CalAtlantic Group, Inc. Reports 2017 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Selected Operating Results

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CalAtlantic Group, Inc. (NYSE: CAA) today announced selected operating results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

    --  Net new orders in the 2017 fourth quarter increased 20% versus the prior
        year period;
    --  Incentives in orders decreased 80 bps year-over-year to 5.0%;
    --  End of year backlog value improved 21% versus prior year end;
    --  End of year backlog margin of 21.1%, up 70 bps versus prior year end.

These preliminary results are based on management's initial analysis of operations for the quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, are subject to the completion of its audit process, and are subject to change. The company's full fourth quarter and fiscal year 2017 results could differ materially from the preliminary estimates provided in this press release. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date of this press release.


                                                                                                   SELECTED REGIONAL OPERATING DATA


                                                                                                   Three Months Ended December 31,
                                                                                                   -------------------------------

                                                                                       2017                                                   2016                   % Change
                                                                                       ----                                                   ----                   --------

                                                             Homes                      ASP                         Homes                       ASP                Homes        ASP
                                                             -----                      ---                         -----                       ---                -----        ---

                                                                                                  (Dollars in thousands)

    New homes delivered (1):

                                North                                       1,070                                        $357                                  914                    $335    17%   7%

                                Southeast                                   1,426                                         399                                1,281                     385    11%   4%

                                Southwest                                     979                                         451                                1,140                     433  (14%)   4%

                                West                                        1,082                                         655                                1,003                     657     8% (0%)


                                                                            4,557                                        $461                                4,338                    $450     5%   2%

                                 Consolidated
                                 total




                                                                                                  Year Ended December 31,
                                                                                                  -----------------------

                                                                                       2017                                                   2016                 % Change
                                                                                       ----                                                   ----                 --------

                                                             Homes                      ASP                         Homes                       ASP                Homes        ASP
                                                             -----                      ---                         -----                       ---                -----        ---

                                                                                                  (Dollars in thousands)

    New homes delivered (1):

                                North                                       3,459                                        $356                                3,034                    $335    14%   6%

                                Southeast                                   4,407                                         403                                4,029                     386     9%   4%

                                Southwest                                   3,464                                         445                                3,891                     426  (11%)   4%

                                West                                        3,272                                         619                                3,275                     649   (0%) (5%)


                                                                           14,602                                        $450                               14,229                    $447     3%   1%

                                 Consolidated
                                 total




                                                                                              Three Months Ended December 31,
                                                                                              -------------------------------

                                                                                       2017                                                   2016                 % Change
                                                                                       ----                                                   ----                 --------

                                                             Homes                      ASP                         Homes                       ASP                Homes        ASP
                                                             -----                      ---                         -----                       ---                -----        ---

                                                                                                  (Dollars in thousands)

    Net new orders:

                                North (2)                                     878                                        $370                                  682                    $356    29%   4%

                                Southeast                                   1,075                                         409                                  817                     394    32%   4%

                                Southwest                                     729                                         444                                  696                     437     5%   2%

                                West                                          725                                         662                                  653                     619    11%   7%


                                                                            3,407                                        $460                                2,848                    $447    20%   3%

                                 Consolidated
                                 total




                                                                                                  Year Ended December 31,
                                                                                                  -----------------------

                                                                                       2017                                                   2016                 % Change
                                                                                       ----                                                   ----                 --------

                                                             Homes                      ASP                         Homes                       ASP                Homes        ASP
                                                             -----                      ---                         -----                       ---                -----        ---

                                                                                                  (Dollars in thousands)

    Net new orders:

                                North (2)                                   3,625                                        $356                                3,329                    $337     9%   6%

                                Southeast                                   4,625                                         400                                4,201                     378    10%   6%

                                Southwest                                   3,391                                         446                                3,603                     430   (6%)   4%

                                West                                        3,564                                         652                                3,302                     630     8%   3%


                                                                           15,205                                        $459                               14,435                    $439     5%   5%

                                 Consolidated
                                 total




                                                                  Three Months Ended December 31,                                   Year Ended December 31,
                                                                  -------------------------------                                   -----------------------

                                                                 2017                      2016                     % Change                         2017                2016    % Change
                                                                 ----                      ----                     --------                         ----                ----    --------

    Average number of selling communities during the period:

                                North                             154                       140                            10%                        146                 129           13%

                                Southeast                         177                       190                           (7%)                        183                 183             ?

                                Southwest                         154                       163                           (6%)                        155                 168          (8%)

                                West                               80                        87                           (8%)                         81                  90         (10%)


                                                                  565                       580                           (3%)                        565                 570          (1%)

                                 Consolidated
                                 total




                                                                                                      At December 31,
                                                                                                      ---------------

                                                                                       2017                                                   2016                 % Change
                                                                                       ----                                                   ----                 --------

                                                             Homes                    Dollar                        Homes                      Dollar              Homes      Dollar
                                                                                       Value                                                   Value                           Value
                                                                                       -----                                                   -----                           -----

                                                                                                  (Dollars in thousands)

    Backlog (3):

                                North                                       1,464                                    $554,489                                1,298                $464,253    13%  19%

                                Southeast                                   2,011                                     894,377                                1,793                 776,402    12%  15%

                                Southwest                                   1,541                                     767,093                                1,614                 764,583   (5%)   0%

                                West                                        1,404                                   1,001,851                                1,112                 658,613    26%  52%


                                                                            6,420                                  $3,217,810                                5,817              $2,663,851    10%  21%

                                 Consolidated
                                 total



    (1)              As a result of Hurricanes
                     Harvey and Irma, the
                     Weyerhauser I-joist
                     issue discussed in our
                     most recent Form 10-Q,
                     and the California
                     wildfires, approximately
                     455 closings that were
                     scheduled to close
                     during the 2017 fourth
                     quarter have been
                     rescheduled to close in
                     the 2018 first quarter
                     (North: 99 closings,
                     Southeast: 78 closings,
                     Southwest: 225 closings,
                     and West: 53 closings).

