*DJ AK Steel 4Q Loss/Shr 17c >AKS

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires (212-416-2800)

February 20, 2020 07:00 ET (12:00 GMT)

*DJ AK Steel 4Q Loss $53.9M >AKS

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires (212-416-2800)

February 20, 2020 07:00 ET (12:00 GMT)

*DJ AK Steel 4Q Sales $1.45B >AKS

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires (212-416-2800)

February 20, 2020 07:00 ET (12:00 GMT)

Press Release: AK Steel Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2019 Financial Results

AK Steel Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2019 Financial Results

WEST CHESTER, Ohio, Feb. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) today reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2019.

Fourth Quarter 2019 Highlights

-- Fourth quarter 2019 net loss of $53.9 million, or $0.17 per diluted
share; adjusted net loss of $35.1 million, or $0.11 per diluted share
-- Fourth quarter 2019 adjusted EBITDA of $47.2 million
-- Fourth quarter 2019 sales of $1.4 billion

Full-Year 2019 Highlights

-- Full-year 2019 net income of $11.2 million, or $0.04 per diluted share;
adjusted net income of $107.4 million, or $0.34 per diluted share
-- Full-year 2019 adjusted EBITDA of $446.5 million
-- Full-year 2019 sales of $6.4 billion

"We operated well in the face of very challenging market conditions during the fourth quarter," said Roger K. Newport, Chief Executive Officer of AK Steel. "We successfully completed a major planned maintenance outage at our Dearborn Works in October and made significant investments in the blast furnace and steelmaking operations, which will generate substantial recurring cost savings. Also, during the fourth quarter we entered into a merger agreement with Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. We continue to be excited about the value-creation potential of the transaction, which we anticipate will close on March 13, subject to regulatory review and shareholder approval."

AK Steel reported a net loss of $53.9 million, or $0.17 per diluted share of common stock, for the fourth quarter of 2019. This compared to net income of $33.5 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2018. During the fourth quarter of 2019, the company took another major step to de-risk its balance sheet and entered into a $615.6 million pension annuity transaction, bringing total pension obligations transferred through annuity transactions to approximately $1.1 billion since 2016. As a result, the company incurred a non-cash pension settlement charge of $26.9 million, or 0.08 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter. Also during the fourth quarter, the company completed the transition of all products from its Ashland Works coating line and closed that facility, as planned. In addition, the company recorded a credit of $8.1 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, to reflect adjustments to the Ashland Works closure costs recorded previously. Excluding these items, adjusted net loss for the fourth quarter of 2019 was $35.1 million, or $0.11 per diluted share. This compares to adjusted net income of $48.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter a year ago. Included in reported results in the year ago fourth quarter were non-cash pension settlement charges of $14.5 million, or $0.05 per diluted share.

The company's adjusted EBITDA (as defined in the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section below) was $47.2 million, or 3.3% of net sales, for the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $135.5 million, or 8.1% of net sales, for the fourth quarter a year ago. Contributing to this decline compared to the fourth quarter a year ago were significantly lower spot market selling prices, lower shipments to the automotive market due primarily to the General Motors strike, and higher costs for iron ore, coal and coke during the current year fourth quarter. Those challenges more than offset lower costs for scrap and energy. The company also had higher planned outage costs of $34.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to $14.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

The company ended 2019 with total liquidity of $835.4 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents and $804.6 million of availability under the company's revolving credit facility. During 2019, the company reduced outstanding long-term debt by $24.9 million and its pension and other postretirement benefit obligations by $109.8 million. In November 2019, the company redeemed its $148.5 million aggregate principal amount of Exchangeable Senior Notes at their maturity date by using its revolving credit facility.

Full-Year 2019 Results

AK Steel reported net income of $11.2 million, or $0.04 per diluted share of common stock, for 2019. This compared to net income of $186.0 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, for 2018. After adjusting for the aforementioned pension settlement charge of $26.9 million and charges of $69.3 million for the Ashland Works closure costs, adjusted net income for 2019 was $107.4 million, or $0.34 per diluted share. This compares to adjusted net income of $200.5 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, for 2018. Included in the reported results for 2018 was a pension settlement charge of $14.5 million. We made cash payments of $8.8 million in 2019 related to the Ashland Works charges, and expect to make cash payments of approximately $25.0 million in 2020 and the remaining amount over several years thereafter.

