NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS LIMITED (NYSE:NAT) - STRONG CASHFLOW AND SOLID FINANCIAL POSITION.
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
Hamilton, Bermuda, May 29, 2017
DEAR SHAREHOLDER/INVESTOR:
IN ITS MAY 8 REPORT FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2017, THE NAT BOARD STRESSED THAT
NAT IS IN A SOLID FINANCIAL POSITION WITH A STRONG CASHFLOW.
AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, WE DO NOT COMMENT ON THE STOCK PRICE WHICH DOES NOT
SEEM TO BE GOVERNED BY SPECIFICS RELATED TO NAT. WE FOCUS ON RESULTS.
FROM TIME TO TIME I GET QUESTIONS FROM SHAREHOLDERS WHO ARE ASKING ABOUT THE
POSITION OF NAT.
1) MY REACTION IS AS REFLECTED IN OUR MAY 8TH REPORT BY THE BOARD OF NAT, THE
COMPANY IS IN A STRONG POSITION.
2) OUR 33 SUEZMAX VESSELS CAN CARRY ONE MILLION BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL EACH
FROM/TO PORTS ALL AROUND THE GLOBE. A VERY LARGE CRUDE CARRIER (VLCC) CAN CARRY
TWO MILLION BARRELS AND OPERATES ESSENTIALLY IN DIFFERENT MARKETS (WITH
DIFFERENT RATE STRUCTURES) WHILE THERE MAY BE A CERTAIN OVERLAPPING.
3) A LOW OIL PRICE IS POSITIVE FOR NAT. A LOW OIL PRICE STIMULATES THE WORLD
ECONOMY WHICH IS GOOD FOR NAT.
4) THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2017 CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE LOWER THAN 1Q2017. RATES
ARE WELL ABOVE CASH BREAK EVEN. I AND MY SON ARE AMONG THE LARGEST SHAREHOLDERS
IN NAT, SHOWING OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE COMPANY GOING FORWARD.
5) OVER THE LAST MONTH, TOGETHER WITH COLLEAGUES, I HAVE AGAIN VISITED SOME OF
THE LARGEST OIL COMPANIES IN THE WORLD, NOTABLY IN BEIJING AND IN HOUSTON. WE
HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. AS A GENERAL OBSERVATION, I BELIEVE WE
TEND TO UNDERESTIMATE THE STRENGTH OF THE FAR EAST.
6) OUR CHALLENGE IS ALWAYS TO PROVIDE FOR THE BEST SERVICE. OUR CLIENTS AND
YOU SHAREHOLDERS/INVESTORS ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT CONSTITUENCIES.
7) WE HAVE GOOD VETTING STATISTICS, I.E. INSPECTION OF OUR SHIPS BY CLIENTS. WE
ARE AMONG THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY, REFLECTING THE QUALITY OF THE NAT FLEET.
Sincerely,
HERBJORN HANSSON
CHAIRMAN & CEO
NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS LIMITED
Contacts:
Herbjørn Hansson, Chairman & CEO
Nordic American Tankers Limited
Tel: +1 866 805 9504 or +47 90 14 62 91
Below is the 1Q2017 earnings report.
------------------------------
Link to the complete 1st Quarter 2017 report:
http://hugin.info/201/R/2108197/800678.pdf
Nordic American Tankers' 1Q2017 Report (NYSE:NAT) - The Company is in a solid
financial position with a strong cashflow.
Hamilton, Bermuda, May 8, 2017
The first quarter of 2017 was another good period for NAT in a volatile tanker
market. NAT remains financially strong and is committed to servicing its
customers and shareholders well. The average daily time charter equivalents
("TCE") earned for the first quarter were $22,700 per day per vessel as against
the previous quarter of $21,600 per day per vessel. NAT took delivery of another
new Suezmax tanker February 27, 2017, the Nordic Space. We now have 30 Suezmax
vessels in operation.
NAT ordered, in October 2016, three Suezmax newbuildings at Samsung Shipyard for
delivery in second half of 2018. 30% of the total purchase price was paid up
front in cash. We expect to finance the remaining 70%, which is due upon
delivery of the ships, from cash on hand and increased debt. None of these
ships are pledged under the current credit facility. These three newbuildings
will increase the fleet by 10% to 33 vessels, increasing dividend and earnings
capacity.
On April 19, 2017, NAT declared a cash dividend of $0.20 per share for 1Q2017,
payable to shareholders of record as of May 22, 2017. Payment of the dividend
is expected to be on or about June 8, 2017. Our dividend policy will continue to
enable us to achieve a competitive cash yield. Except for one quarter of the
last nine quarters, the dividend payout ratio has been around 70%. Funds have
been withheld to partly finance the vessel acquisitions over the period.
NAT has followed the same strategy for years and has well developed and very
good financial control mechanisms in place.
A key part of our business model is our focus on efficiency and low costs. NAT
has achieved a high Total Return[1] (profitability) for our shareholders. The
average annual Total Return since 1997 is about 10%.
Nordic American Offshore (NAO) completed a follow-on offering in March 2017. NAT
participated in the offering with $10m. Following the investment NAT owns 22.6%
of NAO. As a consequence of the reduced holdings in NAO, NAT recorded a dilution
charge (non-cash) of $2.6m in 1Q2017. NAO is operating in a challenging offshore
market. NAT is a long term shareholder to reap the benefits of an improved
market.
NAT has a cash break-even rate at about $11,500 per day per ship, including
financial charges and G&A costs. The operating expenses for our vessels are low;
about $8,400 per vessel per day. The high quality of the NAT fleet is also
evidenced by our vetting statistics, i.e. inspections of our ships by our
customers. In such vetting processes safety for our crew, the environment and
our assets are in focus.
