Scorpio Tankers announces Q3 net income of $158.7 million

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Scorpio Tankers reported its results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. The Company also announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common shares of $0.40 per share.

Results for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023

For the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had net income of $158.7 million, or $3.31 basic and $3.16 diluted earnings per share.

For the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $87.7 million, or $1.83 basic and $1.75 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $69.3 million, or $1.45 per basic and $1.38 per diluted share, gain on sales of vessels, (ii) a $2.8 million, or $0.06 per basic and diluted share, gain on sale of a vessel within a joint venture, and (iii) a $1.1 million, or $0.02 per basic and diluted share, fair value loss on financial assets measured at fair value.

For the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had net income of $100.4 million, or $2.01 basic and $1.93 diluted earnings per share.

For the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $99.2 million, or $1.99 basic and $1.91 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $6.0 million, or $0.12 per basic and diluted share, write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing fees on certain lease financing obligations and related debt extinguishment costs, and (ii) a $7.1 million, or $0.14 per basic and diluted share, gain on the sale of a vessel.

Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had net income of $600.2 million, or $12.18 basic and $11.62 diluted earnings per share.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $482.6 million, or $9.79 basic and $9.34 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $124.0 million, or $2.52 per basic and $2.40 per diluted share, gain on sales of vessels, (ii) a $2.8 million, or $0.06 per basic and $0.05 per diluted share, gain on sale of a vessel within a joint venture, (iii) a $1.1 million, or $0.02 per basic and diluted share, fair value loss on financial assets measured at fair value, and (iv) a $8.1 million, or $0.16 per basic and diluted share, write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing fees related to unscheduled debt and lease payments and debt extinguishment costs on certain lease financing obligations.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had net income of $426.0 million, or $8.00 basic and $7.68 diluted earnings per share.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $428.1 million, or $8.04 basic and $7.72 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $9.3 million, or $0.17 per basic and diluted share, write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing fees on certain lease financing obligations and related debt extinguishment costs, and (ii) a $7.1 million, or $0.13 per basic and diluted share, gain on the sale of a vessel.

Declaration of Dividend

On October 28, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.40 per common share, with a payment date of December 13, 2024 to all shareholders of record as of November 22, 2024 (the record date). As of October 28, 2024, there were 50,525,001 common shares of the Company outstanding.

Summary of Third Quarter 2024 and Other Recent Significant Events

  • Below is a summary of the average daily Time Charter Equivalent (“TCE”) revenue (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) and duration of contracted voyages and time charters for the Company’s vessels (both in the pools and outside of the pools) thus far in the fourth quarter of 2024 as of the date hereof (See footnotes to “Other operating data” table below for the definition of daily TCE revenue):
 Pool and Spot Market Time Charters Out of the Pool
 Average Daily TCE RevenueExpected Revenue Days (1)% of Days Average Daily TCE RevenueExpected Revenue Days (1)% of Days
LR2$31,6002,45035% $30,750910100%
MR$20,8003,75035% $22,500500100%
Handymax$13,0001,15034%  N/AN/AN/A
 
(1) Expected Revenue Days are the total number of calendar days in the quarter for each vessel, less the total number of expected off-hire days during the period associated with major repairs or drydockings. Consequently, Expected Revenue Days represent the total number of days the vessel is expected to be available to earn revenue. Idle days, which are days when a vessel is available to earn revenue, yet is not employed, are included in revenue days. The Company uses revenue days to show changes in net vessel revenues between periods.
 
