Q1 2022 Martin Midstream Partners LP Earnings Call

Good morning, My name is Chris and I'll be your conference operator today.

At this time I would like to welcome everyone to the L. P first quarter 2022 earnings call.

All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise.

After the Speakers' remarks, there will be a question and answer session.

If you would like to ask a question. During this time simply press Star then the number one on your telephone keypad.

To withdraw your question. Please press star one again.

Thank you Sharon Taylor CFO .

May begin.

Thank you operator, and good morning, everyone I'm joined today by Bob Bondurant, CEO , Randy Tauscher, CLO, David Cannon controller, and Danny Cavin director of F. P&I.

Before we get started with our comments I'll remind you that management may be making forward looking statements as defined by the SEC.

<unk> are based on our current judgments regarding the factors that could impact the future performance of Martin, including facts and assumptions related to the impact of the COVID-19, pandemic, but actual outcomes could be materially different.

You should review the risk factors and other information discussed in our SEC filings and form your own opinions about Martin's future performance.

We will discuss non-GAAP financial measures on today's call. Please refer to the table in our earnings press release posted in the Investor Relations section of our website to find information regarding those non-GAAP financial measures.

<unk> a reconciliation of historical non-GAAP financial measures referenced in today's call to their corresponding GAAP measures.

Now I will turn the call over to Bob for his remarks on our first quarter 2022 results Bob.

Thanks Sharon.

For the fifth consecutive quarter, Martin Midstream partners exceeded its EBITDA forecast as our first quarter 2022, adjusted EBITDA was $40 million compared to our published forecast range of $28 million to $30 million.

As we began the year our leadership team that confidence we could beat published guidance, but the extraordinarily strong first quarter performance even exceeded our optimism.

Although several of our business lines beat our Q1 forecast the majority of our outperformance came from our fertilizer and land transportation business lines.

Because the fundamentals continued to remain strong in these two businesses along with strong fundamentals in our packaged lubricant and grease business, improving marine transportation fundamentals and increasing sulfur production at our Beaumont area refineries we.

We have increased our guidance to a new EBITDA range of $110 million to $120 million for 2022.

While this range is less than our trailing 12 months adjusted EBITDA of approximately $124 million. We wanted to give updated guidance that we feel is comfortably achievable.

However, our business segment operating teams continue to be highly motivated to exceed the guidance range and I am optimistic that they have both the opportunity and ability to beat our new published forecast.

Now I would like to discuss our first quarter performance in more detail by business segment.

As I mentioned earlier, we had adjusted EBITDA of $40 million in the first quarter compared to adjusted EBITDA of $30 9 million in the first quarter of 2021.

For the first quarter, our largest cash flow contributor was our sulfur services segment, which had adjusted EBITDA of $15 3 million in the first quarter compared to $9 2 million a year ago.

In this segment, our fertilizer business had adjusted EBITDA of $11 8 million in the first quarter compared to $7 1 million a year ago.

Market conditions for our fertilizer group were very strong as pricing for fertilizer rose throughout the quarter due to tight supply is.

This rising price environment provided for stronger fertilizer margins than were originally forecasted.

Our pure sulfur side of our sulfur services segment had adjusted EBITDA of three and a half million dollars in the first quarter compared to $2 1 million a year ago.

The primary reason for the increase in performance was due to the improved refinery utilization and.

That increased sulfur production year over year.

This year in the first quarter inbound sulfur volume into our Beaumont system exceeded over 3000 tons per day compared to less than 2500 tonnes per day a year ago.

A year ago in the first quarter Gulf Coast refineries were negatively impacted by winter storm yeary, resulting in significantly reduced sulfur volumes handled by our company looking towards the second quarter. We believe fertilizer fundamentals will continue to be favorable and subject to weather conditions fertilizer cash flow.

Performance should also be strong.

We should also see good performance from our pure sulfur business in the second quarter as pad three refinery utilization has been running around 94% in April and daily sulfur production that we handle has been greater than the first quarter.

Our second largest cash flow contributor in the first quarter was our Terminalling and storage segment, which had adjusted EBITDA of $11 6 million compared to $10 6 million a year ago. The growth in cash flow primarily came from our margin based packaged lubricant and grease businesses.

