PEIX - Pacific Ethanol Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2018 Results

March, 12 2019 04:10 PM Pacific Ethanol Inc.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX), a leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels and high-quality alcohol products in the United States, reported its financial results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2018.

Neil Koehler, Pacific Ethanol’s president and CEO, stated: “We remain confident that the long-term demand for ethanol, both domestically and internationally, will continue to grow, and that market conditions will improve. Focused on delivering long-term sustainable growth and profitability for our investors, we have built a broad and diversified footprint through organic growth and acquisitions.

“Our financial results in the fourth quarter were negatively impacted by market conditions, regulatory uncertainty and trade disputes, which compressed production margins to record lows. Margins have improved in the first quarter but have further to go to restore profitability. In light of this and the fact that the intrinsic value of Pacific Ethanol’s platform is not fully recognized by our public equity valuation, we have initiated a strategic realignment of our business to improve liquidity and reduce our debt.

“Our vision remains to be a leading producer and marketer of low carbon renewable fuels and high-value feed and alcohol products. We have great assets and a strong team to fulfill this vision,” concluded Koehler.

Financial Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 Compared to 2017

Net sales were $334.4 million, compared to $395.3 million.
Total gallons sold of 209.4 million, compared to 240.0 million.
Total production gallons sold of 131.1 million, compared to 150.4 million.
Cost of goods sold was $355.4 million, compared to $397.3 million.
Gross loss was $21.0 million, compared to $2.0 million.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $9.2 million, compared to $8.6 million.
Operating loss was $30.2 million, compared to $10.6 million.
Loss available to common stockholders was $32.3 million, or $0.74 per share, compared to $13.6 million, or $0.32 per share.
Adjusted EBITDA was negative $18.0 million compared to $0.3 million.
Cash and cash equivalents were $26.6 million at December 31, 2018, compared to $49.5 million at December 31, 2017.

Financial Results for the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2018 Compared to 2017

Net sales were $1,515.4 million, compared to $1,632.3 million.
Cost of goods sold was $1,530.5 million, compared to $1,626.3 million.
Gross loss was $15.2 million, compared to a gross profit of $5.9 million.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $36.4 million, compared to $31.5 million.
Operating loss was $51.5 million, compared to $25.6 million.
Loss available to common stockholders was $61.5 million, or $1.42 per share, compared to $36.2 million, or $0.85 per share.
Adjusted EBITDA was negative $5.1 million, compared to a positive adjusted EBITDA of $13.6 million.

Fourth Quarter 2018 Results Conference Call
Management will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time/11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on March 13, 2019. CEO Neil Koehler and CFO Bryon McGregor will deliver prepared remarks followed by a question and answer session.

The webcast for the call can be accessed from Pacific Ethanol's website at www.pacificethanol.com. Alternatively, you may dial the following number up to ten minutes prior to the scheduled conference call time: (877) 847-6066. International callers should dial 00-1 (970) 315-0267. The pass code will be 4839123. If you are unable to participate on the live call, the webcast will be archived for replay on Pacific Ethanol's website for one year. In addition, a telephonic replay will be available at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, through 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 20, 2019. To access the replay, please dial (855) 859-2056. International callers should dial 00-1-(404) 537-3406. The pass code will be 4839123.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures
Management believes that certain financial measures not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") are useful measures of operations. The company defines Adjusted EBITDA as unaudited net income (loss) attributed to Pacific Ethanol before interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes, asset impairments, purchase accounting adjustments, fair value adjustments, and depreciation and amortization expense. A table is provided at the end of this release that provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to its most directly comparable GAAP measure. Management provides this non-GAAP measure so that investors will have the same financial information that management uses, which may assist investors in properly assessing the company's performance on a period-over-period basis. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income (loss) or any other measure of performance under GAAP, or to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities as an indicator of cash flows or as a measure of liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool and you should not consider this measure in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the company's results as reported under GAAP.

