9 hours ago
Welltower (WELL) pays out only 52% of normalized FFO, while Ventas (VTR) raised its dividend 8% and improved leverage to a decade-low 4.4x.
Baby boomers turning 80 now number nearly 70 million, yet builders started only 1,000 new senior housing units last quarter.
Sabra's 6% yield comes with a dividend flat since 2020 and a $102 million non-cash loan loss provision recorded in Q2.
Just released. Our ***** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and Welltower didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat WELL. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
Senior housing has one of the clearest demand stories in real estate. On its third-quarter call, Ventas (NYSE:VTR) noted that the baby boomer generation, a cohort of nearly 70 million individuals, began turning 80 this year. Builders started only 1,000 units of new senior housing in the quarter. More 80-year-olds and very few new buildings push occupancy and rents higher, but operator health, labor costs, and government reimbursement decide how much of that reaches shareholders. The four REITs below are all equity REITs that own buildings. None is a mortgage REIT. Dividend safety is measured on FFO, FAD, or AFFO coverage, the cash-flow figures REITs actually pay dividends from.
#senior #million #housing #ventas
Baby boomers turning 80 now number nearly 70 million, yet builders started only 1,000 new senior housing units last quarter.
Sabra's 6% yield comes with a dividend flat since 2020 and a $102 million non-cash loan loss provision recorded in Q2.
Just released. Our ***** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and Welltower didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat WELL. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
Senior housing has one of the clearest demand stories in real estate. On its third-quarter call, Ventas (NYSE:VTR) noted that the baby boomer generation, a cohort of nearly 70 million individuals, began turning 80 this year. Builders started only 1,000 units of new senior housing in the quarter. More 80-year-olds and very few new buildings push occupancy and rents higher, but operator health, labor costs, and government reimbursement decide how much of that reaches shareholders. The four REITs below are all equity REITs that own buildings. None is a mortgage REIT. Dividend safety is measured on FFO, FAD, or AFFO coverage, the cash-flow figures REITs actually pay dividends from.
#senior #million #housing #ventas
9 hours ago
A Michigan retiree couple needs roughly $927,000 invested at a 4% withdrawal rate, versus $1.07 million in Florida.
Florida homeowners pay $8,471 yearly for insurance versus $2,415 in Michigan, a $6,000 gap that requires $151,000 in extra savings.
Michigan exempts Social Security and offers married couples a $128,080 retirement deduction, potentially zeroing state tax on a $37,000 IRA withdrawal.
Read More: Avoid these 13 retirement mistakes before they derail your future (sponsor)
Retiring to a lake town in Michigan or Wisconsin often raises questions about snow and winter conditions compared with a move to Florida. Winter is one factor in that comparison, but the rest of the picture gets mentioned less often: insurance, taxes, housing, and summers. This piece runs the numbers for a couple at full retirement age.
#often
Florida homeowners pay $8,471 yearly for insurance versus $2,415 in Michigan, a $6,000 gap that requires $151,000 in extra savings.
Michigan exempts Social Security and offers married couples a $128,080 retirement deduction, potentially zeroing state tax on a $37,000 IRA withdrawal.
Read More: Avoid these 13 retirement mistakes before they derail your future (sponsor)
Retiring to a lake town in Michigan or Wisconsin often raises questions about snow and winter conditions compared with a move to Florida. Winter is one factor in that comparison, but the rest of the picture gets mentioned less often: insurance, taxes, housing, and summers. This piece runs the numbers for a couple at full retirement age.
#often
6 days ago
In a housing market where affordability is increasingly out of reach for many buyers, Vic Bulbon is looking at a type of property that's becoming less expensive: condominiums.
With national home prices near record highs and mortgage rates topping 7% in recent weeks, buying a home remains out of reach for many Americans. Condos appear to offer a rare bright spot, with prices falling across the country.
But even with cheaper sales prices, rising homeowners' **** ociation (HOA) fees and one-time special **** sments are driving up ownership costs.
Now, guidelines released this year by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored agencies that back nearly half of all US home purchases, aim to reduce the financial and structural risks of condo buildings. Real estate agents told CNN that the changes could add pressure to the condo market by further driving up HOA fees, increasing the total monthly bill for condo owners, and potentially eroding the savings of a lower purchase price.
As of mid-October, condo sales prices lagged behind single-family home prices in 99 of the 100 largest markets in the United States, according to data from financial services company Intercontinental Exchange provided to CNN. Nationally, single-family home prices rose 1.5% from a year earlier, while condo prices fell 1.1%.
#prices #home #sales #year
With national home prices near record highs and mortgage rates topping 7% in recent weeks, buying a home remains out of reach for many Americans. Condos appear to offer a rare bright spot, with prices falling across the country.
But even with cheaper sales prices, rising homeowners' **** ociation (HOA) fees and one-time special **** sments are driving up ownership costs.
Now, guidelines released this year by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored agencies that back nearly half of all US home purchases, aim to reduce the financial and structural risks of condo buildings. Real estate agents told CNN that the changes could add pressure to the condo market by further driving up HOA fees, increasing the total monthly bill for condo owners, and potentially eroding the savings of a lower purchase price.
As of mid-October, condo sales prices lagged behind single-family home prices in 99 of the 100 largest markets in the United States, according to data from financial services company Intercontinental Exchange provided to CNN. Nationally, single-family home prices rose 1.5% from a year earlier, while condo prices fell 1.1%.
#prices #home #sales #year
24 days ago
For an average single person planning to stop working at 64, a $1.2 million 401(k) account and $2,800 Social Security benefit could provide enough income to make ends meet during retirement. Widely used guidelines suggest your annual income may be around $81,600, which may or may not be more than your annual expenses. Much depends on individual circumstances, including the kind of retirement lifestyle you desire, your location and future trends of inflation, taxes and investment returns. To get a comprehensive workup of your retirement budget, take the question to a financial advisor.
Income and expenses represent the two sides of your retirement budget. Both are equally important and decisions you make regarding either can affect the overall accuracy and dependability of the budget.
You can estimate expenses by using averages for typical retirees or by considering specifics of your situation with estimate for categories such as housing, healthcare and taxes. Similarly, you can estimate future income with general guidelines or by accounting for specifics such as your personal investment preferences.
In your case, we'll start with income since we have information about that. Despite the possibility that Social Security benefits will be cut by about 20% after 2035, your $2,800 Social Security benefit can probably be relied upon. And benefits are indexed to a cost-of-living benchmark, providing protection against inflation.
Note, however, that if you wait to claim benefits, your monthly amount will increase every year until you are 70. By claiming at age 64 rather than waiting until your full retirement age of 67, you are receiving 20% less. If you wait until age 70, you'll get 24% more than at 67. And you'll receive the higher amount, adjusted annually for cost of living, as long as you live.
#Retirement #benefits
Income and expenses represent the two sides of your retirement budget. Both are equally important and decisions you make regarding either can affect the overall accuracy and dependability of the budget.
You can estimate expenses by using averages for typical retirees or by considering specifics of your situation with estimate for categories such as housing, healthcare and taxes. Similarly, you can estimate future income with general guidelines or by accounting for specifics such as your personal investment preferences.
