BOISE CASCADE Co

We recorded income from operations of $117.4 million during the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared with income from operations of $185.6 million during the three months ended September 30, 2023. In our Wood Products segment, income decreased $45.7 million to $53.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, from $99.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, due primarily to lower EWP and plywood sales prices, as well as higher conversion costs. In addition, lower I-joist sales volumes also contributed to the decrease in segment income. In our BMD segment, income decreased $22.3 million to $74.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, from $97.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, driven by increased selling and distribution expenses and depreciation and amortization expense of $10.0 million and $5.1 million, respectively. In addition, gross margin decreased $7.7 million, driven by lower margins on commodity products and EWP, offset partially by improved margins on general line products. These changes are discussed further in "Our Operating Results" below.

We ended third quarter 2024 with $761.6 million of cash and cash equivalents and $395.7 million of undrawn committed bank line availability, for total available liquidity of $1,157.3 million. We had $450.0 million of outstanding debt at September 30, 2024. We used $188.0 million of cash during the nine months ended September 30, 2024, as cash provided by operations was offset by capital spending, dividends paid on our common stock, and treasury stock purchases. A further description of our cash sources and uses for the nine-month comparative periods are discussed in "Liquidity and Capital Resources" below.

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. As reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, housing starts were 1.42 million in 2023. Current industry forecasts for U.S. housing starts are approximately 1.35 million in 2024 followed by 2025 starts at or modestly above 1.40 million. For the nine months ended September 2024, single-family starts are outpacing 2023 levels by 10% whereas multi-family starts have declined sharply from historic levels due to increased capital costs for developers, combined with historic levels of multi-family unit completions in 2024. Home affordability remains a challenge for many consumers due to home prices and the cost of financing, with the level of mortgage rates also limiting the supply of existing housing stock available for sale. Large homebuilders are addressing affordability challenges by reducing home sizes and plan complexity, as well as offering mortgage rate buydowns. New residential construction will continue to be an important source of supply for the demand created by undersupplied housing, favorable demographic trends, and low unemployment. We expect 2025 to reflect modest growth in home improvement spending, as the age of U.S. housing stock and elevated levels of homeowner equity will continue to provide a favorable backdrop for repair-and-remodel spending. Ultimately, macroeconomic factors, the level and expectations for mortgage rates, home affordability, home equity levels, home size, and other factors will influence the near-term demand environment for the products we manufacture and distribute.

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, transportation constraints or disruptions, net import and export activity, inventory levels in various distribution channels, and seasonal demand patterns.