GSL - Global Ship Lease Reports Results for the Third Quarter of 2023 | Benzinga

LONDON, Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GSL) (the "Company", "Global Ship Lease" or "GSL"), an owner of containerships, announced today its unaudited results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Third Quarter 2023 and Year to Date Highlights

- Reported operating revenue of $174.5 million for the third quarter 2023, up 1.2% from $172.5 million for the prior year period. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, operating revenue was $495.9 million, up 3.2% from $480.6 million in the prior year period.

- Reported net income available to common shareholders of $82.7 million for the third quarter 2023, a decrease of 7.7% on net income of $89.6 million for the prior year period. Normalized net income (a non-U.S. GAAP financial measure, described below) for the same period was $82.4 million, down 5.8% on Normalized net income of $87.5 million for the prior year period. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, net income available to common shareholders was $230.3 million, an increase of 9.3% on net income of $210.8 million for the prior year period. Normalized net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $231.9 million, up 4.9% on Normalized net income for the prior year period of $221.0 million.

- Generated $121.9 million of Adjusted EBITDA (a non-U.S. GAAP financial measure, described below) for the third quarter 2023, up 9.4% on Adjusted EBITDA of $111.4 million for the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $334.9 million, up 12.2% on Adjusted EBITDA of $298.4 million for the prior year period.

- Earnings per share for the third quarter 2023 was $2.34, down 4.1% on the earnings per share of $2.44 for the prior year period. Normalized earnings per share (a non-U.S. GAAP financial measure, described below) for the third quarter 2023 was $2.33, down 2.1% on the Normalized earnings per share of $2.38 for the prior year period. Earnings per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $6.49, up 12.9% on the earnings per share of $5.75 for the prior year period. Normalized earnings per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $6.54, up 8.5% on the Normalized earnings per share of $6.03 for the prior year period.

- Declared a dividend of $0.375 per Class A common share for the third quarter 2023 to be paid on December 4, 2023 to common shareholders of record as of November 24, 2023. Paid a dividend of $0.375 per Class A common share for the second quarter 2023 on September 5, 2023.

- Between January 1, 2023 and September 30, 2023, added $224.7 million of contracted revenues to forward charter cover, calculated on the basis of the median firm periods of the respective charters. 18 new charter fixtures (including short re-charters of the same vessel) or extensions were agreed on eight ships between 2,200 and 3,500 TEU, charter extensions were exercised for two 7,800 TEU ships, a forward fixture was agreed for one ECO 9,100 TEU ship, and four 8,544 TEU vessels were purchased with charters attached; with the exception of one very short re-positioning charter, firm charter terms range from a few months to two years. Contracted revenue as of September 30, 2023, calculated on the same basis, was $1.81 billion.

- Expanded our relationship with Ascenz Marorka to accelerate the implementation of their Smart Shipping solutions across our containership fleet, in collaboration with our liner customers, to provide real-time data and AI-supported live performance management capabilities, facilitating operational optimization, pro-active maintenance, and increasingly automated fuel consumption and emissions monitoring, giving rise to expected fleet-wide cost savings.

- Continued to opportunistically repurchase Class A common shares under the $40.0 million buy-back authorization approved by our Board of Directors, which was established in March 2022 and replenished in July 2023 (the "Buy-back Authorization". During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, we repurchased an aggregate of 1,154,721 Class A common shares, at repurchase prices ranging from between $16.12 and $18.69 per share, with an average price of $17.68. During the three months ended September 30, 2023, we repurchased an aggregate of 187,479 Class A common shares, at repurchase prices ranging from between $17.98 and $18.49, with an average price of $18.31. Since its inception, a total of 2,303,303 Class A common shares have been repurchased under the Buy-back Authorization, for approximately $42.0 million, with approximately $38.0 million of authorized capacity remaining.