In your case, we'll start with income since we have information about that. Despite the possibility that Social Security benefits will be cut by about 20% after 2035, your $2,800 Social Security benefit can probably be relied upon. And benefits are indexed to a cost-of-living benchmark, providing protection against inflation.
Note, however, that if you wait to claim benefits, your monthly amount will increase every year until you are 70. By claiming at age 64 rather than waiting until your full retirement age of 67, you are receiving 20% less. If you wait until age 70, you'll get 24% more than at 67. And you'll receive the higher amount, adjusted annually for cost of living, as long as you live.
#Retirement #benefits
24 days ago
Sean "Diddy" Combs' projected prison release has moved back 41 days, reversing recent changes that had brought his expected release closer.
Bureau of Prisons records reviewed by PEOPLE on Oct. 7 list March 2, 2028. Combs is currently held at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey.
The previous projection, Jan. 21, 2028, appeared in records reviewed Sept. 29 and reported by Wealth of Geeks the following day.
The BOP declined to explain the revision, citing privacy, safety and security. A spokesperson for Combs told Us Weekly that his team receives no explanation of how the agency adjusts his dates.
In a Sept. 29 investigation, NBC News reporters Rich Schapiro and Chloe Melas interviewed four men who had spent time in Combs' housing unit. The outlet also reviewed prison photographs and video, including footage appearing to show him using a contraband cellphone.
#combs #records #security
Bureau of Prisons records reviewed by PEOPLE on Oct. 7 list March 2, 2028. Combs is currently held at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey.
The previous projection, Jan. 21, 2028, appeared in records reviewed Sept. 29 and reported by Wealth of Geeks the following day.
The BOP declined to explain the revision, citing privacy, safety and security. A spokesperson for Combs told Us Weekly that his team receives no explanation of how the agency adjusts his dates.
In a Sept. 29 investigation, NBC News reporters Rich Schapiro and Chloe Melas interviewed four men who had spent time in Combs' housing unit. The outlet also reviewed prison photographs and video, including footage appearing to show him using a contraband cellphone.
#combs #records #security
24 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Federal Reserve officials expect that another interest rate increase will likely be needed this year to combat inflation, according to minutes released Wednesday from the central bank's most recent meeting.
The officials unanimously agreed that inflation was still elevated and had not made much progress toward their 2% target in recent months, the minutes said. The Fed increased its key interest rate at the Sept. 15-16 meeting by a quarter-point to about 3.9%, its first increase in three years.
The increase defied President Donald Trump's repeated calls for the Fed to cut rates and prompted the president to criticize the Fed's rate-setting committee, though he still expressed support for Chairman Kevin Warsh, whom he appointed earlier this year. The rate increase comes as Americans are already struggling with high costs for groceries, gas and housing, and as affordability has taken on a leading role in the upcoming midterm elections, just seven weeks away.
Longer-term interest rates for mortgages and other borrowing have also jumped in the past few months for a range of reasons, including rising government debt, heavy borrowing by tech firms to finance data center construction, climbing oil and gas prices, and signs that growth and inflation remain elevated. The Fed's rate hike has likely played only a limited role in the increase.
Still, key policymakers have said since the meeting that the Fed can take some time to monitor the economy and the impact of last month's rate hike before making another move. Wall Street investors now forecast the Fed will keep its rate unchanged at its next meeting Oct. 28-29, according to futures pricing, and raise it when they meet in December.
#officials
The officials unanimously agreed that inflation was still elevated and had not made much progress toward their 2% target in recent months, the minutes said. The Fed increased its key interest rate at the Sept. 15-16 meeting by a quarter-point to about 3.9%, its first increase in three years.
The increase defied President Donald Trump's repeated calls for the Fed to cut rates and prompted the president to criticize the Fed's rate-setting committee, though he still expressed support for Chairman Kevin Warsh, whom he appointed earlier this year. The rate increase comes as Americans are already struggling with high costs for groceries, gas and housing, and as affordability has taken on a leading role in the upcoming midterm elections, just seven weeks away.
Longer-term interest rates for mortgages and other borrowing have also jumped in the past few months for a range of reasons, including rising government debt, heavy borrowing by tech firms to finance data center construction, climbing oil and gas prices, and signs that growth and inflation remain elevated. The Fed's rate hike has likely played only a limited role in the increase.
Still, key policymakers have said since the meeting that the Fed can take some time to monitor the economy and the impact of last month's rate hike before making another move. Wall Street investors now forecast the Fed will keep its rate unchanged at its next meeting Oct. 28-29, according to futures pricing, and raise it when they meet in December.
#officials
24 days ago
Generating $6,550 a month requires $2.25M at a 3.5% yield, $1.31M at 6%, or just $786,000 at 10%.
A blended portfolio of VYM, DIVO, VICI, JEPQ, ARCC, and SGOV yields 5.6%, requiring $1.4M while preserving some dividend growth.
A 3.5% yield growing 8% annually reaches $249,000 in income by year 15, while a static 10% yield stays flat and loses ground to inflation.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
A target of $6,550 a month equals $78,600 a year. For a 66-year-old, that income must cover housing, healthcare premiums, travel, and decades of other retirement expenses. The amount you need to invest to generate $78,600 from portfolio income alone varies widely by yield. Here's what the numbers look like at three yield levels, using six income holdings as examples.
#yield
A blended portfolio of VYM, DIVO, VICI, JEPQ, ARCC, and SGOV yields 5.6%, requiring $1.4M while preserving some dividend growth.
A 3.5% yield growing 8% annually reaches $249,000 in income by year 15, while a static 10% yield stays flat and loses ground to inflation.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
A target of $6,550 a month equals $78,600 a year. For a 66-year-old, that income must cover housing, healthcare premiums, travel, and decades of other retirement expenses. The amount you need to invest to generate $78,600 from portfolio income alone varies widely by yield. Here's what the numbers look like at three yield levels, using six income holdings as examples.
#yield
25 days ago
Procter & Gamble has raised its dividend for 70 straight years while Johnson & Johnson covers its roughly $12.6 billion dividend run rate 1.56 times with free cash flow.
Coca-Cola posted its strongest Trademark volume growth in 17 years, and ADP's operating cash flow covers its dividend more than twice over while still funding buybacks.
Lowe's carries the lowest payout ratio in the group at 41% and trades at just 15 times earnings after falling 24% year to date.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
Yield is relatively easy to find. A dividend that keeps arriving through recessions, patent cliffs and housing slumps is much harder to find, and that kind of reliability is the hook for this group. Every name below covers its payout with real cash flow, has a long record of raises and keeps its payout ratio at a level that leaves room for mistakes. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) sets the standard: management says its latest increase marks the 70th consecutive year of dividend increases and 136th consecutive year of dividend payments, putting it firmly in the Dividend Kings club (we ranked ten of them by valuation in a free report here). The other four pair long dividend records with cash flow that covers the payout.
#cash #year #procter #gamble
Coca-Cola posted its strongest Trademark volume growth in 17 years, and ADP's operating cash flow covers its dividend more than twice over while still funding buybacks.
