Mercer International Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2022 Results

Mercer International Inc. (“Mercer”) reported fourth quarter 2022 Operating EBITDA of $96.1 million a decrease from $164.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 and $140.9 million in the third quarter of 2022.

Selected Highlights

• Fourth quarter net income of $20.0 million and Operating EBITDA* of $96.1 million
• Full year 2022 record net income of $247.0 million and record Operating EBITDA* of $536.5 million
• Quarterly cash dividend of $0.075 per share

In the fourth quarter of 2022, net income was $20.0 million (or $0.30 per share) compared to $74.5 million (or $1.13 per basic share and $1.12 per diluted share) in the fourth quarter of 2021 and net income of $66.7 million (or $1.01 per basic share and $1.00 per diluted share) in the third quarter of 2022.

In 2022, Operating EBITDA increased by 12% to a record $536.5 million from $478.8 million in 2021. In 2022, net income was a record $247.0 million (or $3.74 per basic share and $3.71 per diluted share) from $171.0 million (or $2.59 per basic share and $2.58 per diluted share) in 2021.

Mr. Juan Carlos Bueno, the Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Our solid fourth quarter operating results reflect strong pulp sales, which were however more than offset by lower sales prices, higher planned maintenance and fiber costs and the negative impact of the weaker US dollar compared to our third quarter operating results.

Total pulp production increased approximately 6% compared to the third quarter primarily due to improved production at our Stendal mill as they ramped up production following the third quarter shut down caused by a fire in its wood yard. The Stendal mill is currently running at or about capacity and the repairs related to the fire are expected to be completed in the second quarter. Pulp sales volumes also increased relative to the third quarter in proportion to the pulp production increase.

Our solid wood segment’s fourth quarter operating results include the results of our recently acquired Torgau mill. Overall, this segment’s operating results were negatively impacted by lower sales prices, which were partially offset by improved lumber and energy sales volumes. During the quarter we achieved approximately $6 million of synergies on an annualized basis from our Torgau operations. These primarily came in the form of optimizing fiber utilizations among our mills. Our integration efforts are ongoing as we work to capture all available synergies.

Lower energy prices and the impact of the German energy windfall tax negatively affected our fourth quarter results by approximately $49 million compared to the prior quarter. The decline is the result of lower energy prices in Germany in the fourth quarter as warm weather and strong natural gas storage levels took significant pressure off the market electricity price. Effective December 1, 2022, Germany implemented a windfall tax which taxes revenues at 90% above a “base threshold”. Energy prices in Germany ended the year at about such base threshold level.

In the fourth quarter we also experienced significant fiber cost increases as demand for low quality pulp wood in Germany was being driven by the energy sector and in Western Canada there was lower fiber availability due to sawmill curtailments. In the fourth quarter our fiber costs increased roughly $21 million compared to the prior quarter. Planned major maintenance negatively impacted EBITDA by almost $20 million in the current quarter compared to the third quarter.

In China we currently expect modestly higher NBSK pulp prices in the first part of 2023 due to China’s reopening after lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the seasonal demand increase after the lunar new year. We currently expect modestly declining NBSK pulp prices in Europe and North America in the first half of 2023 as a result of lower demand due to inflationary pressures negatively impacting paper demand. For NBHK pulp we currently expect prices to decrease in the first half of 2023 due to additional supply coming online.

In our solid wood segment, we currently expect lumber prices to modestly increase in the first half of 2023 due to producer curtailments, low customer inventory levels and the start of the construction season. These positive impacts will be partially offset by lower demand caused by continued economic uncertainty due to inflation and higher interest rates. ”

Mr. Bueno concluded: “As I look to 2023, I am excited about Mercer’s strong operational foundation and the many options it gives us as we look to continue to grow and diversify our solid wood and bio-products revenues. Last year Mercer Mass Timber built up the engineering and design team and enhanced the operations to position it to bid on major construction projects and fill out its order book. We will continue to run the Company based on continuous improvement to enhance efficiency, lower costs and manage our liquidity prudently to enhance value.”

Consolidated – Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Three Months Ended December 31, 2021

Total revenues in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased by approximately 12% to $583.1 million from $519.0 million in the same quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher pulp sales realizations and the inclusion of the Torgau facility from September 30, 2022 partially offset by lower sales volumes and lumber sales realizations.