As our fee based terminal assets generated cash flow of $6 6 million for both periods.

Combined our packaged lubricant and grease business had adjusted EBITDA of $5 million in the first quarter compared to 4 million a year ago comp.

Compared to a year ago, we experienced increased sales volume and margins due to strong fundamentals in both these businesses.

Supply remains tight which continues to lead to stronger margins than a year ago.

Looking towards the second quarter, our fee based terminals should have similar cash flow as the first quarter.

We also believe our packaged lubricant and grease businesses will also have similar cash flow as the first quarter as strong demand will assist in maintaining current margins.

Our third largest cash flow generator was our transportation segment, which had adjusted EBITDA of $10 5 million compared to $2 7 million a year ago.

The land transportation portion of this segment has shown remarkable improvement in cash flow as adjusted EBITDA was $9 5 million in the first quarter compared to $3 7 million a year ago.

A year ago in the first quarter.

Low count averaged only 350 per day compared to 433 per day this year.

Strong refinery utilization.

Along with employing 20 more drivers on average than a year ago.

Has contributed to the increased load cat, which drives revenue growth.

Additionally, due to the tight supply of trucking services, we have been able to increase our rates, which has helped to significantly improve our driver pay which has added both growth and stability to our driver pool.

These rate increases have also allowed us to stay ahead of the inflationary cost pressures we have been facing.

Looking towards the second quarter, we continued to see strong fundamentals in our truck transportation business and anticipate another strong quarterly performance.

The second piece of the transportation segment as our Marine Transportation group, which had adjusted EBITDA of $1 million compared to a negative $1 million a year ago.

This $2 million improvement was primarily driven by increased utilization of our inland fleet full.

Full utilization of our one offshore tow.

Our average day rate is up only slightly compared to a year ago, but the market supply of vessels relative to demand has become more balanced and we are beginning to see improving day rates.

Looking towards the second quarter, we see this trend continuing and with these improving fundamentals, we should see solid cash flow and our marine business in the second quarter.

Our final business segment to discuss is our natural gas liquid segment, which had adjusted EBITDA of $6 6 million compared to $12 2 million a year ago.

The decline was attributable to our butane business as volume was down approximately 600000 barrels in this years first quarter compared to a year ago.

However, last year was unusual as refineries delay purchasing butane from the fourth quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021 due to price backwardation.

So effectively last year's first quarter volume and earnings were unusually high while this year's first quarter volume and earnings were more in line with our historical norms.

Looking toward the second and also the third quarter.

Our cash flow in this segment will decrease significantly as we begin our butane inventory purchases to be delivered into storage.

This will last through the end of August we should then start to see sales begin again in September as refineries start to purchase butane in order to blend into gasoline. So they can then meet relaxed winter vapor pressure rules.

This concludes my operating performance discussion for the first quarter and outlook for the second quarter.

Now I would like to turn the call over to Sharon to discuss our balance sheet leverage and capital resources.

Thanks, Bob.

To begin with a walk through of the debt components of our balance sheet and bank ratios discuss capital spending during the quarter remark on the excess cash flow offer and tender results that were announced during the quarter and conclude with a brief walk through of our updated 2022 financial guidance.

At March 31, 2022, the total of our long term debt outstanding was $489 million down from $506 million at the end of the fourth quarter.

Outstanding debt consisted of $143 million drawn under our $275 million revolving credit facility.

<unk> $54 million of secured one five lien notes due 2024 and $292 million of secured second lien notes due 2025.

Total available liquidity was approximately $107 million under our revolving credit facility.

At quarter end, our adjusted leverage ratio was 387 times and our first lien leverage ratio was 1.09 times.

Both these leverage calculations include our working capital supplement carve outs, which excludes certain debt attributed to our seasonal NGL inventory build when the inventory has been either forward sold or hedged.

At March 31.

Total debt excluded from the adjusted leverage and first lien leverage calculations with $9 5 million.

Importantly, due to the seasonality of our NGL business, we do anticipate that the carve out we will have a more meaningful impact on our leverage ratio during the second and third quarters. When our revolving balances are projected to increase due to higher inventory volumes and elevated <unk>.

<unk> pricing.

