Latest news with #TomTaylor
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Floor And Decor's (NYSE:FND) Q2 Earnings Results: Revenue In Line With Expectations
Specialty flooring retailer Floor & Decor (NYSE:FND) met Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q2 CY2025, with sales up 7.1% year on year to $1.21 billion. The company's outlook for the full year was close to analysts' estimates with revenue guided to $4.71 billion at the midpoint. Its GAAP profit of $0.58 per share was in line with analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Floor And Decor? Find out in our full research report. Floor And Decor (FND) Q2 CY2025 Highlights: Revenue: $1.21 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.21 billion (7.1% year-on-year growth, in line) EPS (GAAP): $0.58 vs analyst estimates of $0.57 (in line) Adjusted EBITDA: $150.2 million vs analyst estimates of $146.9 million (12.4% margin, 2.2% beat) The company dropped its revenue guidance for the full year to $4.71 billion at the midpoint from $4.73 billion, a 0.5% decrease EPS (GAAP) guidance for the full year is $1.88 at the midpoint, beating analyst estimates by 5% EBITDA guidance for the full year is $535 million at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations Operating Margin: 6.7%, in line with the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow was -$9.99 million, down from $80.04 million in the same quarter last year Locations: 257 at quarter end, up from 230 in the same quarter last year Same-Store Sales were flat year on year (-9% in the same quarter last year) Market Capitalization: $8.43 billion Tom Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, stated, 'We are pleased to report that for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, our diluted earnings per share increased by 11.5% to $0.58, compared to $0.52 in the same period last year, reaching the high end of our expectations. Our second quarter comparable store sales increased by 0.4%, marking the first quarterly increase since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. We believe our second quarter earnings performance clearly reflects the disciplined execution of our agile growth strategies and the prudent management of expenses and profitability by our associates.' Company Overview Operating large, warehouse-style stores, Floor & Decor (NYSE:FND) is a specialty retailer that specializes in hard flooring surfaces for the home such as tiles, hardwood, stone, and laminates. Revenue Growth Examining a company's long-term performance can provide clues about its quality. Even a bad business can shine for one or two quarters, but a top-tier one grows for years. With $4.6 billion in revenue over the past 12 months, Floor And Decor is a small retailer, which sometimes brings disadvantages compared to larger competitors benefiting from economies of scale and negotiating leverage with suppliers. On the bright side, it can grow faster because it has more white space to build new stores. As you can see below, Floor And Decor's sales grew at an impressive 16.2% compounded annual growth rate over the last six years (we compare to 2019 to normalize for COVID-19 impacts) as it opened new stores and expanded its reach. This quarter, Floor And Decor grew its revenue by 7.1% year on year, and its $1.21 billion of revenue was in line with Wall Street's estimates. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 7.4% over the next 12 months, a deceleration versus the last six years. Despite the slowdown, this projection is healthy and indicates the market is forecasting success for its products. Today's young investors likely haven't read the timeless lessons in Gorilla Game: Picking Winners In High Technology because it was written more than 20 years ago when Microsoft and Apple were first establishing their supremacy. But if we apply the same principles, then enterprise software stocks leveraging their own generative AI capabilities may well be the Gorillas of the future. So, in that spirit, we are excited to present our Special Free Report on a profitable, fast-growing enterprise software stock that is already riding the automation wave and looking to catch the generative AI next. Store Performance Number of Stores Floor And Decor operated 257 locations in the latest quarter. It has opened new stores at a rapid clip over the last two years, averaging 14.5% annual growth, much faster than the broader consumer retail sector. This gives it a chance to scale into a mid-sized business over time. When a retailer opens new stores, it usually means it's investing for growth because demand is greater than supply, especially in areas where consumers may not have a store within reasonable driving distance. Same-Store Sales The change in a company's store base only tells one side of the story. The other is the performance of its existing locations and e-commerce sales, which informs management teams whether they should expand or downsize their physical footprints. Same-store sales is an industry measure of whether revenue is growing at those existing stores and is driven by customer visits (often called traffic) and the average spending per customer (ticket). Floor And Decor's demand has been shrinking over the last two years as its same-store sales have averaged 6% annual declines. This performance is concerning - it shows Floor And Decor artificially boosts its revenue by building new stores. We'd like to see a company's same-store sales rise before it takes on the costly, capital-intensive endeavor of expanding its store base. In the latest quarter, Floor And Decor's year on year same-store sales were flat. This performance was a well-appreciated turnaround from its historical levels, showing the business is improving. Key Takeaways from Floor And Decor's Q2 Results It was encouraging to see Floor And Decor beat analysts' EBITDA expectations this quarter. We were also glad its full-year EBITDA guidance slightly exceeded Wall Street's estimates. Zooming out, we think this was a decent quarter. The stock traded up 2.3% to $78.50 immediately after reporting. Should you buy the stock or not? What happened in the latest quarter matters, but not as much as longer-term business quality and valuation, when deciding whether to invest in this stock. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