The company's adjusted EBITDA for 2019 was $446.5 million, or 7.0% of net sales, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $563.4 million, or 8.3% of net sales, for a year ago. The decline was primarily driven by significantly lower steel spot market selling prices, lower shipments to the automotive and distributor and converter markets, and higher costs for iron ore, coal and coke during 2019. These factors more than offset higher automotive market selling prices, lower costs for outages, energy and certain raw materials, including scrap and alloys, and higher unrealized gains on iron ore derivatives compared to a year ago. The company had major maintenance outage costs of $81.0 million in 2019, compared to $91.1 million in 2018. Included in the results for 2019 were mark-to-market gains of $49.6 million from iron ore derivatives, of which approximately two-thirds are associated with iron ore purchases in future years. Not included in the financial results for 2019 were realized gains of $35.9 million for iron ore derivatives contracts that settled during the period for which the company had recognized mark-to-market gains in its financial results in prior periods, compared to $21.9 million for the same period in 2018. For 2018, the company recorded mark-to-market gains of $0.2 million.

(Dollars in millions,
except per share and Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended
per ton data) December 31, December 31,
2019 2018 2019 2018
Flat-rolled steel
shipments (000 tons) 1,259.5 1,388.7 5,342.2 5,683.4
Selling price per
flat-rolled steel
ton $ 1,027 $ 1,106 $ 1,078 $ 1,091
Net sales $1,445.7 $1,677.1 $6,359.4 $6,818.2
Operating profit 10.4 86.5 209.3 364.4
Net income (loss)
attributable to AK
Steel Holding
Corporation (53.9) 33.5 11.2 186.0
Adjusted net income
(loss) attributable
to AK Steel Holding
Corporation (35.1) 48.0 107.4 200.5
Adjusted EBITDA 47.2 135.5 446.5 563.4
Net income (loss) per
diluted share
attributable to AK
Steel Holding
Corporation $ (0.17) $ 0.11 $ 0.04 $ 0.59

Earnings Conference Call

As a result of the pending merger with Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., AK Steel will not be holding an earnings conference call for the fourth quarter.

AK Steel

AK Steel is a leading producer of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, primarily for the automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, including electrical power, and distributors and converters markets. Through its subsidiaries, the company also provides customer solutions with carbon and stainless steel tubing products, hot- and cold-stamped components, and die design and tooling. Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati), the company has approximately 9,300 employees at manufacturing operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and facilities in Western Europe. Additional information about AK Steel is available at www.aksteel.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made or incorporated by reference in this earnings release reflect management's estimates and beliefs and are intended to be "forward-looking statements" identified in the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "plans," "estimates" and other similar references to future periods typically identify forward-looking statements.

The company cautions readers that forward-looking statements reflect the company's current beliefs and judgments, but are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes. They are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently affected by economic, competitive, regulatory, and operational risks, uncertainties and contingencies that are beyond the company's control, and upon assumptions about future business decisions and conditions that may change.

Forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve risks and uncertainties, resulting in the possibility that actual events or performance will differ materially from such predictions as a result of certain risk factors. Such factors that could cause the company's actual results and financial condition to differ materially from the results contemplated by such forward-looking statements include reduced selling prices, shipments and profits associated with a highly competitive and cyclical industry; domestic and global steel overcapacity; risks related to U.S. government actions on trade agreements, treaties or policies affecting trade; changes in the cost of raw materials, supplies and energy; the company's significant amount of debt and other obligations; severe financial hardship or bankruptcy of one or more of the company's major customers or key suppliers; the company's significant proportion of sales to the automotive market; reduced demand in key product markets due to competition from aluminum or other

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

February 20, 2020 07:00 ET (12:00 GMT)