Scorpio Tankers Inc. Announces Financial Results for the Third Quarter of 2024 and the Declaration of a Dividend

MONACO, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE: STNG) ("Scorpio Tankers" or the "Company") today reported its results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. The Company also announced that its board of directors (the "Board of Directors") has declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common shares of $0.40 per share.

Results for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023

For the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had net income of $158.7 million, or $3.31 basic and $3.16 diluted earnings per share.

For the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $87.7 million, or $1.83 basic and $1.75 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $69.3 million, or $1.45 per basic and $1.38 per diluted share, gain on sales of vessels, (ii) a $2.8 million, or $0.06 per basic and diluted share, gain on sale of a vessel within a joint venture, and (iii) a $1.1 million, or $0.02 per basic and diluted share, fair value loss on financial assets measured at fair value.

For the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had net income of $100.4 million, or $2.01 basic and $1.93 diluted earnings per share.

For the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $99.2 million, or $1.99 basic and $1.91 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $6.0 million, or $0.12 per basic and diluted share, write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing fees on certain lease financing obligations and related debt extinguishment costs, and (ii) a $7.1 million, or $0.14 per basic and diluted share, gain on the sale of a vessel.

Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had net income of $600.2 million, or $12.18 basic and $11.62 diluted earnings per share.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $482.6 million, or $9.79 basic and $9.34 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $124.0 million, or $2.52 per basic and $2.40 per diluted share, gain on sales of vessels, (ii) a $2.8 million, or $0.06 per basic and $0.05 per diluted share, gain on sale of a vessel within a joint venture, (iii) a $1.1 million, or $0.02 per basic and diluted share, fair value loss on financial assets measured at fair value, and (iv) a $8.1 million, or $0.16 per basic and diluted share, write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing fees related to unscheduled debt and lease payments and debt extinguishment costs on certain lease financing obligations.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had net income of $426.0 million, or $8.00 basic and $7.68 diluted earnings per share.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had adjusted net income (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) of $428.1 million, or $8.04 basic and $7.72 diluted earnings per share, which excludes from net income (i) a $9.3 million, or $0.17 per basic and diluted share, write-off or acceleration of the amortization of deferred financing fees on certain lease financing obligations and related debt extinguishment costs, and (ii) a $7.1 million, or $0.13 per basic and diluted share, gain on the sale of a vessel.

Declaration of Dividend

On October 28, 2024, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.40 per common share, with a payment date of December 13, 2024 to all shareholders of record as of November 22, 2024 (the record date). As of October 28, 2024, there were 50,525,001 common shares of the Company outstanding.

Summary of Third Quarter 2024 and Other Recent Significant Events

• Below is a summary of the average daily Time Charter Equivalent ("TCE") revenue (see Non-IFRS Measures section below) and duration of contracted voyages and time charters for the Company's vessels (both in the pools and outside of the pools) thus far in the fourth quarter of 2024 as of the date hereof (See footnotes to "Other operating data" table below for the definition of daily TCE revenue):

• Below is a summary of the average daily TCE revenue earned by the Company's vessels during the third quarter of 2024:

• In October 2024, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its 2019 built scrubber fitted LR2 product tanker, STI Lily for $73.5 million. The sale is expected to close within the fourth quarter of 2024. This vessel was collateralized under the 2023 $1.0 Billion Credit Facility and the Company recently repaid $22.9 million of debt on this facility in anticipation of the closing of the sale. This debt repayment did not impact the undrawn amount of $288.2 million that is currently available under the revolving portion of this facility.
• During the third quarter of 2024, the Company entered into agreements to sell two 2014 built scrubber fitted MR product tankers, STI San Antonio and STI Texas City, for $42.5 million per vessel. These sales are expected to close within the fourth quarter of 2024. There will be no debt repayments as a result of these sales as (i) STI San Antonio was recently replaced by STI Memphis as collateral on the 2023 $225.0 million Credit Facility and (ii) STI Texas City was released from the collateral package on the 2023 $117.4 Million Credit Facility given the sufficient headroom under the leverage covenant with the six remaining collateralized vessels under the facility.
• During the third quarter of 2024, the Company invested $89.1 million for a passive, minority interest in DHT Holdings Inc. (“DHT”), a publicly traded crude tanker shipping company which owns a fleet of 28 Very Large Crude Carriers. The Company purchased 7,982,480 common shares in DHT, or 4.9% of the outstanding shares, in the open market at an average price of $11.17 per share during this period. This investment reflects the Company's constructive outlook in this sector.
• During the third quarter of 2024, the Company entered into a three-year time charter-out agreement for the 2018 built MR product tanker, STI Jardins, for $29,550 per day. This vessel is not scrubber-fitted and the time charter commenced in October 2024.
• On July 29, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors replenished and increased the 2023 Securities Repurchase Program to purchase up to an aggregate of $400 million of the Company’s securities which, in addition to its common shares also consist of its Unsecured Senior Notes Due 2025 (NYSE: SBBA).  
• In July 2024, the Company executed an agreement with the lenders on its 2023 $225.0 Million Credit Facility to convert the then $174.2 million outstanding balance on this facility from a term loan to a revolving credit facility. While the repayment schedule remains unchanged, this amendment gives the Company the flexibility to make unscheduled repayments that can be re-drawn in the future subject to a quarterly amortization profile.
• In September 2024, the Company repaid the outstanding balance of $64.2 million on its BNPP Sinosure Credit Facility. The facility was collateralized by five vessels and bore interest at SOFR plus a blended margin (between the Commercial and Sinosure facilities) of 2.91% per annum.
• During the third quarter of 2024, the Company closed on the sales of six MR product tankers. The 2012 built vessels, STI Garnet, STI Onyx, STI Ruby, and STI Topaz, were sold for $142.5 million in aggregate to three separate buyers. The 2013 built vessel, STI Beryl (which is not scrubber fitted), was sold for $36.6 million and the 2015 built MR product tanker, STI Manhattan, was sold for $40.8 million. The Company did not make any debt repayments as a result of these sales as STI Garnet, STI Onyx, STI Ruby, STI Topaz, and STI Beryl were unencumbered at the time of the sales and STI Manhattan was replaced by STI Notting Hill as collateral for the 2023 $1.0 Billion Credit Facility.

