BEACON ROOFING SUPPLY INC (BECN)·Q2 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Record Q2 net sales of $2.67B (+6.8% YoY), driven by price execution, acquisitions (~4 pts) and modest organic growth; gross margin expanded 20 bps YoY to 25.6% but came in below internal expectations due to lower-than-expected inventory profits from the April shingle price increase .
- Diluted EPS was $1.99 (vs. $1.97 LY) and Adjusted EBITDA was $279.4M (vs. $290.3M LY), reflecting higher OpEx from staffing, inflation, and dilution from greenfields/M&A amid weather‑reduced roofing days and lower residential volumes .
- 2024 guidance: net sales growth 6–8% YoY; gross margin mid‑25%; Adjusted EBITDA $930–$970M (narrowed from $930–$990M in Q1), with Q3 gross margin expected in the high‑25% range and sales/day up HSD% (helped by August shingle price increase) .
- Capital return and capacity: $225M ASR launched in May; $180M repurchased in Q2; shares outstanding decreased to 61.9M as of 6/30; net debt leverage 3.2x with >$800M liquidity, supporting ongoing M&A and greenfields .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- “Record quarterly net sales” on Ambition 2025 execution; organic growth across all lines despite disruptive weather; double‑digit Adjusted EBITDA margin .
- Non‑residential and complementary lines strong: non‑res +11.1% and complementary +12.3% YoY; contributions from waterproofing acquisitions and robust commercial R&R demand .
- Digital and strategic initiatives: digital sales +22% YoY with ~26% of residential via digital; continued private label/pricing model investments; expanded footprints with 21 acquired branches and 10 greenfields since Q1 end .
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What Went Wrong
- Gross margin below internal expectations due to “lower‑than‑expected inventory profits” from the April price increase (timing/realization varied by market) .
- OpEx deleverage: Adjusted OpEx +$63M YoY (to 16.5% of sales) from staffing for higher anticipated demand, inflation, and greenfield/M&A costs; weather reduced roofing days, especially in residential, hurting leverage .
- Residential volumes came in lower than expected amidst weather variability and weak markets (e.g., Florida), even as pricing disciplined; management acknowledged need for tighter local staffing/resource adjustments .
Financial Results
Sequential and YoY comparisons
Q2 YoY snapshot
Segment breakdown (Q2)
KPIs (Q2 2024 highlights)
Non‑GAAP reconciliation notes: Adjusted OpEx excludes acquisition and restructuring costs; Adjusted Net Income/EBITDA exclude acquisition costs, restructuring, and certain financing items. Q2 pre‑tax adjusting items totaled $28.5M; tax impact $7.3M; Adjusted Net Income $148.4M and Adjusted EBITDA $279.4M .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Our Ambition 2025 initiatives drove record quarterly net sales, solid net income margin, and double-digit Adjusted EBITDA margin… organic sales growth across all three business lines despite disruptive weather…” — Julian Francis, CEO .
- “Gross margin came in… approximately 20 basis points above the second quarter of last year but below our expectations, largely due to the lower-than-expected contribution from inventory profits related to our April shingle price increase.” — CEO, prepared remarks .
- “Adjusted operating expenses… increased… as we maintained staffing… and [from] expenses associated with acquired and greenfield branches… Inflation in wages, benefits, rent… also contributed.” — CFO .
- “Digital sales to our residential customers were a highlight… nearly 26%… and… are accretive to Beacon’s gross margin.” — CEO .
- “We now expect… full year adjusted EBITDA… $930 million to $970 million… [and] strong cash generation in the second half.” — CEO/CFO .
Q&A Highlights
- OpEx overshoot and actions: Management cited weather‑driven demand variability and early‑year greenfield/M&A timing; they are “much more aggressive” adjusting staffing/resources by market in H2 to restore leverage .
- Gross margin/inventory profit dynamics: April price increase realization varied by market, reducing expected inventory profits; August price increase assumed to add ~30 bps GM in Q3 with similar progression to April .
- H2 free cash flow: Expect ~60/40 4Q/3Q split; full‑year FCF trajectory weighted to H2 as inventory converts, with strong Q4 cash generation .
- Sales cadence: July sales/day up LSD% YoY; Q3 expected HSD% growth as weather‑impacted Q2 activity shifts and August price increase benefits mix/realization .
- Residential volumes: Expect low‑single‑digit price, better volumes in Q3; Q4 residential units down mid‑single digits YoY on tough storm comps; Florida cited as a weaker market requiring staffing alignment .
Estimates Context
S&P Global consensus estimates were unavailable via our data connector at this time (missing CIQ mapping for BECN); as a result, we cannot present objective beats/misses vs. Street for revenue/EPS/EBITDA this quarter. Where possible, we referenced company‑provided guidance and actuals; please note that any estimates from other sources are intentionally excluded per the methodology requirements.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Top‑line resilience with record Q2 sales; non‑residential and waterproofing growth offset weather‑impacted residential volumes; footprint expansion and pricing discipline remain core drivers .
- Margin narrative: structural levers (digital, private label, pricing model) underpin gross margin; near‑term headwinds from mix (higher non‑res), greenfield/M&A dilution, and uneven price realization are being addressed; Q3 GM guided high‑25% with August pricing tailwind .
- Expense control is the swing factor: management is realigning staffing and resources locally to regain OpEx leverage into H2; watch for sequential OpEx% normalization against guided levels .
- 2024 guide tightened: Adjusted EBITDA narrowed to $930–$970M (down $20M at the top end vs Q1), but sales outlook firmed to 6–8% growth; execution on pricing and cost will drive where within the range results land .
- Capital deployment remains active: $225M ASR underway ($180M executed); 61.9M shares outstanding at Q2; balance sheet (3.2x net leverage; >$800M liquidity) supports continued M&A/greenfield build‑out .
- Tactical setup: Q3 should benefit from catch‑up activity and pricing; weather variability and regional softness (e.g., Florida) are watch items; commercial R&R backdrop remains supportive despite ABI sub‑50 .