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D.R. Horton, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 21 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 2 lowered, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and EPS declined: Third-quarter net income attributable to D.R. Horton fell 12% to $904.9 million, and diluted EPS fell 5% to $3.20. Nine-month net income fell 20% to $2.1 billion, with diluted EPS of $7.45, down 13%. Source
  • Homebuilding closings and revenue rose: Homebuilding revenue rose 1% to $8.7 billion and closings rose 4% to 23,983 homes. Nine-month homebuilding revenue fell 3% to $22.3 billion, with closings flat at 61,287 homes. Source
  • Homebuilding pre-tax income fell: Homebuilding pre-tax income fell 10% to $1.1 billion, a 12.3% pre-tax margin. Nine-month homebuilding pre-tax income fell 19% to $2.5 billion, an 11.4% margin. Source
  • Net sales orders were flat: Net sales orders were flat with the prior-year quarter. Nine-month net sales orders rose 5% to 66,376 homes, with order value up 4% to $24.3 billion. Source
  • Cancellation rate rose to 20%: Cancelled sales orders as a share of gross orders were 20% in the quarter, against 17% a year earlier. The nine-month cancellation rate was 18%, against 17%. Source
  • Home sales gross margin was 20.7%: Management said closings were at the high end of the guidance range and the home sales gross margin was 20.7%. Source
  • Unsold homes in inventory rose: Of 38,000 homes in inventory, 23,300 were unsold, against 22,900 unsold at March 31. Inventory totaled 38,200 homes at March 31. Source
  • Liquidity up, debt ratio higher: Total liquidity was $6.1 billion, up from $6.0 billion at March 31. Debt to total capital was 23.0%, up from 21.7%. Source

“Our teams are managing each community with discipline, balancing pace, price, incentives and inventory levels to maximize returns.”

David Auld, Executive Chairman

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Consolidated revenues Sourcefiscal 2026$32.5 billion to $33.0 billionLowered from $33.5 billion to $34.5 billion
Homes closed by homebuilding operations Sourcefiscal 202683,800 homes to 84,300 homesLowered from 86,000 homes to 87,500 homes
Income tax rate Sourcefiscal 2026approximately 25.0%Raised from approximately 24.5%
Cash flow provided by operations Sourcefiscal 2026at least $3.0 billionKept
Share repurchases Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $2.5 billionKept
Dividend payments Sourcefiscal 2026approximately $500 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Fiscal 2026 consolidated revenue range lowered from $33.5 billion to $34.5 billion. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Fiscal 2026 homes closed range lowered from 86,000 to 87,500 homes. Source
  • Guidance raised: Income tax rate guidance raised from approximately 24.5% to approximately 25.0%. Source
  • Guidance kept: Cash flow from operations, share repurchase and dividend payment guidance reiterated. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net income and EPS declined: Third-quarter net income attributable to D.R. Horton fell 12% to $904.9 million, and diluted EPS fell 5% to $3.20. Nine-month net income fell 20% to $2.1 billion, with diluted EPS of $7.45, down 13%. Source
  • Pre-tax income and margin reported: Consolidated pre-tax income was $1.2 billion on revenues of $9.2 billion. Prior-year quarter revenues were $9,225.7 million. Nine-month pre-tax profit margin was 12.2% on $23.7 billion of revenues. Source
  • Homebuilding closings and revenue rose: Homebuilding revenue rose 1% to $8.7 billion and closings rose 4% to 23,983 homes. Nine-month homebuilding revenue fell 3% to $22.3 billion, with closings flat at 61,287 homes. Source

Segments and regions

  • Homebuilding pre-tax income fell: Homebuilding pre-tax income fell 10% to $1.1 billion, a 12.3% pre-tax margin. Nine-month homebuilding pre-tax income fell 19% to $2.5 billion, an 11.4% margin. Source
  • South Central and North closings up: South Central closed 6,660 homes against 6,239, and North closed 2,933 against 2,738. Southeast closed 5,652 homes against 5,682, and East closed 5,061 against 4,835. Source
  • Rental revenue and pre-tax income: Rental revenue was $266.1 million, against $380.7 million a year earlier. Rental pre-tax income was $31.0 million, an 11.6% margin, against $54.8 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Forestar lot sales and margin: Forestar revenue was $407.0 million and pre-tax income was $48.7 million, a 12.0% margin. Nine-month Forestar lots sold reached 8,541, with pre-tax income of $113.4 million. Source
  • Financial services margin and revenue: Financial services revenue was $220.7 million, against $227.8 million a year earlier. Pre-tax income was $70.3 million, a 31.9% margin. Source

“Our experienced local operators, broad national footprint, flexible lot supply and strong balance sheet position us to compete effectively and capture demand across our markets.”

