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Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>After Monday’s market close, HNI announced an intended plant consolidation in which it will close its Hickory, NC furniture manufacturing plant (HBF is part of its Workplace Furnishings [WF] segment) during 1H25 and transfer production to other North American facilities.</li><li>Management avows that the initiative will improve productivity and strengthen operations but, importantly, will not sacrifice capacity or create disruption to customers who will benefit ultimately from better delivery and logistics coordination.</li><li>During the balance of 2024 and 2025, HNI will book ~$10.3MM in restructuring, accelerated depreciation, and other charges ($1.5MM non-cash). </li></ul>

After Monday’s market close, HNI announced an intended plant consolidation in which it will close its Hickory, NC furniture manufacturing plant (HBF is part of its Workplace Furnishings [WF] segment) during 1H25 and transfer production to other North American facilities.Management avows that the initiative will improve productivity and strengthen operations but, importantly, will not sacrifice capacity or create disruption to customers who will benefit ultimately from better delivery and logistics coordination.During the balance of 2024 and 2025, HNI will book ~$10.3MM in restructuring, accelerated depreciation, and other charges ($1.5MM non-cash). 

HNI Corporation - Announces $10.3MM HBF Restructuring

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Furniture and furnishing stocks performed well last week. All three of the WTR indexes outperformed the broader market, led by Residential Manufacturers &amp; Suppliers (+3.3%), Commercial/Contract Furniture (+3.2%) and Home Goods Retailers (+2.7%), which outperformed the broader markets (- 0.1% to +0.8%) and the Mass Retailers Index (+0.1%).</li><li>Mattress demand remains weak. Tempur Sealy International (TPX) CEO Scott Thompson noted in his 1Q24 remarks, “You’d have to say the bedding industry is in a depression and has been in one for a number of quarters” , with demand down an estimated 15% industry-wide in the first three months of the year.</li><li>For TPX, <span style="font-size: var(--content-font-size);">sequentially, demand was weakest in January and improved </span>(though erratically) through April, where it was ‘flattish’. Higher- end price points were a bright spot.</li></ul>

Furniture and furnishing stocks performed well last week. All three of the WTR indexes outperformed the broader market, led by Residential Manufacturers &amp; Suppliers (+3.3%), Commercial/Contract Furniture (+3.2%) and Home Goods Retailers (+2.7%), which outperformed the broader markets (- 0.1% to +0.8%) and the Mass Retailers Index (+0.1%).Mattress demand remains weak. Tempur Sealy International (TPX) CEO Scott Thompson noted in his 1Q24 remarks, “You’d have to say the bedding industry is in a depression and has been in one for a number of quarters” , with demand down an estimated 15% industry-wide in the first three months of the year.For TPX, sequentially, demand was weakest in January and improved (though erratically) through April, where it was ‘flattish’. Higher- end price points were a bright spot.

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - May 13, 2024

<ul><li>Residential furniture and home goods retailer issues performed well last week versus the market, while the Commercial/Contract Furniture stocks, by and large, tread water.</li><li>Our Residential Manufacturers &amp; Suppliers index advanced 3.2%, outperforming the broader market indexes (up between 1.6 to 1.8%), while our Home Goods Retailers and Mass Retailers indexes each grew by 0.7%.</li><li>Only our Commercial/Contract Furniture Index lagged, down 0.3%.</li></ul>

Residential furniture and home goods retailer issues performed well last week versus the market, while the Commercial/Contract Furniture stocks, by and large, tread water.Our Residential Manufacturers &amp; Suppliers index advanced 3.2%, outperforming the broader market indexes (up between 1.6 to 1.8%), while our Home Goods Retailers and Mass Retailers indexes each grew by 0.7%.Only our Commercial/Contract Furniture Index lagged, down 0.3%.

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - Weak Bedding, Furniture Demand

<ul><li>Our Commercial/Contract Furniture Index was up 0.6% for the week, notably outperforming the three market indexes and the Mass Retailers Index (down between 1.4% and 3.2% for the week).</li><li>Our Residential Manufacturers <span style="font-size: var(--content-font-size);">&amp; Suppliers Index (down 3.5%) and Home Goods Retailers Index </span>(down 2.9%) were more in line with the broader market indexes.</li><li>Home goods retailer Beyond sold the Wamsutta brand/IP to Indo Count Global for $10.3 million as the firm focuses on integrating its purchase of Bed, Bath, and Beyond into its portfolio of online properties.</li></ul>

Our Commercial/Contract Furniture Index was up 0.6% for the week, notably outperforming the three market indexes and the Mass Retailers Index (down between 1.4% and 3.2% for the week).Our Residential Manufacturers &amp; Suppliers Index (down 3.5%) and Home Goods Retailers Index (down 2.9%) were more in line with the broader market indexes.Home goods retailer Beyond sold the Wamsutta brand/IP to Indo Count Global for $10.3 million as the firm focuses on integrating its purchase of Bed, Bath, and Beyond into its portfolio of online properties.

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - April 22, 2024

<ul><li>Before the open, HNI reported 4Q23 results, beating on adjusted EPS and roughly in line on the consolidated revenue line.</li><li>Adjusted EPS was $0.98, well ahead of our estimate of $0.84 and consensus of $0.83.</li><li>The adjusted number excluded ~$0.50 of restructuring asset impairment and acquisition-related costs.</li></ul>

Before the open, HNI reported 4Q23 results, beating on adjusted EPS and roughly in line on the consolidated revenue line.Adjusted EPS was $0.98, well ahead of our estimate of $0.84 and consensus of $0.83.The adjusted number excluded ~$0.50 of restructuring asset impairment and acquisition-related costs.

HNI Corporation - HNI Margins Drive Adjusted EPS Beat

United States

HNI Corporation manufactures and markets office furniture as well as hearth products. The Company's products are sold primarily through dealers, wholesalers, and retail superstores. HNI has operations in the United States and Canada.

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HNI Corp (HNI US)

HNI Corporation - Announces $10.3MM HBF Restructuring

During the balance of 2024 and 2025, HNI will book ~$10.3MM in restructuring, accelerated depreciation, and other charges ($1.5MM non-cash).

Water Tower Research

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - May 13, 2024

Furniture and furnishing stocks performed well last week. All three of the WTR indexes outperformed the broader market, led by Residential...

Water Tower Research

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - Weak Bedding, Furniture Demand

Residential furniture and home goods retailer issues performed well last week versus the market, while the Commercial/Contract Furniture stocks, by...

Water Tower Research

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - April 22, 2024

Our Commercial/Contract Furniture Index was up 0.6% for the week, notably outperforming the three market indexes and the Mass Retailers Index (down...

Water Tower Research

HNI Corporation - HNI Margins Drive Adjusted EPS Beat

Before the open, HNI reported 4Q23 results, beating on adjusted EPS and roughly in line on the consolidated revenue line.

Water Tower Research

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