AND LONG-TERM OUTLOOK Net Sales of $359M and GAAP Net Income of $26M Adj. EBITDA of $49M with 14% Margin and 2,295 Buses Sold FY2025 Adj. EBITDA Guidance Reaffirmed at $200M or 14% of Revenue MACON, Ga. (May 7, 2025) – Blue Bird Corporation ("Blue Bird") (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, announced today its fiscal 2025 second quarter results. Hig ...

Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) is slated to release second-quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 7, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter's earnings per share (EPS) and revenues is pegged at 96 cents and $390 million, respectively. For the fiscal second quarter, the consensus estimate for Blue Bird's earnings has moved up 4 cents in the past 90 days. Its bottom-line estimates imply 7.87% growth from the year-ago reported numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BLBD ...