URALCHEM HOLDING P.L.C. reports the first quarter of year 2011 IFRS financial results

22.06.2011
  • Revenue increased to US $ 566 million, compared to US $ 325 million in Q1 2010
  • Operating profit increased to US $ 160 million, compared with US $ 39  million in Q1 2010
  • Adjusted EBITDA grew to US $ 186 million, compared to US $ 66 million in Q1 2010
  • Net profit amounted to US $ 161 million compared to US $ 19 million in Q1 2010

Moscow, Russia, June 22, 2011 - URALCHEM Holding P.L.C. (hereinafter URALCHEM Holding or the Company), a Cypriot holding company of the URALCHEM Group (hereinafter called the Group), one of the largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers in Russia, today announced its unaudited IFRS financial results for the 1st Quarter of 2011 ending 31 March 2011.

Key financial figures in Q1 2010-2011 ($ million)

 

Q1 2011

Q1 2010

Year-on-year change, %

Revenue

566

325

74%

Gross profit

317

151

110%

Gross profit margin

56%

46%

10%

Operating profit

160

39

311%

Operating profit  margin

28%

12%

16%

Net profit

161

19

747%

Net profit margin

28%

6%

22%

Adjusted EBITDA

186

66

182%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

33%

20%

13%

Cash generated from operating activities

167

$28

496%

Dmitry Konyaev, CEO of URALCHEM, OJSC (part of the URALCHEM Group), commented on the results for the 1st Quarter of 2011: "In the first Quarter of 2011 the market conditions for mineral fertilisers continued to be favorable. The global demand and prices for fertilisers almost reached their pre-crisis levels. This confirms that the global industry continues to be one of the most steadily growing segments of the economy. Continued implementation of our strategy aimed at increasing the share of high margin products has strengthened the Company's position in the premium markets. 56% of the Company’s export sales in the first quarter of 2011 were in the European market."

Financial Results

Revenue in Q1 2011 grew by 74% to US $ 566 million, compared to US $ 325 million in Q1 2010. Operating profit amounted to US $ 160 million, or 28% of the revenue, compared with operating profit of US $ 39 million, or 12% of the revenue in Q1 2010.

In Q1 2011 net profit increased 8.5 times and amounted to US $ 161 million, compared with US $ 19 million in Q1 2010.

In Q1 2011 adjusted EBITDA reached 186 million US $ compared to US $ 66 million for the same period last year, the increase by 182%. Adjusted EBITDA margin in Q1 2011 comprised 33% of revenue, compared with 20% of revenue in Q1 2010.

Markets

During Q1 2011 the volume of export sales almost doubled, reaching US $ 411 million compared to the volume of export sales of US $ 214 million in Q1 2010. Export sales comprised more than 75% of total sales.

During Q1 2011 the volume of domestic sales amounted to US $155 million in comparison with US $ 111 million in Q1 2010.

The ammonia market was characterized by a steady increase in prices. In late March, these reached $ 508/t FOB Baltic. The main factor determining the price dynamics was the continuing shortage of available product against the background of strong demand in several major markets.

In the urea market, as in 2010, there was a price correction downwards. The main reason for this was lack of import demand in most markets, while world production remained at a high level. However, the prices remained at a fairly high level: $ 330-350/t FOB Baltic and Black Sea ports.

Prices for ammonium nitrate during almost the entire 1st Quarter remained consistently high - at $ 300/t FOB Baltic and Black Sea ports. This situation was mainly determined by the absence of free product in the market, since large amounts of nitrate from the CIS were sold in the domestic market.

During the 1st Quarter of 2011 prices for phosphate fertilisers grew steadily, exceeding $ 600/t FOB Baltic and Black Sea ports by the end of the Quarter. The main growth drivers were the strong demand in the markets of Latin America and Europe, as well as shortages of supply and the absence of the product from Tunisia in the market.    

Sales

In Q1 2011, sales of commercial products of the Group amounted to 1.45 million tons, up 20% from Q1 2010. Sales have grown considerably thanks to the restoration of the agrochemical market. The sales volume of urea increased by 50% in Q1 2011. Sales of ammonia decreased by 14% due to the increase of the share of dry products.

Sales of commercial products URALCHEM in Q1 2010-2011 (tons)

Name of product

Q1 2011

Q1 2010

Year-on year change

Ammonium nitrate and its derivatives

689

658

5%

NPK fertilisers

175

141

24%

Ammonia

115

133 

-14%

Urea

166

111

50%

Phosphate fertilisers

191

87

120%

Other chemicals, including ammonium nitrate for industrial use

117

84

39%

Total

1 453

1 214

20%

Aleksei Strakhov, Commercial Director of URALCHEM, OJCS commented on the sales of commodity products in Q1 2011: "During the 1st quarter of 2011 our products sales reached their record of 1.45 million tons, 20% higher than during the same period last year. These significant results were achieved thanks to the investment program to build capacity for the production of ammonia and dry fertilisers, as well as to the favorable market conditions for phosphate fertilisers. The growth of sales in the segment of phosphorus in the 1st Quarter of 2011 amounted to 120% of the sales in the 1st Quarter of 2010 "

Financial situation

Cash generated from operations (before tax and interest) increased by 496% to reach  US $ 167 million in Q1 2011 from US $ 28 million in Q1 2010. This largely resulted from increased revenue, which occurred as a result of significant growth in demand and prices in the fertiliser market.

On March 31, 2011 the Company's net debt amounted to US $ 1227 million. The weighted average interest rate in the loan portfolio in Q1 2011 decreased to 8.0% per annum compared to 9.6% in the same period last year.

 

Annex to the press release about the unaudited financial results for Q1 2011

EBITDA is a profit / loss from financial and economic activities during the reporting period, before deduction of income tax on profits, income and interest costs, depreciation and amortization. "Adjusted EBITDA" is EBITDA for the reporting period before goodwill, profit / loss from associates, profit / loss on foreign exchange differences arising on financial performance and profit / loss on operations with derivative financial instruments. Adjusted EBITDA is operating profit before depreciation and amortization and financial results of operations with derivative financial instruments. In accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), depreciation and amortization included in cost structure, and in the selling, general and administrative expenses. IFRS does not require the disclosure and does not describe the calculation of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, among other financial indicators, so they can not substitute for net profit for the period when evaluating the results of operations or the measure of cash provided by operating activities when evaluating liquidity. Approach to the calculation of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, as described earlier, may not coincide with the approaches used by other companies, therefore, comparability may be limited. We believe that EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA provide useful information to investors because they are indicators of the stability and efficiency of our business and our ability to fund discretionary spending such as capital expenditures, the acquisition of subsidiaries and other investments, as well as indicators of our ability to incur and service debt. IFRS classifies depreciation and amortization to operating costs, while in fact they are distributed to the current period non-cash expenses for the acquisition or creation of fixed assets, incurred in previous periods, and are not affiliated with the movement of funds.

Calculation of EBITDA for Q1 2011 and EBITDA for Q1 2010 (Thousands of US dollars)

 

Q1 2011

Q1 2010

Net income

161 057

18 631

Add:

 

 

Profit tax

39 090

8 858

Interest income

(989)

(492)

Interest costs

33 263

40 575

Amortization

25 601

27 610

Loss from associates

37

794

Foreign exchange gain

arising as a result of financial activities

(72 477)

(29 509)

Adjusted EBITDA

185 582

66 467