Lowe's carries the lowest payout ratio in the group at 41% and trades at just 15 times earnings after falling 24% year to date.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
Yield is relatively easy to find. A dividend that keeps arriving through recessions, patent cliffs and housing slumps is much harder to find, and that kind of reliability is the hook for this group. Every name below covers its payout with real cash flow, has a long record of raises and keeps its payout ratio at a level that leaves room for mistakes. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) sets the standard: management says its latest increase marks the 70th consecutive year of dividend increases and 136th consecutive year of dividend payments, putting it firmly in the Dividend Kings club (we ranked ten of them by valuation in a free report here). The other four pair long dividend records with cash flow that covers the payout.
#cash #year #procter #gamble
26 days ago
Sean "Diddy" Combs is headed back into solitary confinement, a day after a report described a prison life of massages, smuggled liquor, and contraband phones.
Staff at FCI Fort Dix are returning Combs to the facility's Special Housing Unit, according to TMZ, which was told the move came in direct response to this week's NBC News reporting on his alleged perks. Sources described the placement as typical procedure while prison officials run an investigation.
The report in question drew on four men who spent time in Combs' unit at the New Jersey prison. They said the mogul had other inmates making his bed, doing his laundry, and cleaning his toilet before he used it.
Sources also revealed to NBC News that inmates cooked for him on makeshift heating elements, turning out curry chicken, pizza and empanadas, and that others gave him Chinese-style massages. Thousands of dollars a month allegedly flowed into their commissary accounts.
COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.
#shop
Staff at FCI Fort Dix are returning Combs to the facility's Special Housing Unit, according to TMZ, which was told the move came in direct response to this week's NBC News reporting on his alleged perks. Sources described the placement as typical procedure while prison officials run an investigation.
The report in question drew on four men who spent time in Combs' unit at the New Jersey prison. They said the mogul had other inmates making his bed, doing his laundry, and cleaning his toilet before he used it.
Sources also revealed to NBC News that inmates cooked for him on makeshift heating elements, turning out curry chicken, pizza and empanadas, and that others gave him Chinese-style massages. Thousands of dollars a month allegedly flowed into their commissary accounts.
COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.
#shop
26 days ago
The issue of Daniel Penny, the center of a New York City vigilante case in which he unintentionally ended the life of Jordan Neely following a subway confrontation, is the focus of a new book. Frequent MS NOW guest Anand Giridharadas is out promoting his work, Man in the Mirror.
His interviews seen during the media promotional tour do not give the impression of an unbiased approach to this topic. Instead of describing core facts and the details that pertain to the confrontation on the New York subway car, Giridharadas delivers what sounds more like a college term paper-level of pontificating.
Sitting with Christiane Amanpour, the Heat Miser-coiffed Anand offers up a theory that Neely, Penny, and others on the subway car were experiencing something that is felt across the country:
Jordan Neely, you know, a mentally ill, homeless man, felt abandoned by the systems of care. Daniel Penny felt abandoned by a lack of police and a lack of law enforcement that forced him, in his mind, to step up and step in. The passengers on that train…spoke of their own sense of abandonment and kind of being left to their own devices. And, Christiane, I think that sense of abandonment, that sense that the cavalry's not coming, the sense that we're on our own, the sense that maybe somebody does something because no one who should be doing anything is doing anything. I believe, Christiane, that is the defining political emotion of this age. It is maybe the most dangerous emotion in a democracy, because it starts to tempt people with the thought that if ******* ody's coming, I must fill the void. In this case, it was Daniel Penny filling a void in a subway in New York.
This is the selling of the concept that we need government in more, if not all, aspects of our lives. If Jordan Neely had been given proper mental healthcare and housing, if there had been police on that train car, if Daniel Penny had not felt abandoned by authorities, this tragedy would not have played out. If every person in the country is cared for by the government, we will have no problems!
#sense #subway #christiane #abandoned
His interviews seen during the media promotional tour do not give the impression of an unbiased approach to this topic. Instead of describing core facts and the details that pertain to the confrontation on the New York subway car, Giridharadas delivers what sounds more like a college term paper-level of pontificating.
Sitting with Christiane Amanpour, the Heat Miser-coiffed Anand offers up a theory that Neely, Penny, and others on the subway car were experiencing something that is felt across the country:
Jordan Neely, you know, a mentally ill, homeless man, felt abandoned by the systems of care. Daniel Penny felt abandoned by a lack of police and a lack of law enforcement that forced him, in his mind, to step up and step in. The passengers on that train…spoke of their own sense of abandonment and kind of being left to their own devices. And, Christiane, I think that sense of abandonment, that sense that the cavalry's not coming, the sense that we're on our own, the sense that maybe somebody does something because no one who should be doing anything is doing anything. I believe, Christiane, that is the defining political emotion of this age. It is maybe the most dangerous emotion in a democracy, because it starts to tempt people with the thought that if ******* ody's coming, I must fill the void. In this case, it was Daniel Penny filling a void in a subway in New York.
This is the selling of the concept that we need government in more, if not all, aspects of our lives. If Jordan Neely had been given proper mental healthcare and housing, if there had been police on that train car, if Daniel Penny had not felt abandoned by authorities, this tragedy would not have played out. If every person in the country is cared for by the government, we will have no problems!
#sense #subway #christiane #abandoned
26 days ago
Brian May is best known as Queen's legendary guitarist, but nature conservation is another important part of his life. May, who also earned his PhD in astrophysics and has helped NASA, loves this planet and all its wildlife.
In 2013, May announced that he had purchased 157 acres of land that was due to be developed into housing in Bere Regis, Dorset, England. He intended to transform it into a nature reserve where native British trees and wildlife could thrive.
During a July 2012 interview, May told The Sunday Times, "Queen is a huge part of my life, but I do have other interests. People know about the astrophysics, but I love gardening, too, and I've always been passionate about the welfare of our wonderful British wildlife."
Since then, the former farmland has been cultivated into a woodland wildlife sanctuary and animal rescue.
May worked with local residents and wildlife officials to make the plans for the nature reserve. In a February 2013 BBC interview, May shared his plans for the freshly purchased former farmland.
#wildlife #nature #part #astrophysics
In 2013, May announced that he had purchased 157 acres of land that was due to be developed into housing in Bere Regis, Dorset, England. He intended to transform it into a nature reserve where native British trees and wildlife could thrive.
During a July 2012 interview, May told The Sunday Times, "Queen is a huge part of my life, but I do have other interests. People know about the astrophysics, but I love gardening, too, and I've always been passionate about the welfare of our wonderful British wildlife."
Since then, the former farmland has been cultivated into a woodland wildlife sanctuary and animal rescue.
May worked with local residents and wildlife officials to make the plans for the nature reserve. In a February 2013 BBC interview, May shared his plans for the freshly purchased former farmland.
#wildlife #nature #part #astrophysics
1 month ago
Sean Combs was reportedly placed back in solitary confinement following a NBC News report that the music mogul was using a contraband cellphone to scroll on Instagram, kept a private stash of premium liquor, and had access to a jailbroken tablet where he watched a Netflix documentary about himself.
