Forestar (US:FOR) Yahoo Finance·2026-01-20 17:03Core Insights - Forestar Group reported a solid first quarter with revenue growth of 9% year-over-year, reaching $273 million, but net income decreased to $15.4 million due to margin pressures [3][4][7] Financial Performance - Gross profit margin for the quarter was 20.1%, down from 22.0% in the same quarter last year, primarily due to a low-margin tract sale; excluding this sale, the gross margin would have been approximately 21.5% [2][7] - Pre-tax income was $20.8 million with a pre-tax margin of 7.6%, compared to $21.9 million and 8.7% in the prior-year quarter [3][7] Investment and Liquidity - The company invested $415 million in the quarter, with plans to invest about $1.4 billion for fiscal 2026, maintaining a disciplined investment pace [5][17] - Forestar ended the quarter with approximately $820 million in liquidity, including $212 million in unrestricted cash and a net debt-to-capital ratio of 24.6% [18] Lot Position and Customer Relationships - Forestar holds a total lot position of 101,000 lots, with 65% owned and 35% controlled through purchase contracts; 10,400 lots are finished and under contract to sell [6][19] - D.R. Horton is the largest customer, with 16% of homes started in the past year on Forestar-developed lots, and a goal for one in three D.R. Horton homes to be on Forestar lots [15][16] Market Conditions and Operational Outlook - Demand for new homes is pressured by affordability constraints, but mortgage rate buy-down incentives are helping to support demand [12] - The company is focusing on developing lots for entry-level and first-time buyers, which represent the largest segment of the new home market [13][20] Guidance and Future Outlook - Forestar is maintaining its fiscal 2026 guidance for revenue between $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion and lot deliveries of 14,000 to 15,000 lots, while expecting margins to remain at the lower end of the historical range of 21% to 23% [4][20]