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Mercer International Inc. Reports First Quarter 2023 Results

General News
Mercer International Logo - Pulp Mill

Mercer International Inc. (Nasdaq: MERC) today reported first quarter 2023 Operating EBITDA of $27.5 million, net of a $15.2 million non-cash inventory impairment charge, a decrease from $154.5 million in the first quarter of 2022 and $96.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.

In the first quarter of 2023, net loss was $30.6 million (or $0.46 per share) compared to net income of $88.9 million (or $1.35 per basic share and $1.34 per diluted share) in the first quarter of 2022 and net income of $20.0 million (or $0.30 per share) in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Mr. Juan Carlos Bueno, the Chief Executive Officer, stated: “In the first quarter, we achieved strong operational performance in both our pulp and solid wood segments. Our results in the quarter were negatively impacted by the lingering effects of inflation on our key inputs such as fiber and chemicals. We also experienced lower prices for most of our products in the quarter. Lower pulp prices were primarily the result of weak demand out of China, while lumber prices were weak through the first quarter as high interest rates and uncertain economic indicators impacted residential construction. Our per unit fiber costs reached a peak in the first quarter of 2023 due to reduced wood chip availability for our Canadian pulp mills as a result of sawmill curtailments and high fiber prices for our German pulp mills as we work through high cost inventory acquired in late 2022 when there was strong demand for wood as an energy source.

Our pulp segment had strong production in the first quarter of 2023 with an increase of approximately 7% compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. Pulp sales volumes decreased 6% relative to the fourth quarter as a result of weaker demand.

Our Friesau mill had record production in the first quarter of 2023. Overall our lumber production increased approximately 14% compared to the fourth quarter of 2022 and our lumber sales volumes increased approximately 41% due to higher production and increasing demand as a result of lower prices.

During the quarter we continued our integration activities at Torgau. In the first quarter of 2023, the synergies achieved were nominal due to low sales realizations for lumber and wood residuals, but we continue to expect annual synergies of approximately $16 million once market conditions improve. Our integration efforts are ongoing as we work to capture all available synergies.

Looking forward to the second quarter of 2023, we currently believe pulp prices will decline, with additional downward pricing pressure on hardwood pulp as the market adjusts to new South American supply. We expect lower softwood pulp prices to be short-lived because of low customer inventory levels. Lumber demand is expected to see a modest increase as we move into the residential construction season, which we believe will also create some upward pricing pressure.

Our Mass Timber business continues to grow its order book. We are pleased with the rate at which our assembled sales team is onboarding new customers. This has allowed us to start building a robust order book, including participation in some leading and complex cross-laminated timber projects. With one of the most modern facilities in the world, we are excited about the future growth potential of this business as cross-laminated timber has been rapidly gaining market share in the construction business.”

Mr. Bueno concluded: “Although economic uncertainty and high inflation have negatively impacted our short-term financial results, we are now experiencing reductions in input costs such as fiber and chemicals. In addition, we have strong liquidity and a strong operational foundation that give us many options to continue to grow and diversify our solid wood and bio-product revenues. We will continue to manage our liquidity and working capital prudently and run the Company based on continuous improvement to enhance efficiency and lower costs.”

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*Operating EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. See page 6 of the financial tables included in this press release for a reconciliation of net income (loss) to Operating EBITDA.

Consolidated Financial Results

 (in thousands, except per share amounts) Q1 Q4Q1
  2023 20222022
Revenues$522,666$583,056 $592,741
Operating income (loss)$(20,121)$47,263 $122,351
Operating EBITDA$27,470$96,128 $154,467
Net income (loss)$(30,578)$20,024 $88,897
Net income (loss) per common share   
Basic$(0.46)$0.30 $1.35
Diluted$(0.46)$0.30 $1.34
    

Consolidated – Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2022

Total revenues in the first quarter of 2023 decreased by approximately 12% to $522.7 million from $592.7 million in the same quarter of 2022 primarily due to lower pulp sales volumes and lower lumber and energy sales realizations partially offset by the inclusion of Torgau and higher lumber sales volumes and pulp sales realizations.

Costs and expenses in the first quarter of 2023 increased by approximately 15% to $542.8 million from $470.4 million in the first quarter of 2022 primarily due to higher fiber and chemical costs, the inclusion of Torgau and a non-cash inventory impairment of $15.2 million substantially related to hardwood inventory at the Peace River mill as a result of lower hardwood pulp prices and high production and logistics costs. These increases were partially offset by lower pulp sales volumes, the positive impact of a stronger dollar on our Canadian dollar and euro denominated costs and expenses and the receipt of €7.0 million ($7.5 million) in insurance proceeds in the current quarter relating to the July 2022 fire at our Stendal mill.

In the first quarter of 2023, Operating EBITDA decreased to $27.5 million from $154.5 million in the same quarter of 2022 primarily due to higher per unit fiber and chemical costs, lower lumber and energy sales realizations,  lower pulp sales volumes and the non-cash impairment substantially related to hardwood inventory partially offset by higher pulp sales realizations and the positive impact of a stronger dollar. 

