Industria
AMG Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results and Announces New Corporate Structure Effective January 1, 2024
Amsterdam, 8 November 2023 (Regulated Information) --- AMG Critical Materials N.V. (“AMG”, EURONEXT AMSTERDAM: “AMG”) reported third quarter 2023 revenue of $369 million, a 13% decrease versus the third quarter of 2022. Third quarter 2023 EBITDA of $54 million decreased 48% compared to the third quarter of 2022.
Cash from operating activities was $178 million on a year-to-date basis, compared to $111 million for the first nine months of 2022.
Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, said, “The 48% decrease in EBITDA compared to the third quarter of 2022 was driven in large part by the global decline in metal prices within our portfolio, predominantly the lithium price decline. The average quarterly prices of lithium carbonate and ferrovanadium have decreased over 50% and 29%, respectively, versus the average pricing in the third quarter of 2022. On a year-to-date basis, however, EBITDA has increased 17% compared to the first nine months of 2022.
We ended the third quarter in a $320 million net debt position, and continued to maintain a strong balance sheet and adequate sources of liquidity during the quarter. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had $347 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $195 million available on its revolving credit facility. As such, AMG had $542 million of total liquidity as of September 30, 2023. In today's rising rate environment, AMG continues to benefit from its low-cost fixed-rate debt facilities, and has an average interest rate charge across its two main debt instruments of 5%.
AMG Engineering signed $81 million in new orders during the third quarter of 2023, 51% higher year-to-date in 2023 than in the same period in 2022, driven by strong orders of remelting and heat treatment furnaces, representing a 1.02x book to bill ratio. AMG's order backlog was $341 million as of September 30, 2023, the highest in AMG's history for the second straight quarter. This is largely driven by the aerospace market, which is experiencing strong growth. Our third quarter 2023 order intake remains at a very high level, reaching $323 million year-to-date.”
Strategic Highlights
The Supervisory Board has authorized the implementation of a new corporate structure, which will be operational January 1, 2024. The present segmental reporting structure will be replaced by three corporate entities: AMG Lithium BV, AMG Vanadium BV, and AMG Technologies (AG/GmbH). Each entity will have its own leadership team and operating management.
Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, said, “The three new 100% owned subsidiaries AMG Lithium, AMG Vanadium, and AMG Technologies, have very specific trends and business models, and require very different management skill sets. They will each be managed by newly installed Management Boards, which will exercise their control through respective Supervisory Boards that will reflect corporate governance principles that currently apply to AMG Critical Materials NV.
This updated structure will enable AMG to realize strategic, operational, and risk management synergies that will improve decision making, as well as strengthen the resiliency of the organization. This new structure will decrease the potential for overreliance on individual executives, improve succession planning, and improve collaboration throughout the organization. Additionally, the new structure will create strategic flexibility for various forms of equity diversification.”
Lithium
Vanadium
Financial Highlights
Key Figures
Operational Review
AMG Clean Energy Materials
AMG Clean Energy Materials' revenue decreased 25% compared to the third quarter of 2022, to $140 million, driven mainly by decreased prices in both lithium and vanadium as well as lower volumes in lithium concentrate, partially offset by increased volumes in vanadium. Ferrovanadium production increased 48% versus the third quarter of 2022.
Gross profit for the quarter decreased 60% compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily due to the lower sales prices. The primary driver is the lithium price decline. Also, vanadium gross profit was lower due to fixed price inventory being processed from global sources. All other existing contracts are under indexed prices. We are working towards long-term contracts similar to our Cambridge model.
SG&A expenses in the third quarter of 2023 were higher than the same period in 2022 at $15 million, mainly driven by the increase in headcount related to the lithium and vanadium expansion projects, as well as higher employee benefit costs.
The third quarter 2023 EBITDA decreased 53%, to $39 million, from $84 million in the third quarter of 2022, due to the decline in metal prices as noted above.