George Youroukos, Executive Chairman of Global Ship Lease, stated: "With over two years of forward contract cover, and only a small number of ships coming open through end 2024, we remained focused throughout the third quarter on optimizing our operating performance and maintaining our disciplined approach to capital allocation. Macro headwinds, geopolitical uncertainty, and the size of the orderbook remain areas of concern for the overall industry, but the GSL fleet continues to operate efficiently, servicing fixed-rate term charters contracted to liner operators that have built considerable financial resilience during the all-time market highs of recent years. The combination of our strong balance sheet and the continued normalization of asset prices is making the prospect of selective, and increasingly countercyclical, vessel acquisitions more interesting, with any eventual purchase activity guided by our established strict investment criteria focused on creating shareholder value.

"Moving forward, our fleet of well-specified, mid-sized and smaller containerships is well supported by the combination of a relatively modest orderbook for ships of a similar size, the advanced age profile of the peer group against which our ships compete, and the practical needs of the non-mainlane trades for which our ship types remain the workhorses. By maintaining our high level of operational performance, together with our disciplined and dynamic approach to capital allocation, GSL is well positioned to maintain our track record of success while simultaneously providing our shareholders with an attractive dividend, opportunistically buying back shares, and remaining vigilant for accretive opportunities."

Ian Webber, Chief Executive Officer, stated: "On a firm foundation of attractive, fixed-rate time charters, we continue to successfully execute our long-term strategy of de-levering and de-risking GSL. Our prudent financial leverage of below 2x, and highly competitive cost of debt at 4.55%, which benefits from fully hedged interest rate risk through 2026, speak to the extent of our continuing progress in that regard. Moreover, our acquisition strategy over the last several years has consistently focused on containerships that would re-enter the charter market on the expiration of their initial GSL charters with little or no remaining leverage, limiting downside exposure and weighting their return profile to the upside. We have also continued to make value-enhancing investments to maintain the commercial attractiveness of our existing fleet, most recently with the accelerated implementation of Ascenz Marorka's real-time, AI-supported Smart Shipping solution to help optimize vessel performance, monitor fuel consumption and emissions, and facilitate additional cost savings through pro-active maintenance. Our industry has always been cyclical, and we believe that we have taken good advantage of the 2021 - 2022 super upcycle to ensure that we are well positioned to act prudently and countercyclically moving forward for the long-term benefit of our shareholders."

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA – UNAUDITED

(thousands of U.S. dollars)

(1) Operating Revenue is net of address commissions which represent a discount provided directly to a charterer based on a fixed percentage of the agreed upon charter rate and also includes the amortization of intangible liabilities, the effect of the straight lining of time charter modifications and the compensation from charterers for drydock and other capitalized expenses installation. Brokerage commissions are included in "Time charter and voyage expenses" (see below).

(2) Net Income available to common shareholders.

(3) Adjusted EBITDA and Normalized Net Income are non-U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP") financial measures, as explained further in this press release, and are considered by Global Ship Lease to be a useful measure of its performance. For reconciliations of these non-U.S. GAAP financial measures to net income, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, please see "Reconciliation of Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures" below.

Operating Revenue and Utilization

Operating revenue derived from fixed-rate, mainly long-term, time-charters was $174.5 million in the third quarter 2023, up $2.0 million (or 1.2%) on operating revenue of $172.5 million in the prior year period. The period-on-period increase in operating revenue was principally due to charter renewals at higher rates on a number of vessels and the acquisition of four vessels which were delivered to us in the second quarter 2023, partially offset by $7.8 million reduction in the amortization of intangible liabilities arising on below-market charters attached to certain vessel additions and $7.8 million decrease in effect from straight lining time charter modifications. There were 246 days of offhire and idle time in the third quarter 2023 of which 191 were for scheduled drydockings, compared to 149 days of offhire in the prior year period of which 47 were for scheduled drydockings. Utilization for the third quarter 2023 was 96.1% compared to utilization of 97.5% in the prior year period.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, operating revenue was $495.9 million, up $15.3 million (or 3.2%) on operating revenue of $480.6 million in the prior year period, mainly due to the factors noted above.

