Boise Cascade says operating environment challenged in Q1

The company said, “Demand for the products we manufacture, as well as the products we purchase and distribute, is correlated with new residential construction, residential repair-and-remodeling activity, and light commercial construction. Residential construction, particularly new single-family construction, is the key demand driver for the products we manufacture and distribute. Over the past quarter, the operating environment was challenged. In addition to seasonally slower activity, consumer and homebuilder sentiment was dampened due to significant macroeconomic uncertainties and elevated mortgage rates. Given the current environment, 2025 end market demand expectations are difficult to predict, with most forecasts for housing starts ranging between flat to mid-single digit year-over-year declines. Ultimately, the level and expectations for mortgage rates, home affordability, home equity levels, home size, levels of new and existing home inventory for sale, unemployment levels, consumer confidence, and other factors will influence the near-term demand environment. Long term demand drivers for residential construction, characterized by an undersupply in housing units, aging U.S. housing stock, and elevated levels of homeowner equity remain in place. As a manufacturer of certain commodity products, we have sales and profitability exposure to declines in commodity product prices and rising input costs. Our distribution business purchases and resells a broad mix of products with periods of increasing prices providing the opportunity for higher sales and increased margins, while declining price environments expose us to declines in sales and profitability. Future product pricing, particularly commodity products pricing and input costs, may be volatile in response to economic uncertainties, industry operating rates, supply-related disruptions, imposition of tariffs, transportation constraints or disruptions, net import and export activity, inventory levels in various distribution channels, and seasonal demand patterns. In addition, EWP volumes will continue to be influenced by changes in new single-family housing starts and we expect modest EWP price erosion in the second quarter.”