During the third quarter of 2023, a total of 16,012 dry metric tons (“dmt”) of lithium concentrates was sold. The third quarter experienced lower sales volumes due to shipping schedule variances noted in the second quarter. The average realized sales price was $2,395/dmt CIF China for the quarter. The average cost per ton for the quarter was $529/dmt CIF China. The cost per ton is lower than the second quarter due to higher sales volumes of tantalum concentrate in the current quarter.
In 2024, we anticipate the cost per ton to rise due to unabsorbed costs during the ramp-up as well as lower relative tantalum sales volumes offsetting higher spodumene production. It is important to note that AMG is one of the lowest cost mines in the world and we plan to maintain that position.
AMG Critical Minerals
AMG Critical Minerals' revenue for the third quarter of 2023 decreased by 38%, to $53 million, mainly due to lower volumes across the segment largely driven by the silicon metal plant operating one furnace during the quarter, as discussed in detail below. The slowdown in the European industrial economy also continued to negatively impact the segment.
Gross profit of $7 million in the third quarter of 2023 was $6 million higher compared to the same period last year, largely due to the significant increases in gas and electricity costs experienced in the third quarter of 2022.
SG&A expenses in the third quarter of 2023 of $7 million were in line with the same period in 2022.
The third quarter 2023 EBITDA decreased 83% compared to the same period in 2022, to $1 million, due to silicon shutdown as well as the slowdown in the end-use markets for the segment in the current quarter.
AMG Silicon operated one of four furnaces throughout the third quarter and plans to operate one furnace for the remainder of 2023. The operational parameters of the silicon business will continue to be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Due to the noted interruptions in AMG Silicon's operations, the financial impact of the business will be excluded from EBITDA during this period of abnormal operations. However, AMG Silicon generated $10 million in cash flow from operating activities during the quarter driven by the receipt of energy sales made in the fourth quarter of 2022.
AMG Critical Materials Technologies
AMG Critical Materials Technologies' third quarter 2023 revenue increased by $24 million, or 16%, compared to the same period in 2022. This improvement was driven by strong revenues in our engineering unit, as well as higher sales volumes of titanium alloys and chrome metal, partially offset by lower chrome metal pricing.
SG&A expenses increased by 10% in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, due to additional personnel at AMG Engineering and AMG LIVA corresponding to the record order backlog and business development, respectively.
AMG Critical Materials Technologies' EBITDA was $13 million during the quarter compared to $12 million in the same period of 2022. The increase was primarily due to higher profitability in Engineering and Titanium, partially offset by lower chrome margins driven by continued sequential decline in chrome price in the third quarter of 2023.
AMG Engineering signed $81 million in new orders during the third quarter of 2023, driven by strong orders of remelting and heat treatment furnaces, representing a 1.02x book to bill ratio. Order backlog was $341 million as of September 30, 2023, the highest in AMG's history.
AMG Engineering has been selected by PCC's TIMET to supply the vacuum melting and re-melting furnaces for their new, state-of-the-art Titanium melt facility in Ravenswood, West Virginia. AMG's scope includes several vacuum arc re-melting, electron beam welding, and electron beam melting furnaces, signifying one of the largest orders in all of AMG Engineering's history.
Financial Review
Tax
AMG recorded an income tax expense of $13 million in the third quarter of 2023, compared to $39 million in the same period in 2022. This variance was mainly driven by lower profitability in the current quarter.
AMG paid taxes of $33 million in the third quarter of 2023, compared to tax payments of $10 million in the third quarter of 2022, primarily due to the timing lag in tax payments relative to tax expense recognition.
Exceptional Items
AMG's third quarter 2023 gross profit includes exceptional items, which are not included in the calculation of EBITDA.
A summary of exceptional items included in gross profit in the third quarters of 2023 and 2022 are below:
Exceptional items included in gross profit
AMG Vanadium had a $1.3 million non-cash expense during the third quarter of 2023. This is a result of inventory cost adjustments associated with declining prices and an increased inventory position of spent catalyst as we diversify our sourcing strategy which has been adjusted in EBITDA.
