Ivaco Reports First Quarter Results
21 May 1999
Ivaco Reports First Quarter Results
MONTREAL--May 20, 1999--Ivaco Inc. (ME:IVA.A.) (TSE:IVA.A.) (ME:IVA.B.) (TSE:IVA.B.) today reported a net loss of $3,170,000 or $0.24 per share for the first quarter ended March 31, 1999 compared to net earnings of $6,136,000 or $0.07 per share last year. Sales for the first quarter were $264.1 million compared to $290.7 million last year.Paul Ivanier, President and Chief Executive Officer said that sales and earnings for the first quarter were impacted by the two week shutdown at Ivaco Rolling Mills in January for the implementation of phase two of the upgrade program and the ensuing start-up of the rod mill in February. Production levels now being achieved are approaching the levels of expected rated capacity.
Despite the first quarter results and pricing pressures for wire rod and fabricated steel products, the Company expects 1999 to be profitable overall. Mr. Ivanier said: "A wire rod price increase of US$15 per tons announced in March would not benefit earnings until late in the second quarter. Sales at our rod mill and downstream fabricated steel products segments remain strong and the plastic pipe and fittings and precision machined components segments continue to perform well".
On May 12th, the U.S. International Trade Commission made an affirmative injury determination in respect of the Section 201 petition filed in late December last year by U.S. wire rod producers. NAFTA countries like Canada were excluded from the petition. The International Trade Commission's report with recommendations for remediation of injury is expected by mid July.
Ivaco is a Canadian corporation and is a leading North American producer of steel, fabricated steel products, plastic pipe and fittings and precision machined components. Ivaco has operations in Canada and the United States. Shares of Ivaco are traded on The Toronto Stock Exchange and The Montreal Exchange (IVA).
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (Unaudited) --------------------------------------------------------------- Thousands of dollars except per share amounts Three months ended March 31, 1999 March 31, 1998 ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Net Sales $264,144 $290,682 ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Cost of sales and operating expenses 236,061 252,243 ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Operating earnings (EBITDA) before: 28,083 38,439 ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Amortization (15,264) (12,967) Share of loss of equity accounted investments (202) (780) ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Earnings from operations before interest and other items 12,617 24,692 Net interest expense (12,436) (10,444) Dividends on Series 5, Second Preferred Shares (1,506) (1,291) ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Earnings (loss) from operations before income taxes (1,325) 12,957 Income taxes 1,845 6,821 ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Net earnings (loss) $(3,170) $6,136 ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Net earnings (loss) per share (Note 1) $(0.24) $0.07 ------------------------- ------------------ ------------------ SEGMENT REPORTING (Unaudited) --------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended Thousands of dollars March 31, 1999 --------------------------------------------------------------- BUSINESS SEGMENTS Fabricated Plastic Steel Steel Pipe and Products Fittings ------------------- ---------- ------------- ----------------- Net sales - external $64,550 $142,846 $37,903 ------------------- ---------- ------------- ----------------- Net sales - intersegment $32,051 $106 - ------------------- ---------- ------------- ----------------- Operating earnings (EBITDA) $8,599 $16,670 $6,633 ------------------- ---------- ------------- ----------------- Assets identifiable by segment $365,439 $503,732 $168,038 ------------------- ---------- ------------- ----------------- Three months ended Thousands of dollars March 31, 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------- BUSINESS SEGMENTS Fabricated Plastic Steel Pipe and Steel Products Fittings ------------------- ---------- ------------ ------------------ Net sales - external $108,952 $123,825 $35,135 ------------------- ---------- ------------ ------------------ Net sales - intersegment $25,767 $105 - ------------------- ---------- ------------ ------------------ Operating earnings (EBITDA) $11,012 $22,120 $6,124 ------------------- ---------- ------------ ------------------ Assets identifiable by segment $389,127 $496,541 $135,366 ------------------- ---------- ------------ ------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended Thousands of dollars March 31, 1999 --------------------------------------------------------------- BUSINESS SEGMENTS Precision Machined Corporate Total Components cost ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Net sales - external $18,845 - $264,144 ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Net sales - intersegment - - $32,157 ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Operating earnings (EBITDA) $1,842 $(5,661) $28,083 ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Assets identifiable by segment $45,991 $229,632 $1,312,832 ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Three months ended Thousands of dollars March 31, 1998 --------------------------------------------------------------- BUSINESS SEGMENTS Precision Machined Corporate Total Components cost ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Net sales - external $22,770 - $290,682 ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Net sales - intersegment - - $25,872 ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Operating earnings (EBITDA) $3,911 $(4,728) $38,439 ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Assets identifiable by segment $45,693 $268,309 $1,335,036 ------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------------ Notes: 1. Per share amounts are after deducting preferred dividends of $4,103,000 (1998 - $4,117,000) and are based on an average of 30,738,022 (1998 - 30,717,022) shares outstanding. 2. The 1998 amounts have been restated to conform to the presentation adopted in 1999. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION --------------------------------------------------------------- (Unaudited) (Audited) Thousands of dollars March 31, 1999 December 31, 1998 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Current Assets Cash and short-term investments $3,026 $13,739 Accounts receivable 162,491 151,554 Inventories 332,394 350,545 Prepaid expenses 11,251 7,804 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Total Current Assets 509,162 523,642 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Current Liabilities Bank indebtedness, partly secured 52,140 46,427 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 181,031 197,962 Income taxes payable 1,322 706 Current maturities of long-term debt 54,533 46,328 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Total Current Liabilities 289,026 291,423 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Working Capital 220,136 232,219 Investments, at cost 114,860 114,860 Investments, at equity 21,352 21,793 Property, plant and equipment 539,602 523,571 Other assets 127,856 128,664 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Total Investment 1,023,806 1,021,107 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Deduct: Long-term debt 499,248 490,077 Series 5, Second Preferred Shares 54,892 51,789 Deferred income taxes 71,925 72,955 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ 626,065 614,821 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Shareholders' Equity $397,741 $406,286 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Represented by: Capital stock $460,805 $460,805 Retained earnings (deficit) (81,995) (74,722) Cumulative translation adjustment 18,931 20,203 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ Shareholders' Equity $397,741 $406,286 ---------------------- ------------------ ------------------ CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) --------------------------------------------------------------- Three months ended Thousands of dollars March 31, 1999 March 31, 1998(Note 2) ----------------------------------------- ------------------- OPERATING ACTIVITIES Working capital provided from operations $11,130 $19,998 Increase in non-cash working capital items (12,548) (29,168) Deferred preproduction and development costs (8,903) (2,894) Other items (1,123) 3,096 ----------------------------------------- ------------------- Cash used in operating activities (11,444) (8,968) ----------------------------------------- ------------------- FINANCING ACTIVITIES Dividends (1,000) (2,561) Additional long-term debt 37,091 30,757 Repayment of long-term debt (13,893) (8,735) Increase in bank indebtedness 5,713 431 Other items (237) (802) ----------------------------------------- ------------------- Cash provided by financing activities 27,674 19,090 ----------------------------------------- ------------------- INVESTING ACTIVITIES Net additions to property, plant and equipment (21,249) (11,737) Additions to construction in progress (5,694) (3,846) Proceeds on disposal of business - 14,841 Other items - (5,763) ----------------------------------------- ------------------- Cash used in investing activities (26,943) (6,505) ----------------------------------------- ------------------- Decrease (increase) in cash and cash equivalents (10,713) 3,617 Cash and cash equivalents, January 1 13,739 26,983 ----------------------------------------- ------------------- Cash and cash equivalents, March 31 $3,026 $30,600 ----------------------------------------- -------------------