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Boise Cascade Co.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 23 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth quarter net income fell 87%: Net income was $8.7 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, on sales of $1.5 billion, against $68.9 million, or $1.78 per share, a year earlier. Sales fell 7% year over year. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA fell in both periods: Adjusted EBITDA was $57.2 million in the fourth quarter, down 56% from $128.7 million, and $342.2 million for the year, down 46% from $632.8 million. Source
  • Distribution sales and income fell: BMD sales fell 5% to $1,363.1 million, with sales prices down 4% and sales volumes down 1%. Segment income fell to $41.5 million from $70.7 million. Source
  • Wood Products posted fourth-quarter loss: Wood Products sales fell 16% to $354.0 million, including sales to BMD. The segment posted a $13.8 million loss, against $33.6 million of income a year earlier. Source
  • General line grew while EWP fell: In the fourth quarter, commodity sales fell 9% and general line sales rose 3%. EWP sales, substantially all sourced through Wood Products, fell 14%. Source
  • Distribution gross margin fell in quarter: Gross margin fell $21.3 million, mainly on commodity and EWP margins, partly offset by general line. Segment margin was 3.0% against 4.9% a year earlier. Source

“Looking ahead, we are well positioned to capture opportunities when housing starts recover,”

Nate Jorgensen, CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Capital expenditures (excluding potential acquisition spending) Source2026$150 million to $170 millionKept
Single-family housing starts (industry) Source2026flat or modestly down
Home improvement spending (industry experts) Source2026flat

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Nate Jorgensen said he is preparing to retire, and management expressed confidence in Jeff as he steps into the role of CEO. Source
  • New: Fourth quarter and full-year results include an accrual of about $6 million for legal proceedings in Building Materials Distribution, equal to $0.16 per share after tax. Source

Fourth quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth quarter net income fell 87%: Net income was $8.7 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, on sales of $1.5 billion, against $68.9 million, or $1.78 per share, a year earlier. Sales fell 7% year over year. Source
  • Full-year net income fell 65%: Full-year net income was $132.8 million, or $3.53 per diluted share, on sales of $6.4 billion, against $376.4 million, or $9.57 per share, in 2024. Full-year sales fell 5%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA fell in both periods: Adjusted EBITDA was $57.2 million in the fourth quarter, down 56% from $128.7 million, and $342.2 million for the year, down 46% from $632.8 million. Source

Building Materials Distribution results

  • Distribution sales and income fell: BMD sales fell 5% to $1,363.1 million, with sales prices down 4% and sales volumes down 1%. Segment income fell to $41.5 million from $70.7 million. Source
  • Full-year distribution income fell 27%: Full-year BMD sales fell 4% to $5.9 billion, with sales prices and sales volumes each down 2%. Segment income fell to $222.2 million from $303.4 million. Source
  • Distribution segment EBITDA declined: Segment EBITDA was $56.4 million in the fourth quarter, down 33% from $84.5 million, and $280.9 million for the year, down 20% from $352.9 million. Source

“While the fourth quarter reflected the expected seasonal softness in demand”

Nate Jorgensen, CEO

Wood Products results

  • Wood Products posted fourth-quarter loss: Wood Products sales fell 16% to $354.0 million, including sales to BMD. The segment posted a $13.8 million loss, against $33.6 million of income a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year Wood Products income fell 97%: Full-year segment income was $5.8 million, against $231.5 million. A $3.9 million gain on a non-operating property sale partly offset the decline. Source
  • Wood Products EBITDA fell 78%: Segment EBITDA was $12.3 million in the fourth quarter, down 78% from $56.6 million, and $104.3 million for the year, down 68% from $324.7 million. Source

Product lines and pricing

  • General line grew while EWP fell: In the fourth quarter, commodity sales fell 9% and general line sales rose 3%. EWP sales, substantially all sourced through Wood Products, fell 14%. Source
  • Full-year EWP sales fell 13%: For 2025 at BMD, commodity sales fell 6%, general line sales rose 3%, and EWP sales fell 13%. Source
  • EWP and plywood prices lower: Average net selling prices in the fourth quarter were down 10% for LVL, 11% for I-joists and 6% for plywood from a year earlier. For 2025 they were down 11%, 10% and 6%. Source

Costs and margins

  • Distribution gross margin fell in quarter: Gross margin fell $21.3 million, mainly on commodity and EWP margins, partly offset by general line. Segment margin was 3.0% against 4.9% a year earlier. Source
  • Selling and D&A costs rose for year: For the year, selling and distribution expenses rose $21.8 million and depreciation and amortization rose $9.2 million, while BMD gross margin fell $48.8 million. Source
  • Wood Products conversion costs rose: Management said the fourth-quarter Wood Products result also reflected higher per-unit conversion costs, alongside lower EWP and plywood sales prices and volumes. Source

Housing demand and end markets

  • Builders moderated starts on inventory: Management said builders cut 2025 starts to avoid a buildup of finished home inventory, and that affordability remains a persistent challenge for buyers. Builders used incentives and lower new home prices to bridge the gap. Source
  • Single-family starts drive sales: Management identifies single-family starts as the key demand driver for its sales, and says residential construction and repair-and-remodeling activity both shape demand. Source
  • Pricing expected to stay dynamic: Management expects product pricing, particularly for commodity products, to stay dynamic, influenced by economic conditions, operating rates, supply disruptions, duties, tariffs and transportation constraints. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Liquidity totaled $872.3 million: Cash was $477.2 million and undrawn bank line availability was $395.1 million, for total liquidity of $872.3 million. Debt totaled $450.0 million at December 31, 2025. Source
  • 2025 capital spending and acquisitions: Management said the company used $274.8 million of cash for capital spending and acquisitions in 2025. Operating cash flow for the year was $254.1 million. Source
  • Dividends and buybacks in 2025: The company paid $34.6 million in common stock dividends in 2025, and $181.4 million to repurchase 2,101,392 shares. Source
  • Fourth-quarter buybacks totaled $70.4 million: Fourth-quarter repurchases were $70.4 million for 972,640 shares of common stock. Source
  • About $200 million left on repurchase program: After January and February 2026 repurchases of 469,284 shares for about $39 million, about $200 million remained under the existing repurchase program. Source

Coming up, as management said on 23 February 2026

  • Quarterly dividend payable March 18: The board declared a $0.22 quarterly dividend on February 6, 2026, payable March 18, 2026, to holders of record on February 23, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
LVL sales volume, 4Q 2025 vs 4Q 2024 Source(7)%
I-joist sales volume, 4Q 2025 vs 4Q 2024 Source(16)%
Plywood sales volume, 4Q 2025 vs 4Q 2024 Source(5)%
Single-family housing starts, 4Q 2025 vs 4Q 2024 Sourcedecreased 7%
Total U.S. housing starts, 4Q 2025 vs 4Q 2024 Sourcedecreased 4%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management listed mortgage rates, affordability, inventory levels, unemployment and consumer confidence as factors shaping near-term demand. Source
  • External: Management said the distribution business gains from rising prices and faces challenges when prices decline. Source
  • Financial: Management said capital spending could rise or fall with growth efforts, lease purchase options and financial results. Source
  • Operational: Management said it will align production rates and inventory stocking positions with end-market demand. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The third quarter release said capital project and maintenance downtime was anticipated; the fourth quarter release describes planned downtime at the Oakdale plywood mill to complete mill modernization.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.