  • Below is a summary of the average daily TCE revenue earned by the Company’s vessels during the third quarter of 2024:
 Average Daily TCE Revenue
Vessel classPool / SpotTime Charters
LR2$38,011$30,872 
MR$25,146$21,824 
Handymax$19,605N/A
    
  • In October 2024, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its 2019 built scrubber fitted LR2 product tanker, STI Lily for $73.5 million. The sale is expected to close within the fourth quarter of 2024. This vessel was collateralized under the 2023 $1.0 Billion Credit Facility and the Company recently repaid $22.9 million of debt on this facility in anticipation of the closing of the sale. This debt repayment did not impact the undrawn amount of $288.2 million that is currently available under the revolving portion of this facility.
  • During the third quarter of 2024, the Company entered into agreements to sell two 2014 built scrubber fitted MR product tankers, STI San Antonio and STI Texas City, for $42.5 million per vessel. These sales are expected to close within the fourth quarter of 2024. There will be no debt repayments as a result of these sales as (i) STI San Antonio was recently replaced by STI Memphis as collateral on the 2023 $225.0 million Credit Facility and (ii) STI Texas City was released from the collateral package on the 2023 $117.4 Million Credit Facility given the sufficient headroom under the leverage covenant with the six remaining collateralized vessels under the facility.
  • During the third quarter of 2024, the Company invested $89.1 million for a passive, minority interest in DHT Holdings Inc. (“DHT”), a publicly traded crude tanker shipping company which owns a fleet of 28 Very Large Crude Carriers. The Company purchased 7,982,480 common shares in DHT, or 4.9% of the outstanding shares, in the open market at an average price of $11.17 per share during this period. This investment reflects the Company’s constructive outlook in this sector.
  • During the third quarter of 2024, the Company entered into a three-year time charter-out agreement for the 2018 built MR product tanker, STI Jardins, for $29,550 per day. This vessel is not scrubber-fitted and the time charter commenced in October 2024.
  • On July 29, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors replenished and increased the 2023 Securities Repurchase Program to purchase up to an aggregate of $400 million of the Company’s securities which, in addition to its common shares also consist of its Unsecured Senior Notes Due 2025 (NYSE: SBBA).  
  • In July 2024, the Company executed an agreement with the lenders on its 2023 $225.0 Million Credit Facility to convert the then $174.2 million outstanding balance on this facility from a term loan to a revolving credit facility. While the repayment schedule remains unchanged, this amendment gives the Company the flexibility to make unscheduled repayments that can be re-drawn in the future subject to a quarterly amortization profile.
  • In September 2024, the Company repaid the outstanding balance of $64.2 million on its BNPP Sinosure Credit Facility. The facility was collateralized by five vessels and bore interest at SOFR plus a blended margin (between the Commercial and Sinosure facilities) of 2.91% per annum.
  • During the third quarter of 2024, the Company closed on the sales of six MR product tankers. The 2012 built vessels, STI Garnet, STI Onyx, STI Ruby, and STI Topaz, were sold for $142.5 million in aggregate to three separate buyers. The 2013 built vessel, STI Beryl (which is not scrubber fitted), was sold for $36.6 million and the 2015 built MR product tanker, STI Manhattan, was sold for $40.8 million. The Company did not make any debt repayments as a result of these sales as STI Garnet, STI Onyx, STI Ruby, STI Topaz, and STI Beryl were unencumbered at the time of the sales and STI Manhattan was replaced by STI Notting Hill as collateral for the 2023 $1.0 Billion Credit Facility.

Securities Repurchase Program

From July 1, 2024 through October 28, 2024, the Company repurchased 3,362,410 of its common shares in the open market at an average price of $73.34 per share under the 2023 Securities Repurchase Program. Since April 1, 2024, the Company has repurchased an aggregate of 4,049,064 of its common shares in the open market at an average price of $74.17 per share.

There is $208.9 million available under the 2023 Securities Repurchase Program as of October 28, 2024.

Diluted Weighted Number of Shares

The computation of earnings per share is determined by taking into consideration the potentially dilutive shares arising from the Company’s equity incentive plan. These potentially dilutive shares are excluded from the computation of earnings per share to the extent they are anti-dilutive.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company’s basic weighted average number of shares outstanding were 47,941,734 and 49,285,618, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company’s diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding were 50,150,721 and 51,644,038, respectively, which included the potentially dilutive impact of restricted shares issued under the Company’s equity incentive plan.