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Rayonier Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and sales rose: Net income attributable to Rayonier was $123.3 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, on sales of $565.6 million, against $43.2 million and $177.5 million in the prior year quarter. Source
  • Operating income and EBITDA higher: Operating income was $146.9 million against $41.7 million a year earlier. Pro forma operating income was $63.3 million against $48.8 million, and Adjusted EBITDA was $144.6 million against $114.3 million. Source
  • Northwest Adjusted EBITDA about fivefold: Adjusted EBITDA was $32.3 million, roughly five times the prior year, mainly on the added PotlatchDeltic volume and higher Idaho sawlog prices. Operating income was $3.6 million. Source
  • Wood Products Adjusted EBITDA $27.0M: Adjusted EBITDA was $27.0 million, up from $25.0 million in the second quarter. Operating income was $11.6 million. Source
  • Pro forma sales fell on fewer acres: Pro forma sales fell $27.8 million on 7,127 acres sold, against 23,348 a year earlier, partly offset by higher weighted-average prices of $8,012 per acre. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose year to date: Cash provided by operating activities was $252.2 million for the first nine months, against $204.9 million a year earlier. Source

“We generated Adjusted EBITDA of $144.6 million in the third quarter, reflecting solid operational performance across our businesses,”

Mark McHugh, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Southern Timber harvest volume Sourcefourth quarter 20263.0 to 3.2 million tonsNew
Northwest Timber harvest volume Sourcefourth quarter 2026500,000 to 550,000 tonsNew
Wood Products lumber shipments Source11 months of contribution in 2026approximately 1.1 billion board feetKept
Real Estate Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefourth quarter 2026$60 to $70 millionNew
Share repurchases Sourcenot stated$300 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Southern Timber full-year harvest range lowered at the top end, from 12.5 million tons to 12.4 million tons. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Northwest Timber full-year harvest range lowered at the top end, from 2.2 million tons to 2.1 million tons. Source
  • New guidance: Real Estate Adjusted EBITDA guidance given for the fourth quarter, $60 to $70 million, after a third-quarter range in the prior release. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year lumber shipment expectation of about 1.1 billion board feet is stated as continuing from the prior release. Source
  • New: Closed the previously announced RMS timberland transactions, comprising a Large Disposition in Washington and an acquisition in Texas and Alabama. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net income and sales rose: Net income attributable to Rayonier was $123.3 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, on sales of $565.6 million, against $43.2 million and $177.5 million in the prior year quarter. Source
  • Pro forma earnings below prior year: Pro forma net income was $40.0 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, against $50.2 million, or $0.32, a year earlier. The figure excludes $90.6 million of net-of-tax income from a Large Disposition and $6.9 million of merger costs. Source
  • Operating income and EBITDA higher: Operating income was $146.9 million against $41.7 million a year earlier. Pro forma operating income was $63.3 million against $48.8 million, and Adjusted EBITDA was $144.6 million against $114.3 million. Source

Southern Timber segment

  • Southern sales rose on volume: Sales were $107.4 million, up $40.6 million or 61%, with harvest volume up 56% to 3.02 million tons. Source
  • Harvest volume rose on PotlatchDeltic: Harvest volume rose from 1.94 million tons, mainly from 1.4 million tons of PotlatchDeltic volume. Average delivered pine sawtimber prices fell to $45.31 per ton from $47.45, reflecting geographic mix. Source
  • Southern Adjusted EBITDA up 23%: Adjusted EBITDA was $52.4 million, up 23% or $9.7 million. Operating income was $20.7 million, with lower prices and higher costs offsetting higher volume and non-timber income. Source

“Our team continued to execute well amid a challenging market environment, while also making meaningful progress on integration initiatives that position us to create long-term value for our shareholders.”

Mark McHugh, President and Chief Executive Officer

Northwest Timber segment

  • Northwest harvest volume more than doubled: Harvest volume rose 171% to 571,000 tons, with 368,000 tons from the PotlatchDeltic timberlands. Sales were $73.6 million, up 269%, and average delivered sawtimber prices rose to $129.12 per ton. Source
  • Northwest Adjusted EBITDA about fivefold: Adjusted EBITDA was $32.3 million, roughly five times the prior year, mainly on the added PotlatchDeltic volume and higher Idaho sawlog prices. Operating income was $3.6 million. Source
  • Depletion catch-up from merger accounting: Depletion expense was $16.7 million higher, reflecting a cumulative catch-up from revisions to the preliminary purchase price allocation for the merger. Source

