Macro Enterprises Inc. Announces 2021 First Quarter Results

May 27, 2021 6:16 PM EDT | Source: Macro Enterprises Inc.

Fort St. John, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 27, 2021) - Macro Enterprises Inc. (TSXV: MCR) (the "Company" or "Macro") is pleased to announce its 2021 first quarter results.

Summary of financial results
(thousands of dollars except per share amounts)
Three months ended
March 31
20212020
 (unaudited)(unaudited)
   
Revenues$65,907$44,451
   
EBITDA18,5145,768
   
Net earnings2,7271,409
   
Net earnings per share$0.09$0.05
   
Weighted average common shares outstanding (thousands) - basic31,50831,103

 

Note 1 - References to EBITDA are to net income from continuing operations before interest, taxes, amortization and impairment charge. EBITDA is not an earnings measure recognized by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. Management believes that EBITDA is an appropriate measure in evaluating the Company's performance. Readers are cautioned that EBITDA should not be construed as an alternative to net income (as determined under IFRS) as an indicator of financial performance or to cash flow from operating activities (as determined under IFRS) as a measure of liquidity and cash flow. The Company's method of calculating EBITDA may differ from the methods used by other issuers and, accordingly, the Company's EBITDA may not be comparable to similar measures used by other issuers.

Highlights

  • Total working capital as at March 31, 2021 was $43.3 million of which the Company's net cash was $35.9 million.
  • The Company is reporting shareholders' equity of $106.5 million or $3.38 per share based on the weighted average common shares outstanding as at March 31, 2021.
  • During the period ending March 31, 2021, the Company announced it had entered into an Interim Construction Contract with Trans Mountain Pipeline L.P. for work on Section 5B. The contract has now been extended in scope and schedule for 2 additional months. Total estimated value is expected to exceed $90 million.
  • Subsequent to period end, the Company announced it had entered into a pipeline construction contract on the 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project for in excess of $190 million with pre-construction commencing in the third quarter.
  • As a result of the successful execution of the NGTL construction contract and extension of scope and schedule on TMEP, the Company is forecasting revenue to exceed $250 million in fiscal 2021.
  • The Company continues to materially exceed industry standard safety averages. As at March 31, 2021 Macro Enterprises has now exceeded 33 quarters without a single lost time injury.

First quarter results

Three months ended March 31, 2021 vs. three months ended March 31, 2020

Macro Enterprises Inc. posted consolidated revenue of $65.9 million compared to $44.5 million reported in the first quarter last year. The increase in revenues over the prior year was due to the commencement of interim construction work on a major project along with pre-construction reimbursable work in connection with another pipeline project secured subsequent to period end. Approximately 87% or $57.3 million of the revenue earned related to pipeline and facilities construction with the balance or $8.6 million relating to maintenance and integrity services being performed under existing master service agreements. Prior year revenue relating to pipeline and facilities construction was approximately 84% or $37.5 million while the balance related to maintenance and integrity revenues.

Operating expenses were $55.6 million or 84% of revenue compared to $39.6 million or 89% of revenue in the first quarter last year. Margins were generally better than recent historical averages as a result of resource continuity and proximity of work to scope for the major projects currently under way. The Company continues to actively monitor and streamline its overheads and processes to the maximum extent possible to ensure savings are realized while maintaining the highest degree of health, safety and environmental standards possible.

General and administrative expenses were $1.3 million, $0.6 million less than the $1.9 million recorded prior year. The decrease was expected as the Company has now reduced expenditures relating to joint operations. Included in the Company's general and administrative expenditures are professional fees, corporate wages, burdens and other overheads, including rents, insurance, travel and administrative supplies that are not charged directly to projects.

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment was $4.3 million and $0.2 million higher than in the previous year. The slight increase in depreciation directly correlated to the added property, plant and equipment acquired in prior year along with the recognition of right to use assets under lease during the period. Depreciation is calculated at various declining balance methods across the Company's multiple categories of property, plant and equipment and is used in guiding the annual capital expenditure estimates. Residual values, methods of amortization and useful lives of the assets are reviewed annually and adjusted if appropriate.

During the first quarter, the Company recognized a non-cash loss of $0.4 million on the mark-to-market fair value re-measurement of its preferred shares at period end. The loss recognized corresponds with the slight increase in the Company's average share price and its impact on the valuation of the preferred shares outstanding at March 31, 2021.

