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8-K - CENTURY ALUMINUM COform8k-20110804.htm
Exhibit 99.1

Century Aluminum Reports Second Quarter 2011 Earnings

MONTEREY, CA.  August 4, 2011 -- Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ: CENX) today reported net income of $24.0 million ($0.24 per basic and diluted share) for the second quarter of 2011. Financial results were negatively impacted by a $7.7 million charge related to the contractual impact of the recent changes in the Company's Board of Directors and the executive management team; a charge of $2.9 million related to an insurance receivable, reflecting the fact that the matter is now in litigation, despite the Company's continuing view that it will ultimately receive such proceeds; a loss on forward contracts of $1.6 million, primarily related to the marking to market of aluminum put options; and a charge of $0.8 million related to the early retirement of debt. Changes to the Century of West Virginia retiree medical benefits program increased quarterly results by $8.9 million with an associated discrete tax benefit of $2.1 million.
 
In the second quarter of 2010, the company reported net earnings of $5.1 million ($0.05 per basic and diluted share). Results were positively impacted by a gain on forward contracts of $9.3 million primarily related to the marking to market of aluminum put options. Cost of sales for the prior year quarter included a $16.0 million charge for the portion of power costs at Hawesville payable by the previous power supplier per the terms of the power agreements and a $7.0 million charge for lower of cost or market inventory adjustments.
 
Sales in the second quarter of 2011 were $366.3 million, compared with $287.9 million in the second quarter of 2010.  Shipments of primary aluminum for the quarter totaled 151,483 tonnes compared with 144,580 tonnes in the year-ago quarter.
 
For the first half of 2011, the company reported net income of $49.0 million ($0.48 per basic and diluted share).  First half results were negatively impacted by a $7.7 million charge related to the contractual impact of the recent changes in the Company's Board of Directors and the executive management team; a charge of $2.9 million related to an insurance receivable; a loss on forward contracts of $6.4 million, primarily related to the marking to market of aluminum put options; and a charge of $0.8 million related to the early retirement of debt. Changes to the Century of West Virginia retiree medical benefits program increased first half results by $18.3 million with an associated discrete tax benefit of $4.2 million. Cost of sales for the first half includes an $8.6 million charge related to the restart of a curtailed potline at the Hawesville, KY smelter. This result compares to net income of $11.5 million ($0.11 per basic and diluted share) for the first half of 2010.  Results for the prior six-month period were positively impacted by a gain on forward contracts of $7.3 million, primarily related to the marking to market of aluminum put options. Cost of sales for the first six months of 2010 included a $31.5 million charge for the portion of power costs at Hawesville payable by the previous power supplier per the terms of the power agreements and a $6.9 million charge for lower of cost or market inventory adjustments.
 
Sales in the first six months of 2011 were $692.6 million compared with $573.2 million in the same period of 2010. Shipments of primary aluminum for the first six months of 2011 were 295,661 tonnes compared with 289,257 tonnes for the comparable 2010 period.
 
"Aluminum market conditions have remained generally stable during the last few months," commented Logan W. Kruger, Century's President and Chief Executive Officer.  "In the developed economies, we continue to see demand reasonably in balance with supply.  In China, Brazil and other developing markets, the pace of growth continues at robust levels.  The long-term trends of constrained supply and escalating costs continue to be reinforced.  More broadly, the well-published macro-economic issues, in both developed and developing markets, constitute risks that are difficult to quantify.  Short of any of these concerns manifesting themselves in the form of real crises, we remain constructive on the aluminum market over the medium term.
 
Mr. Kruger continued, "We are focused on returning Hawesville to the trajectory we anticipated earlier this year.  The issues facing the plant can all be remedied with qualified and determined leadership.  Over the last thirty days, we have brought on board an able and experienced plant manager and have filled almost all of the previously vacant key operating and technical positions.  The team has stabilized the operations and has now turned the corner toward reinstituting the plan to achieve full operating capacity for five lines, which we believe we will reach by the end of the year.
 
"We have made good progress across the rest of the company," concluded Mr. Kruger.  "Grundartangi had an excellent quarter, with annualized shipment volume of 278,000 metric tons and controllable costs in check.  Mt. Holly's performance was also very good; the plant is performing near its historically best-in-class levels.  Lastly, we advanced the discussions with Helguvik's power suppliers in Iceland, as we continue to move toward a restart of major construction activity."
 
Century Aluminum Company owns primary aluminum capacity in the United States and Iceland. Century's corporate offices are located in Monterey, California.
 
