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D.R. Horton, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 6 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly profit and per-share earnings fell: Quarterly net income attributable to D.R. Horton fell 29% to $905.3 million, and diluted EPS fell 22% to $3.04 from the prior year quarter. Source
  • Homebuilding pre-tax income fell 30%: Homebuilding pre-tax income in the quarter was $1.0 billion. For fiscal 2025 it was $4.1 billion, a 13.1% pre-tax margin. Source
  • Sales incentives to stay elevated: Management expects sales incentives to remain elevated in fiscal 2026, with the level depending on market conditions through the year. Source
  • Quarterly net sales orders rose 5%: Quarterly net sales orders rose to 20,078 homes. Fiscal 2025 orders fell 4% to 83,423 homes, and order value fell 6% for the year. Source
  • Affordability and sentiment weigh on demand: Management said new home demand is still affected by affordability constraints and cautious consumer sentiment. Source
  • Operating cash flow of $3.4 billion: Fiscal 2025 cash from operations was $3.4 billion, mainly from homebuilding, with $197.7 million used in the Forestar segment. Source

“The D.R. Horton team completed our 24th consecutive year as America's largest builder by volume, and we are proud to have provided homeownership to nearly 85,000 individuals and families during fiscal 2025”

David Auld, Executive Chairman

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Consolidated revenues Sourcefiscal 2026$33.5 billion to $35.0 billionNew
Homes closed by homebuilding operations Sourcefiscal 202686,000 homes to 88,000 homesNew
Income tax rate Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 24.5%New
Cash flow provided by operations Sourcefiscal 2026at least $3.0 billionNew
Share repurchases Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $2.5 billionNew
Dividend payments Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $500 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The company gave initial fiscal 2026 guidance covering revenues, closings, tax rate, operating cash flow, share repurchases and dividend payments. Source
  • New: Quarterly cash dividend increased 13% to $0.45 per share, compared with the $0.40 quarterly dividend declared in the July 2025 release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Quarterly profit and per-share earnings fell: Quarterly net income attributable to D.R. Horton fell 29% to $905.3 million, and diluted EPS fell 22% to $3.04 from the prior year quarter. Source
  • Fiscal year profit down 25%: For fiscal 2025, net income attributable to D.R. Horton fell 25% to $3.6 billion, and diluted EPS fell 19% to $11.57. Revenues were $34.3 billion. Source
  • Quarterly pre-tax margin at 12.4%: Quarterly consolidated pre-tax income was $1.2 billion on $9.7 billion of revenues. The fiscal 2025 pre-tax margin was 13.8%. Source

Segments and regions

  • Homebuilding pre-tax income fell 30%: Homebuilding pre-tax income in the quarter was $1.0 billion. For fiscal 2025 it was $4.1 billion, a 13.1% pre-tax margin. Source
  • Forestar quarterly lot sales: Forestar sold 4,891 lots in the quarter, with $670.5 million of revenue. For fiscal 2025 it sold 14,240 lots at a 13.2% pre-tax margin. Source
  • Rental segment quarterly profit: Rental operations earned $80.5 million pre-tax on $805.4 million of quarterly revenue. For fiscal 2025, rental pre-tax income was $170.0 million on $1.6 billion of revenue. Source
  • Financial services quarterly results: Financial services revenue was $218.3 million in the quarter, with a 34.7% pre-tax margin. Fiscal 2025 revenue was $841.2 million at a 33.1% margin. Source
  • Southeast orders fell, other regions rose: Southeast net sales orders were 4,623 homes in the quarter, against 5,107 a year earlier. South Central and East orders rose in the same period. Source

“We will continue to focus on delivering value to our homebuyers, consistently capturing market share and generating compelling returns for our shareholders over the long term.”

