Here are five stocks added to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) List today: Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) : This school buses company has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 4.8% over the last 60 days. Sensus Healthcare, Inc. (SRTS) : This medical device company has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 13.8% over the last 60 days. Lakeland Industries, Inc. (LAKE) : This company that manufactures and sells industrial protective clothing ...

Here are three stocks with buy ranks and strong growth characteristics for investors to consider today, August 13th: Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) : This school buses company carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 4.8% over the last 60 days. Blue Bird has a PEG ratio of 0.29 compared with 0.59 for the industry. The company possesses a Growth Score of B. CRA International, Inc. (CRAI) : This economic, financial, and management consultin ...

The highly cyclical Zacks Domestic Auto industry is grappling with economic uncertainty amid elevated interest rates that might delay big-ticket purchases. High inventory levels are leading to vehicle discounts, squeezing automakers' margins. Slower-than-expected adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) adds to the industry's challenges, and rising labor costs are only making matters worse. Despite this bleak outlook, two industry players — General Motors (GM) and Blue Bird Corp (BLBD) — are defying the odds and ...

Olena_T We previously covered Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:NASDAQ:BLBD) in May 2024, discussing its robust prospects, thanks to the pent-up demand for school bus replacements after multiple delays over the past three years. Combined with the improved sales across electric/ low-emission school buses against its competitors, compared to the massive electrification trend over the next decade, we had initiated a Buy rating upon a moderate retracement for an improved margin of safety. Since then, BLBD has retra ...

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD) Q3 2024 Earnings Conference Call August 7, 2024 4:30 PM ET Company Participants Mark Benfield - IR Phil Horlock - CEO Razvan Radulescu - CFO Conference Call Participants Mike Shlisky - D. A. Davidson. Chris Pierce - Needham Eric Stine - Craig-Hallum Sherif El-Sabbahy - Bank of America Merrill Lynch Operator Hello all and welcome to Blue Bird's Fiscal 2024 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call. My name is Lydia and I'll be your operator today. After the prepared remarks t ...

Blue Bird (BLBD) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.91 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.50 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.44 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for nonrecurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 82%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this school bus maker would post earnings of $0.43 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.89, delivering a surprise of 106.98%. Over the last four quarters, the compan ...

Supply Chain Disruptions - The company experienced significant supply chain disruptions that began in the second half of fiscal 2021 and continued into fiscal 2024, impacting production capabilities and increasing costs[86]. - Supply chain constraints have resulted in significant economic disruption, adversely affecting the company's operations and cash flows[88]. - The impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine have contributed to higher inventory purchase costs and volatility in commodity prices, further straining the supply chain[95]. - The company has no direct exposure to Ukraine or Russia but has been affected indirectly through increased costs of materials and components[91]. - Management believes that ongoing supply chain disruptions could continue to materially impact results if parts and supplies cannot be obtained in sufficient quantities[88]. - Supply chain disruptions continued to impact operations, limiting the number of school buses produced and sold, while also increasing manufacturing costs[153]. Financial Performance - Net sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 were $333.4 million, an increase of $39.1 million, or 13.3%, compared to $294.3 million for the same period in fiscal 2023[112]. - Net sales for the nine months ended June 29, 2024, were $996.9 million, an increase of $167.1 million, or 20.1%, compared to $829.8 million for the same period in 2023[126]. - Operating profit for the third quarter was $39.7 million, an increase of $20.3 million compared to $19.4 million for the same period in fiscal 2023[116]. - Operating profit was $113.8 million, an increase of $91.3 million compared to $22.5 million for the same period in 2023[133]. - The company experienced a significant increase in net income of $75.7 million during the first nine months of fiscal 2024 compared to the same period in fiscal 2023[164]. Cost and Pricing - The company faced higher inventory purchase costs, including freight costs, which negatively impacted gross profit beginning in the latter part of fiscal 2022 and continuing into fiscal 2024[95]. - The company has implemented periodic pricing actions to ensure that sales prices keep pace with increased costs to procure inventory[86]. - The company reported that cumulative price increases began to have a significant positive impact on sales and gross profit during the remainder of fiscal 2023 and the first nine months of fiscal 2024[100]. - Parts sales increased by $1.3 million, or 5.5%, primarily due to price increases driven by inflationary pressures[114]. - Parts sales increased by $4.7 million, or 6.4%, primarily due to price increases driven by inflationary pressures[128]. Backlog and Orders - Blue Bird's backlog remained strong at approximately 4,600 units as of September 30, 2023, and increased to 5,200 units by June 29, 2024, despite selling over 8,500 units during fiscal 2023[87]. - New bus orders remained robust due to pent-up demand from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing supply chain challenges, contributing to a strong backlog[87]. Cash Flow and Liquidity - Cash provided by operating activities totaled $55.8 million for the nine months ended June 29, 2024, a decrease of $28.4 million from $84.1 million during the same period in 2023[160]. - Free Cash Flow for the nine months ended June 29, 2024 was $45.6 million, which is $32.1 million lower than the $77.7 million reported for the nine months ended July 1, 2023[167]. - The company had $88.4 million of available cash and $143.3 million of additional borrowings available under its revolving credit facility as of June 29, 2024[142]. - The company executed a $250.0 million five-year credit agreement, which includes a term loan facility of $100.0 million and a revolving credit facility of $150.0 million[144]. - The company borrowed $100.0 million from the Term Loan Facility and $36.2 million from the Revolving Credit Facility to pay off $131.8 million of term loan indebtedness and associated costs[147]. Segment Performance - The company operates in two segments: the Bus segment, which includes the design and sales of school buses, and the Parts segment, which involves the sale of replacement bus parts[109]. - The company evaluates segment performance based on revenues and gross profit, with the Chief Executive Officer identified as the chief operating decision maker[109]. Tax and Interest Expenses - Interest expense decreased by $2.4 million, or 53.3%, to $2.1 million due to a lower interest rate and reduced borrowings[117]. - Income tax expense for the third quarter was $9.9 million, compared to $1.9 million for the same period in fiscal 2023[120]. - The effective tax rate for the third quarter was 27.7%, influenced by state taxes and certain permanent items[121]. - The effective tax rate for the nine months ended June 29, 2024, was 26.4%, compared to 22.2% for the same period in 2023[140].

Highlights BLUE BIRD REPORTS FISCAL 2024 THIRD QUARTER RECORD RESULTS; RAISES 2024 GUIDANCE AND LONG-TERM OUTLOOK Net Sales of $333M, up 13% and GAAP Net Income of $29M, up $19M Record Quarterly Adj. EBITDA of $48M, up $19M with 2,151 Buses Sold FY2024 Adj. EBITDA Guidance Raised to $175M or 13% of Revenue Long-Term Adj. EBITDA Margin Outlook Raised to 15% MACON, Ga. (August 7, 2024) – Blue Bird Corporation ("Blue Bird") (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, announced today i ...

Industrial stocks are vital to daily operations. Many investors are drawn to these companies due to their inherent need, whether it's a period of strong economic growth or an overall downturn. The need for industrials never changes on a macro scale. Investors typically feel safe investing in industrials regardless of the overall economic background. During times of economic recovery, industrials may thrive due to their increased capacity to focus on producing new products, expanding their workforce, and bui ...

Blue Bird (BLBD) ended the recent trading session at $52.12, demonstrating a +1.46% swing from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.08%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.75%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 2.64%. Shares of the school bus maker have appreciated by 8.28% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector's gain of 3.09% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.44%. The upcoming earnings release of Blue Bird will be ...