Wood Products segment

  • Lumber drove segment sales: Wood Products sales were $206.2 million, including $172.5 million of lumber and $33.7 million of plywood, residual and other sales. Source
  • Shipments and realization per board foot: Lumber shipments totaled 327 MMBF at average realizations of $528 per thousand board feet, up from $505 in the second quarter. Source
  • Wood Products Adjusted EBITDA $27.0M: Adjusted EBITDA was $27.0 million, up from $25.0 million in the second quarter. Operating income was $11.6 million. Source

“We further remained focused on disciplined and opportunistic capital allocation, repurchasing $60 million of our common stock during the third quarter, which brought our total share repurchases through the first nine months of the year to $163 million.”

Mark McHugh, President and Chief Executive Officer

Real Estate segment

  • Pro forma sales fell on fewer acres: Pro forma sales fell $27.8 million on 7,127 acres sold, against 23,348 a year earlier, partly offset by higher weighted-average prices of $8,012 per acre. Source
  • Unimproved land sold at higher prices: Unimproved development sales were $19.3 million, covering 1,730 acres at $11,177 per acre, including a 1,720-acre St. Johns County sale at $10,809 per acre. Source
  • Rural land sales rose: Rural sales were $25.6 million, covering 5,135 acres at $4,984 per acre, against $7.3 million in the prior year quarter. Source

Costs, interest and income

  • Corporate costs rose with scale: Corporate and other operating expenses were $21.9 million, up $12.9 million, reflecting the combined company's larger scale and $7.0 million of merger costs. Source
  • Interest expense rose on assumed debt: Interest expense was $16.7 million, up $9.9 million, mainly from debt assumed in the merger. Source
  • Interest income fell on lower cash: Interest income was $4.0 million, down $5.8 million, mainly from a lower average cash balance after repurchases, debt repayments and merger spending. Source

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Operating cash flow rose year to date: Cash provided by operating activities was $252.2 million for the first nine months, against $204.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash available for distribution increased: Year-to-date CAD was $287.4 million, up $133.9 million, mainly on higher Adjusted EBITDA, partly offset by higher capital expenditures and cash interest paid. Source
  • Third-quarter buybacks of $59.8 million: The company repurchased about 2.8 million shares at an average $21.00 per share, or $59.8 million, in the quarter. Source
  • Remaining 2024 authorization: $66.2 million remained under the 2024 repurchase authorization at September 30, 2026. Source

Portfolio and integration

  • Full quarter of PotlatchDeltic: Consolidated results include PotlatchDeltic for the full quarter, while the prior-year quarter reflects Rayonier on a standalone basis. Source
  • Integration progress cited by management: Management cited progress on integration initiatives and the team's execution in a challenging market. Source
  • Portfolio of over four million acres: The company describes its portfolio as over four million acres in the U.S. South and U.S. Northwest, managed on a sustainable basis. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Northwest sawtimber prices expected lower: Management expects overall Northwest sawtimber prices in the fourth quarter to be lower than in the third quarter, due to lower Idaho sawlog prices. Source
  • Southern pine prices lower than prior-year standalone: Full-year and quarterly Southern pine prices are expected to be lower than Rayonier's standalone prior-year prices, due to geographic mix. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Acquisitions Source$146 million, approximately 57,000 acres in Texas and Alabama
Dispositions Source$145 million, approximately 36,000 acres in Washington
Debt outstanding (leverage) Source$1.86 billion

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited pulpwood market conditions as a factor in lower pine pulpwood realizations, along with geographic mix effects. Source
  • Demand: Lumber prices improved early in the quarter, then moderated as the quarter progressed, though realizations were the highest since 2022. Source
  • Demand: Fourth-quarter lumber realizations are expected to be lower than in the third quarter, reflecting softer market conditions and seasonal demand. Source
  • External: Management attributed lumber price strength in the quarter to supply constraints from duties, tariffs, mill curtailments and trucking shortages. Source
  • Operational: Southern Timber operating income absorbed $7.8 million from lower prices, $4.7 million of higher costs and $0.6 million of higher depletion. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said Real Estate Adjusted EBITDA exceeded the high end of the prior quarterly guidance. Source
  • Met: Management said Wood Products shipment volumes were in line with company targets. Source
  • Not stated: Full-year metrics are presented on a pro rata basis for legacy PotlatchDeltic operations, consistent with February guidance. 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.