In the tanker sector, the NAT stock has significant liquidity, allowing
investors to buy and sell shares whenever they wish.
Some observations:
* NAT has paid quarterly dividends 79 times of $48.31 in aggregate per share
during the period since 1997.
* Net Asset Value (NAV), or the steel value of a vessel, is irrelevant when
valuing NAT as a going concern.
* Together with our shareholders, our customers are the most important
constituency in NAT.
* Adjusted Net Operating Earnings[2] (cash surplus) have been as follows:
$30.5m for 1Q2017, $28.2m for 4Q2016 and $55.9m for 1Q2016.
* NAT has a credit facility of $500m, maturing in December 2020. NAT is in
compliance with the provisions under the credit facility.
* The net debt is currently $10.2m per vessel based on a 30 vessels fleet.
* We always make sure that NAT is in compliance with IMO on Ballast Water
Treatment Systems and low sulphur content in bunker oil.
For further accounting information, please see below.
Financial Information
On April 19, 2017, NAT declared a cash dividend of $0.20 per share. The
dividend is expected to be paid on or about June 8, 2017 to shareholders of
record as of May 22, 2017. The number of NAT shares outstanding at the time of
this report is 101,969,666.
Earnings per share (EPS) in 1Q2017 were -$0.03. In 4Q2016 and 1Q2016 the EPS
were -$0.38 and $0.33, respectively. EPS does not take account of financial
risk. Included in the EPS for 1Q2017 is a non-cash dilution charge of -$0.02 per
share related to NATs reduced holdings in NAO.
The Company's Adjusted Net Operating Earnings in 1Q2017 were $30.5m. In 4Q2016
and 1Q2016 Adjusted Net Operating Earnings were $28.2m and $55.9m,
respectively.
NAT continues to maintain a strong balance sheet with low net debt and is
focusing on keeping a low financial risk. At the end of 1Q2017, the Company had
net debt of about $307m or about $10.2m per vessel based on a 30 vessels fleet.
For further information on our financial position for 1Q2017, 4Q2016 and
1Q2016, please see later in this release.
World Economy and the Tanker Market
The development of the world economy affects the tanker industry and the demand
for oil. The current demand for oil is increasing and the growth is particularly
strong in China and India. NAT is very active in the Far East and does business
with the major oil companies in the area.
The Suezmax fleet of the world (excl. shuttle tankers) counts 466 vessels at the
end of 1Q2017, following an increase of eight vessels in the 1(st) quarter of
2017.
During the years 2014 and 2015, a number of orders were placed with shipyards.
In 2016 twelve new ships were ordered at the shipyards including three from NAT.
This is the lowest number of new orders since the mid-1990s. The current
orderbook of Suezmax tankers stands at 65 vessels from now to the end of 2018.
This represents about 14% of the Suezmax fleet. Slippage and cancellations may
take place, thereby reducing the orderbook. In 2016, it was a fleet growth of
6.0% with no scrapping of vessels.
The graph to the below shows the average yearly spot rates since 2000 as
reported by Clarksons Platou. The rates are an indication of the level of the
market and its direction.
Link to the graph: http://hugin.info/201/R/2108197/800678.pdf
The supply of tanker tonnage is inelastic in the short term. When there are too
many ships, rates tend to go down. When there is scarcity of ships, rates tend
to go up.
Corporate Governance/Conflict of Interests
It is vital for NAT to ensure that there is no conflict of interests among
shareholders, management, affiliates and related parties. Interests must be
aligned. From time to time in the shipping industry, we see that questionable
transactions take place which are not in harmony with sound corporate governance
principles, both as to transparency and related party aspects. We have zero
tolerance for corruption.
Strategy going forward
Our objective is to have a strategy that is flexible and has benefits in both a
strong tanker market and a weak one. In an improved market, higher earnings and
dividends can be expected. The Company is in a position to reap the benefits of
strong markets.
Our dividend policy will continue to enable us to achieve a competitive cash
yield.
NAT is firmly committed to protecting its underlying earnings and dividend
potential. We shall endeavor to safeguard and further strengthen this position
in a deliberate, predictable and transparent way.
Going forward we believe the recent acquisitions of vessels will increase the
Total Return for NAT shareholders over time.
*****
Link to the graph: http://hugin.info/201/R/2108197/800678.pdf
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking
statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe
harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage
companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-
looking statements 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.
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. The words
"believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan,"
"potential," "will," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar
expressions identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various
assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions,
including without limitation, our management's examination of historical
operating trends, data contained in our records and other 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 statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
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 and currencies, general market conditions, including
fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker
market, as a result of changes in OPEC's petroleum production levels and world
wide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including
bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels,
availability of financing and refinancing, 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 or
political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other
important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus
and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our
reports on Form 6-K.
Contacts:
Herbjørn Hansson, Chairman & CEO Gary J. Wolfe
Nordic American Tankers Limited Seward & Kissel LLP
Tel: +1 866 805 9504 or +47 90 14 62 91 New York, USA
Tel: +1 212 574 1223
Turid M. Sørensen, CFO & EVP
Nordic American Tankers Limited
Tel: +47 33 42 73 00 or +47 90 57 29 27 Web-site: www.nat.bm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Total Return is defined as stock price plus dividends, assuming dividends
are reinvested in the stock.
[2] Adjusted Net Operating Earnings is an important dimension in the shipping
industry, but it is a non-GAAP measure. Please see later in this announcement
for a reconciliation of Adjusted Net Operating Earnings to Net Operating
Earnings (Loss).
Press release (PDF):
http://hugin.info/201/R/2108197/800678.pdf
This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Nordic American Tankers Limited via GlobeNewswire
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 29.05.2017 - 13:15 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 544960
Anzahl Zeichen: 16117
contact information:
Town:
Hamilton
Kategorie:
Business News
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