Malibu Boats, Inc. (MBUU) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Access earnings results, analyst expectations, report, slides, earnings call, and transcript.
Overview
The earnings call reflects a challenging financial situation, with GAAP net loss, decreased adjusted EBITDA, and weak guidance. Despite some positive elements like share repurchases and centralized sourcing benefits, the overall sentiment is negative due to lower sales, higher costs, and uncertain market conditions. The Q&A section highlights concerns about industry trends and inventory levels, further dampening sentiment. The lack of strong positive catalysts and the company's cautious outlook lead to a likely negative stock price movement.
Key Financial Performance
Net Sales $188.6 million, a decrease of 5.8% year-over-year. The decline was primarily driven by decreased unit volumes across all segments, unfavorable segment and model mix in the Malibu segment, partially offset by favorable model mix in the Cobalt and Saltwater Fishing segments and inflation-driven year-over-year price increases.
Unit Volume 1,106 units, a decrease of 9.5% year-over-year. The decline was due to lower wholesale shipments and unfavorable segment and model mix in the Malibu segment.
Consolidated Net Sales Per Unit $170,544 per unit, an increase of 4.1% year-over-year. This was driven by favorable model mix in the Cobalt and Saltwater Fishing segments and inflation-driven price increases, partially offset by unfavorable model mix in the Malibu segment and overall unfavorable segment mix.
Gross Profit $25.1 million, a decrease of 32.9% year-over-year. The decline was due to fixed cost deleverage across all segments, lower sales, and higher per unit labor and material costs.
Gross Margin 13.3%, a decrease of 540 basis points year-over-year. The decline was driven by fixed cost deleverage and higher per unit labor and material costs.
Selling and Marketing Expenses Increased by 1.4% year-over-year, primarily due to higher personnel-related expenses. As a percentage of sales, it increased by 20 basis points to 3.2%.
General and Administrative Expenses Decreased by 21.5% or $5.7 million year-over-year. The decline was due to lower legal fees, incentive pay, and stock-based compensation expenses. As a percentage of sales, it decreased by 230 basis points to 11%.
GAAP Net Loss $2.5 million, compared to GAAP net income of $2.4 million in the prior year. The loss was influenced by lower sales and higher costs.
Adjusted EBITDA $8 million, a decrease of 52.5% year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA margin decreased to 4.3% from 8.4% in the prior year, driven by lower sales and higher costs.
Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Loss Per Share $0.02, compared to adjusted net income of $0.32 per share in the prior year. This was calculated using a normalized C-Corp tax rate of 24.5% and a basic weighted average share count of approximately 19.1 million shares.
Free Cash Flow $8.4 million, inclusive of $4.4 million of capital expenditures. This reflects disciplined capital allocation and operational efficiency.
Share Repurchases $20.8 million, representing 751,000 shares repurchased during the quarter. This was part of an expanded share repurchase program to $70 million, reflecting confidence in the company's long-term strategy.
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Operating Highlights
New Model Year Boats: Strong customer response for new model year boats and continued momentum across brands.
New Product Launches: Debut of two new models, Pursuit 286 and Pathfinder 2800, at the Miami International Boat Show.
Awards: Malibu 23 LSV recognized as Surf Boat of the Year for the sixth consecutive year.
Market Positioning: Focused on customer-driven innovation and expanding partnerships to differentiate brands and capture market share.
Dealer Network: Healthy inventory position for model year '26 boats, enabling confidence in new product introductions.
Retail Financing Program: Expansion of MBI acceptance program offering competitive rates as low as 3.99%.
Operational Excellence: Progress on centralized sourcing initiatives to improve supply chain management, lower costs, and enhance quality controls.
Marine Components Business: Early traction with soft grip flooring and trailer offerings, engaging two new customers.
Capital Allocation: Expanded share repurchase program to $70 million, completing $20.8 million in repurchases during the quarter.
Long-term Strategy: Focus on disciplined execution, operational excellence, and prudent capital deployment to drive long-term shareholder value.
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Risk or Challenges
Challenging Retail Environment: The retail environment remains challenging, which could impact sales and revenue growth.
Competitive Promotional Environment: The promotional environment is competitive, potentially pressuring margins and sales.