Finance costs of $0.6 million were lower than prior year due to the adjustments the Company recognized under IFRS 16 right of use asset lease obligations and the associated implicit interest charges, the amortization of deferred finance costs recorded on its credit facilities and the issuance of its letters of credit relating to contract financial assurances. In addition to the non-cash deferred transaction costs, interest charges, standby and admin fees associated with the Company's credit facility, other finance costs included $41,000 of effective interest rate payments made on its preferred shares.

Income tax expense in the quarter of $0.9 million was at an effective rate of 24.8% which approaches the enacted tax rates after reversing non-cash charges, namely the mark-to-market loss on the preferred shares, and other timing differences.

Net income was $2.7 million ($0.09 per share) compared to net income of $1.4 million ($0.05 per share) recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2020. EBITDA was $8.5 million compared to $5.8 million recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2020. As a result of increased activity and improved margins, non-cash adjustments including mark-to-market losses and depreciation, the Company's net income and EBITDA were generally better than compared to prior years.

Outlook

Presently, the Company's ability to provide reliable outlook guidance for the 2021 fiscal year and beyond is materially impaired due to the prevailing uncertainty about the short and long term economic and geo-political effects on the Canadian energy and construction industries as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, we note the Company's strong balance sheet, access to liquidity, exceptional health and safety records, and meaningful client relations. As the effects of the pandemic begin to subside, we believe Macro is well positioned to chart new independent growth for years to come. With a newly added $20 million in borrowing capacity to the existing $80 million senior secured Letter of Credit facility, supported by Export Development Canada, Macro plans to pursue large scale economically strategic opportunities while executing and servicing safely its secured backlog of business and long standing Master Service Agreements with its clients.

As to fiscal 2021, Macro has recently announced its second largest pipeline construction contract in its history on the NGTL Expansion Project, and together a two month extension in schedule and scope of its Interim Contract on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, Macro expects to deliver meaningful results for fiscal 2021 with revenues forecast to exceed $250 million.

Macro's core business is providing pipeline and facilities construction and maintenance services to major companies in the oil and gas industry. The Company is based in Fort St. John, B.C. Its shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MCR. Information on the Company's principal operating unit, Macro Industries Inc., can be found at www.macroindustries.ca.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in the Company's Press Release for its March 31, 2021 quarterly results, other than statements of historical fact, may include statements of forward-looking information. The Company cautions that such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct; and, consequently, all such statements are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the adverse impacts on the Company's business due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and collapse of oil and gas prices, statements regarding expected revenues, anticipated project margins, expected general and administrative expenses, anticipated amounts of property and equipment purchases, the sufficiency of working capital, expectations regarding debt and equity financing and anticipated industry trends.

The associated risks and uncertainties include, but are not restricted to, economic and geopolitical disruptions caused by epidemics and other public health crises (such as the current COVID-19 pandemic), geopolitical instability causing significant volatility in oil and gas prices, government regulation of energy and resource companies and related infrastructure, construction disruptions caused by adverse weather, inability to maintain and increase market share due to competitive pressures, terrorist activity, the price and availability of alternative fuels leading to a reduction in demand for oil and gas, the demand for relative to the availability of pipeline capacity, adverse impacts on the supply and prices of oil and gas product due to potential instability or armed conflict in oil producing regions and the overall economic environment.

More specifically with respect to epidemics and other public health crises, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, the risks and uncertainties faced by the Company include risks to supply chains, key project partners, and employee health and safety. The Company's business could also experience a slowdown or temporary suspension in operations in geographic locations impacted by an outbreak of a contagious disease such as COVID-19. Any prolonged restrictive measures put in place by governmental authorities in order to contain such an outbreak (e.g. international travel restrictions) or other adverse public health development, in Canada, or in any other jurisdictions upon which the Company is reliant for supplies of construction materials, equipment or professional services, may have a material and adverse effect on the Company's financial and/or operating performance. Any delay in the completion of the Company's construction projects may require the Company to incur non-compensable costs such as standby time and for overtime work necessary to meet contracted project timelines.

All of the above-described risks and uncertainties may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from the information contained herein. Consequently, there can be no assurances that the Company's forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Except as required by the laws and stock exchange policies to which the Company is subject, the Company assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. Readers are urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business.

For further information please contact:

Frank Miles
President and C.E.O.
Phone: (250) 785-0033

Jeff Redmond
Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (250) 785-0033

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85591

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