Meritage Homes reports fourth quarter 2025 results

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE: MTH), the fifth largest public homebuilder in the U.S., today announced fourth quarter and full year results for the periods ended December 31, 2025.

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS

"Despite a challenging economic backdrop, Meritage wrapped up 2025 with full year sales orders of 14,650 homes, consistent with prior year. This performance reflected our push to open new communities and capitalize on our strategy of having readily available inventory in all of our stores. Our strong broker engagement was also a key differentiator, enabling us to achieve a better absorption pace than current broader market trends. We believe our affordable price points and move-in ready homes offer certainty to buyers experiencing concerns about the outlook of their personal finances and a housing market impacted by persistent affordability challenges," said Steven J. Hilton, executive chairman of Meritage Homes. "Even as we anticipate ongoing near-term noise in the market, we expect our 15% year-over-year community count growth in 2025 to position us to continue to capture market share when demand improves."

"Our efficient operating model and cycle times resulted in 3,755 closings this quarter, and with approximately 63% of these deliveries coming from intra-quarter sales, a backlog conversion rate of 221%," added Phillippe Lord, chief executive officer of Meritage Homes.

Mr. Lord continued, "We generated home closing revenue of $1.4 billion this quarter and achieved adjusted home closing gross margin of 19.3%, excluding $38.9 million of non-recurring charges, and adjusted diluted EPS of $1.67, excluding $42.9 million of non-recurring charges. These charges were primarily comprised of terminated land deal walk-away expenses as well as real estate inventory impairments and severance costs. We conducted an in-depth review of our optioned land and elected to terminate certain positions to release capital to top-grade our land portfolio as opportunities become available in the marketplace. In the near-term, we are accelerating share repurchases, consistent with our recent announcement, as we believe this represents the most compelling use of capital given the significant undervaluation of our stock. We have also taken steps to reduce our go-forward overhead costs—an intentional decision in response to broader macro conditions, with a strategic focus on both cost cutting and technological efficiencies for certain back-office functions."

"In balancing disciplined growth with shareholder returns in today's market, we invested $416 million in land acquisition and development while returning $179 million of capital to shareholders through cash dividends and share repurchases during the fourth quarter of 2025. For the full year, total capital returned exceeded $416 million, representing 92% of this year's total earnings. As previously announced, we anticipate $400 million in share repurchases during 2026, assuming no material changes to market conditions," concluded Mr. Lord. "As of December 31, 2025, we had a cash balance of $775 million, no borrowings under our revolving credit facility, and a net debt-to-capital ratio of 16.9%. We increased our book value per share 7% year-over-year."

FOURTH QUARTER RESULTS

YEAR TO DATE RESULTS

BALANCE SHEET & LIQUIDITY

GUIDANCE

The Company expects full year 2026 home closing volume and revenue to be consistent with full year 2025 results, assuming no further deterioration from current market conditions.

CONFERENCE CALL

Management will host a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter 2025 results at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) on Thursday, January 29, 2026. To listen, please go to Meritage's Investor Relations page for the live webcast or dial in to 1-800-445-7795 US toll free or 1-785-424-1699. A replay will be available on the Investor Relations page.

(1) Share amounts have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the 2-for-1 stock split that was effective on January 2, 2025.

Meritage Homes Corporation and Subsidiaries

Operating Data

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

We aggregate our homebuilding operating segments into reporting segments based on similar long-term economic characteristics and geographical proximity. Effective January 1, 2025, the Tennessee homebuilding operating segment has been reclassified from the East reporting segment to the Central reporting segment for the purpose of making operational and resource decisions and assessing financial performance. Prior period balances have been retroactively adjusted to reflect this reclassification. Our three reportable homebuilding segments are as follows:

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Information (In thousands):

This press release includes comments and discussion about our operating results that reflect certain adjustments, including to home closing gross profit, home closing gross margin, earnings before income taxes, net earnings, diluted earnings per common share, and debt-to-capital ratios. These adjusted results are considered non-GAAP financial measures and should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, the comparable GAAP financial measures. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are relevant and useful to investors in understanding our operating results and may be helpful in comparing our company with other companies in the homebuilding and other industries to the extent they provide similar information. We encourage investors to understand the methods used by other companies to calculate these non-GAAP financial measures and any adjustments thereto before comparing to our non-GAAP financial measures.

(1) Net debt-to-capital reflects certain adjustments to the debt-to-capital ratio and is defined as net debt (debt less cash and cash equivalents) divided by total capital (net debt plus stockholders' equity). Net debt-to-capital is considered a non-GAAP financial measure and should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, the comparable GAAP financial measures. We believe this non-GAAP financial measure is relevant and useful to investors in understanding our operating results and may be helpful in comparing the Company with other companies in the homebuilding industry to the extent they provide similar information. We encourage investors to understand the methods used by other companies in the homebuilding industry to calculate non-GAAP financial measures and any adjustments thereto before comparing to our non-GAAP financial measures.

ABOUT MERITAGE HOMES CORPORATION

Meritage is the fifth-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2024. The Company offers energy-efficient and affordable entry-level and first move-up homes. Operations span across Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Meritage has delivered over 210,000 homes in its 40-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and award-winning customer experience. The Company is an industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding, an eleven-time recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award and Residential New Construction Market Leader Award, as well as a four-time recipient of the EPA's Indoor airPLUS Leader Award.

For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com.

The information included in this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include expectations about the housing market in general and our future results including our ability to increase market share and our full year 2026 projected share repurchases, home closing volume and home closing revenue.

Such statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of Company management and current market conditions, which are subject to significant uncertainties and fluctuations. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The Company makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or changes in these expectations. Meritage's business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, the Company's stock and note prices may fluctuate dramatically. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: increases in interest rates or decreases in mortgage availability, and the cost and use of rate locks and buy-downs; the cost of materials used to develop communities and construct homes; cancellation rates; supply chain and labor constraints; shortages in the availability and cost of subcontract labor; the ability of our potential buyers to sell their existing homes; our ability to acquire and develop lots may be negatively impacted if we are unable to obtain performance and surety bonds; the adverse effect of slow absorption rates; legislation related to tariffs; impairments of our real estate inventory; competition; home warranty and construction defect claims; failures in health and safety performance; fluctuations in quarterly operating results; our level of indebtedness; our exposure to counterparty risk with respect to our capped calls; our ability to obtain financing if our credit ratings are downgraded; our exposure to and impacts from natural disasters or severe weather conditions; the availability and cost of finished lots and undeveloped land; the success of our strategy to offer and market entry-level and first move-up homes; a change to the feasibility of projects under option or contract that could result in the write-down or write-off of earnest money or option deposits; our limited geographic diversification; our exposure to information technology failures and security breaches and the impact thereof; the loss of key personnel; changes in tax laws that adversely impact us or our homebuyers; our inability to prevail on contested tax positions; failure of our employees and representatives to comply with laws and regulations; our compliance with government regulations; liabilities or restrictions resulting from regulations applicable to our financial services operations; negative publicity that affects our reputation; potential disruptions to our business by an epidemic or pandemic, and measures that federal, state and local governments and/or health authorities implement to address it; and other factors identified in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and our Form 10-Q for subsequent quarters under the caption "Risk Factors," which can be found on our website at https://investors.meritagehomes.com.