30-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Pears on top after dominant day against Hampshire
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Visit Worcestershire New Road (day two)Hampshire 293: Middleton 79, Weatherley 62, Prest 54; Taylor 5-55Worcestershire 187-2: Hose 82*, Libby 70*Worcs (3 pts) trail Hants (1 pt) by 106 runsMatch scorecard Jake Libby and Adam Hose came together for an unbeaten 126-run stand as Worcestershire enjoyed a dominant day two against Hampshire in their County Championship match, ending the day Taylor (5-55) led from the front as the hosts bowled Hampshire out for 293, with Tom Prest anchoring the innings for was all the away side could enjoy as they toiled in the afternoon sun, as Libby (70*) and Hose (82*) took Worcestershire to the close trailing by just 107 home side, buoyed by the late wickets poached from the night previous, were jubilant once more as Ben Allision produced a beauty of a delivery to remove Nick Gubbins in the second over of the Jack continued as nightwatchman for Hampshire, batting through the opening hour with poise, while the impressive Taylor castled Tilak Varma with a full, swinging delivery to check the visitors progress at the sun appeared over New Road, Khurram Shahzad entered the attack for the home side without success, as Prest guided a single down to third-man, easing Hampshire past was Adam Finch who reinvigorated his side after the late morning lull, with an energetic spell from the Diglis End. He removed Eddie Jack for a stubborn 29, before returning in his next over to have Ben Brown caught behind, as a positive morning session for the Pears took them to lunch with their opponents continued into the afternoon session but was given a major reprieve when he was dropped at gully on 30, before Felix Organ's turgid 46-ball stay at the crease was ended when he was bowled by Matthew Waite for Fuller (41 off 32) played an enterprising cameo that included five boundaries as Hampshire reached 250, shortly after Prest had secured an assured half-century of his own midway through the afternoon new ball came into effect for the home side in timely fashion, as Taylor returned to remove Prest for 54, and Fuller and Baker (0) in quick succession on his way to a second red-ball five-for of the season - taking his tally in the County Championship to 42 in what has been a standout campaign for the wrapped up the visitor's innings for 293, Gareth Roderick and Libby started the reply in faultless fashion as they navigated their way to tea, 38-0 in the now idyllic batting was wrestled back by the visitors courtesy of two wickets in consecutive overs, shortly after the opening pair had registered their second successive fifty-partnership, when Eddie Jack caught the edge of Roderick, who departed for 26, and Fuller forced Kashif Ali to chop on to his own joined Libby as they eased their way through the afternoon and into the evening against a lacklustre Hampshire attack, with both batters cashing in on the loose balls on offer and rotating the strike with registered a record-breaking partnership against the same opponents in the reverse fixture back in June, the pair looked in similar run-scoring moods as they took the home side past 100 in the 33rd over and batted through to the close with stumps were called shortly after 7pm, Worcestershire left the field in the driving seat at 187-2 with Hampshire's bowling attack facing an uphill battle heading into the third day with a lead of just 107. ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay
NZ Herald
29-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Conservationists warn over Thailand's growing captive lion population
'It's absolute madness,' said Tom Taylor, chief operating officer of conservation group Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. 'It's terrifying to imagine, if the laws aren't changed, what the situation is going to be in 10 years.' The boom is fuelled by social media, where owners like Tharnuwarht post light-hearted content and glamour shots with lions. 'I wanted to show people ... that lions can actually bond well with humans,' he said, insisting he plays regularly with his pets. He entered Big George's enclosure tentatively though, spending just a few minutes being batted by the tawny striped liger's hefty paws before retreating behind a fence. Since 2022, Thai law has required owners to register and microchip lions, and inform authorities before moving them. But there are no breeding caps, few enclosure or welfare requirements, and no controls on liger or tigon hybrids. Births of protected native species like tigers must be reported within 24 hours. Lion owners have 60 days. 'That is a huge window,' said Taylor. 'What could be done with a litter of cubs in those 60 days? Anything.' Illicit trade Taylor and his colleagues have tracked the rise in lion ownership with on-site visits and by trawling social media. They recorded around 130 in 2018, and nearly 450 by 2024. But nearly 350 more lions they encountered were 'lost to follow-up' after their whereabouts could not be confirmed for a year. That could indicate unreported deaths, an animal removed from display or 'worst-case scenarios', said Taylor. 