Segment Results

Pulp

 Three Months Ended March 31, 
 (in thousands) 20232022
Pulp revenues$369,656$446,911
Energy and chemical revenues$30,745$39,020
Operating income$12,771$86,236
   

In the first quarter of 2023, pulp segment operating income decreased to $12.8 million from $86.2 million in the same quarter of 2022 primarily due to higher per unit fiber and chemical costs, lower pulp sales volumes and the non-cash inventory impairment of $15.2 million partially offset by higher pulp sales realizations and the positive impact of a stronger dollar.

Pulp revenues in the first quarter of 2023 decreased by approximately 17% to $369.7 million from $446.9 million in the same quarter of 2022 due to lower sales volumes partially offset by higher sales realizations. Total pulp sales volumes decreased by approximately 21% to 435,973 ADMTs in the first quarter of 2023 from 555,035 ADMTs in the same quarter of 2022 primarily as a result of lower demand as inflationary pressures are negatively impacting paper demand. In the first quarter of 2023, third party industry quoted average list prices for NBSK pulp increased in Europe and North America and were flat in China from the same quarter of 2022. Our average NBSK pulp sales realizations increased by approximately 5% to $849 per ADMT in the first quarter of 2023 from approximately $812 per ADMT in the same quarter of 2022. However, prices began to weaken late in the first quarter of 2023 and have slid further early in the second quarter.

Costs and expenses in the first quarter of 2023 modestly decreased to $388.0 million from $399.7 million in the first quarter of 2022 primarily due to lower pulp sales volumes, the positive impact of a stronger dollar and the receipt of €7.0 million ($7.5 million) in insurance proceeds in the current quarter relating to the July 2022 fire at our Stendal mill partially offset by higher per unit fiber and chemical costs. The first quarter of 2023 included a non-cash inventory impairment of $15.2 million which substantially related to hardwood inventories at the Peace River mill.

In the first quarter of 2023 per unit fiber costs increased by approximately 43% from the same quarter of 2022 due to higher per unit fiber costs for all of our pulp mills. Our German mills had higher per unit fiber costs as a result of strong demand from other wood consumers such as heating pellet manufacturers in response to energy shortages caused by the war in Ukraine. For our Canadian mills, per unit fiber costs increased due to strong demand in the mills’ fiber baskets and for our Celgar mill a decrease in the availability of wood chips because of regional sawmill curtailments. We currently expect per unit fiber costs to decrease in the second quarter of 2023 with a decrease in Germany due to less demand for wood for energy purposes and in Canada as a result of increased wood chip availability from increased sawmill production and realizing the early benefits from using the Peace River wood room which was completed in the first quarter of 2023.

Solid Wood

 Three Months Ended March 31, 
 (in thousands) 2023 2022
Lumber revenues$60,039$92,366
Energy revenues$5,695$5,177
Manufactured products revenues(1)$5,804$3,764
Pallet revenues$36,175
Biofuel revenues(2)$8,135
Wood residuals revenues$5,166$3,490
Operating income (loss)$(27,069)$38,301

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(1) Manufactured products primarily includes finger joint lumber and cross-laminated timber.  
(2) Biofuels includes pellets and briquettes.

In the first quarter of 2023, operating loss was $27.1 million compared to operating income of $38.3 million in the same quarter of 2022 primarily due to lower sales realizations.

Average lumber sales realizations decreased by approximately 49% to $429 per Mfbm in the first quarter of 2023 from approximately $840 per Mfbm in the same quarter of 2022 as a result of lower demand in both the U.S. and European markets. Demand was negatively impacted by concerns over rising interest rates, inflationary pressures and an uncertain economic outlook.

Fiber costs were approximately 80% of our lumber cash production costs in the first quarter of 2023. In the first quarter of 2023, per unit fiber costs for lumber production increased by approximately 6% compared to the same quarter of 2022. Higher per unit fiber costs were due to strong fiber demand in Germany. We currently expect stable per unit fiber costs in the second quarter of 2023 .

Liquidity

The following table is a summary of selected financial information as of the dates indicated:

  March 31, December 31,
  2023 2022
  (in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents $300,560  $354,032
Working capital $813,165  $800,114
Total assets $2,740,475  $2,725,037
Long-term liabilities $1,534,924  $1,508,192
Total shareholders’ equity $822,873  $838,784
     

As of March 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $300.6 million and approximately $255.4 million available under our revolving credit facilities providing us with aggregate liquidity of about $556.0 million.

At the end of the first quarter of 2023, our inventories increased to a high level of $531.4 million. The increase reflected, among other things, a build up in fiber in front of the recently completed wood room at our Peace River pulp mill and overall market conditions. We expect inventory levels to normalize in the second and coming quarters of 2023.

For the complete press release, click here.

About Mercer International

Mercer International Inc. is a global forest products company with operations in Germany, USA and Canada with consolidated annual production capacity of 2.3 million tonnes of pulp, 960 million board feet of lumber, 140 thousand cubic meters of CLT, 17 million pallets and 230,000 metric tonnes of biofuels. To obtain further information on the company, please visit its web site at https://www.mercerint.com.

Contact:

Jimmy S.H. Lee – Executive Chairman – (604) 684-1099

Source: Mercer International Inc.