The 56-year-old was put in a special housing unit, both NBC and TMZ have reported, after footage was released of Combs seemingly using a cell phone while serving his 50-month sentence at Fort Dix in New Jersey. This would be Combs' second time placed in isolation, following a physical fight with a fellow inmate in July.
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#following #Instagram #july
The 56-year-old was put in a special housing unit, both NBC and TMZ have reported, after footage was released of Combs seemingly using a cell phone while serving his 50-month sentence at Fort Dix in New Jersey. This would be Combs' second time placed in isolation, following a physical fight with a fellow inmate in July.
More from Rolling Stone
Rihanna Shooting Suspect Indicted by Grand Jury, Pleads Not Guilty to Upgraded Charges
Chris Brown Will Get New Dog Attack Trial, But Only If Housekeeper Rejects Reduced $9.5 Million Award
#following #Instagram #july
1 month ago
(Bloomberg) -- Barely six weeks out from the midterm elections, housing costs that many Americans have long said are too high are looking even more out of reach.
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#buyers
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Saudis Give European Oil Buyers No Supplies for Next Month
Zuckerberg Has an AI Empire to Build. Meet the Adviser Who Handles the Details
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#buyers
1 month ago
On August 10, Ferguson Enterprises Inc. (NYSE:FERG) reported results for the quarter ended June 30, and the numbers show a company growing straight through a soft housing market. Sales rose 4.6% to $8.8 billion, and management lifted its outlook for the full year. But profit grew more slowly than sales, and that gap is what makes this report worth a closer look.
The strongest engine was non-residential work, where US revenue jumped 8% on share gains in what management called a mixed market. Large capital projects are part of the story, with open order volumes growing and bidding activity strong, so there is a pipeline behind the current numbers. Housing, roughly half of revenue, is the weak spot. Yet residential sales still rose 2% in the US even though new construction is weak and repair work is soft, which means Ferguson is beating its markets rather than riding them.
Capital deployment is the second pillar. Ferguson closed five acquisitions in the quarter, and on July 13, it announced a deal for FWI Holdings, known as FloWorks, an industrial distributor of valves and flow-control products that is expected to close in the third quarter. The eight deals announced this year carry about $1.4 billion in annualized revenue, a second growth path alongside organic sales. Net debt sits at 1.3 times adjusted EBITDA, a level management calls strong. The company also returned cash, buying back $202 million of stock in the quarter and declaring a $0.89 dividend payable October 7 to holders of record on August 21. Management raised its full-year sales outlook to mid-single-digit growth, before counting FloWorks.
Start with the gap between sales and profit. Adjusted operating profit rose 2.9%, behind the 4.6% sales gain, and gross margin slipped 20 basis points to 31.0%. Ferguson notes that last year's gross margin was temporarily lifted by the timing of supplier price increases, which is fair context, but the direction is still down. Reported earnings per share of $3.43 rose 6.9%, while the adjusted figure of $3.39 grew a slower 5.3%.
Then there are the soft spots. About half of revenue comes from residential markets that management describes as subdued, so a 2% gain there is modest. Canada's sales slipped 1.9%, with a business divestment outweighing organic growth, and management calls the market there challenging, especially in residential. Management also describes the economic environment as uncertain, and the margin part of the guidance raise is small. The low end of the adjusted operating margin range moved from 9.4% to 9.5%, while the top stayed at 9.8%. The guidance also leaves out FloWorks, and net debt to adjusted EBITDA is 1.3 times, against 1.2 times a year ago.
#management
The strongest engine was non-residential work, where US revenue jumped 8% on share gains in what management called a mixed market. Large capital projects are part of the story, with open order volumes growing and bidding activity strong, so there is a pipeline behind the current numbers. Housing, roughly half of revenue, is the weak spot. Yet residential sales still rose 2% in the US even though new construction is weak and repair work is soft, which means Ferguson is beating its markets rather than riding them.
Capital deployment is the second pillar. Ferguson closed five acquisitions in the quarter, and on July 13, it announced a deal for FWI Holdings, known as FloWorks, an industrial distributor of valves and flow-control products that is expected to close in the third quarter. The eight deals announced this year carry about $1.4 billion in annualized revenue, a second growth path alongside organic sales. Net debt sits at 1.3 times adjusted EBITDA, a level management calls strong. The company also returned cash, buying back $202 million of stock in the quarter and declaring a $0.89 dividend payable October 7 to holders of record on August 21. Management raised its full-year sales outlook to mid-single-digit growth, before counting FloWorks.
Start with the gap between sales and profit. Adjusted operating profit rose 2.9%, behind the 4.6% sales gain, and gross margin slipped 20 basis points to 31.0%. Ferguson notes that last year's gross margin was temporarily lifted by the timing of supplier price increases, which is fair context, but the direction is still down. Reported earnings per share of $3.43 rose 6.9%, while the adjusted figure of $3.39 grew a slower 5.3%.
Then there are the soft spots. About half of revenue comes from residential markets that management describes as subdued, so a 2% gain there is modest. Canada's sales slipped 1.9%, with a business divestment outweighing organic growth, and management calls the market there challenging, especially in residential. Management also describes the economic environment as uncertain, and the margin part of the guidance raise is small. The low end of the adjusted operating margin range moved from 9.4% to 9.5%, while the top stayed at 9.8%. The guidance also leaves out FloWorks, and net debt to adjusted EBITDA is 1.3 times, against 1.2 times a year ago.
#management
1 month ago
On August 6, James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) reported results for the quarter ended June 30 and beat its own numbers by enough to raise guidance just three months into the fiscal year. Net sales jumped 64% year over year to $1.475 billion, adjusted EBITDA climbed 79% to $422.1 million, and both figures came in ahead of what management had originally guided investors to expect. For a company that closed a transformative acquisition less than a year earlier, that kind of overshoot forces a reassessment of the growth story ahead.
The headline growth number is inflated by the AZEK Exteriors deal folded into the base, so the more telling figure is the 12% pro forma net sales growth, which also beat original guidance. Siding & Trim, the core fiber cement business, posted organic net sales growth of 20% as North American fiber cement volumes returned to growth for the first time in several quarters. CEO Aaron Erter tied that to share gains against vinyl and other competing materials, along with programs like ColorPlus and Expanded Statement drawing more of the higher-end repair and remodel market. Adjusted EBITDA margin in that segment expanded 140 basis points to 33.5%, powered by favorable pricing, cheaper raw materials, and continued savings from the company's Hardie Manufacturing Operating System even as freight costs rose.
Management also said cost synergies from the AZEK integration are running ahead of schedule and revenue synergies are on track, evidenced by newly expanded nationwide distribution partnerships with Boise Cascade and other regional distributors. In Deck, Rail & Accessories, sell-through accelerated every month of the quarter and outpaced shipments, pulling channel inventory back to normal levels and setting up a cleaner back half of the year. Free cash flow more than doubled to $254.2 million, and the company used the cash to pay down $400 million of senior unsecured notes.