'We have interviewed traders [in the region] who have given us prices for live and dead lions and have told us they can take them over the border.' As a vulnerable species, lions and their parts can only be sold internationally with so-called Cites permits. But there is circumstantial evidence of illicit trade, several experts told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid angering authorities. Media reports and social media have documented lions, including cubs, in Cambodia multiple times in recent years, though Cites shows no registered imports since 2003. There is also growing evidence that captive lion numbers in Laos exceed Cites import licences. In Thailand, meanwhile, imports of lion parts like bones, skins and teeth have dropped in recent years, though demand remains, raising questions about how parts are now being sourced. Thai trader Pathamawadee Janpithak started in the crocodile business, but pivoted to lions as prices for the reptiles declined. 'It gradually became a full-fledged business that I couldn't step away from,' the gregarious 32-year-old told AFP in front of a row of caged cubs. She sells 1-month-olds for around 500,000 baht (US$15,500 or $25,900), down from a peak of 800,000 baht ($41,200) as breeding operations like hers increase supply. Captive lions are generally fed around 2kg of chicken carcasses a day, and can produce litters of two to six cubs, once or twice a year. Pathamawadee's three facilities house around 80 lions, from a stately full-maned 9-year-old to a sickly pair of 8-day-olds being bottle-fed around the clock. They are white because of a genetic mutation, and the smaller pool of white lions means inbreeding and sickness are common. Sometimes wrongly considered a 'threatened' subspecies, they are popular in Thailand, but a month-old white cub being reared alongside the newborns has been sick almost since birth. It has attracted no buyers so far and will be unbreedable, Pathamawadee said. Thailand's captive lion population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered individuals in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes. Photo / Lillian Suwanrumpha, AFP She lamented the increasing difficulty of finding buyers willing to comply with ownership rules. 'In the past, people could just put down money and walk away with a lion ... Everything has become more complicated.' Legal review Pathamawadee sells around half of the 90 cubs she breeds each year, often to other breeders, who are increasingly opening 'lion cafes' where customers pose with and pet young lions. Outside Chiang Mai, a handler roused a cub from a nap to play with a group of squealing Chinese tourists. Staff let AFP film the interaction, but like all lion cafes contacted, declined interviews. Pathamawadee no longer sells to cafes, which tend to offload cubs within weeks as they grow. She said several were returned to her traumatised and no longer suitable for breeding. The growing lion population is a problem for Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), admitted wildlife protection director Sadudee Punpugdee. 'But private ownership has existed for a long time ... so we're taking a gradual approach,' he told AFP. That includes limiting lion imports so breeders are forced to rely on the domestic population. 'With inbreeding on the rise, the quality of the lions is also declining and we believe that demand will decrease as a result,' Sadudee said. Already stretched authorities face difficult choices on enforcing regulations, as confiscated animals become their responsibility, said Penthai Siriwat, illegal wildlife trade specialist at WWF Thailand. 'There is a great deal of deliberation before intervening ... considering the substantial costs,' she told AFP. Owners like Tharnuwarht often evoke conservation to justify their pets, but Thailand's captive lions will never live in the wild. Two-year-olds Khanom and Khanun live in a DNP sanctuary after being confiscated from a cafe and private owner over improper paperwork. They could survive another decade or more, and require specialised keepers, food, and care. Sanctuary chief vet Natanon Panpeth treads carefully while discussing the lion trade, warning only that the 'wellbeing of the animals should always come first'. Big cat ownership has been banned in the United States and the United Arab Emirates in recent years, and Thailand's wildlife rules are soon up for review. Sadudee is hopeful some provisions may be tightened, though a ban is unlikely for now. He has his own advice for would-be owners: 'Wild animals belong in the wild. There are plenty of other animals we can keep as pets.' -Agence France-Presse
France 24
29-07-2025
- General
- France 24
'Absolute madness': Thailand's pet lion problem
Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, and Tharnuwarht Plengkemratch is an enthusiastic advocate, posting updates on his feline companions to nearly three million followers. "They're playful and affectionate, just like dogs or cats," he told AFP from inside their cage complex at his home in the northern city of Chiang Mai. Thailand's captive lion population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes. Experts warn the trend endangers animals and humans, stretches authorities and likely fuels illicit trade domestically and abroad. "It's absolute madness," said Tom Taylor, chief operating officer of conservation group Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. "It's terrifying to imagine, if the laws aren't changed, what the situation is going to be in 10 years." The boom is fueled by social media, where owners like Tharnuwarht post light-hearted content and glamour shots with lions. "I wanted to show people... that lions can actually bond well with humans," he said, insisting he plays regularly with his pets. He entered Big George's enclosure tentatively though, spending just a few minutes being batted by the tawny striped liger's hefty paws before retreating behind a fence. Since 2022, Thai law has required owners to register and microchip lions, and inform authorities before moving them. But there are no breeding caps, few enclosure or welfare requirements, and no controls on liger or tigon hybrids. Births of protected native species like tigers must be reported within 24 hours. Lion owners have 60 