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Green Brick Partners, Inc. (GRBK)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2025 was resilient operationally with record deliveries (1,042, +5.6% YoY) and net new orders (908, +6.2% YoY), but profitability compressed; diluted EPS of $1.85 declined 20.3% YoY on lower ASPs and higher incentives, while homebuilding gross margin fell 410 bps YoY to 30.4% and 80 bps sequentially .
- Revenue was $549.1M, down 2.0% YoY; versus S&P consensus, revenue beat (+$10.6M), while EPS missed (–$0.09) as mortgage rate buy-downs and mix towards Trophy weighed on margins; estimates were based on two analysts* .
- Balance sheet strength remained a differentiator: debt-to-capital 14.4% and net debt-to-capital 9.4%, lowest since 2015; cash was $112M with total liquidity of ~$477M supporting opportunistic capital deployment and buybacks ($44M in Q2; $40M authorization remaining) .
- Management reaffirmed ~$300M land development spend for FY25 and highlighted operational wins (cycle times <5 months; Trophy at 3.5 months), while noting affordability headwinds and higher incentive rates (7.7%) to sustain pace; Houston entry remains on track for fall openings .
- Potential stock catalysts: durable double-digit ROIC profile with margins still >30%, ongoing buybacks, and Texas footprint expansion (dual listing on NYSE Texas; Houston communities) despite macro pressures .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Record operational throughput: 1,042 deliveries (+5.6% YoY) and 908 net new orders (+6.2% YoY), with sales pace ~3.0 per community and absorptions 8.9 per quarter; Trophy orders +9.3% YoY, evidencing resilient demand in focus markets .
- Industry-leading margins sustained: homebuilding gross margin remained above 30% for the ninth consecutive quarter, underpinned by infill/infill-adjacent mix (~80% of revenue) and self-development advantages .
- Execution and balance sheet: cycle times improved to <5 months (Trophy 3.5 months), cash of $112M, no line-of-credit borrowings, and net debt-to-capital of 9.4% with 3.4% weighted average notes rate; continued buybacks with $40M authorization remaining .
What Went Wrong
- Profitability compression: diluted EPS fell to $1.85 (–20.3% YoY) and gross margin to 30.4% (–410 bps YoY, –80 bps QoQ) due to higher incentives and lower ASPs (–5.3% YoY to $525k) .
- Backlog deterioration and cancellation rate uptick: backlog revenue fell 20.6% YoY to $516M and cancellation rate rose to 9.9%, reflecting affordability challenges and increased reliance on quick move-ins .
- Mix/incentive headwinds: management cited mortgage rate buy-downs as the primary driver of margin pressure, with some mix effect from Trophy; SG&A rose 40 bps to 10.9% of residential revenue as the company invests for growth .
Financial Results
Summary vs Prior Quarters
Q2 2025 vs Prior Year and Estimates
Note: Values with asterisks retrieved from S&P Global (Capital IQ).
Segment/Revenue Mix
Non-GAAP
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Second quarter net income…was $82 million or $1.85 per diluted share…New homes delivered increased 5.6% YoY…home closings revenue of $547 million…Homebuilding gross margins of 30.4% decreased 410 bps YoY and 80 bps sequentially…we have successfully maintained gross margins in excess of 30% for nine consecutive quarters.” — Jim Brickman, CEO .
- “Incentives for new orders rose 320 bps YoY and 100 bps sequentially to 7.7%. Operationally, we achieved a major milestone by reducing our average construction cycle times to under 5 months. In particular, Trophy’s average cycle time was only 3.5 months.” — Jim Brickman .
- “Given…increased supply…discounts and incentives increased…to 7.7%…ASP declined by 5.3% YoY to $525k…homebuilding gross margins decreased…to 30.4…net income…decreased 22% YoY to $82M…effective tax rate increased to 21.9%.” — Jeff Cox, Interim CFO .
- “We believe tariffs will have a minimal impact on our closings and earnings this year… we continue to project approximately $300M in land development spending for the full year of 2025.” — Jed Dolson, President & COO .
Q&A Highlights
- Incentive trajectory: Management avoided forward-looking color on July but noted week-to-week volatility by neighborhood; overall seeing things “level out,” emphasizing dynamic pricing actions .
- Margin drivers: CFO attributed most margin decline to mortgage rate buy-downs; mix effect (Trophy) was a smaller component of ASP decline (<2%) .
- Starts cadence: Starts will match sales; increased sequentially in Q2 (+10% QoQ to ~950) to align with pace .
- Inventory strategy and competitive dynamics: Focus on finished specs (1–2 months supply); limited resale activity in communities; stronger balance sheet enabling spec building versus more leveraged peers .
- Buyer credit quality: Avg FICO ~745 and DTI ~38% on Q2 closings via Green Brick Mortgage, enabling quick closings and lower cancellation risk .
Estimates Context
Note: Values marked with asterisks retrieved from S&P Global (Capital IQ).
Where estimates may need adjustment: The combination of higher incentive rates (7.7%), lower ASP (–5.3% YoY), and management’s tactical pricing to maintain pace suggests near-term EPS estimates could drift lower unless incentives abate; revenue trajectory will be driven by starts aligned to sales and Houston/community openings .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Operational strength with industry-leading margins sustained (>30%) despite affordability headwinds; tactical incentives are preserving sales velocity at the expense of near-term EPS .
- Revenue beat vs consensus but EPS miss underscores sensitivity of earnings to incentive rates and mix; expect EPS estimate recalibrations if elevated buy-downs persist* .
- Backlog and cancellations deteriorated (backlog –20.6% YoY; cancellations 9.9%), highlighting reliance on quick move-ins and the importance of inventory turn for Q3/Q4 .
- Balance sheet optionality remains a core advantage: net debt-to-cap 9.4%, $112M cash, ~$477M total liquidity, enabling ongoing buybacks and selective land deployment .
- Trophy continues to scale (orders +9.3% YoY; 3.5-month cycle times), and Houston expansion this fall provides incremental volume runway into 2026 .
- Strategic focus on infill/infill-adjacent markets (~80% of revenue) supports margin leadership and pricing flexibility versus peers .
- Ancillary platforms (Green Brick Mortgage) are maturing (140+ loans in Q2, robust borrower credit metrics), enhancing capture rate and backlog visibility .
Note: Values marked with asterisks retrieved from S&P Global (Capital IQ).