The table below shows fleet utilization for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

As of September 30, 2023 one regulatory drydocking was in progress and one further regulatory drydocking is anticipated for the fourth quarter.

Vessel Operating Expenses

Vessel operating expenses, which are primarily the costs of crew, lubricating oil, repairs, maintenance, insurance and technical management fees, were up 12.4% to $46.1 million for the third quarter 2023, compared to $41.0 million in the prior year period. The increase of $5.1 million was mainly due to (i) our acquisition of four vessels which were delivered to us during second quarter 2023 (ii) increased crew expenses mainly due to global inflation and the limited supply of crew and (iii) increased cost of insurance due to increased premiums. The average cost per ownership day in the quarter was $7,369, compared to $6,855 for the prior year period, up $514 per day, or 7.5%. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, vessel operating expenses were $132.3 million, or an average of $7,337 per day, compared to $121.9 million in the prior year period, or $6,869 per day, an increase of $468 per ownership day, or 6.8%.

Time Charter and Voyage Expenses

Time charter and voyage expenses comprise mainly commission paid to ship brokers, the cost of bunker fuel for owner's account when a ship is off-hire or idle and miscellaneous owner's costs associated with a ship's voyage. Time charter and voyage expenses were $6.0 million for the third quarter 2023, compared to $5.1 million in the prior year period. The increase was mainly due to additional commissions, bunkers and voyage expenses due to our acquisition of four vessels which were delivered to us during second quarter 2023, increased commissions on charter renewals at higher rates, additional voyage administration costs, and additional operational requests from charterers.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, time charter and voyage expenses were $18.2 million, or an average of $1,009 per day, compared to $14.6 million in the prior year period, or $822 per day, an increase of $187 per ownership day, or 22.7% mainly to the factors noted above.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization for the third quarter 2023 was $24.0 million, compared to $20.5 million in the prior year period. The increase was mainly due to our acquisition of four vessels which were delivered to us in second quarter 2023 and 16 drydockings completed after September 30, 2022.

Depreciation for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $67.3 million, compared to $60.6 million in the prior year period, with the increase being due to the 16 drydockings completed after September 30, 2022 and our acquisition of four vessels which were delivered to us during the second quarter of 2023.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were $4.2 million in the third quarter 2023, the same as in the prior year period. The average general and administrative expense per ownership day for the third quarter 2023 was $679, compared to $695 in the prior year period, a decrease of $16 or 2.3%.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, general and administrative expenses were $13.7 million, compared to $14.4 million in the prior year period, mainly due to lower stock-based compensation expense in the first quarter 2023 and a one-off expense in prior year period due to social security charges related to settlement of shares under the Omnibus Incentive Plan, and a decrease in the directors' and officers' insurance costs. The average general and administrative expense per ownership day for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2023 was $763, compared to $814 in the prior year period, a decrease of $51 or 6.3%.

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) was $121.9 million for the third quarter 2023, up from $111.4 million for the prior year period, with the net increase being mainly due to increased revenue from charter renewals at higher rates and the addition of four vessels which were delivered to us during second quarter 2023.

Adjusted EBITDA for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $334.9 million, compared to $298.4 million for the prior year period, an increase of $36.5 million or 12.2%.

Interest Expense and Interest Income

Debt as of September 30, 2023 totaled $874.3 million, comprising $461.5 million of secured bank debt collateralized by vessels, $297.5 million of 2027 Secured Notes collateralized by vessels, and $115.3 million under sale and leaseback financing transactions. As of September 30, 2023, five of our vessels were unencumbered.

Debt as of September 30, 2022 totaled $999.5 million, comprising $498.7 million of secured bank debt collateralized by vessels, $350.0 million of 2027 Secured Notes collateralized by vessels, $150.8 million under sale and leaseback financing transactions. As of September 30, 2022, five of our vessels were unencumbered.