SG&A
AMG's third quarter 2023 SG&A expenses were $43 million compared to $37 million in the third quarter of 2022, with the increase largely attributable to higher personnel costs driven by increased hiring in our Lithium, Engineering, and LIVA businesses.
Liquidity
AMG continued to maintain a strong balance sheet and adequate sources of liquidity during the third quarter. As of September 30, 2023, the Company had $347 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $195 million available on its revolving credit facility. As such, AMG had $542 million of total liquidity as of September 30, 2023.
Net Finance Costs
AMG's third quarter 2023 net finance cost was $9 million compared to $14 million in the third quarter of 2022. This decrease was mainly driven by foreign exchange gains of $3 million during the quarter primarily due to non-cash intergroup balances and higher interest income earned on an increased cash and cash equivalents balance in the third quarter 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022. Additionally, in today's rising rate environment, AMG continues to benefit from its low-cost fixed-rate debt facilities. AMG has an average interest rate charge across its two main debt instruments of 5%.
Outlook
Since the end of July when we issued the previous 2023 EBITDA guidance of between $350 million and $380 million, market prices for spodumene and lithium carbonate have decreased by 50% and 43%, respectively. Given these price decreases, AMG's new EBITDA guidance for the full year 2023 is approximately $320 million.
Considering the ramp-up of the strategic projects explained above, as well as the volatility of our key material prices, specifically lithium, it is challenging to provide firm guidance for 2024. The recent fall in lithium prices has surprised every industry participant. Establishing the cause of the fall in prices and projecting future movements involves analyzing both the Chinese lithium industry as well as broader macroeconomic factors in China.
Given the difficulty of this analysis, and despite certain signs that the lithium supply and demand picture remains strong, there is high uncertainty with regard to near-term pricing dynamics. Therefore, utilizing today's depressed price levels, AMG's EBITDA will be approximately $200 million in 2024 with a stronger performance in the second half of the year.
Profit for the period to adjusted EBITDA reconciliation
This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.
This press release contains regulated information as defined in the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht).
About AMG
AMG's mission is to provide critical materials and related process technologies to advance a less carbon-intensive world. To this end, AMG is focused on the production and development of energy storage materials such as lithium, vanadium, and tantalum. In addition, AMG's products include highly engineered systems to reduce CO in aerospace engines, as well as critical materials addressing CO reduction in a variety of other end use markets.
AMG Clean Energy Materials segment combines AMG's recycling and mining operations, producing materials for infrastructure and energy storage solutions while reducing the CO footprint of both suppliers and customers. AMG Clean Energy Materials segment spans the vanadium, lithium, and tantalum value chains. AMG Critical Materials Technologies segment combines AMG's leading vacuum furnace technology line with high-purity materials serving global leaders in the aerospace sector. AMG Critical Minerals segment consists of AMG's mineral processing operations in antimony, graphite, and silicon metal.
With approximately 3,600 employees, AMG operates globally with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, China, Mexico, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, and Mozambique, and has sales and customer service offices in Japan (www.amg-nv.com).
For further information, please contact:
AMG Critical Materials N.V. +1 610 975 4979
Michele Fischer
mfischer@amg-nv.com
Disclaimer
Certain statements in this press release are not historical facts and are “forward looking.” Forward looking statements include statements concerning AMG's plans, expectations, projections, objectives, targets, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans and intentions relating to acquisitions, AMG's competitive strengths and weaknesses, plans or goals relating to forecasted production, reserves, financial position and future operations and development, AMG's business strategy and the trends AMG anticipates in the industries and the political and legal environment in which it operates and other information that is not historical information. When used in this press release, the words “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “should,” and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward looking statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. AMG expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in AMG's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based.
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