Erter was careful to frame the beat as execution rather than a healthier market, telling investors the company is "not ***** uming a housing market improvement" for the rest of fiscal 2027. Part of the quarter's strength came from an easy comparison, since channel inventory was deliberately reduced a year earlier, and management said that benefit is expected to moderate as the year goes on. Deck, Rail & Accessories net sales actually fell 5% on a pro forma basis because the company intentionally cut production to work down channel inventory, leaving the segment with an operating loss of $3.3 million for the quarter.
#Growth #sales #management
The headline growth number is inflated by the AZEK Exteriors deal folded into the base, so the more telling figure is the 12% pro forma net sales growth, which also beat original guidance. Siding & Trim, the core fiber cement business, posted organic net sales growth of 20% as North American fiber cement volumes returned to growth for the first time in several quarters. CEO Aaron Erter tied that to share gains against vinyl and other competing materials, along with programs like ColorPlus and Expanded Statement drawing more of the higher-end repair and remodel market. Adjusted EBITDA margin in that segment expanded 140 basis points to 33.5%, powered by favorable pricing, cheaper raw materials, and continued savings from the company's Hardie Manufacturing Operating System even as freight costs rose.
Management also said cost synergies from the AZEK integration are running ahead of schedule and revenue synergies are on track, evidenced by newly expanded nationwide distribution partnerships with Boise Cascade and other regional distributors. In Deck, Rail & Accessories, sell-through accelerated every month of the quarter and outpaced shipments, pulling channel inventory back to normal levels and setting up a cleaner back half of the year. Free cash flow more than doubled to $254.2 million, and the company used the cash to pay down $400 million of senior unsecured notes.
Erter was careful to frame the beat as execution rather than a healthier market, telling investors the company is "not ***** uming a housing market improvement" for the rest of fiscal 2027. Part of the quarter's strength came from an easy comparison, since channel inventory was deliberately reduced a year earlier, and management said that benefit is expected to moderate as the year goes on. Deck, Rail & Accessories net sales actually fell 5% on a pro forma basis because the company intentionally cut production to work down channel inventory, leaving the segment with an operating loss of $3.3 million for the quarter.
#Growth #sales #management
1 month ago
Michael Burry is back to short selling.
The investor who bet against the U.S. housing market to become one of Wall Street's most renowned contrarians will serve as a senior adviser to Minerva Investment Management as the business prepares to establish a short-biased investment vehicle.
The decision comes less than a year after Burry liquidated Scion ******* et Management, the hedge fund where he handled his ******* ets.
Scion's regulatory registration was terminated in November 2025, Reuters confirmed. The firm had managed about $155 million as of March of that year.
Later, Burry moved most of his public market ******* ysis inside his paid "Cassandra Unchained" newsletter.
#michael #wall
The investor who bet against the U.S. housing market to become one of Wall Street's most renowned contrarians will serve as a senior adviser to Minerva Investment Management as the business prepares to establish a short-biased investment vehicle.
The decision comes less than a year after Burry liquidated Scion ******* et Management, the hedge fund where he handled his ******* ets.
Scion's regulatory registration was terminated in November 2025, Reuters confirmed. The firm had managed about $155 million as of March of that year.
Later, Burry moved most of his public market ******* ysis inside his paid "Cassandra Unchained" newsletter.
#michael #wall
1 month ago
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Innovation matters, but adaptability matters more.
Understanding your customers is a competitive advantage.
Long-term trust outlasts short-term growth.
When people think of the industries shaping the future of business, property management probably isn't at the top of the list. Most entrepreneurs likely don't think they have much to learn from the housing industry. But after two decades spent building software for landlords and property managers, I've found that it is one of the best places to learn what it really takes to build a lasting company.
#term #entrepreneur
Innovation matters, but adaptability matters more.
Understanding your customers is a competitive advantage.
Long-term trust outlasts short-term growth.
When people think of the industries shaping the future of business, property management probably isn't at the top of the list. Most entrepreneurs likely don't think they have much to learn from the housing industry. But after two decades spent building software for landlords and property managers, I've found that it is one of the best places to learn what it really takes to build a lasting company.
#term #entrepreneur
1 month ago
Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) say they would not have raised interest rates and discuss the impact of higher rates and inflation on consumers. Rep. Lawler says the Fed's decision demonstrated its independence and discusses President Trump's proposed $5,000 dividend and questions over how it would be paid for. Rep. Gottheimer says higher rates will hurt consumers through credit-card bills, housing payments and other costs. They also discuss their bipartisan Stop Rogue AI Act and the need for federal standards to identify and control AI agents, while keeping the US competitive in artificial intelligence. They speak with Kailey Leinz and Joe Mathieu on Bloomberg's "Balance of Power."
#rates #lawler #president
#rates #lawler #president
1 month ago
Every time Silicon Valley's biggest names line up behind a single message, someone eventually asks who benefits from such universal agreement. This time, that someone was the investor best known for calling the housing crash before almost anyone else saw it coming.
Michael Burry has spent the past year building a reputation as one of the AI industry's loudest skeptics. His latest target is not a stock but a story. When three of the sector's most powerful executives suddenly agreed the technology needed to slow down, Burry saw the timing as less about caution and more like a self-serving pitch.
Burry has spent much of 2026 building short positions against companies tied to the AI trade, disclosing bets against Nvidia, Tesla, Micron, Applied Materials, Caterpillar and a leading semiconductor ETF, according to TheStreet.
On September 14, Burry published a post on X and on his Substack, Cassandra Unchained, arguing that people should take a moment to understand how self-serving it is for OpenAI, Anthropic and other big hyperscaler executives to talk about slowing things down. The post circulated quickly across financial media, Yahoo Finance reported.
Related: Michael Burry doubles down on his surprising AI bet
#michael #time #someone
Michael Burry has spent the past year building a reputation as one of the AI industry's loudest skeptics. His latest target is not a stock but a story. When three of the sector's most powerful executives suddenly agreed the technology needed to slow down, Burry saw the timing as less about caution and more like a self-serving pitch.
Burry has spent much of 2026 building short positions against companies tied to the AI trade, disclosing bets against Nvidia, Tesla, Micron, Applied Materials, Caterpillar and a leading semiconductor ETF, according to TheStreet.
On September 14, Burry published a post on X and on his Substack, Cassandra Unchained, arguing that people should take a moment to understand how self-serving it is for OpenAI, Anthropic and other big hyperscaler executives to talk about slowing things down. The post circulated quickly across financial media, Yahoo Finance reported.
Related: Michael Burry doubles down on his surprising AI bet
#michael #time #someone
1 month ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Mortgage rates continue to rise as 2026 nears its fourth quarter. What is the outlook for home loan rates in the next five years? Should you wait for mortgage rates to fall significantly before buying or refinancing? Mortgage interest rates are determined by several factors, all of which can give us clues about the future. Let's take a closer look at mortgage rate predictions over the next five years.
Here are the housing market predictions for 2026.
One of the most useful indicators for predicting mortgage rates is the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note. Mortgage rates and 10-year Treasury yields typically move in the same direction, although mortgage rates are usually higher because lenders factor in additional risks. This difference is known as the spread, and we'll account for it when estimating where mortgage rates could go.
With that in mind, the first step is to look at where economists believe Treasury yields are headed over the next five years. To build a forecast, we'll combine expert economic projections with data compiled using artificial intelligence.
