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OneWater Marine Inc. (ONEW)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Revenue grew to $375.8M (+3.2% y/y) with same‑store sales +4.2%; gross margin compressed to 22.4% due to discounting on exiting brands, driving GAAP net loss of $13.6M (‑$0.81 diluted EPS) and Adjusted EBITDA of $1.9M .
- Sequentially, revenue was broadly flat versus Q4 ($377.9M) but margins stepped down versus the 24.0% in Q4, reflecting winter promotions and brand exits; Adjusted EBITDA declined from $7.8M in Q4 to $1.9M in Q1 .
- Management maintained FY2025 guidance: revenue $1.7–$1.85B, same‑store sales up low single digits, Adjusted EBITDA $80–$110M, Adjusted diluted EPS $1.00–$2.00 .
- Near‑term stock reaction catalysts: inventory cleanup (inventory down 9.9% y/y to $636.7M), stronger finance & insurance (F&I) penetration, and expected margin lift after Q2 as exiting brands clear; macro rate path and boat show conversion remain watch items .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Unit growth outpaced the industry: management cited “low double‑digit increase in new unit sales” despite industry unit sales down ~14% in OneWater’s categories .
- Finance & Insurance mix improved: F&I revenue rose 28% to $9.4M and penetration increased ~50 bps, helping offset front‑end margin pressure; “the team executed on strategies” to expand F&I income .
- Operating discipline: SG&A fell to 21.0% of revenue from 21.9% y/y, reflecting cost actions and lower personnel costs; “cost reduction initiatives…continue to strengthen our financial profile” .
What Went Wrong
- Margin compression: gross margin fell 270 bps y/y to 22.4%, driven by discounting to exit select brands and pricing on new/pre‑owned boats .
- Profitability: GAAP net loss widened to $13.6M (‑$0.81 diluted EPS); Adjusted diluted EPS was ‑$0.54 and Adjusted EBITDA declined to $1.9M .
- Distribution headwinds: service, parts & other sales were modestly lower (‑1.1% y/y), with Distribution segment affected by reduced production schedules at boat manufacturers .
Financial Results
Segment revenue breakdown:
KPIs and balance sheet:
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “First quarter results exceeded expectations driven by higher unit sales in both new and preowned categories…Although these efforts pressured margins…the durability of our business model” — Austin Singleton, CEO .
- “Overall, we are making good progress on managing inventory, which is down 10% year‑over‑year…SG&A declined…Between our inventory position and cost actions, we are setting OneWater up for success” — CEO prepared remarks .
- “Finance and insurance revenue increased 28%…and was higher as a percentage of total boat sales” — CFO .
- “We are maintaining our previously issued fiscal 2025 guidance…Adjusted EBITDA $80 to $110 million and adjusted earnings per diluted share $1 to $2” — CFO .
- “Margins may tick up a little bit…once we get past our second quarter…as exiting brands clear” — CFO .
Q&A Highlights
- Cadence and comps: October/November strong; December flat seasonally; Florida hurricane impact; ex‑Florida comps ~6–7% .
- Margin trajectory: exiting brands sold at ~0 or negative margins near‑term; expect margin lift after Q2 as mix shifts to current model year .
- Inventory targets: aim for >10% y/y reduction by Sep’25; aged inventory roughly <20% entering off‑season, trending healthier industry‑wide .
- Pre‑owned supply and trades: used inventory remains constrained; trades rising; innovation from OEMs spurring upgrades; shift from consignments to trades .
- F&I penetration sustainability: concerted effort with special finance options; plan to remain competitive and expand penetration .
- M&A pipeline: active but disciplined timing; prefer deals to “fall in our lap” given industry winter stress and trailing‑12 pricing .
- Tariffs: OEMs diversified and many products US‑made; management expects limited broad price impact from tariffs relative to core materials/engines .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street consensus (S&P Global) was not retrievable at this time due to vendor rate limits; therefore, we cannot provide a beat/miss comparison versus consensus for Q1 2025. Values would be retrieved from S&P Global when available.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Mix defense: F&I penetration growth is a tangible lever offsetting front‑end margin pressure; sustained focus could cushion profitability through the inventory cleanup .
- Margin inflection setup: exiting brands and winter promotions depress Q1/Q2 margins, but management expects margin normalization as the season progresses and exits complete .
- Inventory discipline: y/y inventory down ~10% with a >10% reduction targeted by year‑end; improved turns should lower floor‑plan interest and operating friction costs .
- Guidance credibility: FY2025 ranges reaffirmed despite mixed macro and storms, implying confidence in back‑half recovery and cost actions; monitor boat show conversions and regional normalization .
- Balance sheet watch: net leverage at 5.2x TTM Adjusted EBITDA; plan to reduce leverage in latter half of 2025—execution will be key for equity risk appetite .
- Macro sensitivity: fewer expected rate cuts dull potential demand tailwinds; promotional OEM support remains constructive for retail clearing of aged inventory .
- Tactical trade setup: near‑term prints may reflect clearance pricing and muted margins; catalysts include boat show sell‑through, visible margin lift post‑Q2, and evidence of leverage reduction .
Additional Supporting Data and Notes
- Distribution segment softness tied to manufacturer production schedules, affecting service/parts/other; dealership service partially offset .
- Liquidity remained >$40M at quarter‑end; cash $22.7M; long‑term debt $428.3M; adjusted net debt leverage 5.2x .
- Prior quarter (Q4 2024) hurricane impacts disrupted late‑quarter sales; ended with liquidity ~ $30M and net leverage 4.9x .