Our interest coverage ratio was 247 times at the end of the quarter and the partnership was in full compliance with all banking covenants.

Next let's focus on capital spending during the quarter and update our full year capital expenditures outlook.

First gross capital expenditures were approximately $3 1 million for the quarter, which includes approximately $1 6 million for the new Martin Transport terminal in Florida.

Due to timing of certain expenditures the total for the quarter was slightly below guidance.

Full year growth Capex forecast remains approximately $8 million.

Switching to maintenance capital expenditures from our guidance, we anticipated maintenance capital requirements of approximately $22 million for the year, which included estimated turnaround costs of approximately $4 million the.

For the first quarter, we were slightly below our estimate of $6 million as maintenance capital spending was $5 4 million again most of that from timing differences. However at this time, we anticipate our maintenance capital spending to be slightly higher for the year as a result of increased material and les.

<unk> costs.

We are revising guidance from 22 million to $25 million.

Concerning the excess free cash flow offer that was announced on March 15th and closed on April 13th.

As per the covenants in our secured second lien notes. The partnership is required to annually as long as our leverage ratio remains above 375 times make.

A cash tender offer to repurchase notes at par using at least 25% of our calculated free cash flow, which for 2021 was approximately $9 3 million.

When they offer expired on April 13th approximately 589000 and principal amount of notes were tendered.

We made payment on the tendered notes along with accrued interest on April 14th.

The total payment was approximately 600000.

The remaining excess cash flow has been used to reduce borrowings under our revolving line of credit.

Turning to the revision to our 2022 guidance, which can be found on slide four at the latest presentation posted to the Investor Relations section of our website recall that when I discuss guidance on our last earnings call management believed we were being conservative with our assumptions and there was more.

More upside than downside risk.

We anticipated supply chain issues and inflation to negatively affect demand for our products and services impacting our results early in 2022.

We have reworked those assumptions pushing them later into the year and are revising our adjusted EBITDA guidance to between 110 and $120 million.

We still anticipate improvement in our transportation segment year over year as both the land and marine divisions are experiencing favorable conditions, resulting in increased utilization of our assets along with higher market rates.

The increase to adjusted EBITDA guidance, coupled with the slight rise and maintenance capital spending.

<unk> and our full year forecast of between 37 and $47 million in distributable cash flow and between 29 and $39 million of adjusted free cash flow.

I will now turn the call back to the operator for Q&A.

Thank you Andrew.

Minder, if you'd like to ask a question. Please press Star then one on your telephone keypad.

Again star one if you would like to ask a question.

Our first question is from Selman <unk> with Stifel. Your line is open.

Thank you.

Congratulations on a very nice quarter.

Okay.

Yes.

So let me just start with I guess on the guidance because I guess I would've thought it would go higher than that and it sounded like you guys are being very conservative but.

Again isn't Q2, typically the weakest quarter of the year for fertilizer.

Or.

Yes, I guess I guess, you're just well just talk a little bit how that's starting out and then I guess, the weakest quarters third quarter, but.

Maybe you can talk a little bit about the dynamics of what Youre seeing right now in the second quarter and then.

As you look out into the third.

Specifically to some of this is Randy. Thank you for the question and I'll, let Sharon get into the guidance.

Guidance, but specific to the fertilizer.

The third quarter is traditionally the weakest sales or slowest during that quarter, and we have a pretty heavy turnaround slate during the third quarter generally specific.

Specific to the second quarter and fertilizer.

The macro environment is as good as we've ever seen it.

You've seen what's happening with food prices and projections in shortages around the world.

We have observed what's happening with fertilizer.

Fertilizer prices.

And.

We would expect that if we have a good.

Good weather during the planting season.

And exports materialize after the domestic planting season like we think they will.

We think we're going to have a very strong fertilizer year.

And I'll make a comment regarding guidance in my opening statement.

We wanted to go with guidance, we felt my comment was very comfortable with achieving but I did make the comment Phil.

Still there is still optimism to the upside of that I think to Randy's point fertilizer remains strong I think our land transportation remains strong and were getting some tailwind now in the marine business and then also the lubricant packaging business remains tight so we've got some real tailwind in our businesses.

But you know.

What happens in the fourth quarter.

