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Frontline Plc — Earnings Release 2023
May 31, 2023
6242_rns_2023-05-31_4cb1887a-6fdb-436e-be73-1c6056b12033.html
Earnings Release
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FRO - First Quarter 2023 Results
FRO - First Quarter 2023 Results
FRONTLINE PLC REPORTS RESULTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2023
Frontline plc (the "Company" or "Frontline"), today reported unaudited results
for the three months ended March 31, 2023:
Highlights
* Highest first quarter profit since 2008 of $199.6 million, or $0.90 per
basic and diluted share for the first quarter of 2023.
* Adjusted profit of $193.3 million, or $0.87 per basic and diluted share for
the first quarter of 2023.
* Declared a cash dividend of $0.70 per share for the first quarter of 2023.
* Reported revenues of $497.3 million for the first quarter of 2023.
* Reported spot TCEs for VLCCs, Suezmax tankers and LR2/Aframax tankers in the
first quarter of 2023 were $52,500, $64,000 and $56,300 per day,
respectively.
* For the second quarter of 2023, we estimate spot TCE on a load-to-discharge
basis of $75,000 contracted for 78% of vessel days for VLCCs, $65,000
contracted for 71% of vessel days for Suezmax tankers and $65,700 contracted
for 63% of vessel days for LR2/Aframax tankers.
* Sold the 2010-built Suezmax tanker, Front Njord in May 2023, for aggregate
gross proceeds of $44.5 million. After repayment of existing debt on the
vessel, the transaction is expected to generate net cash proceeds of
approximately $28.2 million.
* Entered into two fixed rate time charter-out contracts in April 2023 and May
2023 for two LR2/Aframax tankers to third parties on two-year time charters,
both at a daily base rate of $46,500.
* Entered into a senior secured term loan facility in May 2023 for a total
amount of up to $129.4 million at attractive terms to refinance an existing
term loan facility maturing in August 2023.
Lars H. Barstad, Chief Executive Officer of Frontline Management AS, commented:
"Frontline continued to generate elevated cash returns for its shareholders in
the first quarter of 2023. The most prominent market development during the
quarter was that China abandoned its zero-tolerance policy in respect of Covid-
19 and started reopening. Freight demand and rates remained firm throughout the
quarter, defying historical seasonal patterns. Our constructive long-term
outlook is not affected by short-term volatility, as oil demand is expected to
rise significantly in the second half of the year. We will continue to position
Frontline towards capturing value, both on assets and period business as we
proceed into what we believe may be a very exciting cycle."
Inger M. Klemp, Chief Financial Officer of Frontline Management AS, added:
"In May 2023, we entered into a senior secured term loan facility for a total
amount of up to $129.4 million to refinance an existing term loan facility with
total balloon payment of $80.1 million maturing in August 2023. We intend to use
the expected net cash proceeds from the refinancing and from the sale of Front
Njord to partially repay our $275.0 million senior unsecured revolving credit
facility."
Average daily time charter equivalents ("TCEs")(1)
+------------------------------------+---------------+---------+---------------+
| | | | Estimated |
| | | | average daily |
| | Spot TCE | |cash breakeven |
| ($ per day) Spot TCE | estimates |% Covered| rates |
+------------------------------------+---------------+---------+---------------+
| Q1 2023 Q4 2022 2022 | Q2 2023 | 2023 |
+------------------------------------+-------------------------+---------------+
|VLCC 52,500 63,200 31,300| 75,000 78% | 26,500 |
| | | |
|Suezmax 64,000 57,900 37,100| 65,000 71% | 22,700 |
| | | |
|LR2 / Aframax 56,300 58,800 38,500| 65,700 63% | 16,800 |
+------------------------------------+-------------------------+---------------+
We expect the spot TCEs for the full second quarter of 2023 to be lower than the
TCEs currently contracted, due to the impact of ballast days at the end of the
first quarter. The number of ballast days at the end of the first quarter was
359 for VLCCs, 429 for Suezmax tankers and 216 for LR2/Aframax tankers.
The Board of Directors
Frontline plc
Limassol, Cyprus
May 30, 2023
Ola Lorentzon - Chairman and Director
John Fredriksen - Director
Ole B. Hjertaker - Director
James O'Shaughnessy - Director
Steen Jakobsen - Director
Marios Demetriades - Director
Questions should be directed to:
Lars H. Barstad: Chief Executive Officer, Frontline Management AS
+47 23 11 40 00
Inger M. Klemp: Chief Financial Officer, Frontline Management AS
+47 23 11 40 00
Forward-Looking Statements
Matters discussed in this report may constitute forward-looking statements. The
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor
protections for forward-looking statements, which include statements concerning
plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and
underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of
historical facts.
Frontline plc and its subsidiaries, or the Company, desires to take advantage of
the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe
harbor legislation. This report and any other written or oral statements made by
us or on our behalf may include forward-looking statements, which reflect our
current views with respect to future events and financial performance and are
not intended to give any assurance as to future results. When used in this
document, the words "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast,"
"project," "plan," "potential," "will," "may," "should," "expect" and similar
expressions, terms or phrases may identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements in this report are based upon various
assumptions, including without limitation, management's examination of
historical operating trends, data contained in our records and data available
from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable
when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant
uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and
are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish
these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
In addition to these important factors and matters discussed elsewhere herein,
important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ
materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the
strength of world economies, fluctuations in currencies and interest rates,
general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter hire rates and
vessel values, changes in the supply and demand for vessels comparable to ours,
changes in worldwide oil production and consumption and storage, changes in the
Company's operating expenses, including bunker prices, dry docking and insurance
costs, the market for the Company's vessels, availability of financing and
refinancing, our ability to obtain financing and comply with the restrictions
and other covenants in our financing arrangements, availability of skilled
workers and the related labor costs, compliance with governmental, tax,
environmental and safety regulation, any non-compliance with the U.S. Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) or other applicable regulations relating to
bribery, the impact of increasing scrutiny and changing expectations from
investors, lenders and other market participants with respect to our ESG
policies, general economic conditions and conditions in the oil industry,
effects of new products and new technology in our industry, the failure of
counter parties to fully perform their contracts with us, our dependence on key
personnel, adequacy of insurance coverage, our ability to obtain indemnities
from customers, changes in laws, treaties or regulations, the volatility of the
price of our ordinary shares; our incorporation under the laws of Cyprus and the
different rights to relief that may be available compared to other countries,
including the United States, changes in governmental rules and regulations or
actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or
future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions,
potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents, environmental factors,
political events, public health threats, international hostilities including the
ongoing developments in the Ukraine region, acts by terrorists or acts of piracy
on ocean-going vessels, the length and severity of epidemics and pandemics,
including the ongoing global outbreak of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19"), and
their impacts on the demand for seaborne transportation of petroleum products,
the impact of increasing scrutiny and changing expectations from investors,
lenders and other market participants with respect to our Environmental, Social
and Governance policies, the impact of port or canal congestion and other
important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission or Commission.
We caution readers of this report not to place undue reliance on these forward-
looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. These forward-looking
statements are no guarantee of our future performance, and actual results and
future developments may vary materially from those projected in the forward-
looking statements.
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section
5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
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(1) This press release describes Time Charter Equivalent earnings and related
per day amounts, which are not measures prepared in accordance with IFRS ("non-
GAAP"). See Appendix 1 for a full description of the measures and reconciliation
to the nearest IFRS measure.