Unfavorable Segment and Model Mix: Unfavorable segment and model mix in the Malibu segment is pressuring average selling prices (ASPs) and could continue to do so throughout the fiscal year.
Decreased Unit Volumes: Unit volumes decreased by 9.5%, driven by lower wholesale shipments, which negatively impacts revenue.
Gross Margin Decline: Gross margin decreased by 540 basis points due to fixed cost deleverage, higher labor, and material costs.
Tariff Impacts: Tariffs are estimated to impact the cost structure by 1.5% to 3% of cost of sales, potentially affecting profitability.
Market Decline Expectations: The broader marine market is expected to decline mid- to high single digits, which could impact overall sales and growth.
Dealer Inventory Overhang: The broader industry is working through a modest overhang of noncurrent inventory, which could affect new product introductions and sales.
Higher Per Unit Costs: Higher per unit labor and material costs are pressuring profitability.
Decreased Profitability Metrics: Adjusted EBITDA margin decreased to 4.3% from 8.4%, and gross profit decreased by 32.9%, reflecting reduced profitability.
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Guidance & Outlook
Future Sales Expectations: For the full fiscal year, sales are expected to be flat to down mid-single digits year-over-year. For Q3, net sales are projected to be in the range of $198 million to $202 million.
Adjusted EBITDA Margin: Consolidated adjusted EBITDA margin for the full fiscal year is expected to be in the range of 8% to 9%. For Q3, adjusted EBITDA margins are anticipated to be approximately 8.5%.
Market Performance Outlook: Markets are expected to decline in the range of mid- to high single digits for the fiscal year. Retail trends are tracking with the company's outlook for the year.
Tariff Impact: Guidance incorporates a modest direct impact to the fiscal 2026 cost structure due to tariffs, estimated between 1.5% and 3% of cost of sales, assuming current tariff rates.
Dealer Inventory and Market Recovery: Dealer inventories are in a healthy position, and the company is well-positioned to execute through the back half of the fiscal year. The company is monitoring market conditions and has the capacity to scale production if demand improves.
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Shareholder Return Plan
Share Repurchase Program Expansion: During the quarter, the company expanded its share repurchase program to $70 million, reflecting the Board's confidence in the long-term strategy, strong financial position, and commitment to disciplined capital allocation. The company completed $20.8 million of share repurchases, representing 751,000 shares repurchased during the quarter, taking advantage of attractive market conditions. The company views this as a prudent use of capital alongside ongoing investments in the business. Looking ahead, the company plans to continue being thoughtful and opportunistic in capital deployment, balancing investments for growth with actions that prioritize shareholder value.
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Key Q&A
Q:Can you quantify how much the higher boat show expenses weighed on EBITDA margin, whether that's year-over-year or quarter-over-quarter?
A:The higher boat show expenses resulted in about 50 basis points (bps) of cost pressure for the quarter year-over-year.
Q:Can we get an idea about the delta between your inventories and what's going on in the industry?
A:The industry as a whole is in a healthy position with some pockets of elevated weeks on hand. The company has addressed these and feels good about its weeks on hand from a historical perspective.
Q:Could you elaborate on the MBI Acceptance program and any incremental lift or improved conversion from it?
A:It is too early to determine trends, but early feedback from dealers has been positive. The program has driven traffic to booths at boat shows and helped close a few deals.
Q:Can you elaborate on any cost savings from centralized sourcing initiatives?
A:A significant portion of margin growth in the latter part of the year is expected to come from centralized sourcing efforts, which are starting to impact the P&L and will continue to provide benefits.
Q:Have you seen any shift in dealer sentiment or attitude towards taking on inventory ahead of the season?
A:Dealer feedback has been mixed, with some positive and some weaker shows. Overall, the trend has been positive, resulting in additional orders. The company is meeting expectations and remains encouraged.
Q:Is there a thought about keeping inventory flat or taking boats out of the channel by the end of the fiscal year?
A:Given the expected market decline, some level of destocking is implied for the fiscal year. However, stabilization is expected in the latter part of the year, with potential to match retail with wholesale if the market trend remains positive.
Q:What is your outlook for labor costs moving forward, and do you see any material relief?