days. "That is a huge window," said Taylor. "What could be done with a litter of cubs in those 60 days? Anything." Illicit trade Taylor and his colleagues have tracked the rise in lion ownership with on-site visits and by trawling social media. They recorded around 130 in 2018, and nearly 450 by 2024. But nearly 350 more lions they encountered were "lost to follow-up" after their whereabouts could not be confirmed for a year. That could indicate unreported deaths, an animal removed from display or "worst-case scenarios", said Taylor. "We have interviewed traders (in the region) who have given us prices for live and dead lions and have told us they can take them over the border." As a vulnerable species, lions and their parts can only be sold internationally with so-called CITES permits. But there is circumstantial evidence of illicit trade, several experts told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid angering authorities. Media reports and social media have documented lions, including cubs, in Cambodia multiple times in recent years, though CITES shows no registered imports since 2003. There is also growing evidence that captive lion numbers in Laos exceed CITES import licences. In Thailand, meanwhile, imports of lion parts like bones, skins and teeth have dropped in recent years, though demand remains, raising questions about how parts are now being sourced. Thai trader Pathamawadee Janpithak started in the crocodile business, but pivoted to lions as prices for the reptiles declined. "It gradually became a full-fledged business that I couldn't step away from," the gregarious 32-year-old told AFP in front of a row of caged cubs. She sells one-month-olds for around 500,000 baht ($15,500), down from a peak of 800,000 baht as breeding operations like hers increase supply. Captive lions are generally fed around two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of chicken carcasses a day, and can produce litters of two to six cubs, once or twice a year. Pathamawadee's three facilities house around 80 lions, from a stately full-maned nine-year-old to a sickly pair of eight-day-olds being bottle-fed around the clock. They are white because of a genetic mutation, and the smaller pool of white lions means inbreeding and sickness are common. Sometimes wrongly considered a "threatened" subspecies, they are popular in Thailand, but a month-old white cub being reared alongside the newborns has been sick almost since birth. It has attracted no buyers so far and will be unbreedable, Pathamawadee said. She lamented the increasing difficulty of finding buyers willing to comply with ownership rules. "In the past, people could just put down money and walk away with a lion... Everything has become more complicated." Legal review Pathamawadee sells around half of the 90 cubs she breeds each year, often to other breeders, who are increasingly opening "lion cafes" where customers pose with and pet young lions. Outside Chiang Mai, a handler roused a cub from a nap to play with a group of squealing Chinese tourists. Staff let AFP film the interaction, but like all lion cafes contacted, declined interviews. Pathamawadee no longer sells to cafes, which tend to offload cubs within weeks as they grow. She said several were returned to her traumatised and no longer suitable for breeding. The growing lion population is a problem for Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), admitted wildlife protection director Sadudee Punpugdee. "But private ownership has existed for a long time... so we're taking a gradual approach," he told AFP. That includes limiting lion imports so breeders are forced to rely on the domestic population. "With inbreeding on the rise, the quality of the lions is also declining and we believe that demand will decrease as a result," Sadudee said. Already stretched authorities face difficult choices on enforcing regulations, as confiscated animals become their responsibility, said Penthai Siriwat, illegal wildlife trade specialist at WWF Thailand. "There is a great deal of deliberation before intervening... considering the substantial costs," she told AFP. Owners like Tharnuwarht often evoke conservation to justify their pets, but Thailand's captive lions will never live in the wild. Two-year-olds Khanom and Khanun live in a DNP sanctuary after being confiscated from a cafe and private owner over improper paperwork. They could survive another decade or more, and require specialised keepers, food and care. Sanctuary chief vet Natanon Panpeth treads carefully while discussing the lion trade, warning only that the "well-being of the animals should always come first". Big cat ownership has been banned in the United States and United Arab Emirates in recent years, and Thailand's wildlife rules are soon up for review. Sadudee is hopeful some provisions may be tightened, though a ban is unlikely for now. He has his own advice for would-be owners: "Wild animals belong in the wild. There are plenty of other animals we can keep as pets." © 2025 AFP
E&E News
16-07-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Bezos names head of $10B Earth Fund
Jeff Bezos' Earth Fund appointed a former Amazon executive Tuesday as its newest CEO and president. Tom Taylor served as the lead of Amazon's Alexa voice assistant division and was at the corporation for over 23 years before he retired in 2023. He said that he is looking forward to taking on the role as a way to balance his desire for 'both adventure and service' in a statement Tuesday. 'Leading the Bezos Earth Fund is this perfect opportunity — a place where I can bring something to the table, learn from some amazing people, and help the planet now and for future generations,' Taylor wrote on a LinkedIn post Tuesday. Advertisement Bezos launched the Bezos Earth Fund and committed $10 billion toward the endeavor more than five years ago to combat climate change through research investment and supporting NGOs and activists.
