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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
-----------------------------------------   -------------------