*Q2 GAAP net income of $6 million / $0.07 per diluted share
*Adjusted EBITDA of $37 million
*Reduced debt by $191 million; liquidity up $47 million to $396 million
*Successful integration of recently-acquired U.S. sawmills
Resolute Forest Products Inc. (NYSE: RFP) (TSX: RFP) today reported net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, of $6 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, compared to net income of $25 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, in the same period in 2019. Sales were $612 million in the quarter, a decrease of $143 million from the year-ago period. Excluding special items, the company reported a net loss of $22 million, or $0.25 per share, compared to net income of $11 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2019.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing economic slowdown have brought with them unprecedented challenges and business uncertainty,” said Yves Laflamme, president and chief executive officer. “I am grateful for the commitment of our employees, contractors and suppliers, and their loyalty and hard work: they pulled together, allowing us to operate as an essential business, true to our commitment to world-class safety while remaining committed to a job well done. Despite the challenging business environment, except for the low-interest term loan used to finance the acquisition of the U.S. sawmills, we repaid all of the borrowings we drew in Q1, and our liquidity improved to nearly $400 million. On the business side, we’ve seen stronger pulp pricing and higher lumber shipments in the second quarter, offset by a weaker paper segment, which reflects lower demand levels since the onset of the pandemic and our resulting capacity adjustments. We’re pleased with the integration of our recently-acquired U.S. sawmills and we’re excited about their prospects.”
Non-GAAP financial measures, such as adjustments for special items and adjusted EBITDA, are explained and reconciled below.
The company reported operating income of $6 million in the second quarter. The $14 million improvement over the previous quarter reflects the favorable impact of the weaker Canadian dollar ($11 million), stronger pulp pricing ($9 million) and higher lumber shipments ($9 million), offset by lower paper and pulp shipments ($18 million) and softer quarter-over-quarter lumber pricing ($5 million), despite a late quarter increase in pricing.
As of the second quarter, the company’s results from the newsprint and specialty papers segments have been combined into one paper segment. Comparative information, including the information in this earnings release, has been modified to conform with this revised segment presentation.
Operating income in the market pulp segment was $10 million in the quarter, an improvement of $13 million from the previous quarter. The average transaction price rose by $34 per metric ton, or 6%, with gains in each of the grades, and the operating cost per unit (the “delivered cost”) decreased by $14 per metric ton, or 2%, to $581 per metric ton. Shipments, however, were 45,000 metric tons lower, due mostly to the timing of annual outages at the Calhoun (Tennessee) and Thunder Bay (Ontario) mills during the quarter, and lower demand for recycled bleached kraft pulp. EBITDA in the segment was $16 million. Finished goods inventory was 87,000 metric tons at quarter-end.
The tissue segment generated an operating loss of $2 million in the quarter compared to operating income of $2 million in the previous quarter. The average transaction price improved by 4%, or $65 per short ton, but shipments slipped by 4,000 short tons, or 14%, due to low inventory early in the quarter as a result of the spike in customer demand in the early stages of the pandemic. Delivered cost per unit increased by $167 per short ton, or 10%, reflecting the impact of lower sales and also maintenance costs associated with the annual outage in Calhoun. Finished goods inventory at quarter-end remains low, at 5,000 short tons. Segment EBITDA was $3 million.
Operating income in the wood products segment was $15 million in the quarter, a $10 million improvement from the first quarter. Shipments rose by 78 million board feet due to added capacity for a full quarter of the U.S. sawmills acquired on February 1, as well as the impact of Canadian railroad blockades in the first quarter. The average transaction price slipped by $9 per thousand board feet, or 2%, compared to the first quarter, due to market uncertainty around the unfolding pandemic. Accordingly, excluding the U.S. sawmills, the company reduced production at several sites, leading to downtime of approximately 70 million board feet in the quarter. The delivered cost improved by $25 per thousand board feet, or 7%, to $355 per thousand board feet, reflecting better productivity. EBITDA in the segment improved by $9 million, to $25 million.
The paper segment incurred an operating loss of $12 million in the quarter, a decline of $9 million from the previous quarter. Shipments fell by 132,000 metric tons, or 27%, consistent with reduced production in order to adjust to the dramatic decrease in economic activity, particularly for marketing-dependent products like newspapers, inserts, flyers and commercial papers. The average transaction price, however, remained relatively stable, decreasing by $8 per metric ton, or 1%. The company recorded downtime of approximately 180,000 metric tons in the quarter, reducing inventory by 20,000 metric tons from the end of the first quarter, to 130,000 metric tons. The delivered cost increased by $20 per metric ton, to $625 per metric ton, due to the impact of downtime. EBITDA declined by $10 million, remaining positive at $4 million.
The company reported operating income of $6 million in the second quarter, compared to operating income of $40 million in the second quarter of 2019. The change reflects lower selling prices in the pulp and paper segments ($55 million) and lower paper shipments ($40 million), partially offset by favorable manufacturing costs ($18 million), higher pricing in the wood products and tissue segments ($14 million) and the added contribution of the recently-acquired U.S. sawmills ($6 million). Adjusted EBITDA was $37 million, $45 million lower than the second quarter of 2019.
more detail at: https://resolutefp.mediaroom.com/2020-07-30-Resolute-Reports-Preliminary-Second-Quarter-2020-Results