    (2)              Net new orders in the
                     North for the 2017
                     fourth quarter include
                     105 homes in backlog
                     acquired in connection
                     with the Company's
                     December 2017
                     acquisition of Home
                     South Communities, one
                     of the largest
                     privately-held builders
                     in the Atlanta metro
                     market.

    (3)              As of December 31, 2017,
                     the average gross margin
                     of the 6,420 homes in
                     backlog was
                     approximately 21.1%, up
                     70 basis points compared
                     to the total homes in
                     backlog as of December
                     31, 2016.

Proposed Merger with Lennar Corporation

On October 30, 2017, the Company announced that it entered into a definitive merger agreement with Lennar Corporation ("Lennar") pursuant to which each share of CalAtlantic stock will be exchanged for 0.885 shares of Lennar Class A common stock and 0.0177 shares of Lennar Class B common stock. CalAtlantic's stockholders will also have the option to elect to exchange all or a portion of their shares for cash in the amount of $48.26 per share, subject to a maximum cash amount of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction, which is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary conditions, including the approval of the merger by the Company's stockholders and the stockholders of Lennar, is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2018.

About CalAtlantic Group, Inc.

CalAtlantic Group, Inc. (NYSE: CAA), one of the nation's largest and most respected homebuilders, offers well-crafted homes in thoughtfully designed communities that meet the desires of customers across the homebuilding spectrum, from entry level to luxury, in 43 Metropolitan Statistical Areas spanning 19 states. With a trusted reputation for quality craftsmanship, an outstanding customer experience and exceptional architectural design earned over its 50 year history, CalAtlantic Group, Inc. utilizes its over five decades of land acquisition, development and homebuilding expertise to acquire and build desirable communities in locations that meet the high expectations of the company's homebuyers. We invite you to learn more about us by visiting www.calatlantichomes.com.

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and may qualify for the safe harbor provided for in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include but are not limited to new home orders; deliveries; backlog; backlog gross margin; average home price; the estimated impact on the Company from the hurricanes, wildfires and Weyerhauser I-Joist issue; and the expected timing for completing the proposed merger with Lennar. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimates," "predicts," "believes," "should," "potential," "may," "forecast," objective," "plan," or "targets" and other similar expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations or beliefs regarding future events or circumstances, and you should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors many of which are out of the Company's control and difficult to forecast that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that may be described or implied. Such factors include but are not limited to: local and general economic and market conditions, including consumer confidence, employment rates, interest rates, the cost and availability of mortgage financing, and stock market, home and land valuations; the impact of economic conditions, terrorist attacks or the outbreak or escalation of armed conflict involving the United States; the cost and availability of suitable undeveloped land, building materials and labor; the cost and availability of construction financing and corporate debt and equity capital; our significant amount of debt and the impact of restrictive covenants in our debt agreements; our ability to repay our debt as it comes due; changes in our credit rating or outlook; the demand for and affordability of single-family homes; the supply of housing for sale; cancellations of purchase contracts by homebuyers; the cyclical and competitive nature of the Company's business; governmental regulation, including the impact of "slow growth" or similar initiatives; delays in the land entitlement process, development, construction, or the opening of new home communities; adverse weather conditions and natural disasters; environmental matters; risks relating to the Company's financial services operations; future business decisions and the Company's ability to successfully implement the Company's operational and other strategies; litigation and warranty claims; the risk that the proposed merger with Lennar may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; the risk that the Company or Lennar may be unable to obtain stockholder approval as required for consummation of the proposed merger; the risk that conditions to the closing of the proposed merger may not be satisfied or waived; the risk that the transaction may involve unexpected costs, liabilities or delays; the risk that the Company's business may suffer as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the transaction; the costs and outcome of legal proceedings relating to the transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; the ability of Lennar to recognize synergies and other benefits of the transaction; risks that the transaction disrupts current plans and operations of the Company; potential difficulties faced by the Company in employee recruitment and retention as a result of the pending transaction; the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement on the Company's ability to maintain relationships with its customers, suppliers and others with whom it does business; risks related to diverting management's attention from the Company's ongoing business operations; other risks relating to consummation of the transaction; and other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company assumes no, and hereby disclaims any, obligation to update any of the foregoing or any other forward-looking statements. The Company nonetheless reserves the right to make such updates from time to time by press release, periodic report or other method of public disclosure without the need for specific reference to this press release. No such update shall be deemed to indicate that other statements not addressed by such update remain correct or create an obligation to provide any other updates.

No Offer of Solicitation

This communication is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in connection with the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any solicitation, offer, sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in which such solicitation, offer, sale, issuance or transfer would be unlawful. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance with applicable law.

Additional Information about the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed merger, Lennar has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement"), in which a joint proxy statement of the Company and Lennar has been included that also constitutes a prospectus (the "Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus"). Investors and stockholders are urged to read the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus regarding the proposed merger and the related transactions and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents, because they contain important information about the Company, Lennar and the proposed merger. You may obtain a free copy of the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about the Company and Lennar at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). You may obtain these documents, free of charge, from the Company at www.CalAtlantic.com under the link "Investors" and then under the heading "Financials" and the subheading "SEC Filings" and from Lennar at www.Lennar.com under the tab "Investors" and then under the heading "Financials."

Contact:
Jeff McCall, EVP & CFO (240) 532-3888, jeff.mccall@calatl.com

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SOURCE CalAtlantic Group, Inc.