Genie Energy Announces Second Quarter 2021 Results

NEWARK, N.J., Aug. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Genie Energy, Ltd. (NYSE: GNE, GNEPRA), a leading retail energy provider in deregulated markets in the U.S. and Europe and a provider of renewables solutions in the U.S., today announced results for its second quarter – the three months ended June 30, 2021.

"We generated very strong net income and global customer base expansion in the second quarter driven by organic meter growth in our international operations as they moved towards profitability," said Michael Stein, Chief Executive Officer. "In the U.S., we were encouraged by the durability of the elevated consumption levels we've experienced in recent quarters and by several states moving to re-open for door-to-door marketing, an important sales channel for meter acquisition."

Second Quarter 2021 Highlights

• Revenue of $97.7 million versus $76.1 million in the year-ago quarter;
• Gross profit and gross margin of $23.8 million and 24.3%, respectively, versus $19.5 million and 25.6%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter;
• Income from operations and operating margin of $1.4 million and 1.4%, respectively, versus $2.7 million and 3.6%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter;
• Net income attributable to GNE common stockholders and earnings per share (EPS) of $5.0 million and $0.19 per diluted share versus $1.6 million and $0.06, respectively, in the year-ago quarter.  Net income in the second quarter included a gain on the sale of the operations in Japan.
• Adjusted EBITDA¹ of $3.1 million versus $3.5 million in the year-ago quarter;
• Re-purchased 393,000 shares of GNE common stock.

Genie Retail Energy (GRE) delivered solid results for the quarter, driven by continued strong overall consumption within its residential electric meter base. While gross meter acquisitions have not yet returned to pre-COVID levels, churn remained below pre-COVID levels due to remaining restrictions on door-to-door marketing across the industry that lead to fewer customers switching suppliers. 

Genie Retail Energy International's (GREI) strong revenue growth was driven by a combination of organic meter growth and the full consolidation of results related to the purchase of the non-controlled interest in Orbit Energy in October 2020, which previously had not been consolidated. This strong growth came despite the revenue impact from the sale of the Company's Japanese operations early in the second quarter of 2021.

Genie Renewables (formerly Genie Energy Services) reported increased  gross margin as the segment shifted to higher-margin solar projects. Revenue decreased due to the fulfillment of a large order in the prior year's quarter.

¹ Adjusted EBITDA for all periods presented is a non-GAAP measure intended to provide useful information that supplements the core operating results in accordance with GAAP of Genie Energy or the relevant segment. Please refer to the Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures at the end of this release for an explanation of Adjusted EBITDA, as well as for reconciliations to its most directly comparable GAAP measures.

Strategic Update

Genie is conducting a strategic review of its businesses in part to address the different investment profiles of its U.S. and European businesses and to enhance shareholder value across its operations. As one element of this review, the Company is contemplating opportunities to separate GREI from GRE and Genie Renewables through a spin-off of GREI into a separate, publicly-traded entity. If a transaction is consummated, Genie believes that shareholders could benefit from the potential spin-off of GREI with adequate capital and a dedicated management team empowered to gain scale and accelerate growth in its current and prospective European markets. The remaining US operations, GRE and Genie Renewables would then be positioned to accelerate their respective growth plans. Management will provide additional details on its strategic review during today's earnings conference call.

Q2 2021 Commentary from Michael Stein, CEO

"Genie delivered a very strong second quarter with robust top and bottom-line results. As we look to the second half of the year, we are focused on delivering strong cash flow and bottom-line performance.  We are encouraged by the improvement in the marketing environment in the US and are confident that we can return to our previous levels of meter growth once all sales channels are fully re-opened. Internationally, following the successful sale of our Japanese operations, we expect our remaining business to continue to drive strong growth while demonstrating improving profitability, which we believe makes GREI an attractive investment on a stand-alone basis. We expect to have more clarity on strategic direction as our plans are finalized."

Earnings Announcement and Supplemental Information

Genie's earnings release will be filed on Form 8-K and posted on the Genie investor relations website (Genie Investor Relations Page) at approximately 7:30 a.m. Eastern on August 5, 2021. Management will host an earnings conference call beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.  Management's presentation of the results, outlook and strategy will be followed by Q&A with investors. 

To participate in the conference call, dial 1-877-545-0320 (toll-free from the US) or 1-973-528-0016 (international) and request the Genie Energy conference call.

