Scorpio Tankers Inc. yesterday reported its results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022. The Company also announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share on the Company’s common stock.
Results for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021
For the three months ended September 30, 2022, the Company had net income of $266.2 million, or $4.84 basic and $4.31 diluted earnings per share.
For the three months ended September 30, 2022, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $264.8 million, or $4.81 basic and $4.29 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $2.7 million, or $0.05 per basic and $0.04 per diluted share, gain on the sale of a vessel, (ii) $1.4 million, or $0.03 per basic and $0.02 per diluted share, write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing fees on certain debt or lease financing obligations and related debt extinguishment costs, and (iii) $0.1 million, or $0.00 per basic and $0.00 per diluted share, gain recorded on the repurchase of the Company’s Convertible Notes due 2025.
For the three months ended September 30, 2021, the Company had a net loss of $73.3 million, or $1.34 basic and diluted loss per share.
For the three months ended September 30, 2021, the Company had an adjusted net loss (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $76.1 million, or $1.39 basic and diluted loss per share, which excludes from the net loss a $2.9 million, or $0.05 per basic and diluted share, gain recorded as part of the refinancing of the lease financing for five vessels.
Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021
For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company had net income of $372.8 million, or $6.74 basic and $6.07 diluted earnings per share.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $446.0 million, or $8.06 basic and $7.21 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $66.5 million, or $1.20 per basic and $1.04 per diluted share, aggregate net loss on the sale of vessels, (ii) $7.1 million, or $0.13 per basic and $0.11 per diluted share, write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing fees on debt or lease financing obligations and related debt extinguishment costs and (iii) $0.5 million, or $0.01 per basic and $0.01 per diluted share, gain recorded on the repurchases of the Company’s Convertible Notes due 2025.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company had a net loss of $188.4 million, or $3.46 basic and diluted loss per share.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company had an adjusted net loss (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $184.5 million, or $3.38 basic and diluted loss per share, which excludes from the net loss (i) a $2.9 million, or $0.05 per basic and diluted share, gain recorded as part of the refinancing of the lease financing for five vessels, (ii) $5.5 million, or $0.10 per basic and diluted share, of aggregate losses recorded on the March 2021 and June 2021 transactions to exchange the Company’s existing Convertible Notes Due 2022 for new Convertible Notes Due 2025, and (iii) a $1.3 million, or $0.02 per basic and diluted share, write-off of deferred financing fees related to the refinancing of certain credit facilities.
Declaration of Dividend
On October 31, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per common share, payable on or about December 15, 2022 to all shareholders of record as of November 17, 2022 (the record date). As of November 1, 2022, there were 56,294,672 common shares of the Company outstanding.
Summary of Third Quarter 2022 and Other Recent Significant Events
New $250 Million Securities Repurchase Program
On October 31, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a new Securities Repurchase Program to purchase up to an aggregate of $250 million of the Company’s securities which, in addition to its common shares, currently consist of its Convertible Notes due 2025 and Senior Unsecured Notes due 2025 (NYSE: SBBA). As of today, there is $250 Million available under the new $250 Million Securities Repurchase Program.
In September 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a Securities Repurchase Program to purchase up to an aggregate of $250 million of the Company’s securities. This program was terminated on October 31, 2022, and any future purchases of the Company’s securities will be made under the new $250 million Securities Repurchase Program. Below are purchases of the Company’s securities made in 2022 under the September 2020 authorization.
In August 2022, the Company exercised its purchase options on six MR product tankers (STI Opera, STI Virtus, STI Venere, STI Aqua, STI Dama and STI Regina) that were previously financed under the China Huarong Lease Financing. These transactions resulted in an aggregate debt reduction of $95.0 million.
In September 2022, the Company gave notice to exercise its purchase options on two Handymax product tankers (STI Battersea and STI Wembley) and two MR product tankers (STI Texas City and STI Meraux). These vessels are currently financed under the COSCO Lease Financing. The purchases, which are expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2022, are expected to result in a debt reduction of $55.3 million.
In September 2022, the Company gave notice to exercise its purchase options on two MR product tankers (STI Brooklyn and STI Ville) and two LR2 product tankers (STI Rose and STI Rambla). These vessels are currently financed under the AVIC Lease Financing. The purchases, which are expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2022, are expected to result in a debt reduction of $77.8 million.
In September 2022, the Company gave notice to exercise its purchase option on an LR2 product tanker (STI Sanctity). This vessel is currently financed under the Ocean Yield Lease Financing. The purchase, which is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2023, are expected to result in a debt reduction of $27.8 million.
In October 2022, the Company gave notice to exercise its purchase option on an LR2 product tanker (STI Alexis) and five MR product tankers (STI Duchessa, STI San Antonio, STI Mayfair, STI St. Charles, and STI Yorkville), which are currently financed under the $157.5 Million Lease Financing. The purchases, which are expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2022, are expected to result in a debt reduction of $85.8 million.
In October 2022, the Company gave notice to exercise its purchase options on two LR2 product tankers (STI Steadfast and STI Supreme). These vessels are currently financed under the Ocean Yield Lease Financing. The purchases, which are expected to occur in the second and third quarters of 2023, are expected to result in a debt reduction of $55.6 million.
