Blue Bird Corporation specializes in the design, engineering, production, and distribution of school buses and related components. The company serves customers across ...
Blue Bird Corporation, with a rich legacy dating back to 1927, has established itself as a premier manufacturer of school buses, setting industry standards in safety, innovation, and environmentally friendly transportation solutions. The company operates through two primary divisions: the Bus division, which designs and manufactures Type C and Type ...Blue Bird Corporation, with a rich legacy dating back to 1927, has established itself as a premier manufacturer of school buses, setting industry standards in safety, innovation, and environmentally friendly transportation solutions. The company operates through two primary divisions: the Bus division, which designs and manufactures Type C and Type D buses, along with specialty vehicles, and the Parts division, which ensures comprehensive aftermarket support. Blue Bird is at the forefront of the transition to clean energy, offering a full lineup of low and zero-emission buses powered by propane, compressed natural gas, gasoline, and electricity. Their electric models, particularly the All American RE and Vision, are market leaders in the electric school bus segment. The company's commitment to sustainability is integral to its operations, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and providing cost-effective total cost of ownership for school districts. Financially, Blue Bird has demonstrated robust performance, with recent TTM revenue per share of $47.09, a net profit margin of 17.5%, and a return on equity of 76.2%, reflecting strong operational efficiency. The management team, under the leadership of newly appointed President and CEO John Wyskiel, who brings over 35 years of manufacturing and global supply chain expertise, is driving the company's strategic vision. Blue Bird maintains a strong balance sheet with a current ratio of 1.64 and manageable debt levels. The company's extensive dealer network and direct sales to government entities ensure broad market penetration. With a dedicated workforce of over 2,000 employees, Blue Bird continues to innovate, delivering reliable, durable, and safe school buses that meet the evolving needs of the industry. Their forward-looking approach positions them to capitalize on the growing demand for sustainable student transportation solutions.
YoYYoY means Year-over-Year. It compares the latest annual value with the previous annual value to show long-term trend strength.
QoQQoQ means Quarter-over-Quarter. It compares the latest quarter with the immediately previous quarter to show short-term momentum changes.
RevenueThe total money that came through the front door from selling things, before paying a single bill. Think of it as the grand total of every credit card swipe from customers. (YoY compares this year to last year's performance, while QoQ compares the current three months to the previous three).
$1.5B
+9.9%
+46.7%
Net IncomeThe absolute bottom line. If the company paid every single supplier, employee, banker, and tax collector, this is the actual money left in their pocket at the end of the day.
$127.7M
+21.0%
+532.2%
Gross MarginThe basic markup. If they sell a $100 pair of sneakers, this percentage tells you how much of that price tag is profit right after paying for the rubber and shoelaces, but before paying for things like store rent or TV commercials.
+20.5%
+7.8%
-0.2%
Operating MarginThe 'day job' efficiency score. Out of every dollar a customer spends, this shows how many cents the company keeps after making the product AND paying for all the everyday corporate overhead (like salaries, marketing, and keeping the lights on).
+11.3%
+9.2%
+9.2%
Net MarginThe final take-home percentage. When you strip away every conceivable cost, tax, and interest payment, this is the exact number of cents the company truly gets to keep from every dollar in sales.
+8.6%
+10.1%
+331.1%
Free Cash FlowThe holy grail of corporate cash. It's the spendable, physical money left over after the business pays for its daily operations AND buys the big, expensive upgrades (like new factories or servers) it needs to survive. This is the 'free' money they can use to pay dividends or buy back stock.
$153.3M
+60.0%
-45.7%
FCF MarginThe ultimate cash conversion rate. It shows how good the company is at turning regular sales directly into cold, hard, spendable cash. A high percentage means the business is an absolute cash-printing machine.
+10.4%
+45.6%
-63.0%
Debt / EquityThe financial risk gauge. It compares how much of the company's empire was built using borrowed money (loans) versus the owners' own money (shareholders). A high number means they are heavily leveraged and playing a riskier game; a low number means they are playing it safe.
35.4%
-41.2%
-40.1%
Current RatioThe 12-month survival check. It simply compares the cash they have right now (plus things they can quickly turn into cash) against the immediate bills they absolutely must pay this year. A score above 1 means they have enough in the wallet to cover the upcoming bills without panicking.
1.74x
+26.8%
-10.6%
Total AssetsThe absolute size of the company's empire. It bundles together absolutely everything of value they own—from the cash in the register and the inventory in the warehouse, to the software patents in the vault and the factories on the ground.
Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us, and welcome to Blue Bird's Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Earnings. [Operator Instructions] I will now hand the conference over to Mark Benfield, Blue Bird's Head of Investor Relations. Mark, please go ahead.
Mark Benfield: Thank you, and welcome to Blue Bird's Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call. The audio for our call is webcast live on blue-bird.com under the Investor Relations tab. You can access the supporting slides on our website by clicking on the Presentations box on the IR landing page. Our comments today include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks that could cause actual results to be materially different. Those risks include, among others, matters we have noted on the following two slides and in our filings with the SEC. Blue Bird disclaims any obligation to update the information in this call. This afternoon, you will hear from Blue Bird's President and CEO, John Wyskiel; and CFO, Razvan Radulescu, and we'll take some questions. Let's get started. John?
John Wyskiel: Thanks, Mark. Good afternoon, everyone, and thanks for joining us today. It's an exciting day today as we are going to share our strong fiscal 2026 third quarter financial results and the continued significant progress we've made with our long-term strategy, including a very special announcement we made late this afternoon. Results for Q3 were once again very strong, and the Blue Bird team delivered outstanding sales and adjusted EBITDA, beating guidance for the 15th consecutive quarter. Razvan will take you through the details of our financial results shortly, but let's turn to Slide 6, where I will talk to some of the key takeaways for the quarter. First, Blue Bird beat guidance on all metrics for the quarter. Again, we continue to manage the volatility associated with the administration's policy on tariffs well. Backlog for the quarter ended at 4,900 units, inclusive of Micro Bird and just under 3,600 units for Type C and D. Operationally, metrics are pointing in the right direction, and the team has been able to execute on a day-to-day basis while simultaneously working on our long-term strategy. In terms of pricing, we remain extremely disciplined. Bus prices remained higher than the previous year and in the previous quarter. As I continue to communicate, this process is just how we manage the business. In the Alt-Power segment, our dominance continues. Our EV backlog is just under 800 units, and we have a strong EV order book into 2027. Alt-Power is a segment we created over 15 years ago. We were pioneers in EV. Our propane powertrains have the lowest total cost of operation, and our gas variant continues to be a market leader. With increased diesel prices at the pump, we believe Alt-Power is a great long-term play, and we continue to maintain our lead position. And finally, we continue to manage the impact of the administration's executive orders and tariff volatility. We are …