A:The company is focused on operational effectiveness and expects benefits from labor per unit cost and centralized sourcing efforts to flow into margins in the coming quarters.
Q:Are you seeing any bounce back in the ski/wake category, and what efforts are being made to reinvigorate it?
A:The category remains stable, with efforts ongoing at Malibu, Axis, and competitive groups to push growth in the segment.
Q:What gives you confidence in significant EBITDA margin expansion in Q4 despite a flat industry?
A:Confidence is based on three factors: sequential top-line growth leading to fixed cost leverage, benefits from centralized sourcing efforts, and reduced promotional dollars as inventory stabilizes.
Q:Is there anything noteworthy in the cadence of promotions?
A:Promotions are returning to a more normal cadence. A successful year-end sales event drove promotional dollars, but margin growth is expected in the latter part of the year as the environment normalizes.
Q:What are your thoughts on the competitor tie-up announced this morning and its impact on you competitively?
A:The company does not comment on competitor strategic decisions and remains focused on its own capital allocation priorities and strategic vision.
Q:Can you provide an update on your M&A pipeline and potential deals in other boat segments?
A:The company continues due diligence on opportunities as discussed during Investor Day. It is actively looking for and working on opportunities, but no specific updates are available at this time.
Q:Review of Unclear Management Responses
A:Management avoided giving a direct answer to the question about the competitor tie-up announced that morning, stating they do not comment on competitor strategic decisions. Additionally, the response to the M&A pipeline question was vague, with no specific details provided about potential deals or segments.
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Earnings Word Cloud
The most frequently occurring keywords in this quarter's earning call
Advantage quality
Award sic
Awards Surf
Boat honor
Boats planning
CFO role
Choice Award
Choice Awards
Customer market
LSV WakeWorld
MBI
Malibu end
Miami International
OEM relationship
Officer role
Pathfinder state
Program financing
Pursuit Pathfinder
Riders Choice
Show week
WakeWorld Riders
capability
customer
effort
experience
foundation
introduction
marine
market environment
model boat
momentum
ownership
partnership
position
sale event
tool
traction
update
MBUU Transcript
Malibu Boats, Inc. (MBUU) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown2-5
The earnings call reflects a challenging financial situation, with GAAP net loss, decreased adjusted EBITDA, and weak guidance. Despite some positive elements like share repurchases and centralized sourcing benefits, the overall sentiment is negative due to lower sales, higher costs, and uncertain market conditions. The Q&A section highlights concerns about industry trends and inventory levels, further dampening sentiment. The lack of strong positive catalysts and the company's cautious outlook lead to a likely negative stock price movement.
Malibu Boats, Inc. (MBUU) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown10-30
The earnings call presents a mixed outlook. While there are positive signals like increased net income per share and strong dealer reception to the MBI program, market decline and higher inventory levels are concerning. The Q&A section reveals uncertainties about interest rates and consumer behavior, impacting sentiment. The strategic plan indicates flat to declining sales, and guidance suggests modest margin improvements. Overall, the lack of clear growth catalysts and market challenges balance the positives, resulting in a neutral sentiment.
Malibu Boats, Inc. (MBUU) Q4 2025 Earnings Conference Call Transcript
Unknown8-28
The earnings call presents mixed signals: positive adjusted net income and free cash flow, but declining net sales and EBITDA margins. The Q&A reveals concerns about tariffs and inventory, with management offering vague responses. Despite some positive aspects, such as a significant YoY net income increase and healthy dealer base, the guidance suggests a decline in sales and EBITDA margins, leading to a neutral sentiment. The lack of clear strategies for tariffs and pricing further dampens optimism, suggesting limited stock price movement in the next two weeks.
Malibu Boats, Inc. (MBUU) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Unknown5-8
The earnings call reveals a mixed financial performance, with strong net sales and income growth, but a negative market outlook and revised guidance. The company anticipates a decline in retail markets and has adjusted its capital expenditures and share repurchase plans due to macroeconomic uncertainties. The Q&A section highlights concerns about demand trends and tariff risks, with management providing unclear responses. These factors, combined with a reduction in share repurchase pace and a cautious market outlook, suggest a negative sentiment and potential stock price decline in the short term.
MBUU Slides
MBUU Report
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