David Auld, Executive Chairman

Demand and the order book

  • Net sales orders were flat: Net sales orders were flat with the prior-year quarter. Nine-month net sales orders rose 5% to 66,376 homes, with order value up 4% to $24.3 billion. Source
  • Cancellation rate rose to 20%: Cancelled sales orders as a share of gross orders were 20% in the quarter, against 17% a year earlier. The nine-month cancellation rate was 18%, against 17%. Source
  • Backlog higher than last year: Sales order backlog at June 30 was 15,983 homes with a value of $6.2 billion, against 14,075 homes and $5.3 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Incentives expected to stay elevated: Management expects sales incentives to remain elevated in the fourth quarter, with levels depending on demand, mortgage rates and other market conditions. Source

Margins and costs

  • Home sales gross margin was 20.7%: Management said closings were at the high end of the guidance range and the home sales gross margin was 20.7%. Source
  • Selling and administrative expense rose: Selling, general and administrative expense was $991.2 million, up from $944.3 million a year earlier. Nine-month expense was $2.8 billion, against $2.7 billion. Source
  • Interest in cost of sales rose: Interest charged to cost of sales was $46.1 million, up from $38.4 million. Nine-month interest charged was $115.5 million, against $100.9 million. Source
  • Prior quarter had litigation benefit: The prior quarter's pre-tax margin and home sales gross margin each included a 40 basis point benefit from a favorable litigation outcome and lower warranty costs.

“We remain focused on disciplined capital allocation and are committed to delivering value to our homebuyers while enhancing long-term returns for our shareholders.”

David Auld, Executive Chairman

Inventory and land position

  • Unsold homes in inventory rose: Of 38,000 homes in inventory, 23,300 were unsold, against 22,900 unsold at March 31. Inventory totaled 38,200 homes at March 31. Source
  • Share of lots from developers rose: Lots developed by Forestar or third parties supplied 67% of homes closed in the nine months, up from 65% in the prior-year period. Source
  • Return on inventory was 17.0%: Trailing twelve-month homebuilding return on inventory was 17.0%, compared with 17.6% reported for the period ended March 31, 2026. Source
  • Owned and controlled lots declined: Owned and controlled lots totaled 568,500, with 22% owned, against 591,900 and 25% owned at September 30, 2025. Forestar owned or controlled about 41,000 lots. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Quarter buybacks and dividends: Nine-month repurchases totaled 14.6 million shares for $2.2 billion, and nine-month dividends were $388.3 million. Dividends paid in the quarter were $127.1 million. Source
  • Shares outstanding and authorization: Shares outstanding were 280.7 million at June 30, down 6% from a year earlier. Remaining repurchase authorization was $1.1 billion, down from $1.7 billion at March 31. Source
  • Quarterly dividend declared at $0.45: After quarter end, the company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.45 per share, payable August 13, 2026 to holders of record on August 6, 2026. Source
  • Liquidity up, debt ratio higher: Total liquidity was $6.1 billion, up from $6.0 billion at March 31. Debt to total capital was 23.0%, up from 21.7%. Source
  • Nine-month operating cash flow lower: Nine-month cash provided by operations was $880.8 million, against $949.1 million in the prior-year period. Source

Coming up, as management said on 21 July 2026

  • Fourth-quarter results due October 29: Fourth-quarter and fiscal 2026 results are scheduled for October 29, 2026, before the market opens, with an 8:30 a.m. Eastern call. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Homes closed, third quarter Source23,983 homes
Net sales orders, third quarter Source23,084 homes, $8.4 billion order value
Sales order backlog, June 30, 2026 Source15,983 homes, $6.2 billion
Homes in inventory, June 30, 2026 Source38,000 homes, 23,300 unsold
Lots owned and controlled, June 30, 2026 Source568,500 lots, 22% owned
Forestar lots sold, third quarter Source3,659 lots
Rental homes and units sold, third quarter Source601 single-family homes, 339 multi-family units
Cancellation rate, third quarter Source20%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited affordability constraints and cautious consumer sentiment as continuing to affect new home demand. Source
  • Financial: Management noted $600 million of homebuilding senior notes maturing within the next twelve months. Source
  • Operational: Management reported 7,600 unsold homes were completed, including 600 completed for more than six months. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Cash flow, share repurchase and dividend payment guidance for fiscal 2026 was restated, while revenue and homes closed guidance was updated. Source

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.