Costs and expenses in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased by approximately 38% to $535.8 million from $389.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 due to the inclusion of Torgau, higher per unit fiber and chemical costs and maintenance costs partially offset by the positive impact of a stronger dollar on our euro and Canadian dollar denominated costs and expenses and a lower pulp sales volume.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, Operating EBITDA decreased by approximately 42% to $96.1 million from $164.9 million in the same quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher per unit fiber and chemical costs and higher maintenance costs partially offset by higher pulp sales realizations and the positive impact of a stronger dollar.

Segment Results

Pulp

In the fourth quarter of 2022, pulp segment operating income decreased by approximately 39% to $69.0 million from $113.2 million in the same quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher per unit fiber and chemical costs and higher maintenance costs partially offset by higher realized prices and the positive impact of a stronger dollar.

Pulp revenues in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased by approximately 6% to $425.4 million from $400.4 million in the same quarter of 2021 due to higher sales realizations partially offset by lower sales volumes. In the fourth quarter of 2022, third party industry quoted average list prices for NBSK pulp increased from the same quarter of 2021 primarily as a result of low customer inventory levels. Our average NBSK pulp sales realizations increased by approximately 16% to $913 per ADMT in the fourth quarter of 2022 from approximately $784 per ADMT in the same quarter of 2021.

In the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter of 2021, we had a positive impact of approximately $27.4 million in operating income due to foreign exchange, primarily as a result of the effect of the stronger dollar on our euro and Canadian dollar denominated costs and expenses.

Costs and expenses in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased by approximately 22% to $394.3 million from $323.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 primarily due to higher per unit fiber and chemical costs and higher maintenance costs partially offset by the positive impact of a stronger dollar and lower pulp sales volumes. In the fourth quarter of 2022, our pulp mills had 21 days of annual maintenance downtime compared to no annual maintenance downtime in the fourth quarter of 2021.

In the fourth quarter of 2022 per unit fiber costs increased by approximately 43% from the same quarter of 2021 due to higher per unit fiber costs for all of our 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. 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 due to regional sawmill curtailments. In the first quarter of 2023, we currently expect modestly lower per unit fiber costs in Germany due to lower demand for wood for energy purposes and generally flat per unit fiber costs in Canada.

Solid Wood

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the solid wood segment had an operating loss of $14.3 million compared to operating income of $17.9 million in the same quarter of 2021 primarily due to lower sales realizations.

Average lumber sales realizations decreased by approximately 34% to $454 per Mfbm in the fourth quarter of 2022 from approximately $689 per Mfbm in the same quarter of 2021 due to lower demand in both the European and U.S. markets. Demand in both the European and U.S. markets was negatively impacted by rising interest rates, inflationary pressures and an uncertain economic outlook.

Fiber costs were approximately 75% of our lumber cash production costs in the fourth quarter of 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2022, per unit fiber costs for our Friesau sawmill were flat when compared to the same quarter of 2021. We currently expect per unit fiber costs to modestly decrease in the first quarter of 2023.

Consolidated – Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

Total revenues in 2022 increased by approximately 26% to a record $2,280.9 million from $1,803.3 million in 2021 primarily due to higher sales realizations, higher pulp sales volumes and the inclusion of revenues from our Torgau facility since September 30, 2022. These increases were partially offset by the negative impact of a stronger dollar on our euro denominated energy and European lumber revenues.

Costs and expenses in 2022 increased by approximately 30% to $1,888.6 million from $1,456.7 million in 2021 primarily due to higher per unit fiber, freight, chemical and energy costs, the inclusion of Torgau’s results and a higher pulp sales volume partially offset by the positive impact of a stronger dollar on our euro and Canadian dollar denominated costs and expenses.

In 2022, Operating EBITDA increased by approximately 12% to a record $536.5 million from $478.8 million in 2021 as higher sales realizations, the positive impact of a stronger dollar and higher pulp sales volumes were only partially offset by higher per unit fiber and other production and freight costs.

Liquidity

As of December 31, 2022, we had cash and cash equivalents of $354.0 million and approximately $281.6 million available under our revolving credit facilities providing us with aggregate liquidity of about $635.6 million.

Quarterly Dividend

A quarterly dividend of $0.075 per share will be paid on April 5, 2023 to all shareholders of record on March 29, 2023. Future dividends are subject to Board approval and may be adjusted as business and industry conditions warrant.

For the full fourth quarter results, 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.