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Water Tower Research

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

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The office furniture group fell 6% last week, breaking a streak of outperformance, as indicators pointed to weakness.</li>
<li>The office furniture group is up ~21% in 2023 and 32% over the past 12 months.</li>
<li>The Architectural Billings Index (ABI), a diffusion index and key leading indicator of non-residential construction activity (9-12 months), fell to 44.8 in September from 48.1 in August (AIA). </li>
</ul>


The office furniture group fell 6% last week, breaking a streak of outperformance, as indicators pointed to weakness.
The office furniture group is up ~21% in 2023 and 32% over the past 12 months.
The Architectural Billings Index (ABI), a diffusion index and key leading indicator of non-residential construction activity (9-12 months), fell to 44.8 in September from 48.1 in August (AIA). 


Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - Weak Signals for Office Furniture

<div><div><div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li><p>The Fall Furniture Market in High Point, N.C. brought the industry together last week to do business, celebrate successes, and commiserate.</p></li><li><p>We spent the day Saturday, the official opening day, while buyers and vendors had been there since the prior Tuesday.</p></li><li><p>The sky over High Point was gray and wet. So was the mood.</p></li></ul></div></div></div></div>

The Fall Furniture Market in High Point, N.C. brought the industry together last week to do business, celebrate successes, and commiserate.We spent the day Saturday, the official opening day, while buyers and vendors had been there since the prior Tuesday.The sky over High Point was gray and wet. So was the mood.

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - Gray Skies over High Point; Cloudy Conditions for Industry

Equity Bottom-Up

<div><div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li><p>MillerKnoll earnings sparked a second week of outperformance for the commercial/contract furniture stocks, which rose ~8% in a week when broader indices were roughly flat.</p></li><li>MLKN reported adjusted EPS of $0.37 in 1QFY24, above consensus of $0.21 consensus, and upped guidance.</li><li>Shares jumped 27% on Wednesday. All three major US firms in the sector advanced last week.</li></ul></div></div></div>

MillerKnoll earnings sparked a second week of outperformance for the commercial/contract furniture stocks, which rose ~8% in a week when broader indices were roughly flat.MLKN reported adjusted EPS of $0.37 in 1QFY24, above consensus of $0.21 consensus, and upped guidance.Shares jumped 27% on Wednesday. All three major US firms in the sector advanced last week.

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly  - MLKN Results Boost Sector; Consumer Confidence Dips

<ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li><p>In a week when the broad market indexes retreated by ~3%, the positive earnings report from Steelcase, Inc. (SCS) provided a boost for all the Commercial/Contract Furniture issues.</p></li><li><p>SCS results supported a view that demand in the office furniture sector had troughed.</p></li><li><p>CFO Dave Sylvester noted that the weekly pace of orders in its Americas segment was steady through its fiscal 2Q and into 3Q and that the Y/Y order comparison for the first few weeks of September was up by ~18%. For details, see our update note from September 22.</p></li></ul>

In a week when the broad market indexes retreated by ~3%, the positive earnings report from Steelcase, Inc. (SCS) provided a boost for all the Commercial/Contract Furniture issues.SCS results supported a view that demand in the office furniture sector had troughed.CFO Dave Sylvester noted that the weekly pace of orders in its Americas segment was steady through its fiscal 2Q and into 3Q and that the Y/Y order comparison for the first few weeks of September was up by ~18%. For details, see our update note from September 22.

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - SCS Results Boost Commercial/Contract Furniture Sector

<div><div><div><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li><p>Herein we inaugurate the WTR Furniture/Furnishings Weekly. Under “Statistics”, we recap stock price performance for select issues in three sectors: Commercial/Contract Furniture, Residential Manufacturers &amp; Suppliers, and Home Goods Retailers.</p></li><li><p>Inside, we present data on company operating performance and valuation. Pertinent economic data/charts to furniture/furnishings issues follow.</p></li><li><p>This front-page column, and additional text, if needed, will be devoted to news tidbits.</p></li></ul></div></div></div>

Herein we inaugurate the WTR Furniture/Furnishings Weekly. Under “Statistics”, we recap stock price performance for select issues in three sectors: Commercial/Contract Furniture, Residential Manufacturers &amp; Suppliers, and Home Goods Retailers.Inside, we present data on company operating performance and valuation. Pertinent economic data/charts to furniture/furnishings issues follow.This front-page column, and additional text, if needed, will be devoted to news tidbits.

Inaugural Industry Report Tracks Stocks, Fundamentals, and Economic Drivers

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)

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - Weak Signals for Office Furniture

The office furniture group fell 6% last week, breaking a streak of outperformance, as indicators pointed to weakness. The office furniture group is...

Water Tower Research

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - Gray Skies over High Point; Cloudy Conditions for Industry

The Fall Furniture Market in High Point, N.C. brought the industry together last week to do business, celebrate successes, and commiserate.

Water Tower Research

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - MLKN Results Boost Sector; Consumer Confidence Dips

MillerKnoll earnings sparked a second week of outperformance for the commercial/contract furniture stocks, which rose ~8% in a week when broader...

Water Tower Research

Furniture/Furnishings Weekly - SCS Results Boost Commercial/Contract Furniture Sector

In a week when the broad market indexes retreated by ~3%, the positive earnings report from Steelcase, Inc. (SCS) provided a boost for all the...

Water Tower Research

Inaugural Industry Report Tracks Stocks, Fundamentals, and Economic Drivers

Under “Statistics”, we recap stock price performance for select issues in three sectors: Commercial/Contract Furniture, Residential Manufacturers &...

Water Tower Research

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)