LV
LIVE VENTURES Inc (LIVE)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2025 revenue declined 9.8% year over year to $107.0M, while gross margin expanded to 32.8% and operating income turned positive ($2.1M vs. a loss of $0.8M in Q2 2024) .
- Diluted EPS of $5.05 benefited from a $22.8M gain on a modification of the Flooring Liquidators seller note; adjusted EBITDA rose to $6.4M (+44.6% YoY) as cost reduction initiatives took hold .
- Retail-Entertainment and Steel Manufacturing delivered improved operating performance and higher operating margins; Retail-Flooring and Flooring Manufacturing remained pressured by housing market softness and reduced consumer demand .
- Liquidity remained solid with total cash availability of $26.6M; the company repurchased 31,323 shares at an average price of $8.28, signaling confidence and capital discipline .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Steel Manufacturing margins expanded to 21.2% (from 14.3% YoY), with operating income up 151.8% YoY to $2.2M, driven by strategic price increases and the Central Steel acquisition .
- Retail-Entertainment delivered revenue growth (+9.6% YoY to $18.5M) and gross margin improvement (59.1% vs. 58.4% YoY), reflecting a favorable product mix with higher selling prices .
- Management executed a $19M seller note reduction (net $22.8M gain), calling it “a big win…we’ve [cut] the note…down to $15 million,” materially strengthening the balance sheet and earnings .
What Went Wrong
- Retail-Flooring revenue fell 14.5% YoY to $27.4M; operating loss narrowed but remained elevated at $(2.7)M, as store dispositions and product mix weighed on results .
- Flooring Manufacturing revenue declined 12.8% YoY to $29.8M and operating income fell to $1.5M (from $2.0M), with reduced consumer demand tied to ongoing housing market weakness .
- EPS strength was largely non-recurring due to the seller note gain; underlying demand headwinds persisted, particularly in flooring, and management reiterated no formal guidance amid macro uncertainty .
Financial Results
Segment breakdown (Q2 2025 vs. Q2 2024):
KPIs and balance sheet:
Guidance Changes
Note: Management does not provide forward-looking projections; reiterated in Q1 and not updated in Q2 .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Continuing the trend…Retail-Entertainment and Steel Manufacturing…delivered improved operating performance…ongoing softness in new home construction and home refurbishment…pressured our Retail-Flooring and Flooring Manufacturing segments.” — CFO David Verret .
- “We initiated large cost-reduction initiatives in the Retail-Flooring segment…already resulted in significant savings.” — CEO Jon Isaac .
- “We’ve…cut the [Flooring Liquidators] note…down to $15 million…It’s a big win.” — CEO Jon Isaac (Q&A) .
- “We remain confident in the long-term fundamentals of our businesses.” — CEO Jon Isaac .
Q&A Highlights
- Seller note modification: Not contemplated in original agreement; renegotiated opportunistically; reduces balance to ~$15M; management framed as a shareholder “win” .
- Tariffs: No negative impacts to date; diversification across overseas and domestic vendors; inventory build post-Chinese New Year provides flexibility if tariffs shift .
- Guidance posture: Management reiterated they do not provide projections, focusing instead on operational initiatives and efficiency improvements .
Guidance Changes
No formal quantitative guidance was provided or updated for revenue, margins, OpEx, OI&E, tax rate, or segment-specific metrics .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street consensus via S&P Global was unavailable for EPS and revenue for LIVE in Q2 2025; as a result, estimate comparisons and “beat/miss” determinations cannot be formally assessed based on S&P Global consensus. Values retrieved from S&P Global indicated lack of coverage for consensus metrics.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- EPS strength was driven by a non-recurring $22.8M gain on a seller note modification; strip out one-offs to assess underlying trajectory (gross margin up, adjusted EBITDA improving) .
- Steel Manufacturing and Retail-Entertainment are the operational bright spots; Steel’s margin expansion and Central Steel contribution support near-term profitability mix .
- Flooring exposure remains macro-sensitive; cost discipline is mitigating and may set up operating leverage when housing stabilizes or rates ease .
- Liquidity and equity strengthened: $26.6M availability, higher equity ($88.9M), and continued buybacks underscore capital allocation confidence .
- Limited sell-side coverage and no company guidance mean the stock may trade on disclosed operating metrics, capital actions, and macro reads rather than consensus beats/misses.
- Near-term trading: watch for continued cost reductions, segment margin resilience, and any incremental corporate actions (debt negotiations, tuck-ins) as catalysts .
- Medium-term thesis: diversified portfolio, improving segments, and deleveraging actions can compound value; timing depends on flooring demand normalization and execution on efficiency programs .