Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE): BCG Matrix [Dec-2025 Updated]

You're looking for a clear map of where Live Ventures Incorporated's capital should land in late 2025, and the BCG Matrix gives us that snapshot right now. Honestly, the portfolio shows clear divergence: the Retail-Entertainment Star is shining with revenue growth of 9.0% and operating income near $8.2 million, while Steel Manufacturing acts as a reliable Cash Cow generating steady cash flow through improved margins. But we can't ignore the pressure points: the Retail-Flooring Dog saw revenue drop a steep 13.4%, and the Flooring Manufacturing Question Mark needs serious capital to capture market share once the housing cycle turns. Let's break down exactly which units demand your focus and capital allocation strategy below.

Background of Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE)

You're looking at Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE), which, at its core, is a holding company. Since Jon Isaac, the CEO, refocused it in late 2011, the strategy has been clear: value-oriented acquisitions of domestic middle-market companies. They look for businesses with a strong culture and a track record of stable earnings, aiming for a disciplined buy-build-hold approach. The company itself was originally founded way back in 1968, but the current structure is much more recent.

Live Ventures Incorporated operates across a diverse set of segments, which is important because performance isn't uniform across the board. You'll find operations in Retail-Entertainment, Retail-Flooring, Flooring Manufacturing, Steel Manufacturing, and a Corporate and Other segment to manage the whole structure. For instance, the Retail-Entertainment side includes Vintage Stock, Inc., which deals in collectibles, games, and media, while the Steel Manufacturing side houses Precision Industries, Inc., focusing on alloy and steel plates.

Let's look at the most recent hard numbers we have, which are for the fiscal third quarter of 2025, ending June 30, 2025. Revenue for that quarter came in at $112.5 million, down from $123.9 million in the prior-year period. Still, the story here is margin improvement; the gross margin expanded nicely to 34.0%.

The operational leverage is showing through in the income statement. Operating income jumped significantly, reaching $8.0 million compared to just $1.1 million the year before. Net income for the quarter was $5.4 million, resulting in diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.24. Honestly, that quarter showed strong profitability enhancement, with Adjusted EBITDA more than doubling to $13.2 million.

When you zoom out to the nine months ended June 30, 2025, the Retail-Entertainment segment showed real momentum; its revenue grew 9% to approximately $58.8 million, and its operating margin improved by 230 basis points to 14.0%. However, you can't ignore the headwinds; softness in the housing market continued to pressure the Retail-Flooring and Flooring Manufacturing segments.

From a market perspective as of late 2025, the stock price has seen some volatility, softening 34% over the previous 30 days, though the five-year shareholder return is still solid at 134%. As of November 28, 2025, the market capitalization stood at $28.41 million, with a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.1x, which is quite low compared to the industry median of about 0.5x. The company held total assets of $387.5 million and stockholders' equity of $94.3 million at the end of Q3 2025.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) - BCG Matrix: Stars

You're looking at the segment of Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) that is clearly leading its market, demanding capital to fuel its expansion. The Retail-Entertainment segment, anchored by Vintage Stock, fits squarely into the Stars quadrant because it demonstrates both high market share and operates within a high-growth market. For the nine months ended June 30, 2025, revenue for this segment rose by a notable 9.0%, which signals strong underlying market demand that the business is capturing effectively. This growth trajectory is exactly what you want to see in a Star; it's the engine room for future Cash Cow status, provided the market doesn't slow down before market share is fully solidified.

Here's a quick look at the financial performance metrics that define this segment's current strength as of the nine-month period ending June 30, 2025:

The profitability metrics back up the market leadership claim. The segment delivered an operating income of approximately $8.2 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2025, a significant increase from the $6.3 million reported in the prior-year period. Furthermore, the operating margin expanded by 230 basis points, reaching 14.0%. This margin improvement, alongside the revenue growth, shows the business is not just growing but is also becoming more efficient at scale, which is a hallmark of a well-managed Star. Honestly, seeing that margin tick up while growing revenue is the best indicator of market dominance.