About Pacific Ethanol, Inc.
Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (PEIX) is a leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels and high-quality alcohol products in the United States. Pacific Ethanol owns and operates nine production facilities, four in the Western states of California, Oregon and Idaho, and five in the Midwestern states of Illinois and Nebraska. The plants have a combined production capacity of 605 million gallons per year, produce over one million tons per year of ethanol co-products – on a dry matter basis – such as wet and dry distillers grains, wet and dry corn gluten feed, condensed distillers solubles, corn gluten meal, corn germ, corn oil, distillers yeast and CO2. Pacific Ethanol markets and distributes fuel-grade ethanol, high-quality alcohol products and co-products domestically and internationally. Pacific Ethanol’s subsidiary, Kinergy Marketing LLC, markets all ethanol and alcohol products for Pacific Ethanol’s plants as well as for third parties, approaching one billion gallons of ethanol marketed annually based on historical volumes. Pacific Ethanol’s subsidiary, Pacific Ag. Products LLC, markets wet and dry distillers grains. For more information please visit www.pacificethanol.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Statements and information contained in this communication that refer to or include Pacific Ethanol’s estimated or anticipated future results or other non-historical expressions of fact are forward-looking statements that reflect Pacific Ethanol’s current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of the communication. Forward looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” or other similar words, phrases or expressions. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning future market fundamentals and conditions, including the supply of and domestic and international demand for ethanol and co-products; future margins; and Pacific Ethanol’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. It is important to note that Pacific Ethanol’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions are not predictions of actual performance. Actual results may differ materially from Pacific Ethanol’s current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Pacific Ethanol’s business. These factors include, among others, adverse economic and market conditions, including for ethanol and its co-products and high-quality alcohols; export conditions and international demand for ethanol and co-products; fluctuations in the price of and demand for oil and gasoline; raw material costs, including ethanol production input costs, such as corn and natural gas. These factors also include, among others, the inherent uncertainty associated with financial and other projections; the anticipated size of the markets and continued demand for Pacific Ethanol’s products; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the risks and uncertainties normally incident to the ethanol production and marketing industries; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; successful compliance with governmental regulations applicable to Pacific Ethanol’s facilities, products and/or businesses; changes in laws, regulations and governmental policies; the loss of key senior management or staff; and other events, factors and risks previously and from time to time disclosed in Pacific Ethanol’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, specifically, those factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section contained in Pacific Ethanol’s Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 2, 2018.

Company IR Contact:

IR Agency Contact:

Media Contact:

Pacific Ethanol, Inc.

Kirsten Chapman

Paul Koehler

916-403-2755

LHA

Pacific Ethanol, Inc.

Investorrelations@pacificethanol.com

415-433-3777

916-403-2790

paulk@pacificethanol.com

PACIFIC ETHANOL, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)


Three Months Ended

Years Ended

December 31,

December 31,


2018



2017



2018



2017

Net sales
$
334,415


$
395,271


$
1,515,371


$
1,632,255

Cost of goods sold

355,436



397,285



1,530,535



1,626,324

Gross profit (loss)

(21,021
)


(2,014
)


(15,164
)


5,931

Selling, general and administrative expenses

9,190



8,584



36,373



31,516

Loss from operations

(30,211
)


(10,598
)


(51,537
)


(25,585
)
Fair value adjustments

—



—



—



473

Interest expense, net

(4,257
)


(3,781
)


(17,132
)


(12,938
)
Other income (expense), net

(62
)


(52
)


171



(345
)
Loss before provision (benefit) for income taxes

(34,530
)


(14,431
)


(68,498
)


(38,395
)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes

1



(321
)


(562
)


(321
)
Consolidated net loss

(34,531
)


(14,110
)


(67,936
)


(38,074
)
Net loss attributed to noncontrolling interests

2,521



825



7,663



3,110

Net loss attributed to Pacific Ethanol, Inc.
$
(32,010
)

$
(13,285
)

$
(60,273
)

$
(34,964
)
Preferred stock dividends
$
(319
)

$
(319
)

$
(1,265
)

$
(1,265
)
Loss available to common stockholders
$
(32,329
)

$
(13,604
)

$
(61,538
)

$
(36,229
)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
$
(0.74
)

$
(0.32
)

$
(1.42
)

$
(0.85
)
Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted

43,969



42,911



43,376



42,745

PACIFIC ETHANOL, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(unaudited, in thousands, except par value)






