Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. Announces First Quarter 2016 Financial Results

Generates Record Sales Volumes and Solid Operational Efficiency

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Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.

May 24, 2016, 04:20 ET

NEW YORK, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (NYSE: ANW) ("Aegean" or the "Company") today announced financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016.

First Quarter Financial Highlights

Recorded record sales volumes of 4,212,636 metric tons.
Achieved gross profit of $80.9 million.
Generated operating income of $18.3 million.
Recorded net income attributable to Aegean shareholders of $11.8 million or $0.24 basic and diluted earnings per share.
Generated EBITDA of $27.1 million.

First Quarter Operational Highlights

Commenced operations in Algoa Bay, South Africa, further expanding global platform.
Operated storage facilities, including the Fujairah terminal, at or near 100% capacity.
Strategically relocated certain vessels from lower-activity markets to higher-growth regions.

E. Nikolas Tavlarios, Aegean's President, commented, "In the first quarter, we recorded record sales volumes despite low commodity prices, including fuel oil at its lowest point since 2003, which impacted gross spread. Despite this economic headwind, our unique business model enabled Aegean to capitalize on growth opportunities across our global platform serving 33 markets with more than 60 ports. Consistent with our goal of opportunistically entering new markets, we launched bunkering operations in Algoa Bay, a market with strong growth potential. We are pleased with the progress to date in this and remain committed to providing customers with a faster, more efficient and affordable alternative in the region."

Mr. Tavlarios continued, "To ensure Aegean is well positioned for continued success, we have addressed and are implementing a number of initiatives to drive efficiency and reduce costs to strengthen the Company. These initiatives include maximizing efficient use of our diversified platform, reducing expenses across the organization, and optimizing and investing resources in the most attractive markets. As we move forward, we are confident that these decisive actions will ensure Aegean is positioned for future growth and value creation for shareholders."

Generating Solid Financial Results

Revenue – The Company reported total revenue of $752.9 million for Q1 2016, a decrease of 25.8% compared to the same period in 2015 due to the drop in oil prices. Voyage and other revenues decreased to $18.1 million or by 12.1% compared to the same period in 2015.
Gross profit – Gross Profit, which equals total revenue less directly attributable cost of revenue increased by 0.4% to $80.9 million in the first quarter of 2016 compared to $80.6 million in the same period in 2015.
Operating Expense – The Company reported operating expense of $62.6 million, an increase of $2.0 million or 3.3% compared to the same period in prior year.
Operating Income – Operating income for Q1 was $18.3 million, a decrease of 9.0% compared to the same period in prior year.
Net Income – The Company achieved net income attributable to Aegean shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2016 of $11.8 million, or $0.24 basic and diluted earnings per share a decrease of $0.4 million or 3.3% compared to the same period in 2015.

Operational Metrics

Sales Volume – For the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company reported record marine fuel sales volumes of 4,212,636 metric tons, an increase of 44.5% compared with the same period in 2015. Marine fuel sales volume excluding bulk trading was 4,120,114 metric tons, an increase of 41.3% compared with the same period in 2015.
EBITDA Per Metric Ton – For the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company reported EBITDA per metric ton sold of $6.44. EBITDA per metric ton in the prior year period was $9.58 per metric ton.
Gross Spread Per Metric Ton – For the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company reported gross spread per metric ton on an aggregate basis of $17.6 per metric ton. Gross spread per metric ton in the prior year period was $24.1 per metric ton.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Net cash provided by operating activities was $10.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. Net income as adjusted for non-cash items (as defined in Note 9 below) was $50.9 million for the period.
Net cash used in investing activities was $8.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016, primarily due to the acquisition of a second hand vessel.
Net cash used in financing activities was $6.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016, mainly due to the repayment of short-term debt.
As of March 31, 2016, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $135.9 million and working capital of $361.2 million. Non-cash working capital, or working capital excluding cash and debt, was $489.5 million.
As of March 31, 2016, the Company had $957.7 million undrawn amounts under its working capital facilities and $135.9 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents to finance working capital requirements.
The weighted average basic and diluted shares outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was 47,545,710. The weighted average basic and diluted shares outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was 46,840,532 respectively.

Spyros Gianniotis, Aegean's Chief Financial Officer, stated, "We are proud to have achieved our 21^st consecutive quarter of profitability. We continue to take decisive actions to maintain our strong financial position and significant liquidity in the current challenging environment. Aegean has continued to perform in a variety of market conditions and has executed a plan to increase earnings per share of more than 57% on an adjusted basis over the last four years. We have a track record of maintaining a strong balance sheet, responsibly managing our debt and successfully and quickly de-levering. We are confident the financial and operational actions we are taking will help enable Aegean to continue enhancing value for our shareholders in the near- and long-term."

Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data (Unaudited)

		For the Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2016
	(in thousands of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise stated
Income Statement Data:
Revenues - third parties	$	1,010,956	$	748,516
Revenues - related companies		4,147		4,416
Total revenues		1,015,103		752,932
Cost of revenues - third parties		892,272		661,626
Cost of revenues - related companies		42,209		10,438
Total cost of revenues		934,481		672,064
Gross profit		80,622		80,868
Operating expenses:
Selling and distribution		49,817		50,772
General and administrative		10,306		11,496
Amortization of intangible assets		374		300
Loss on sale of vessels, net		130		-
Operating income		19,995		18,300
Net financing cost		(9,326)		(9,361)
Foreign exchange gain, net		34		239
Income taxes benefit		1,521		2,592
Net income attributable to AMPNI shareholders	$	12,224	$	11,770
Basic earnings per share (U.S. dollars)	$	0.25	$	0.24
Diluted earnings per share (U.S. dollars)	$	0.25	$	0.24

EBITDA⁽¹⁾	$	27,807	$	27,147

Other Financial Data:
Gross spread on marine petroleum products⁽²⁾	$	71,610	$	75,068
Gross spread on lubricants⁽²⁾		1,239		734
Gross spread on marine fuel⁽²⁾		70,371		74,334
Gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold (U.S. dollars)⁽²⁾		24.1		17.6
Net cash (used in) / provided by operating activities		(23,751)		10,944
Net cash used in investing activities		(2,844)		(8,755)
Net cash used in financing activities	$	(5,151)	$	(6,024)

Sales Volume Data (Metric Tons):⁽³⁾
Total sales volumes		2,915,450		4,212,636

Other Operating Data:
Number of owned bunkering tankers, end of period⁽⁴⁾		48.0		49.0
Average number of owned bunkering tankers⁽⁴⁾⁽⁵⁾		48.0		49.0
Special Purpose Vessels, end of period⁽⁶⁾		1.0		1.0
Number of operating storage facilities, end of period⁽⁷⁾		15.0		14.0

Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data (Unaudited)

	As of December 31, 2015	As of March 31, 2016

	(in thousands of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise stated)
Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and cash equivalents	139,314	135,886
Gross trade receivables	317,152	333,699
Allowance for doubtful accounts	(7,278)	(8,059)
Inventories	114,531	117,826
Current assets	730,950	740,638
Total assets	1,445,555	1,456,501
Trade payables	72,417	73,688
Current liabilities (including current portion of long-term debt)	384,555	379,426
Total debt	705,559	703,139
Total liabilities	824,029	821,797
Total stockholder's equity	621,526	634,704

Working Capital Data:
Working capital⁽⁸⁾	346,395	361,212
Working capital excluding cash and debt⁽⁸⁾	477,594	489,458

Notes:

EBITDA represents net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA does not represent and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operations, as determined by United States generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP, and our calculation of EBITDA may not be comparable to that recorded by other companies. EBITDA is included herein because it is a basis upon which the Company assesses its operating performance and because the Company believes that it presents useful information to investors regarding a company's ability to service and/or incur indebtedness. The following table reconciles net income to EBITDA for the periods presented:

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2015	2016
	(in thousands of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise stated)
Net income attributable to AMPNI shareholders	12,224	11,770

Add: Net financing cost including amortization of financing costs	9,326	9,361
Add: Income tax benefit	(1,521)	(2,592)
Add: Depreciation and amortization excluding amortization of financing costs	7,778	8,608

EBITDA	27,807	27,147

Gross spread on marine petroleum products represents the margin the Company generates on sales of marine fuel and lubricants. Gross spread on marine fuel represents the margin that the Company generates on sales of various classifications of marine fuel oil ("MFO") or marine gas oil ("MGO"). Gross spread on lubricants represents the margin that the Company generates on sales of lubricants. Gross spread on marine petroleum products, gross spread of MFO and gross spread on lubricants are not items recognized by U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to gross profit or any other indicator of a Company's operating performance required by U.S. GAAP. The Company's definition of gross spread may not be the same as that used by other companies in the same or other industries. The Company calculates the above-mentioned gross spreads by subtracting from the sales of the respective marine petroleum product the cost of the respective marine petroleum product sold and cargo transportation costs. For arrangements in which the Company physically supplies the respective marine petroleum product using its bunkering tankers, costs of the respective marine petroleum products sold represents amounts paid by the Company for the respective marine petroleum product sold in the relevant reporting period. For arrangements in which the respective marine petroleum product is purchased from the Company's related company, Aegean Oil S.A., or Aegean Oil, cost of the respective marine petroleum products sold represents the total amount paid by the Company to the physical supplier for the respective marine petroleum product and its delivery to the custom arrangements, in which the Company purchases cargos of marine fuel for its floating storage facilities. Transportation costs may be included in the purchase price of marine fuels from the supplier or may be incurred separately from a transportation provider. Gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold represents the margin the Company generates per metric ton of marine fuel sold. The Company calculates gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold by dividing the gross spread on marine fuel by the sales volume of marine fuel. Marine fuel sales do not include sales of lubricants. The following table reflects the calculation of gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold for the periods presented:

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2015	2016

Sales of marine petroleum products	994,545	734,815
Less: Cost of marine petroleum products sold	(922,935)	(659,747)
Gross spread on marine petroleum products	71,610	75,068
Less: Gross spread on lubricants	(1,239)	(734)
Gross spread on marine fuel	70,371	74,334

Sales volume of marine fuel (metric tons)	2,915,450	4,212,636

Gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold (U.S. dollars)	24.1	17.6

3.	Sales volume of marine fuel is the volume of sales of various classifications of MFO and MGO for the relevant period and is denominated in metric tons. The Company does not include the sales volume of lubricants in the calculation of gross spread per metric ton of marine fuel sold.