#next #five
Mortgage rates continue to rise as 2026 nears its fourth quarter. What is the outlook for home loan rates in the next five years? Should you wait for mortgage rates to fall significantly before buying or refinancing? Mortgage interest rates are determined by several factors, all of which can give us clues about the future. Let's take a closer look at mortgage rate predictions over the next five years.
Here are the housing market predictions for 2026.
One of the most useful indicators for predicting mortgage rates is the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note. Mortgage rates and 10-year Treasury yields typically move in the same direction, although mortgage rates are usually higher because lenders factor in additional risks. This difference is known as the spread, and we'll account for it when estimating where mortgage rates could go.
With that in mind, the first step is to look at where economists believe Treasury yields are headed over the next five years. To build a forecast, we'll combine expert economic projections with data compiled using artificial intelligence.
#next #five
1 month ago
When planning for retirement, most people account for housing, travel, daily living expenses and general healthcare costs. However, it's easy to overlook one retirement expense: the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, commonly known as IRMAA.
If you have a large pension, substantial tax-deferred retirement accounts, or other variables that may elevate your retirement income, IRMAA is a factor you may encounter starting in your mid-60s. While it is unlikely to derail a well-constructed financial plan, failing to understand IRMAA and how to plan ahead for it can lead to frustrating annual surprises.
In the United States, most adults become eligible for Medicare when they turn 65. Medicare is divided into several parts, but IRMAA specifically applies to two of them: Part B (which covers doctor visits, outpatient care and preventive services) and Part D (prescription drug coverage).
For the average retiree, Medicare Part B carries a standard monthly base premium ($202.90 per month in 2026). Part D coverage varies depending on the specific private plan selected, but carries a national average base premium of roughly $38.99 per month. Combined, a standard retiree pays roughly $242 per month for basic Part B and Part D coverage, per Medicare.
However, Medicare premiums are not one-size-fits-all. If your income exceeds specific threshold limits set by the federal government, you will be required to pay an additional surcharge on top of your base monthly premiums. That additional surcharge is IRMAA.
#income #base
If you have a large pension, substantial tax-deferred retirement accounts, or other variables that may elevate your retirement income, IRMAA is a factor you may encounter starting in your mid-60s. While it is unlikely to derail a well-constructed financial plan, failing to understand IRMAA and how to plan ahead for it can lead to frustrating annual surprises.
In the United States, most adults become eligible for Medicare when they turn 65. Medicare is divided into several parts, but IRMAA specifically applies to two of them: Part B (which covers doctor visits, outpatient care and preventive services) and Part D (prescription drug coverage).
For the average retiree, Medicare Part B carries a standard monthly base premium ($202.90 per month in 2026). Part D coverage varies depending on the specific private plan selected, but carries a national average base premium of roughly $38.99 per month. Combined, a standard retiree pays roughly $242 per month for basic Part B and Part D coverage, per Medicare.
However, Medicare premiums are not one-size-fits-all. If your income exceeds specific threshold limits set by the federal government, you will be required to pay an additional surcharge on top of your base monthly premiums. That additional surcharge is IRMAA.
#income #base
1 month ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Mortgage rates continue to rise as 2026 nears its fourth quarter. What is the outlook for home loan rates in the next five years? Should you wait for mortgage rates to fall significantly before buying or refinancing? Mortgage interest rates are determined by several factors, all of which can give us clues about the future. Let's take a closer look at mortgage rate predictions over the next five years.
Here are the housing market predictions for 2026.
One of the most useful indicators for predicting mortgage rates is the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note. Mortgage rates and 10-year Treasury yields typically move in the same direction, although mortgage rates are usually higher because lenders factor in additional risks. This difference is known as the spread, and we'll account for it when estimating where mortgage rates could go.
With that in mind, the first step is to look at where economists believe Treasury yields are headed over the next five years. To build a forecast, we'll combine expert economic projections with data compiled using artificial intelligence.
#rates #five #yields
Mortgage rates continue to rise as 2026 nears its fourth quarter. What is the outlook for home loan rates in the next five years? Should you wait for mortgage rates to fall significantly before buying or refinancing? Mortgage interest rates are determined by several factors, all of which can give us clues about the future. Let's take a closer look at mortgage rate predictions over the next five years.
Here are the housing market predictions for 2026.
One of the most useful indicators for predicting mortgage rates is the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note. Mortgage rates and 10-year Treasury yields typically move in the same direction, although mortgage rates are usually higher because lenders factor in additional risks. This difference is known as the spread, and we'll account for it when estimating where mortgage rates could go.
With that in mind, the first step is to look at where economists believe Treasury yields are headed over the next five years. To build a forecast, we'll combine expert economic projections with data compiled using artificial intelligence.
#rates #five #yields
1 month ago
On September 15, CareTrust REIT (NYSE:CTRE) announced it had closed on a $400 million skilled nursing portfolio in the Southwest, effective September 1, and unveiled a reloaded $600 million investment pipeline behind it. The deal covers 2,622 licensed beds triple net leased back to the existing operator, sourced off-market and structured through a joint venture that put roughly $380 million of CareTrust's own capital to work. It is the latest entry in a buying spree that has now pushed the company's 2026 investment total past $1.9 billion.
The new portfolio is expected to generate a stabilized yield of about 8.6%, in line with the 8.7% blended yield CareTrust has posted across two dozen deals closed so far in 2026. That consistency matters more than any single transaction. The company has now closed roughly $710 million in investments in the third quarter alone, including a small UK care home purchase in mid-August, on top of the $899.6 million it closed in the second quarter at an 8.9% yield.
Management says the $600 million pipeline of near-term, actionable deals, about half of it aimed at the senior housing operating portfolio, does not even include a set of larger transactions still being pursued, so the deal flow may not be finished. The balance sheet backs up that ambition. CareTrust ended the second quarter, on June 30, 2026, with net debt to annualized normalized EBITDA of just 1.01x, and as of the September announcement it still had $725 million available under its revolver plus $612 million of remaining ATM capacity. That combination let the company raise its full year 2026 guidance on August 6 to normalized FFO of $2.03 to $2.06 per share, an increase of 16.2% at the midpoint over 2025, even before this latest acquisition was on the books.
This growth has come with a real cost to existing shareholders. Diluted weighted average shares outstanding rose from about 192.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 to 234.2 million a year later, as CareTrust leaned on forward equity offerings and its ATM program to fund the buying spree. The company still had $439 million of expected net proceeds sitting in unsettled forward equity contracts as of September 15, meaning more shares are still coming.
The second quarter also carried a $4.7 million provision for loan losses, a line that did not appear in the prior year period and is worth watching as the loan and financing receivable book grows alongside the property portfolio. Interest expense rose to $15.3 million in the quarter from $13.0 million a year earlier, and 2026 guidance leans on rent escalators of just 2.5% a year, a modest built-in growth rate once the acquisition pace eventually slows. The company's own risk disclosures flag reliance on tenants to keep meeting their lease obligations, along with exposure to healthcare reform, staffing requirements, and currency swings tied to its UK operations.
