Western Announces Third Quarter 2017 Results

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov 2, 2017) - Western Forest Products Inc. (WEF.TO) ("Western" or the "Company") reported adjusted EBITDA of $32.6 million in the third quarter of 2017, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $35.7 million in the third quarter of 2016, and $47.1 million reported in the second quarter of 2017. Hot, dry weather lowered log harvest and reduced Western's third quarter log and lumber sales volumes. The Company mitigated US lumber duties and capitalized on improved market demand and pricing by increasing lumber sales to China.

Net income of $13.6 million ($0.04 per diluted share) was reported for the third quarter of 2017, as compared to $16.8 million ($0.04 per diluted share) for the third quarter of 2016 and $25.6 million ($0.06 per diluted share) in the previous quarter. Adjusted EBITDA and net income were reduced by $6.5 million of export duties expensed in the third quarter of 2017.

Q3 2017 HIGHLIGHTS

  • Delivered adjusted EBITDA of $32.6 million notwithstanding coastal log supply challenges

  • Reduced log sorting costs by implementing a simplified log sorting margin improvement initiative

  • Installed auto grader technology at the modernized Duke Point planer facility

  • Returned $7.9 million to shareholders via the Company's quarterly dividend

  • Increased cash balance to $65.2 million and grew liquidity to $299.2 million

The Company realized revenue of $285.2 million in the third quarter of 2017, as compared to $322.7 million in the third quarter of 2016, and $287.4 million in the second quarter of 2017. Supply challenges and strong demand delivered robust log and lumber pricing that partly offset the impacts of limited coastal log supply on results in the period.

"We managed the impacts of reduced log supply by consuming more logs internally in our mills. The optimization of our log supply chain has allowed us to operate at reduced log inventories and has delivered early stage cost reductions," said Don Demens, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We remain encouraged by the strong market demand for our products and improved pricing environment despite the uncertainties caused by the US trade action."

On November 2, 2017, the US Department of Commerce announced final determinations in its countervailing duty and anti-dumping duty investigations. Those determinations included a reduction in duty rates applicable to the Company's shipments of lumber from Canada to the US, from 19.88% to 14.25% for countervailing duty and 6.87% to 6.58% for anti-dumping duty. The US Department of Commerce also concluded that critical circumstance did not exist for countervailing duties, but did exist for anti-dumping duties.