Interest and other finance expenses for the third quarter 2023 was $11.6 million, down from $16.1 million for the prior year period. The decrease is mainly due to the non-cash write-off of deferred financing charges of $2.1 million plus $1.8 million premium paid following the full repayment of our 8.00% Senior Unsecured Notes ("2024 Notes") in July 2022, which was partially offset by $1.3 million of accelerated amortization of premium. The blended cost of debt, taking into account interest rate caps, has marginally increased from approximately 4.53% for the third quarter 2022 to 4.55% for the third quarter 2023 due to variations in amortization schedules and the addition of a new credit facility for the four additional vessels.

Interest and other finance expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $33.6 million, down from $64.9 million for the prior year period. The decrease is mainly due to (i) the prepayment fee and the associated non-cash write off of deferred financing charges of $14.1 million on the full repayment of the Hayfin Credit Facility, (ii) the non-cash write off of deferred financing charges of $0.3 million on the full repayment of the Hellenic Credit Facility and (iii) the $2.4 million premium paid on the redemption of the 2024 Notes, and the associated non-cash write off of deferred financing charges of $2.1 million, which was partially offset by $1.3 million of accelerated amortization of premium and (iv) a prepayment fee and the associated non-cash write off of deferred financing charges of $4.1 million on the full repayment of the Blue Ocean Junior Credit Facility all of which took place in the nine months ended September 30, 2022, which was partially offset by increased interest expense due to the addition of the new loan to finance the four additional vessels.

Interest income for the third quarter 2023 was $2.5 million, up from $0.7 million for the prior year period.

Interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $6.9 million, compared to $1.2 million for the prior year period.

Other (expenses)/income, net

Other expenses, net was $0.3 million in the third quarter 2023, compared to other income, net of $1.0 million in the prior year period. Other income, net was $0.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, compared to $1.2 million for the prior year period.

Fair value adjustment on derivatives

In December 2021, we entered into a USD 1 month LIBOR interest rate cap of 0.75% through fourth quarter 2026 on $484.1 million of floating rate debt, which reduces over time in line with anticipated debt amortization and represented approximately half of the outstanding floating rate debt. In February 2022, we entered into two additional USD 1-month LIBOR interest rate caps of 0.75% through the fourth quarter 2026 on the remaining balance of $507.9 million of floating rate debt. One of these interest rate caps was not designated as a cash flow hedge. Interest rate caps have automatically transited to 1 month Compounded SOFR on July 1, 2023 at a level of 0.64%. A positive fair value adjustment of $0.3 million for the third quarter 2023 was recorded through the statement of income. The negative fair value adjustment for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 amounted to $1.0 million.

Earnings Allocated to Preferred Shares

The Series B Preferred Shares carry a coupon of 8.75%, the cost of which for the third quarter 2023 was $2.4 million, the same as in the prior year period. The cost for the nine months ended September 2023 was $7.2 million, the same as for the prior year period.

Net Income Available to Common Shareholders

Net income available to common shareholders for the third quarter 2023 was $82.7 million. Net income available to common shareholders for the prior year period was $89.6 million.

Earnings per share for the third quarter 2023 was $2.34, a decrease of 4.1% from the earnings per share for the prior year period, which was $2.44.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, net income available to common shareholders was $230.3 million. Net income available to common shareholders for the prior year period was $210.8 million.

Earnings per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $6.49, an increase of 12.9% from the earnings per share for the prior year period, which was $5.75.

Normalized net income (a non-GAAP financial measure) for the third quarter 2023, was $82.4 million. Normalized net income for the prior year period was $87.5 million. Normalized net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $231.9 million, as compared to $221.0 for the prior year period.

Normalized earnings per share (a non-GAAP financial measure) for the third quarter 2023 was $2.33, a decrease of 2.1% from Normalized earnings per share for the prior year period, which was $2.38.

Normalized earnings per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $6.54, an increase of 8.5% from Normalized earnings per share for the prior year period, which was $6.03.

Fleet

As of September 30, 2023, we had 68 containerships in our fleet.

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