#still
The new portfolio is expected to generate a stabilized yield of about 8.6%, in line with the 8.7% blended yield CareTrust has posted across two dozen deals closed so far in 2026. That consistency matters more than any single transaction. The company has now closed roughly $710 million in investments in the third quarter alone, including a small UK care home purchase in mid-August, on top of the $899.6 million it closed in the second quarter at an 8.9% yield.
Management says the $600 million pipeline of near-term, actionable deals, about half of it aimed at the senior housing operating portfolio, does not even include a set of larger transactions still being pursued, so the deal flow may not be finished. The balance sheet backs up that ambition. CareTrust ended the second quarter, on June 30, 2026, with net debt to annualized normalized EBITDA of just 1.01x, and as of the September announcement it still had $725 million available under its revolver plus $612 million of remaining ATM capacity. That combination let the company raise its full year 2026 guidance on August 6 to normalized FFO of $2.03 to $2.06 per share, an increase of 16.2% at the midpoint over 2025, even before this latest acquisition was on the books.
This growth has come with a real cost to existing shareholders. Diluted weighted average shares outstanding rose from about 192.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 to 234.2 million a year later, as CareTrust leaned on forward equity offerings and its ATM program to fund the buying spree. The company still had $439 million of expected net proceeds sitting in unsettled forward equity contracts as of September 15, meaning more shares are still coming.
The second quarter also carried a $4.7 million provision for loan losses, a line that did not appear in the prior year period and is worth watching as the loan and financing receivable book grows alongside the property portfolio. Interest expense rose to $15.3 million in the quarter from $13.0 million a year earlier, and 2026 guidance leans on rent escalators of just 2.5% a year, a modest built-in growth rate once the acquisition pace eventually slows. The company's own risk disclosures flag reliance on tenants to keep meeting their lease obligations, along with exposure to healthcare reform, staffing requirements, and currency swings tied to its UK operations.
#still
1 month ago
Galliford Try Holdings PLC (LSE:GFRD, FRA:3WC) chief financial officer Kris Hampson spoke with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion about the construction group's latest results, growing order book, margin progression and outlook for 2027, as well as its approach to acquisitions and shareholder returns.
Hampson said Galliford Try delivered a sixth consecutive year of growth across key metrics, supported by its building, infrastructure and specialist services operations. Adjusted profit before tax rose 24% on revenue growth of 3% to nearly £56 million, with adjusted divisional operating margin advancing from 3% to 3.5% and average cash up 21% to £216.2 million. "We make revenue, we turn it into profit, and we turn that profit into cash," Hampson said.
Looking ahead, he highlighted the £4.3 billion order book, up 5%, with more than 90% of current-year revenue already secured, alongside 60% for 2028. He said 91% of the order book sits within long-term frameworks and 95% is with government and regulated clients.
Hampson also discussed opportunities across water, highways, education and affordable housing, including growth tied to AMP8, newer frameworks on improved terms, and expects continued progression towards the group's 4% adjusted operating margin target for 2030.
On capital allocation, Galliford Try announced a £15 million share buyback alongside its results, following last year's £10 million buyback. Hampson also discussed the company's active M&A pipeline and its commitment to maintaining a dividend at 1.8 times cover based on adjusted EPS.
#million #profit
Hampson said Galliford Try delivered a sixth consecutive year of growth across key metrics, supported by its building, infrastructure and specialist services operations. Adjusted profit before tax rose 24% on revenue growth of 3% to nearly £56 million, with adjusted divisional operating margin advancing from 3% to 3.5% and average cash up 21% to £216.2 million. "We make revenue, we turn it into profit, and we turn that profit into cash," Hampson said.
Looking ahead, he highlighted the £4.3 billion order book, up 5%, with more than 90% of current-year revenue already secured, alongside 60% for 2028. He said 91% of the order book sits within long-term frameworks and 95% is with government and regulated clients.
Hampson also discussed opportunities across water, highways, education and affordable housing, including growth tied to AMP8, newer frameworks on improved terms, and expects continued progression towards the group's 4% adjusted operating margin target for 2030.
On capital allocation, Galliford Try announced a £15 million share buyback alongside its results, following last year's £10 million buyback. Hampson also discussed the company's active M&A pipeline and its commitment to maintaining a dividend at 1.8 times cover based on adjusted EPS.
#million #profit
1 month ago
On August 4, Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) reported second-quarter results that erased two consecutive quarterly losses in a single swing. Net income landed at $260 million, or $2.01 per share, compared with a $169 million loss just three months earlier and a $142 million loss a year ago. EBITDA nearly tripled from the second quarter of 2025. The numbers mark a sharp reversal for a company whose chemicals business had been bleeding red ink.
The turnaround centers on Performance and Essential Materials, the segment that makes chlorovinyls and other basic chemicals. PEM swung from a $318 million operating loss in the second quarter of 2025 to $185 million in income this quarter, while EBITDA excluding identified items jumped from a 3% margin to 21%. The driver was pricing: average sales prices across PEM rose 14% year over year, more than offsetting a 3% price decline in the Housing and Infrastructure Products segment. Combined with a 7% increase in companywide sales volume, excluding the effects of plant shutdowns and an acquisition, the pricing recovery pushed companywide EBITDA to $679 million from $210 million a year earlier.
Westlake is also working the balance sheet alongside the market recovery. The company reduced debt by $500 million during the quarter and returned $99 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Management says its three-pillar profitability improvement plan remains on track to deliver a $600 million operating income benefit, a target that, if it holds, would layer structural cost savings on top of whatever the market gives back in pricing.
Not every part of the story improved together. Housing and Infrastructure Products, the segment tied to home construction and building products, saw its EBITDA margin slip to 22% from 24% a year earlier, even as volume rose 6% excluding the ACI acquisition. Average sales prices in that segment fell 3% year over year, a sign that pricing power in housing products has softened even as the company sells more of it.
The improvement in the core chemicals business also leans heavily on price rather than volume. PEM's turnaround came from a 14% jump in average sales price, a figure that can move in either direction with commodity cycles. The first quarter of 2026 was a reminder of how quickly conditions shift: Westlake posted a $169 million net loss just three months before this result, weighed down by $85 million in identified items, including a $67 million charge to settle litigation over PVC pipe and fittings and $18 million tied to facility shutdowns. A year earlier, in the second quarter of 2025, the company absorbed another $130 million in shutdown-related charges. Restructuring and legal charges showed up in two of the last three reported quarters.
#million #year #quarter #loss
The turnaround centers on Performance and Essential Materials, the segment that makes chlorovinyls and other basic chemicals. PEM swung from a $318 million operating loss in the second quarter of 2025 to $185 million in income this quarter, while EBITDA excluding identified items jumped from a 3% margin to 21%. The driver was pricing: average sales prices across PEM rose 14% year over year, more than offsetting a 3% price decline in the Housing and Infrastructure Products segment. Combined with a 7% increase in companywide sales volume, excluding the effects of plant shutdowns and an acquisition, the pricing recovery pushed companywide EBITDA to $679 million from $210 million a year earlier.
Westlake is also working the balance sheet alongside the market recovery. The company reduced debt by $500 million during the quarter and returned $99 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Management says its three-pillar profitability improvement plan remains on track to deliver a $600 million operating income benefit, a target that, if it holds, would layer structural cost savings on top of whatever the market gives back in pricing.