December 31,
ASSETS

2018


2017
Current Assets:





Cash and cash equivalents
$
26,627

$
49,489
Accounts receivable, net

67,636


80,344
Inventories

57,820


61,550
Prepaid inventory

3,090


3,281
Income tax receivables

612


743
Derivative assets

1,765


998
Other current assets

11,254


6,841
Total current assets

168,804


203,246
Property and equipment, net

482,657


508,352
Other Assets:





Intangible assets

2,678


2,678
Other assets

5,842


6,020
Total other assets

8,520


8,698
Total Assets
$
659,981

$
720,296

PACIFIC ETHANOL, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)
(unaudited, in thousands, except par value)


December 31,
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

2018



2017

Current Liabilities:

Accounts payable - trade
$
48,176


$
39,738

Accrued liabilities

23,421



21,673

Current portion - capital leases

45



592

Current portion - long-term debt

146,671



20,000

Derivative liabilities

6,309



2,307

Other current liabilities

7,237



6,396

Total current liabilities

231,859



90,706



Long-term debt, net of current portion

84,767



221,091

Capital leases, net of current portion

78



123

Other liabilities

23,912



24,676

Total Liabilities

340,616



336,596









Stockholders’ Equity:


Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000 shares authorized;

Series A: 0 shares issued and outstanding as of

December 31, 2018 and 2017

Series B: 927 shares issued and outstanding as of

December 31, 2018 and 2017

1



1

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 300,000 shares authorized;

45,771 and 43,985 shares issued and outstanding as of

December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively

46



44

Non-voting common stock, $0.001 par value; 3,553 shares

authorized; 1 share issued and outstanding as of December

31, 2018 and 2017

—



—

Additional paid-in capital

932,179



927,090

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(2,459
)


(2,234
)
Accumulated deficit

(630,000
)


(568,462
)
Total Pacific Ethanol, Inc. Stockholders’ Equity

299,767



356,439

Noncontrolling interests

19,598



27,261

Total Stockholders’ Equity

319,365



383,700

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
$
659,981


$
720,296

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Loss


Three Months Ended

Years Ended


December 31,

December 31,

(in thousands) (unaudited)

2018



2017



2018



2017


Net loss attributed to Pacific Ethanol
$
(32,010
)

$
(13,285
)

$
(60,273
)

$
(34,964
)

Adjustments:








Interest expense*

4,255



3,675



16,898



12,738


Provision (benefit) for income taxes

1



(321
)


(562
)


(321
)

Fair value adjustments

—



—



—



(473
)

Depreciation and amortization expense*

9,706



9,658



38,806



36,632


Total adjustments

13,962



13,012



55,142



48,576


Adjusted EBITDA
$
(18,048
)

$
(273
)

$
(5,131
)

$
13,612


________________








* Adjusted for noncontrolling interests.










Commodity Price Performance


Three Months Ended

Years Ended


December 31,

December 31,

(unaudited)

2018



2017



2018



2017


Production gallons sold (in millions)

131.1



150.4



556.2



527.2


Third party gallons sold (in millions)

78.3



89.6



326.8



424.8


Total gallons sold (in millions)

209.4



240.0



883.0



952.0











Production capacity utilization

85
%


96
%


92
%


99
%










Average ethanol sales price per gallon
$
1.45


$
1.52


$
1.57


$
1.62


Average CBOT ethanol price per gallon
$
1.26


$
1.38


$
1.37


$
1.50











Corn cost – CBOT equivalent
$
3.63


$
3.47


$
3.66


$
3.62


Average basis
$
0.22


$
0.15


$
0.25


$
0.20


Delivered cost of corn
$
3.85


$
3.62


$
3.91


$
3.82











Total co-product tons sold (in thousands)

731.0



785.3



3,096.2



3,008.5


Co-product return % (1)

37.8
%


35.5
%


36.5
%


34.5
%

________________








(1) Co-product revenue as a percentage of delivered cost of corn.

Company Name:	Pacific Ethanol Inc.
Stock Symbol:	PEIX
Market:	NASDAQ
Website:	pacificethanol.com

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