Eagle Materials Inc. Reports Strong Revenue and Earnings Improvement in the First Quarter

Eagle Materials Inc. Reports Strong Revenue and Earnings Improvement in the First Quarter

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Eagle Materials Inc. (NYS: EXP) today reported financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 ended June 30, 2013. Notable items for the quarter include (all comparisons, unless noted, are with the prior-year's first quarter):

• Revenues of $227.0 million, up 47%

• Record quarterly cement sales volumes of 1.2 million tons

• Earnings before interest and income taxes of $49.5 million, up 109%

• Net earnings per diluted share of $0.60, up 94%

• Began operations at our new frac sand plant in Corpus Christi, Texas

First quarter earnings before interest and income taxes increased 109%, reflecting improved sales volumes and net sales prices across all heritage businesses as compared to the prior year's first quarter and the acquisition of assets, consisting primarily of two cement plants in Oklahoma and Missouri and related aggregates and ready-mix businesses in Kansas City (the Acquired Assets), on November 30, 2012.

Cement, Concrete and Aggregates

Operating earnings from Cement for the first quarter were $19.0 million, a 93% increase from the same quarter a year ago. The earnings increase was driven by increased sales volumes and average net cement sales prices partially offset by a slight increase in operating costs.

Cement revenues for the first quarter, including joint venture and intersegment revenues, totaled $117.7 million, 55% greater than the same quarter last year. The revenue improvement reflects a 46% increase in our first quarter Cement sales volume, including sales volume attributable to the Acquired Assets. The average net sales price for this quarter was $86.15 per ton, 6% greater than the same quarter last year.

Concrete and Aggregates reported operating earnings of $0.2 million for the first quarter, comparable with the same quarter a year ago.

Gypsum Wallboard and Paperboard

Gypsum Wallboard and Paperboard reported first quarter operating earnings of $35.3 million, up 83% from the same quarter last year. Improved Gypsum Wallboard net sales prices were the primary driver of the quarterly earnings increase. Additional contribution came from improved sales volumes in both wallboard and paperboard.

Gypsum Wallboard and Paperboard revenues for the first quarter totaled $114.9 million, a 28% increase from the same quarter a year ago. The revenue increase reflects higher average Gypsum Wallboard net sales prices and higher Gypsum Wallboard and Paperboard sales volumes. The average Gypsum Wallboard net sales price this quarter was $146.30 per MSF, 23% greater than the same quarter a year ago. Gypsum Wallboard sales volume for the quarter of 532 million square feet (MMSF) represents a 16% increase from the same quarter last year. The average Paperboard net sales price this quarter was $502.42 per ton, comparable with the same quarter a year ago. Paperboard sales volumes for the quarter were 64,000 tons, 7% higher than the same quarter a year ago.

Details of Financial Results

For information regarding the results of operations for the Acquired Assets for certain periods prior to November 30, 2012, including pro forma financial information that combines the results of operations for Eagle and the Acquired Assets, please see our Form 8-K/A filed on April 26, 2013. The increase in our average shares outstanding at June 30, 2013 is primarily due to the impact of our follow-on equity offering related to the Acquired Assets, which was completed on October 3, 2012.

We conduct one of our cement plant operations through a 50/50 joint venture, Texas Lehigh Cement Company LP (the "Joint Venture"). We utilize the equity method of accounting for our 50% interest in the Joint Venture. For segment reporting purposes only, we proportionately consolidate our 50% share of the Joint Venture's revenues and operating earnings, which is consistent with the way management organizes the segments within the Company for making operating decisions and assessing performance.

In addition, for segment reporting purposes, we report intersegment revenues as a part of a segment's total revenues. Intersegment sales are eliminated on the income statement. Refer to Attachment 3 for a reconciliation of the amounts referred to above.

About Eagle Materials Inc.

Eagle Materials Inc. manufactures and distributes Cement, Gypsum Wallboard, Recycled Paperboard, Concrete and Aggregates from 40 facilities across the US. Eagle is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Eagle's senior management will conduct a conference call to discuss the financial results, forward-looking information and other matters at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (9:00 a.m. Central Time) on Thursday, August 8, 2013.The conference call will be webcast simultaneously on the Eagle Web sitehttp://www.eaglematerials.com.A replay of the webcast and the presentation will be archived on that site for one year.For more information, contact Eagle at (214) 432-2000.

Forward-Looking Statements. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the context of the statement and generally arise when the Company is discussing its beliefs, estimates or expectations. These statements are not historical facts or guarantees of future performance but instead represent only the Company's belief at the time the statements were made regarding future events which are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors many of which are outside the Company's control. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. The principal risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company's actual performance include the following: the cyclical and seasonal nature of the Company's business; public infrastructure expenditures; adverse weather conditions; the fact that our products are commodities and that prices for our products are subject to material fluctuation due to market conditions and other factors beyond our control; availability of raw materials; changes in energy costs including, without limitation, natural gas and oil; changes in the cost and availability of transportation; unexpected operational difficulties; inability to timely execute announced capacity expansions; difficulties and delays in the development of new business lines; governmental regulation and changes in governmental and public policy (including, without limitation, climate change regulation); possible outcomes of pending or future litigation or arbitration proceedings; changes in economic conditions specific to any one or more of the Company's markets; competition; announced increases in capacity in the gypsum wallboard and cement industries; changes in the demand for residential housing construction or commercial construction; general economic conditions; and interest rates.For example, increases in interest rates, decreases in demand for construction materials or increases in the cost of energy (including, without limitation, natural gas and oil) could affect the revenues and operating earnings of our operations.In addition, changes in national or regional economic conditions and levels of infrastructure and construction spending could also adversely affect the Company's result of operations. With respect to our acquisition of the Acquired Assets as described in this press release, factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events and developments to vary materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk that we may not be able to integrate the Acquired Assets in an efficient and cost-effective manner with our other assets and operations, the possible inability to realize synergies or other expected benefits of the transaction, the possibility that we may incur significant costs relating to transition or integration activities or repair and maintenance of the Acquired Assets, the discovery of undisclosed liabilities associated with the business, the need to repay the indebtedness incurred to fund the acquisition and the fact that increased debt may limit our ability to respond to any changes in general economic and business conditions that occur after the acquisition. These and other factors are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013.This report is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements made herein are made as of the date hereof, and the risk that actual results will differ materially from expectations expressed herein will increase with the passage of time.The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to reflect future events or changes in the Company's expectations.

* Net of Intersegment and Joint Venture Revenues listed on Attachment 3.

*Net of freight and delivery costs billed to customers.