Century Aluminum’s quarterly conference call is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Eastern time today. To listen to the conference call and to view related presentation materials, go to www.centuryaluminum.com and click on the conference call link on the homepage.
 
Contacts:
Mike Dildine (media)     831-642-9364
Shelly Harrison (investors)    831-642-9357
 
               
Certified Advisors for the First North market of the OMX Nordic Exchange Iceland hf. for Global Depositary Receipts in Iceland:
Atli B. Gudmundsson, Senior Manager -- Corporate Finance, NBI hf.
Steingrimur Helgason, Director -- Corporate Finance, NBI hf.
 
Cautionary Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements are statements about future, not past, events and involve certain important risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, declines in aluminum prices or increases in our operating costs; deterioration of global financial and economic conditions; increases in global aluminum inventories and the addition of additional global aluminum production capacity; additional delays in the completion of our Helguvik, Iceland smelter; and our ability to successfully implement measures to return our Hawesville facility to full production.  Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding future market conditions, including the pace of future macro-economic growth and the continuance of supply and cost trends in the aluminum market, our ability to successfully remedy production issues at our Hawesville facility; the ultimate outcome of certain insurance litigation; and our ability to successfully restart construction activity at our Helguvik facility.  More information about the risks, uncertainties and assumptions affecting the Company can be found in the risk factors and forward-looking statements cautionary language contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake, and specifically disclaim, any obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of future events or circumstances.

 
 

 

Century Aluminum Company
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)
(Unaudited)

   
Three months ended
June 30,
   
Six months ended
June 30,
 
   
2011
   
2010
   
2011
   
2010
 
NET SALES:
                       
Third-party customers
  $ 207,091     $ 183,045     $ 395,403     $ 375,977  
Related parties
    159,186       104,808       297,211       197,265  
      366,277       287,853       692,614       573,242  
                                 
COST OF GOODS SOLD
    316,763       266,337       600,784       517,750  
                                 
GROSS PROFIT
    49,514       21,516       91,830       55,492  
                                 
OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES (INCOME) – NET
    (5,205 )     4,644       (11,089 )     9,109  
SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
    18,557       10,964       29,166       23,215  
                                 
OPERATING INCOME
    36,162       5,908       73,753       23,168  
                                 
INTEREST EXPENSE – THIRD PARTY – NET
    (6,321 )     (6,255 )     (12,943 )     (12,552 )
INTEREST INCOME – RELATED PARTY
    70       111       183       220  
NET GAIN (LOSS) ON FORWARD CONTRACTS
    (1,617 )     9,294       (6,426 )     7,322  
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE) – NET
    (1,132 )     230       (455 )     638  
                                 
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES AND EQUITY IN EARNINGS OF JOINT VENTURES
    27,162       9,288       54,112       18,796  
                                 
INCOME TAX EXPENSE
    (3,636 )     (4,619 )     (6,759 )     (8,900 )
                                 
INCOME BEFORE EQUITY IN EARNINGS OF JOINT VENTURES
    23,526       4,669       47,353       9,896  
                                 
EQUITY IN EARNINGS OF JOINT VENTURES
    460       477       1,679       1,582  
                                 
NET INCOME
  $ 23,986     $ 5,146     $ 49,032     $ 11,478  
                                 
NET INCOME ALLOCATED TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS
  $ 22,061     $ 4,723     $ 45,066     $ 10,532  
                                 
EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE
                               
Basic and Diluted
  $ 0.24     $ 0.05     $ 0.48     $ 0.11  
                                 
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING
                               
Basic
    93,105       92,672       93,036       92,611  
Diluted
    93,567       93,332       93,432       93,218  

 
 

 

Century Aluminum Company
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Dollars in Thousands)
(Unaudited)

             
   
June 30,
2011
   
December 31,
2010
 
ASSETS
           
Current Assets:
           
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 232,401     $ 304,296  
Restricted cash
    -       3,673  
Accounts receivable – net
    54,838       43,903  
Due from affiliates
    37,264       51,006  
Inventories
    187,388       155,908  
Prepaid and other current assets
    46,151       18,292  
Total current assets
    558,042       577,078  
Property, plant and equipment – net
    1,238,651       1,256,970  
Due from affiliates – less current portion
    3,094       6,054  
Other assets
    100,055       82,954  
Total
  $ 1,899,842     $ 1,923,056  
                 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
Current Liabilities:
               