The operational success of the Vintage Stock business specifically points to its high market share within the nostalgia-driven collectibles space. You can see this strength reflected in tangible results:

• Reported 13 consecutive months of positive year-over-year comparable store sales.
• Leverages a hybrid local inventory model sourcing high-margin resale inventory from walk-in customers.
• The product mix includes strong performers like collectibles, vinyl, retro games, and trading cards.

Because this segment is a leader in a growing area, Live Ventures Incorporated must continue to allocate capital here. This means continued investment in promotion and placement is necessary to defend and grow that market share against potential competitors. If this success is sustained until the high-growth market naturally slows, this unit is definitely positioned to transition into a long-term Cash Cow for the holding company.

Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) - BCG Matrix: Cash Cows

You're looking at the core engine of stability within the Live Ventures Incorporated portfolio, the segment that consistently produces more than it consumes, even when top-line revenue is pressured. For Live Ventures Incorporated, the Steel Manufacturing segment fits this Cash Cow profile, operating in what is clearly a mature, low-growth industrial market.

Steel Manufacturing delivered improved operating margins in Q2 2025 despite a revenue decline. For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, the segment posted revenue of approximately $31.3 million, which was a decrease of approximately 11.7% compared to the prior year period's revenue of approximately $35.5 million. However, the story on profitability is much better; the segment's gross margin for that quarter reached 21.2%, a significant jump from 14.3% in the prior year period. This operational strength continued, as for the nine months ended June 30, 2025, the gross margin expanded to 26.4% from 24.2% year-over-year.

The improved gross margin is driven by operational efficiencies, including the Central Steel acquisition. The acquisition of Central Steel Fabricators, LLC in May 2024 has been instrumental in this margin expansion. Central Steel contributed incremental revenue of approximately $3.8 million in Q2 2025. More importantly, this acquired business historically generates higher margins, which directly lifted the segment's profitability metrics. The segment generates reliable cash flow from a mature, low-growth industrial market, which is exactly what a Cash Cow does.

Here's a quick look at the segment's performance metrics as of the first three quarters of fiscal year 2025:

The segment's strong, defensible position allows for cash extraction to fund other portfolio segments. While the Retail-Flooring and Flooring Manufacturing segments faced revenue declines due to softness in the housing market, the Steel Manufacturing segment, alongside Retail-Entertainment, delivered higher operating income year-over-year in Q2 2025, showing its ability to generate positive cash flow despite market headwinds. This cash generation supports the entire structure; for instance, as of March 31, 2025, Live Ventures Incorporated maintained approximately $26.6 million of cash and availability under its credit facilities.

You can see the benefit of this cash flow generation when you look at the overall portfolio health:

• The Retail-Entertainment segment revenue grew 9% for the nine months ending June 30, 2025.
• Overall Adjusted EBITDA for the nine months ended June 30, 2025, was approximately $25.4 million, an increase of approximately 31.7% year-over-year.
• The company reported total stockholders' equity of $88.9 million as of March 31, 2025.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) - BCG Matrix: Dogs

DOGS (low growth products (brands), low market share): Dogs are in low growth markets and have low market share. Dogs should be avoided and minimized. Expensive turn-around plans usually do not help. Dogs, are units or products with a low market share and low growth rates. They frequently break even, neither earning nor consuming much cash. Dogs are generally considered cash traps because businesses have money tied up in them, even though they bring back almost nothing in return. These business units are prime candidates for divestiture.

For Live Ventures Incorporated, the Retail-Flooring segment clearly exhibits characteristics aligning with the Dogs quadrant as of the nine months ended June 30, 2025. This segment is operating in a market facing significant headwinds, which translates to low growth prospects and, by implication in this context, a low relative market share position.

The financial performance underscores this pressure. Retail-Flooring revenue decreased significantly by 13.4% in the nine months ended June 30, 2025. This decline amounted to a revenue figure of approximately $89.5 million for the period, down from approximately $103.3 million in the prior-year period. This revenue contraction is directly linked to external market conditions.