Approximately three hours after the call, a call replay will be accessible by dialing 1-877-481-4010 (toll-free from the US) or 1-919-882-2331 (international) and providing the replay PIN: 42242. The replay will remain available through August 19, 2021. A recording of the call also will be available for playback on the "Investors" section of the Genie Energy website.

About Genie Energy Ltd.

Genie Energy Ltd. (NYSE: GNE, GNEPRA), is a global provider of energy services. The Genie Retail Energy division supplies electricity, including electricity from renewable resources, and natural gas to residential and small business customers in the United States. The Genie Retail Energy International division supplies customers in Europe and Asia. The Genie Renewables division comprises Genie Solar Energy, a provider of end-to-end customized solar solutions primarily for commercial customers, Diversegy, a commercials energy consulting business, CityCom Solar, a provider of community solar energy solutions and Genie's interest in Prism Solar, a supplier of solar panels and solutions. For more information, visit Genie.com.

In this press release, all statements that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those in which we use the words "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate, "target" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment of what may happen in the future, actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these statements due to numerous important factors, including, but not limited to, those described in our most recent report on SEC Form 10-K (under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations"), which may be revised or supplemented in subsequent reports on SEC Forms 10-Q and 8-K. We are under no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update the forward-looking statements in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures for the Second Quarter 2021

In addition to disclosing financial results that are determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP), Genie Energy disclosed for the second quarter 2021, as well as for the second quarter 2020, Adjusted EBITDA on a consolidated basis.  Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure.

Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's performance, financial position, or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Genie Energy's measure of Adjusted EBITDA consists of gross profit less selling, general and administrative expense, equity in the net loss of in equity method investees, net, plus depreciation, amortization and stock-based compensation (which are included in selling, general and administrative expense) and impairments of goodwill. Another way of calculating Adjusted EBITDA is to start with income from operations and add depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation and impairment of goodwill and subtract equity in net loss in equity method investees, net.

Management believes that Genie Energy's measure of Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain expenses that may not be indicative of Genie Energy's core operating results. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA, among other measures, as a relevant indicator of core operational strengths in its financial and operational decision making.

Management also uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate operating performance in relation to Genie Energy's competitors. Disclosure of this non-GAAP financial measure may be useful to investors in evaluating performance and allows for greater transparency to the underlying supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. In addition, Genie Energy has historically reported Adjusted EBITDA and believes it is commonly used by readers of financial information in assessing performance.  Therefore, the inclusion of comparative numbers provides consistency in financial reporting at this time.

Management refers Adjusted EBITDA as well as the GAAP measures revenue, gross profit, income (loss) from operations and net income (loss), on consolidated level to facilitate internal and external comparisons to Genie Energy's historical operating results, in making operating decisions, for budget and planning purposes, and to form the basis upon which management is compensated.

Although depreciation and amortization are considered operating costs under GAAP, they primarily represent the non-cash current period allocation of costs associated with long-lived assets acquired or constructed in prior periods. Genie Energy's operating results exclusive of depreciation and amortization are therefore useful indicators of its current performance.

Stock-based compensation recognized by Genie Energy and other companies may not be comparable because of the various valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of types of awards that are permitted under GAAP. Stock-based compensation is excluded from Genie Energy's calculation of Adjusted EBITDA because management believes this allows investors to make more meaningful comparisons of the operating results of Genie Energy's core business with the results of other companies. However, stock-based compensation will continue to be a significant expense for Genie Energy for the foreseeable future and an important part of employees' compensation that impacts their performance.

Impairment of goodwill is a component of (loss) income from operations that is excluded from the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA. The impairment of goodwill is primarily dictated by events and circumstances outside the control of management that trigger an impairment analysis. While there may be similar charges in other periods, the nature and magnitude of these charges can fluctuate markedly and do not reflect the performance of Genie Energy's continuing operations.

Adjusted EBITDA should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, or superior to, revenue, gross profit, income from operations, cash flow from operating activities, net income, basic and diluted earnings per share or other measures of liquidity and financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition, Genie Energy's measurement of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Following are the reconciliations Adjusted EBITDA on a consolidated basis to its most directly comparable GAAP measure.  Adjusted EBITDA is reconciled to net income for Genie Energy on a consolidated basis.

SOURCE Genie Energy Ltd.