In October 2022, the Company repaid the outstanding debt on an LR2 product tanker (STI Madison), which was previously financed under the 2021 $21.0 Million Credit Facility. This transaction resulted in a debt reduction of $17.5 million.
Diluted Weighted Number of Shares
The computation of earnings or loss per share is determined by taking into consideration the potentially dilutive shares arising from (i) the Company’s equity incentive plan, and (ii) the Company’s Convertible Notes due 2025. These potentially dilutive shares are excluded from the computation of earnings or loss per share to the extent they are anti-dilutive.
The impact of the Convertible Notes Due 2025 on earnings or loss per share is computed using the if-converted method. Under this method, the Company first includes the potentially dilutive impact of restricted shares issued under the Company’s equity incentive plan, and then assumes that its Convertible Notes Due 2025, which were issued in March and June 2021 were converted into common shares at the beginning of each period. The impact of the Company’s Convertible Notes Due 2022, which were repaid in cash upon their maturity in May 2022, are included as part of the weighted average number of shares under the if-converted method for the portion of the period that they were outstanding. The if-converted method also assumes that the interest and non-cash amortization expense associated with these notes of $4.7 million and $16.8 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, respectively, were not incurred. Conversion is not assumed if the results of this calculation are anti-dilutive.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company’s basic weighted average number of shares outstanding were 55,003,149 and 55,334,147, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, there were 57,666,495 and 57,917,873 weighted average shares outstanding, respectively, including the potentially dilutive impact of restricted shares issued under the Company’s equity incentive plan.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, there were 62,820,207 and 64,172,301 weighted average shares outstanding, respectively, under the if-converted method.
Diluted earnings per share for both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 was calculated under the if-converted method.
Current Liquidity
As of October 28, 2022, the Company had $490.9 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents. Within the next two weeks, the Company is expected to receive approximately $105 million from the Scorpio pools with respect to the monthly cash distribution for October.
Drydock, Scrubber and Ballast Water Treatment Update
Set forth below is a table summarizing the drydock, scrubber, and ballast water treatment system activity that occurred during the third quarter of 2022 and the estimated expected payments to be made, and offhire days that are expected to be incurred, for the Company’s drydocks, ballast water treatment system installations, and scrubber installations through 2023:
Debt
Set forth below is a summary of the principal balances of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness as of the dates presented.
Set forth below are the estimated expected future principal repayments on the Company’s outstanding indebtedness as of September 30, 2022, which includes principal amounts due under the Company’s secured credit facilities, Convertible Notes Due 2025, lease financing arrangements, Senior Notes Due 2025, and lease liabilities under IFRS 16 (which also include actual scheduled payments made during the third quarter of 2022 through October 28, 2022):
Explanation of Variances on the Third Quarter of 2022 Financial Results Compared to the Third Quarter of 2021
For the three months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded net income of $266.2 million compared to a net loss of $73.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2021. The following were the significant changes between the two periods:
Dividend Policy
The declaration and payment of dividends is subject at all times to the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors. The timing and the amount of dividends, if any, depends on the Company’s earnings, financial condition, cash requirements and availability, fleet renewal and expansion, restrictions in loan agreements, the provisions of Marshall Islands law affecting the payment of dividends and other factors.
The Company’s dividends paid during 2021 and 2022 were as follows:
On October 31, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per common share, payable on or about December 15, 2022 to all shareholders of record as of November 17, 2022 (the record date). As of November 1, 2022, there were 56,294,672 common shares of the Company outstanding.
COVID-19
Since the beginning of calendar year 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has resulted in a significant reduction in global economic activity and extreme volatility in the global financial markets, the effects of which continued throughout 2021. The easing of restrictive measures that were put in place to combat the spread of the virus, and the successful roll-out of vaccines has served as a catalyst for an economic recovery in many countries throughout the world, which has, in part, led to a vastly improved financial performance during the second quarter of 2022. Nevertheless, the Company expects that the COVID-19 virus will continue to cause volatility in the commodities markets in the future. In particular, the spread of more contagious and vaccine resistant variants, along with the continued implementation of restrictive measures by governments in certain parts of the world, have hampered a full re-opening of the global economy. The scale and duration of these circumstances is unknowable but could have a material impact on the Company’s earnings, cash flow and financial condition. An estimate of the impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, and future performance cannot be made at this time.
Conflict in Ukraine
The ongoing military conflict in Ukraine has had a significant direct and indirect impact on the trade of refined petroleum products. This conflict has resulted in the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union, among other countries, implementing sanctions and executive orders against citizens, entities, and activities connected to Russia. Some of these sanctions and executive orders target the Russian oil sector, including a prohibition on the import of oil from Russia to the United States or the United Kingdom, and the European Union’s recent ban on Russian crude oil and petroleum products which took effect, or are scheduled to take effect in December 2022 and February 2023, respectively. The Company cannot foresee what other sanctions or executive orders may arise that affect the trade of petroleum products. Furthermore, the conflict and ensuing international response has disrupted the supply of Russian oil to the global market, and as a result, the price of oil and petroleum products has experienced significant volatility. The Company cannot predict what effect the higher price of oil and petroleum products will have on demand, and it is possible that the current conflict in Ukraine could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, and future performance.