David Auld, Executive Chairman

Products and customers

  • Rental sales in the quarter: Rental sales in the quarter covered 1,565 single-family homes for $411.6 million and 1,815 multi-family units for $393.8 million. Source
  • Closings on developed lots rose: Share of fiscal 2025 closings on lots developed by Forestar or third parties was 65%, up from 63% in fiscal 2024. Source
  • Fiscal year closings fell 5%: Homebuilding closed 84,863 homes in fiscal 2025, down 5%, and 23,368 homes in the fourth quarter, down 1%. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Sales incentives to stay elevated: Management expects sales incentives to remain elevated in fiscal 2026, with the level depending on market conditions through the year. Source
  • Pace and price balanced for orders: Management said the team balanced pace, price and incentives to drive a 5% rise in quarterly net sales orders. Source
  • Interest charged to cost of sales rose: Interest charged to cost of sales was $57.2 million in the quarter and $158.1 million for fiscal 2025, against $38.9 million and $135.0 million a year earlier. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Quarterly net sales orders rose 5%: Quarterly net sales orders rose to 20,078 homes. Fiscal 2025 orders fell 4% to 83,423 homes, and order value fell 6% for the year. Source
  • Inventory and unsold homes at year end: Inventory was 29,600 homes at fiscal year end, of which 19,600 were unsold. Of the unsold homes, 9,300 were completed. Source
  • Affordability and sentiment weigh on demand: Management said new home demand is still affected by affordability constraints and cautious consumer sentiment. Source
  • Cancellation rate fell to 20%: The cancellation rate was 20% in the quarter, against 21% a year earlier, and 18% in both fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow of $3.4 billion: Fiscal 2025 cash from operations was $3.4 billion, mainly from homebuilding, with $197.7 million used in the Forestar segment. Source
  • Buybacks and dividends for the year: Fiscal 2025 repurchases totaled 30.7 million shares, and dividends paid were $494.8 million. Source
  • Authorization remaining at year end: Common shares outstanding were 294.5 million at fiscal year end, with $3.3 billion of repurchase authorization remaining. Source
  • Liquidity and debt ratio: Year-end liquidity was $6.6 billion, and the debt to total capital ratio was 19.8%. Source
  • Senior notes redeemed in September: The company redeemed $500 million of 2.6% senior notes in September 2025, ahead of their October 2025 maturity. Source
  • Return on equity and assets: Fiscal 2025 return on equity was 14.6%, and return on assets was 10.0%. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Five-year platform expansion: Over five years the company entered seven new states and 38 markets and raised community count by 40%, with revenue growing at an 11% compound annual rate. Source
  • Operating cash returned to shareholders: Over five years the company generated $11.0 billion of operating cash flow and returned all of it to shareholders through repurchases and dividends. Source
  • Book value per share rose 5%: Book value per share rose 5% to $82.15 at fiscal year end. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 October 2025

  • Fiscal 2026 results and call dates: Quarterly results are scheduled before market open, with 8:30 a.m. Eastern calls on January 20, April 21, and July 21, 2026, and October 29, 2026. Source
  • Dividend payment date: The $0.45 quarterly dividend is payable November 20, 2025, to holders of record on November 13, 2025. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net sales orders, fourth quarter (homes) Source20,078 homes
Homes closed, fourth quarter (homebuilding) Source23,368 homes
Homes in inventory at fiscal year end Source29,600 homes (19,600 unsold)
Lots owned and controlled at September 30, 2025 Source591,900 lots (147,000 owned, 444,900 controlled)
Single-family and multi-family rental units sold, fiscal 2025 Source3,460 single-family homes; 2,947 multi-family units
Forestar lots sold, fourth quarter Source4,891 lots

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cites affordability constraints and cautious consumer sentiment as holding back new home demand. Source
  • External: Management expects sales incentives to stay elevated in fiscal 2026, with the amount depending on market conditions. Source
  • Operational: Of the unsold homes at year end, 9,300 were completed, including 800 completed for more than six months. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior release gave October 28, 2025 as the fourth quarter results date. This release is dated October 28, 2025.
  • Not stated: The July 2025 release guided fiscal 2025 share repurchases to $4.2 billion to $4.4 billion. This release reports $4.3 billion of fiscal 2025 repurchases.

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.