SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario – Algoma Steel Group Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTL; TSX: ASTL) (“Algoma” or “the Company”), a leading Canadian producer of hot and cold rolled steel sheet and plate products, today provided guidance for its fiscal fourth quarter 2022.
Fiscal fourth quarter 2022 shipments are expected to be in a range of 540,000 to 550,000 tons, and Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in a range of CAD$310 million to CAD$320 million.
The slight sequential decrease in expected shipments and, to a lesser extent production levels, as compared to the fiscal third quarter 2022 is largely due to challenges across the logistics supply chain and COVID-related impacts. The fourth quarter outlook includes the impact of the work stoppage at Canadian Pacific Railway that began March 20, 2022. While there have been subsequent positive announcements regarding the resolution of this labor disruption, some adverse impact is expected as the Company had made preparations to mitigate against a potentially prolonged outage. Additionally, Algoma expects to end the quarter with above average work in process and finished goods inventories to fulfill deferred shipments in future periods. The Company continues to generate significant cash flow and remains confident in its cash generating potential in fiscal 2023 and beyond.
Shareholder Returns Update
As previously announced, on March 1, 2022 the Toronto Stock Exchange approved the Company’s intention to make a normal course issuer bid (“NCIB”) for a portion of its common shares as opportunities arise from time to time, allowing the Company to repurchase up to approximately 7.4 million shares during the period of March 3, 2022 to March 2, 2023. On March 31, 2022, the Company is scheduled to make its first quarterly dividend payment of US$0.05 per common share for shareholders of record at market close on February 28, 2022. Based on its consistently strong financial performance, Algoma continues to evaluate a range of value enhancing initiatives to generate attractive long-term returns for stakeholders.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking information” under applicable Canadian securities legislation and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, “forward looking statements”), including statements regarding Algoma’s production and Adjusted EBITDA guidance, status of work in process and finished goods inventories, Algoma’s ability to generate cash flow in fiscal 2023 and beyond and Algoma’s intention to make a NCIB. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “pipeline,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document. Readers should also consider the other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in Algoma’s public filings, including the registration statement on Form F-1 filed by Algoma with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the prospectus filed with the Ontario Securities Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Algoma assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Non-IFRS Financial Measures
To supplement our financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”), we use certain non-IFRS measures to evaluate the performance of Algoma. These terms do not have any standardized meaning prescribed within IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing a further understanding of our financial performance from management’s perspective. Accordingly, they should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of our financial information reported under IFRS.
Adjusted EBITDA, as we define it, refers to net (loss) income before amortization of property, plant, equipment and amortization of intangible assets, finance costs, interest on pension and other post-employment benefit obligations, income taxes, restructuring costs, impairment reserve, foreign exchange loss (gain), finance income, carbon tax, share based compensation related to performance share units and business combination adjustments. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to represent cash flow from operations, as defined by IFRS, and should not be considered as alternatives to net earnings, cash flow from operations, or any other measure of performance prescribed by IFRS. Adjusted EBITDA, as we define and use it, may not be comparable to Adjusted EBITDA as defined and used by other companies. We consider Adjusted EBITDA to be a meaningful measure to assess our operating performance in addition to IFRS measures. It is included herein because we believe it can be useful in measuring our operating performance and our ability to expand our business and provide management and investors with additional information for comparison of our operating results across different time periods and to the operating results of other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is also used by analysts and our lenders as a measure of our financial performance. However, Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation from, or as alternatives to, net income, cash flow from operations or other data prepared in accordance with IFRS. Because of these limitations, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to invest in business growth or to reduce indebtedness. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our IFRS results using Adjusted EBITDA only as a supplement to such results.
About Algoma Steel Inc.
Based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, Algoma is a fully integrated producer of hot and cold rolled steel products including sheet and plate. With a current raw steel production capacity of an estimated 2.8 million tons per year, Algoma’s size and diverse capabilities enable it to deliver responsive, customer-driven product solutions straight from the ladle to direct applications in the automotive, construction, energy, defense, and manufacturing sectors. Algoma is a key supplier of steel products to customers in Canada and Midwest USA and is the only producer of plate steel products in Canada. The Company’s mill is one of the lowest cost producers of hot rolled sheet steel (HRC) in North America owing in part to its state-of-the-art Direct Strip Production Complex (“DSPC”), which is the newest thin slab caster in North America with direct coupling to a basic oxygen furnace (BOF) melt shop.
Algoma has achieved several meaningful improvements over the last several years that are expected to result in enhanced long-term profitability for the business. Algoma has upgraded its DSPC facility and recently installed its No. 2 Ladle Metallurgy Furnace. Additionally, the Company has cost cutting initiatives underway and is in the process of modernizing its plate mill facilities.
Today Algoma is on a transformation journey, investing in its people and processes, optimizing and modernizing to secure a sustainable future. Our customer focus, growing capability and courage to meet the industry’s challenges head-on, position us firmly as your partner in steel.
For more information, please contact:
Michael Moraca
Treasurer & Investor Relations Officer
Algoma Steel Group Inc.
Phone: 705.945.3300
E-mail: IR@algoma.com
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