The segment is pressured by 'ongoing softness' in the new home construction and refurbishment markets. This industry-specific pressure confirms the low-growth market environment, indicating a low-share position in a low-growth market for this unit. Furthermore, this segment is consuming cash, reporting an operating loss of approximately $5.6 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2025, an increase from the operating loss of approximately $4.4 million in the prior-year period. That's a tough spot to be in; the unit is losing more money while revenues shrink.

Here's a quick look at the segment's recent financial trajectory:

The associated Flooring Manufacturing segment also faces similar industry-specific headwinds, citing reduced consumer demand due to the ongoing weakness in the housing market and economic uncertainty. While this manufacturing unit posted an operating income of approximately $5.5 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2025, up from approximately $4.8 million in the prior year, the overall flooring exposure suggests systemic low-growth risk across the vertical.

Given the negative revenue trend and the operating loss, management should consider targeted cost reductions or potential divestiture of underperforming units within this area. You've got to stop the bleeding before it drains resources better suited for Stars or Cash Cows. The key metrics that define this as a Dog are:

• Retail-Flooring revenue decreased significantly by 13.4% in the nine months ended June 30, 2025.
• The segment is pressured by 'ongoing softness' in the new home construction and refurbishment markets.
• The business faces industry-specific headwinds, indicating a low-share position in a low-growth market.
• The operating loss widened to approximately $5.6 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2025.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) - BCG Matrix: Question Marks

You're analyzing the portfolio of Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) and the Flooring Manufacturing segment clearly falls into the Question Marks quadrant. This is a business unit operating in a market with high growth prospects but currently holding a low relative market share, demanding cash while its returns are uncertain.

The core issue for this segment is the direct link between its performance and the volatile housing market. For the fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2025, the Flooring Manufacturing segment revenue was $29.5 million. This represents a year-over-year decrease of approximately 5.7% compared to the $31.3 million reported for the same period in fiscal 2024. This revenue decline is explicitly attributed to reduced consumer demand stemming from the ongoing weakness in the housing market.

The strategic move to place this segment in a high-growth category was the 2023 acquisition. Live Ventures Incorporated, through its subsidiary Marquis Industries, acquired the Harris Flooring Group brands on September 20, 2023, for a transaction valued at approximately $10 million [cite: 4, 8, 9 from first search]. This acquisition was intended to significantly impact Marquis Industries and contribute substantial revenues as part of the growth strategy for the flooring manufacturing segment [cite: 8, 9 from first search]. The segment's long-term potential is high, as the broader US flooring market is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.51% through 2030.

The capital intensity required to shift this unit from a Question Mark to a Star is significant. The segment needs heavy investment to quickly capture market share upon a housing cycle recovery, otherwise, the current revenue pressure could see it devolve into a Dog. For context, the entire Live Ventures Incorporated reported total revenue of $472.8 million for the full fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 [cite: 6, 14 from first search], making the $29.5 million Q3 2025 segment revenue a relatively small, yet strategically important, piece.

Here is a comparison of the recent performance metrics for the Flooring Manufacturing segment:

The strategy for this unit hinges on capital deployment to gain share while the market is growing. The segment's low market share in a necessary, yet currently depressed, industry makes its future trajectory highly dependent on external factors and internal investment decisions.

Key factors influencing the Question Mark status of Flooring Manufacturing:

• Acquisition cost for Harris brands: approximately $10 million [cite: 4 from first search].
• US Flooring Market projected CAGR (2025-2030): 6.51% [cite: 4 from second search].
• Q3 2025 Revenue: $29.5 million.
• Q3 2025 Revenue Trend: Down 5.7% year-over-year.
• Total Company Revenue (FY 2024): $472.8 million [cite: 6 from first search].

You need to decide if the capital required to push this segment past its current housing cycle headwinds is worth the potential payoff of becoming a Star, or if divestiture is the cleaner path to preserve cash flow. Finance: draft the capital allocation proposal for the Harris brands by next Wednesday.