4.	Bunkering fleet comprises both bunkering vessels and barges.

5.	Figure represents average bunkering fleet number for the relevant period, as measured by the sum of the number of days each bunkering tanker or barge was used as part of the fleet during the period divided by the cumulative number of calendar days in the period multiplied by the number of bunkering tankers at the end of the period. This figure does not take into account non-operating days due to either scheduled or unscheduled maintenance.

6.	Special Purpose Vessels consists of the Orion, a 550 dwt tanker which is based in our Greek market.

7.	The Company owns two barges, the Mediterranean and Umnenga, as floating storage facilities in Greece and South Africa. The Company also operates on-land storage facilities in Las Palmas, Fujairah, Tangiers, Panama, the U.S.A., Hamburg and Barcelona.

	The ownership of storage facilities allows the Company to mitigate its risk of supply shortages. Generally, storage costs are included in the price of refined marine fuel quoted by local suppliers. The Company expects that the ownership of storage facilities will allow it to convert the variable costs of this storage fee mark-up per metric ton quoted by suppliers into fixed costs of operating its owned storage facilities, thus enabling the Company to spread larger sales volumes over a fixed cost base and to decrease its refined fuel costs.

8.	Working capital is defined as current assets minus current liabilities. Working capital excluding cash and debt is defined as current assets minus cash and cash equivalents minus restricted cash minus current liabilities plus short-term borrowings plus current portion of long-term debt.

9.	Net income as adjusted for non-cash items, such as depreciation, provision for doubtful accounts, restricted stock, amortization, deferred income taxes, loss on sale of vessels, net, impairment losses, unrealized loss/(gain) on derivatives and unrealized foreign exchange loss/(gain), net, is used to assist in evaluating our ability to make quarterly cash distributions. Net income as adjusted for non-cash items is not recognized by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or any other indicator of the Company's performance required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

First Quarter 2016 Dividend Announcement
On May 23, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors declared a first quarter 2016 dividend of $0.02 per share payable on June 21, 2016 to shareholders of record as of June 7, 2016. The dividend amount was determined in accordance with the Company's dividend policy of paying cash dividends on a quarterly basis subject to factors including the requirements of Marshall Islands law, future earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, future prospects and such other factors as are determined by the Company's Board of Directors. The Company anticipates retaining most of its future earnings, if any, for use in operations and business expansion.

Conference Call and Webcast Information
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. will conduct a conference call and simultaneous Internet webcast on Wednesday, May 25^th, 2016 at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time, to discuss its first quarter results. Investors may access the webcast and related slide presentation, by visiting the Company's website at www.ampni.com, and clicking on the webcast link. The conference call also may be accessed via telephone by dialing (888) 438-5491 (for U.S.-based callers) or (719) 325-2428 (for international callers) and enter the passcode: 6450144.

If you are unable to participate at this time, a replay of the call will be available for two weeks at 888-203-1112 or 719-457-0820. Enter the code 6450144 to access the audio replay. The webcast will also be archived on the Company's website:
http://www.ampni.com.

About Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. is an international marine fuel logistics company that markets and physically supplies refined marine fuel and lubricants to ships in port and at sea. The Company procures product from various sources (such as refineries, oil producers, and traders) and resells it to a diverse group of customers across all major commercial shipping sectors and leading cruise lines. Currently, Aegean has a global presence in 33 markets and a team of professionals ready to serve our customers wherever they are around the globe. For additional information please visit: www.ampni.com

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," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect" 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.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include our ability to manage growth, our ability to maintain our business in light of our proposed business and location expansion, our ability to obtain double hull secondhand bunkering tankers, the outcome of legal, tax or regulatory proceedings to which we may become a party, adverse conditions in the shipping or the marine fuel supply industries, our ability to retain our key suppliers and key customers, material disruptions in the availability or supply of crude oil or refined petroleum products, changes in the market price of petroleum, including the volatility of spot pricing, increased levels of competition, compliance or lack of compliance with various environmental and other applicable laws and regulations, our ability to collect accounts receivable, changes in the political, economic or regulatory conditions in the markets in which we operate, and the world in general, our failure to hedge certain financial risks associated with our business, our ability to maintain our current tax treatments and our failure to comply with restrictions in our credit agreements and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

SOURCE Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.