BlueLinx (NYSE:BXC) reported higher third-quarter sales and adjusted earnings as stronger pricing, structural product demand and an acquisition helped offset a weak housing market and rising operating costs.
Net sales rose 8.5% from a year earlier to $813 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased 42% to $31.7 million. The building products distributor reported a net loss of $600,000, or $0.07 per share, compared with adjusted net income of $5.5 million, or $0.68 per diluted share.
Chief Executive Officer Shyam Reddy said the company generated volume growth in key customer channels despite pressure from elevated interest rates, affordability concerns, inflation and cautious spending. Multifamily volumes increased by a low-double-digit percentage, while national accounts volumes rose slightly, he said.
Management nevertheless cautioned that maintaining the same pace of growth would be challenging. Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Kelly Wall said BlueLinx remains measured in its expectations for the fourth quarter and 2027 because housing conditions are expected to remain soft.
Margins Improve Despite Higher Costs
Total gross profit was $131 million, and gross margin improved to 16.1% from 14.4% a year earlier. Results included a $2.2 million benefit related to import duty expenses recognized in prior periods and a $2.9 million inventory provision tied to a strategic brand and vendor change. Excluding those items, gross margin was 16.2%, compared with 14.7% in the prior-year period.
Selling, general and administrative expenses rose by $17 million to $106 million. Wall attributed the increase mainly to the acquisition of Disdero in the fourth quarter of 2025, higher fuel and third-party freight expenses, and higher employee compensation costs. Disdero contributed more than $25 million in sales and $2.5 million in adjusted EBITDA during the quarter.
Reddy said diesel fuel costs and flatbed freight rates were up 64% and 44%, respectively, year over year. BlueLinx dealt with approximately 80 supplier cost increases through the third quarter, compared with around 30 in the same period of 2025, he said.
Wall said BlueLinx had focused on pricing and margin effectiveness, including by centralizing and building pricing-management capabilities. The company has been able to pass through specialty supplier price increases more quickly and consistently across its branches, she said.
Structural Sales Outpace Specialty Growth
Specialty product sales rose nearly 5% to $550 million, supported by Disdero and higher pricing in nearly all product types, partly offset by lower volumes. Specialty gross margin increased to 18.7% from 16.6% a year earlier.
Wall said specialty volumes declined year over year across essentially all categories. Millwork saw the largest decline, while other product categories were down roughly by low-single-digit percentages.
Structural product sales increased nearly 18% to $263 million, driven by higher prices and volumes for lumber and panels. Structural gross margin rose to 10.7% from 9.3%.
Reddy said the company’s multifamily focus contributed to structural volume growth, along with builder pull-through and national accounts business. He added that BlueLinx ultimately aims to grow specialty products faster than structural sales, increasing the specialty share of its business.
Supplier Expansion and Fourth-Quarter Outlook
BlueLinx has expanded distribution relationships with several suppliers, including RDI Railing, Westlake Royal Building Products, LP and Fiberon. Reddy said the rollout of Trex products was proceeding as planned, with inventory at all 11 locations in the distribution footprint and deliveries underway.
Wall said BlueLinx expects to invest an additional $15 million to $20 million in inventory across the brands discussed on the call. The company expects limited sales from those investments this year, followed by a ramp in the first and second quarters of 2027.
For the fourth quarter, BlueLinx expects specialty gross margin of 17.5% to 18.5% and structural gross margin of 9% to 10%. It expects daily volumes in both segments to be slightly lower than in both the third quarter of 2026 and the fourth quarter of 2025. Reddy said seasonality was part of the outlook.
Liquidity and Capital Allocation
BlueLinx ended the quarter with $350 million in cash and $339 million in undrawn revolver capacity, for approximately $689 million in available liquidity. Net debt was $21 million, and the company said it had no material outstanding debt maturities until 2029.
Operating cash flow was $45 million and free cash flow was $40 million, both lower than a year earlier primarily because of inventory changes and the timing of accounts payable. BlueLinx did not repurchase shares during the quarter and had $54 million remaining under its repurchase authorizations.
About BlueLinx (NYSE:BXC)
BlueLinx Holdings Inc is a specialty distributor of building products in the United States. The company supplies materials used in residential and commercial construction, repair and remodeling, and industrial applications.
Its product portfolio includes structural products such as lumber, plywood, oriented strand board and engineered wood, as well as specialty products including siding, insulation, roofing materials, gypsum wallboard, millwork and related building components. BlueLinx also provides services such as product sourcing, inventory management, job-site delivery and other supply-chain support.
BlueLinx serves professional contractors, specialty dealers, home improvement retailers, industrial manufacturers and producers of manufactured housing through a nationwide distribution network.