Accounts payable, trade
  $ 87,595     $ 88,004  
Due to affiliates
    39,548       45,381  
Accrued and other current liabilities
    49,225       41,495  
Accrued employee benefits costs - current portion
    15,909       26,682  
Convertible senior notes
    -       45,483  
Industrial revenue bonds
    7,815       7,815  
Total current liabilities
    200,092       254,860  
                 
Senior notes payable
    249,011       248,530  
Accrued pension benefits costs - less current portion
    38,518       37,795  
Accrued postretirement benefits costs - less current portion
    106,718       103,744  
Other liabilities
    41,662       37,612  
Deferred taxes
    86,019       85,999  
Total noncurrent liabilities
    521,928       513,680  
                 
Shareholders’ Equity:
               
Series A Preferred stock (one cent par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized; 80,785 and 82,515 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively)
    1       1  
Common stock (one cent par value, 195,000,000 shares authorized; 93,214,667 and 92,771,864 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively)
    932       928  
Additional paid-in capital
    2,506,435       2,503,907  
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
    (78,234 )     (49,976 )
Accumulated deficit
    (1,251,312 )     (1,300,344 )
Total shareholders’ equity
    1,177,822       1,154,516  
Total
  $ 1,899,842     $ 1,923,056  

 
 

 

Century Aluminum Company
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(Dollars in Thousands)
(Unaudited)

   
Six months ended
June 30,
 
   
2011
   
2010
 
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
           
Net income
  $ 49,032     $ 11,478  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
               
Unrealized net loss (gain) on forward contracts
    6,170       (7,568 )
Realized benefit of contractual receivable
    -       32,193  
Accrued and other plant curtailment costs – net
    (16,592 )     (2,576 )
Lower of cost or market inventory adjustment
    (16 )     6,999  
Depreciation and amortization
    31,064       31,505  
Debt discount amortization
    1,355       1,548  
Deferred income taxes
    -       9,217  
Pension and other postretirement benefits
    (28,608 )     8,218  
Stock-based compensation
    2,501       2,163  
Non-cash loss on early extinguishment of debt
    763       -  
Undistributed earnings of joint ventures
    (1,679 )     (1,582 )
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
               
Accounts receivable - net
    (10,935 )     1,013  
Due from affiliates
    11,265       (16,671 )
Inventories
    (31,464 )     (11,162 )
Prepaid and other current assets
    (28,991 )     20,423  
Accounts payable, trade
    (1,202 )     (6,725 )
Due to affiliates
    (5,834 )     621  
Accrued and other current liabilities
    7,575       (2,189 )
Other - net
    (539 )     (4,773 )
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
    (16,135 )     72,132  
                 
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
               
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
    (7,353 )     (3,012 )
Nordural expansion
    (7,968 )     (10,113 )
Investments in and advances to joint ventures
    -       (17 )
Payment received on advances from joint ventures
    3,056       -  
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment
    56       -  
Restricted and other cash deposits
    3,673       (983 )
Net cash used in investing activities
    (8,536 )     (14,125 )
                 
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCIING ACTIVITIES:
               
Repayment of debt
    (47,067 )     -  
Repayment of contingent obligation
    (189 )     -  
Issuance of common stock - net
    32       23  
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
    (47,224 )     23  
                 
CHANGE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
    (71,895 )     58,030  
                 
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD
    304,296       198,234  
                 
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF THE PERIOD
  $ 232,401     $ 256,264  

 
 

 

Century Aluminum Company
Selected Operating Data
(Unaudited)

 
   
SHIPMENTS - PRIMARY ALUMINUM
   
Direct (1)
 
Toll
   
Metric Tons
 
(000)
Pounds
 
$/Pound
 
Metric Tons
 
(000)
Pounds
 
(000)
Revenue
2011
                           
2nd Quarter
 
84,509
 
186,310
 
$
1.26
 
66,974
 
147,652
 
$$
132,113
1st Quarter
 
80,479
 
177,426
   
1.17
 
63,699
 
140,432
   
117,658
Year to Date
 
164,988
 
363,736
 
$
1.22
 
130,673
 
288,084
 
$$
249,771
 
2010
                           
2nd Quarter
 
76,521
 
168,700
 
$
1.04
 
68,059
 
150,043
 
$$
112,523
1st Quarter
 
76,653
 
168,990
   
1.04
 
68,024
 
149,968
   
109,659
Year to Date
 
153,174
 
337,690
 
$
1.04
 
136,083
 
300,011
 
$$
222,182

    (1)
 Does not include Toll shipments from Nordural Grundartangi