We don't have great visibility there is inflation tamped down their macroeconomic world we live in unsure.

But I will say this I think we have more tailwind and headwinds at this point in time.

Got you.

And then I guess on the land transportation.

Do your customers started talking about turnarounds at all.

Is there anything from that standpoint that we should be.

Thinking about it as we go forward on the land side I heard you're getting.

More expenses, you get better rates to help offset that but im just wondering.

If they go into the turnaround should we expect volumes to fall off or do you see any of that.

No we haven't been advised as to any turnaround schedule around the refineries on the Gulf Coast for this spring and with the current with the current 321 crack.

Specifically the diesel impact on that.

We think the refineries are going to run it.

Hard as they possibly can.

As we head into the summer months.

So yeah. The other comment around the land transportation is as we have grown in our chemical side and we have grown on the fertilizer side over the last several years.

So why.

The refinery customers are very important to our business.

The chemical plants in the fertilizer plants are also.

And they are all running very strong.

Just like the refiners are.

Got you that's very helpful color.

And then I guess just on the Marine I mean, I know, we're coming off of a really low base.

But can.

Can you talk about sort of maybe magnitude of increases you're seeing there you said youre seeing I guess turning to the market things are hardening.

Any any comment you can make about what rate of increase youre seeing in rates.

Yes.

You are right. The first quarter last year was a load refinery utilization in the first quarter a year ago was was very low and therefore our utilization.

Came out of a very low base from one year ago. So so we had a $2 million improvement approximately in that business first quarter of 2022 relative to the first quarter of 2021.

We expect to see continued improvement in utilization.

And we have already seen continued improvement in the rates for most of the first quarter, we were 6600 to 7000.

A day for the day rate.

There are two large tows.

And now we are seeing.

More on average 75% to $7600 a day so.

The rate improvement has been substantial.

Not where we were pre Covid, we were 8000 to $8500 a day for the rates. So we still think there's room to run.

On the rates.

Got you and then.

Again, I very much appreciate all of that.

Can you just say.

Windows rates started improving during the.

First quarter was <unk> startups sort of January one first couple weeks of January it's a 7600 rate or 7500 rates or does that not really happen until late in February late February I'm, just trying to.

It is sort of a run rate in my mind of.

Sure how the increases came through.

Sure the first quarter.

Was largely 6600 to 7000, all the way till the very last half of March in the last half of March is when we started to see the rates improve.

Thank you very much for that.

Sure.

And then I guess.

It looks like you guys, obviously, you're going to have more cash flow is is the main goal is still just focus on the balance sheet are there any other small capex projects that you are looking at that maybe you could be adding.

Maybe buying additional rigs for the transportation business.

Any additional investments in the business.

Drive.

Further cash flows.

Right now we don't have any additional investments like that even small ones except for the small growth capex that we've talked about and so we continue to look at excess cash flow paying down debt continue to have the target of 375 times.

Leverage and I think that that we're focused on that.

Not saying that is something.

Interesting were to come our way that we wouldn't go ahead and invest that right at the moment. The numbers that we've provided you are all focused on continued debt repayment.

Okay, well, thank you very much and again very nice quarter.

Thank you Selman.

Again as a reminder, please press star one if you'd like to ask a question.

Pause for just a moment.

Good luck.

And it appears that we have no further questions I'll turn the call over to Bob <unk> for any closing remarks.

Thank you Krish.

At the close of our last earnings call I mentioned, my belief that I saw more opportunity than risk to our businesses in 2022.

Our intent was to generate value for our unit holders through expanding services asset utilization and new alliances and continue to strengthen our balance sheet through debt reduction.

Our employees from the business leaders to the operations and admin teams focused on opportunities to meet those goals, they have optimize and leverage our assets.

Cost conscious while offering innovative solutions to our customers and in doing so delivered cash flows that provide the essential path to delevering in short we have solidly executed the plan.

Looking forward, while there are certainly geopolitical uncertainty combined with inflationary pressures, we are experiencing sustained momentum for our products and services, which affirms my belief in our employees and points to a profitable future for our partnership.

As always thank you for your interest in Martin Midstream.

Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's conference call. Thank you for participating you may now disconnect.

Okay.

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Sure.

Yes.

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