Not every part of the story improved together. Housing and Infrastructure Products, the segment tied to home construction and building products, saw its EBITDA margin slip to 22% from 24% a year earlier, even as volume rose 6% excluding the ACI acquisition. Average sales prices in that segment fell 3% year over year, a sign that pricing power in housing products has softened even as the company sells more of it.
The improvement in the core chemicals business also leans heavily on price rather than volume. PEM's turnaround came from a 14% jump in average sales price, a figure that can move in either direction with commodity cycles. The first quarter of 2026 was a reminder of how quickly conditions shift: Westlake posted a $169 million net loss just three months before this result, weighed down by $85 million in identified items, including a $67 million charge to settle litigation over PVC pipe and fittings and $18 million tied to facility shutdowns. A year earlier, in the second quarter of 2025, the company absorbed another $130 million in shutdown-related charges. Restructuring and legal charges showed up in two of the last three reported quarters.
#million #year #quarter #loss
1 month ago
The dollar index (DXY00) climbed to a 2-week high today and is up by +0.09%. The dollar is climbing today on signs of US economic growth after Aug retail sales rose more than expected. The dollar also has support on expectations that the Fed will raise interest rates by 25 bp at today's FOMC meeting.
Higher stocks today have curbed demand for dollar liquidity. Also, the larger-than-expected decline in the Sep NAHB housing market index is negative for the dollar. In addition, today's -2% decline in WTI crude oil lowers inflation expectations and is dovish for Fed policy and bearish for the dollar.
Dollar Rises on Surging Crude Prices and T-Note Yields
Dollar Supported by Higher Crude Prices and T-Note Yields
Dollar Soars as Fed Hikes Rates and Signals More to Come
#today #higher #note #rates
Higher stocks today have curbed demand for dollar liquidity. Also, the larger-than-expected decline in the Sep NAHB housing market index is negative for the dollar. In addition, today's -2% decline in WTI crude oil lowers inflation expectations and is dovish for Fed policy and bearish for the dollar.
Dollar Rises on Surging Crude Prices and T-Note Yields
Dollar Supported by Higher Crude Prices and T-Note Yields
Dollar Soars as Fed Hikes Rates and Signals More to Come
#today #higher #note #rates
1 month ago
PulteGroup, Inc. (PHM) is one of America's largest homebuilders, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It acquires and develops land for residential use and constructs and sells single-family detached homes, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes. Operating in U.S. markets, the company serves diverse homebuyers through brands including Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, and DiVosta Homes. The company has a market capitalization of $22.76 billion, which makes it a "large-cap" stock.
PulteGroup's shares reached a 52-week low of $108.49 on May 19, but are up 10.1% from that level. Over the past three months, the stock has dropped 2.7%, as investors weigh persistent housing-market headwinds. Meanwhile, the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) is up marginally over the past three months. Therefore, PHM has clearly underperformed over this period.
Billionaire Charlie Munger, Who Died at 99, Skipped Insurance on His Mansion Since He Could Just Write a Check to Rebuild — 'All Intelligent People Do It My Way'
The Case for Selling CrowdStrike Stock
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Just Dropped Huge News for This Cybersecurity Stock
#Stock #months #atlanta
PulteGroup's shares reached a 52-week low of $108.49 on May 19, but are up 10.1% from that level. Over the past three months, the stock has dropped 2.7%, as investors weigh persistent housing-market headwinds. Meanwhile, the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) is up marginally over the past three months. Therefore, PHM has clearly underperformed over this period.
Billionaire Charlie Munger, Who Died at 99, Skipped Insurance on His Mansion Since He Could Just Write a Check to Rebuild — 'All Intelligent People Do It My Way'
The Case for Selling CrowdStrike Stock
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Just Dropped Huge News for This Cybersecurity Stock
#Stock #months #atlanta
1 month ago
Welltower and Ventas posted SHOP NOI growth of 20.5% and 16.3%, respectively, as senior occupancy rates climb and new supply starts remain at record lows.
Roughly 2 million people turn 80 in 2026, and Ventas CEO Debra Cafaro says the senior population growth rate will more than double over the next decade.
OHI's 5.68% yield carries real tenant risk: Genesis Healthcare is in Chapter 11 with $148 million in loans outstanding and the CEO is retiring.
Just released. Our **** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and Welltower didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat WELL. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
Senior housing and skilled nursing REITs are riding a demographic tide that shows up in the operating data. Roughly two million people will turn 80 in 2026 alone, and Ventas Chair and CEO Debra A. Cafaro told investors that "the leading edge of the nearly 70 million baby boomers has just begun turning 80 this year, ushering in a decade where the growth rate of the senior population more than doubles, yet new starts remain at record lows." Four US-listed equity REITs sit squarely in that trade. Dividend safety leads the **** ysis, so every payout is measured against FFO or AFFO, not GAAP earnings.
#ventas #welltower
Roughly 2 million people turn 80 in 2026, and Ventas CEO Debra Cafaro says the senior population growth rate will more than double over the next decade.
OHI's 5.68% yield carries real tenant risk: Genesis Healthcare is in Chapter 11 with $148 million in loans outstanding and the CEO is retiring.
Just released. Our **** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and Welltower didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat WELL. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
Senior housing and skilled nursing REITs are riding a demographic tide that shows up in the operating data. Roughly two million people will turn 80 in 2026 alone, and Ventas Chair and CEO Debra A. Cafaro told investors that "the leading edge of the nearly 70 million baby boomers has just begun turning 80 this year, ushering in a decade where the growth rate of the senior population more than doubles, yet new starts remain at record lows." Four US-listed equity REITs sit squarely in that trade. Dividend safety leads the **** ysis, so every payout is measured against FFO or AFFO, not GAAP earnings.
#ventas #welltower
1 month ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
It doesn't look like a market crash is in our future.
A housing market crash happens when home values plummet due to a lack of demand for or an oversupply of homes. The factors leading to a housing market crash are varied, ranging from economic recessions to high mortgage rates that make it less affordable to buy a home. A housing crash can have upsides (low home prices) and downsides (losing built-up equity and tighter finances).
So, what's ahead for the housing market in 2026?
Read more: Want to buy a house in 2026? Here's what you need to know.
Despite 58% of Gen Z wanting a housing market crash, according to Clever, experts don't foresee one in 2026. If anything, they see a greater sense of normalcy following multiple years of twists and turns.
#market #crash #despite #offers
It doesn't look like a market crash is in our future.
A housing market crash happens when home values plummet due to a lack of demand for or an oversupply of homes. The factors leading to a housing market crash are varied, ranging from economic recessions to high mortgage rates that make it less affordable to buy a home. A housing crash can have upsides (low home prices) and downsides (losing built-up equity and tighter finances).
So, what's ahead for the housing market in 2026?
Read more: Want to buy a house in 2026? Here's what you need to know.
Despite 58% of Gen Z wanting a housing market crash, according to Clever, experts don't foresee one in 2026. If anything, they see a greater sense of normalcy following multiple years of twists and turns.
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