Century Aluminum Company Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2017 Results

CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX) today announced fourth quarter and full year 2017 results.

Fourth Quarter 2017 Financial Results

• Net income of $35.8 million, or $0.37 per diluted share
• Adjusted net income¹ of $24.8 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.26
• Adjusted EBITDA¹ of $60.2 million, up $12.3 million sequentially on higher LME prices, partially offset by higher raw material costs
• Net sales of $433.8 million, an 8% increase over prior quarter

Full Year 2017 Financial Results

• Net income of $48.6 million, or $0.51 per diluted share
• Adjusted net income¹ of $34.7 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.36
• Adjusted EBITDA¹ of $164.2 million, up significantly from the prior year on higher LME prices, partially offset by higher raw material costs and lower product premiums
• Net sales of $1,589.1 million, a 20% increase over the prior year

Century Aluminum Company reported net income of $35.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2017.  Results were favorably impacted by a $7.3 million non-cash gain related to the termination of certain legacy contractual obligations and negatively impacted by $3.1 million for lower of cost or net realizable value ("NRV") inventory adjustments.  During the quarter, the remaining volume under our 2017 LME hedge contracts matured and adjusted net income reflects a reduction of $6.8 million for the final settlement of these hedges.  This result compares to net income of $20.8 million for the third quarter of 2017, which included a $5.5 million non-cash gain related to a retirement benefit settlement and a $0.9 million unrealized gain related to LME forward sales.

Adjusted net income for the fourth quarter of 2017 was $24.8 million compared to adjusted net income of $14.4 million for the third quarter of 2017.

For the fourth quarter of 2017, Century reported adjusted EBITDA of $60.2 million, up $12.3 million from the third quarter of 2017.  The increase was primarily attributable to higher LME prices, partially offset by higher raw material costs.

Sales for the fourth quarter of 2017 were $433.8 million compared with $400.6 million for the third quarter of 2017.  Shipments of primary aluminum for the fourth quarter of 2017 were 189,000 tonnes compared with 184,974 tonnes shipped in the third quarter of 2017.

Century's cash position at quarter end was $167.2 million and revolver availability was $159.8 million.

For the full year 2017, Century reported net income of $48.6 million.  Results were favorably impacted by $13.9 million in non-cash gains, primarily related to the termination of certain legacy contractual obligations.

For the full year 2016, Century reported a net loss of $252.4 million.  Results were favorably impacted by a $0.7 million lower of cost or NRV inventory adjustment.  Results were negatively impacted by $179.0 million in non-cash charges, primarily due to asset impairments, and a $6.9 million charge related to discrete tax items.

Sales for the full year 2017 were $1,589.1 million compared with $1,319.1 million for 2016.  Shipments of primary aluminum for 2017 were 743,198 tonnes compared with 733,825 tonnes shipped in 2016.

“Stable operations, favorable operating metrics and tight controllable cost management contributed to what we believe was a very good quarter,” commented Michael Bless, President and Chief Executive Officer.  “Safety performance across the company was strong, with most plants achieving quarter over quarter improvement.  As we had forecast, higher raw material costs impacted our results; this factor will carry over to the first quarter.  That said, we have seen a welcome abatement of this trend, which should inure in our favor for the second quarter onwards.  We are thus entering 2018 with a good handle on our controllable costs and an improving raw material environment.”

Bless continued, “Industry conditions continue to be volatile and complex.  Western world demand for primary aluminum and aluminum products remains quite good; we see this environment continuing for the foreseeable future, barring of course the impact of any significant global macroeconomic shock.  Initial efforts at supply discipline in China have had only mixed results, and they have recently been met with a deteriorating demand environment.  We believe the impact will be another record year of exports from that country.  The U.S. market remains the ultimate recipient of excess production from China and other major aluminum exporting regions in which state support has created and perpetuated excess capacity.  It is only through adjustment of these imports into the U.S. that this situation, which continues to imperil what is left of the primary aluminum industry in this country, can be regularized.  We are hopeful the Trump administration will follow through on its strong statements of intent to remedy this situation.”

“We are optimistic as we look toward the coming year,” concluded Bless.  “We are implementing modest investments in upgrading our product mix across the plants.  We will need to make certain investments at Hawesville and Mt. Holly in order to maintain production at current levels; this spending, principally in the rebuilding of failed cells, has been deferred since we curtailed production in late 2015.  In addition, we continue to investigate the restart of capacity at Hawesville, potentially with an advanced cell design which has shown attractive results.  We believe the company is exceptionally well positioned to serve customers in a rational market environment and generate attractive returns for our shareholders.”

About Century Aluminum

Century Aluminum Company owns primary aluminum capacity in the United States and Iceland.  Century's corporate offices are located in Chicago, IL. Visit www.centuryaluminum.com for more information.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures that management uses to evaluate Century's financial performance.  These non-GAAP financial measures facilitate comparisons of this period’s results with prior periods on a consistent basis by excluding items that management does not believe are indicative of Century’s ongoing operating performance and ability to generate cash.  Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures enhance an overall understanding of Century’s performance and our investors’ ability to review Century’s business from the same perspective as management.  The tables below, under the heading "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures," provide a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.  Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, Century's reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP.  In addition, because not all companies use identical calculations, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA included in this press release may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.  Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliations in conjunction with the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures. 

Cautionary Statement

This press release and statements made by Century Aluminum Company management on the quarterly conference call contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Forward-looking statements are statements about future events and are based on our current expectations.  These forward-looking statements may be identified by the words "believe," "expect," "hope," "target," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "seek," "estimate," "potential," "project," "scheduled," "forecast" or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," "might," or "may."  Our forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements with respect to: future global and local financial and economic conditions; our assessment of the aluminum market and aluminum prices (including premiums); the potential outcome or occurrence of any trade claims to address excess capacity or unfair trade practices, our assessment of power pricing and our ability to successfully obtain and/or implement long-term competitive power arrangements for our operations and projects; our ability to successfully manage transmission issues and market power price risk and to control or reduce power costs; our ability to procure alumina, carbon products and other raw materials and our assessment of pricing and costs and other terms relating thereto; the future operation of our smelters and our other operations, including future production restarts or curtailments and any costs, benefits or actions associated therewith; future investments in new technology or other production improvements; the future financial and operating performance of Century, its subsidiaries and its projects; future inventory, production, sales, cash costs and capital expenditures; future operational improvements; future impairment charges or restructuring costs; our anticipated tax liabilities, benefits or refunds including the realization of U.S. and certain foreign deferred tax assets and liabilities and the impact of recent tax reform in the U.S.; our assessment of the ultimate outcome of our outstanding litigation; our plans and expectations with respect to the sale or other disposition of our 40% interest in BHH; our ability to access existing or future financing arrangements; future construction, investment and development; and our future business objectives, strategies and initiatives.

Where we express an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis.  However, our forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by those forward-looking statements.  Important factors that could cause actual results and events to differ from those described in such forward-looking statements can be found in the risk factors and forward-looking statements cautionary language contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and in other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Although we have attempted to identify those material factors that could cause actual results or events to differ from those described in such forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause results or events to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.  Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict.  Given these uncertainties, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.  We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contacts 

Peter Trpkovski
(Investors and media)
312-696-3112