Securities Repurchase Program

From July 1, 2024 through October 28, 2024, the Company repurchased 3,362,410 of its common shares in the open market at an average price of $73.34 per share under the 2023 Securities Repurchase Program. Since April 1, 2024, the Company has repurchased an aggregate of 4,049,064 of its common shares in the open market at an average price of $74.17 per share.

There is $208.9 million available under the 2023 Securities Repurchase Program as of October 28, 2024.

Diluted Weighted Number of Shares

The computation of earnings per share is determined by taking into consideration the potentially dilutive shares arising from the Company’s equity incentive plan. These potentially dilutive shares are excluded from the computation of earnings per share to the extent they are anti-dilutive.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company’s basic weighted average number of shares outstanding were 47,941,734 and 49,285,618, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company’s diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding were 50,150,721 and 51,644,038, respectively, which included the potentially dilutive impact of restricted shares issued under the Company’s equity incentive plan.

Conference Call

Title: Scorpio Tankers Inc. Third Quarter 2024 Conference Call

Date: Tuesday October 29, 2024

Time: 9:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time and 2:00 PM Central European Time

The conference call will be available over the internet, through the Scorpio Tankers Inc. website and the webcast link:

-server.com/mmc/p/bcz8upph

Participants for the live webcast should register on the website approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast.

The conference will also be available telephonically:

US/CANADA Dial-In Number: 1-833-636-1321

International Dial-In Number: 1-412-902-4260

Please ask to join the Scorpio Tankers Inc. call.

Participants should dial into the call 10 minutes before the scheduled time.

Current Liquidity

As of October 25, 2024, the Company had $220.5 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $288.2 million of availability under the revolving portion of the 2023 $1.0 Billion Credit Facility. The sale of STI Lily is expected to close within the next two weeks. The sale price is $73.5 million and the debt related to this vessel of $22.9 million has already been repaid in anticipation of closing.   The sales of STI Texas City and STI San Antonio are expected to close within the fourth quarter of 2024 for $42.5 million per vessel. There is no debt repayment associated with these sales.

Debt

The following table sets forth the unscheduled debt repayments that the Company recently completed.

Set forth below is a summary of the principal balances of the Company’s outstanding indebtedness as of the dates presented:

Set forth below are the estimated expected future principal repayments on the Company's outstanding indebtedness as of September 30, 2024, which includes principal amounts due under the Company's secured credit facilities, lease financing arrangements and Unsecured Senior Notes Due 2025 (which also include actual scheduled payments made from October 1, 2024 through October 25, 2024):

Drydock Update

Set forth below is a table summarizing the drydock activity that occurred during the third quarter of 2024 and the estimated expected payments to be made, and off-hire days that are expected to be incurred, for the Company's drydocks through 2024 and 2025:

Explanation of Variances on the Third Quarter of 2024 Financial Results Compared to the Third Quarter of 2023

For the three months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recorded net income of $158.7 million compared to net income of $100.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The following were the significant changes between the two periods:

• TCE revenue, a Non-IFRS measure, is vessel revenues less voyage expenses (including bunkers and port charges). TCE revenue is included herein because it is a standard shipping industry performance measure used primarily to compare period-to-period changes in a shipping company's performance irrespective of changes in the mix of charter types (i.e., spot voyages, time charters, and pool charters), and it provides useful information to investors and management. The following table sets forth TCE revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and 2023:

• TCE revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2024 decreased by $31.0 million to $258.2 million, from $289.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Overall, the average daily TCE revenue increased to $28,488 per vessel during the three months ended September 30, 2024, from $28,313 per vessel during the three months ended September 30, 2023. The average number of vessels was 104.8 during the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to 112.1 during the three months ended September 30, 2023.
  • TCE revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2024 declined as compared to the same period in the previous year. This was mainly attributable to a decrease in the average number of vessels in the Company's fleet during each period. Additionally, a combination of seasonality, reduced product exports in certain regions, and competition from crude tankers added pressure to daily spot TCE rates during the third quarter of 2024. During the first half of 2024, daily spot TCE rates for the Company’s LR2 vessels benefited from strong global distillate demand and increasing ton miles as vessels re-routed around the Cape of Good Hope due to conditions in the Red Sea. The resultant spike in daily spot TCE rates on this route, coupled with weak demand for crude oil tankers, drew the attention of larger crude tanker owners (VLCCs and Suezmaxes) who underwent the costly process to clean the cargo tanks of their vessels and temporarily enter the clean trade. While LR2 daily TCE rates have improved as compared to the third quarter of 2023, the entry of crude vessels into the LR2 trade captured longer ton-mile clean tanker demand that would have otherwise gone to LR2s, consequently suppressing daily spot TCE rates for the Company’s LR2 vessels as compared to the second quarter of 2024. Additionally, seasonality and reduced refinery throughput attributable to lower refining margins led to decreased volumes from Asia and Europe, which had a negative impact on daily spot TCE rates earned by the Company's MR and Handymax vessels.
  • TCE revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2023 was impacted by extended refinery maintenance, lower refining margins, and a reduction in arbitrage opportunities, which all led to reduced refinery throughput and decreased volumes from major export regions. These conditions improved in the latter part of the quarter and daily TCE rates strengthened as a result. On a seasonally adjusted basis, demand for the Company's vessels during the third quarter of 2023 was supported by growing underlying consumption for refined petroleum products against the backdrop of low inventory levels and a modest newbuilding orderbook.
• Vessel operating costs for the three months ended September 30, 2024 increased by $1.8 million to $80.9 million, from $79.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Overall, the average daily vessel operating costs increased to $8,395 per vessel for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $7,669 per vessel for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was seen across all vessel classes, with the LR2 segment having the largest increase, which was driven by higher repairs and maintenance and spare parts costs, coupled with disruptions in trading patterns that have impacted the costs of sourcing and transporting spare parts.
• Depreciation expense – owned or sale leaseback vessels for the three months ended September 30, 2024 decreased by $1.5 million to $45.5 million, from $47.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Depreciation - right of use assets also decreased by $4.1 million over the same period. This combined decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in the average number of owned vessels, which was 104.8 during the three months ended September 30, 2024 as compared to 112.1 during the three months ended September 30, 2023.
• General and administrative expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2024 increased by $5.3 million to $30.0 million, from $24.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 due to an increase in non-cash restricted stock amortization resulting primarily from grants made in the second quarter of 2024. The stock price on the dates of the grants is used as the fair value for the accounting of the awards under IFRS. The awards granted to employees vest ratably in years three, four and five following the initial grant.
• Financial expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2024 decreased by $28.8 million to $20.9 million, from $49.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. This decrease was primarily attributable to the overall reduction in interest expense on debt and sale leaseback arrangements due to the Company's deleveraging efforts over the past twelve months. The Company's average indebtedness decreased to $1.0 billion during the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $2.0 billion during the three months ended September 30, 2023. Additionally:
  • The Company recorded nominal debt extinguishment related costs during the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $6.0 million during the three months ended September 30, 2023.
  • The amortization of deferred financing fees was $2.0 million during the three months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $1.9 million during the three months ended September 30, 2023.
• Dividend income and fair value loss on financial assets measured at fair value through profit or loss, net includes $2.0 million of dividends received and an unrealized loss of $1.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 related to the investment in DHT. During the third quarter of 2024, the Company invested $89.1 million for a passive, minority interest in DHT, a publicly traded crude tanker shipping company which owns a fleet of 28 Very Large Crude Carriers. The Company purchased 7,982,480 common shares in DHT, or 4.9% of the outstanding shares, in the open market at an average price of $11.17 per share during this period.

Dividend Policy

The declaration and payment of dividends is subject at all times to the discretion of the Company's Board of Directors. The timing and the amount of dividends, if any, depends on the Company's earnings, financial condition, cash requirements and availability, fleet renewal and expansion, restrictions in loan agreements, the provisions of Marshall Islands law affecting the payment of dividends and other factors.

The Company's dividends paid during 2023 and 2024 were as follows:

On October 28, 2024, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.40 per common share, with a payment date of December 13, 2024 to all shareholders of record as of November 22, 2024 (the record date). As of October 28, 2024, there were 50,525,001 common shares of the Company outstanding.

About Scorpio Tankers Inc.

Scorpio Tankers Inc. is a provider of marine transportation of petroleum products worldwide. Scorpio Tankers Inc. currently owns or lease finances 102 product tankers (39 LR2 tankers, 49 MR tankers and 14 Handymax tankers) with an average age of 8.6 years. The Company has entered into agreements to sell three of its vessels (two MR tankers and an LR2 tanker), which are expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024. Additional information about the Company is available at the Company's website . Information on the Company’s website does not constitute a part of and is not incorporated by reference into this press release.

Non-IFRS Measures

Reconciliation of IFRS Financial Information to Non-IFRS Financial Information

This press release describes time charter equivalent revenue, or TCE revenue, adjusted net income or loss, and adjusted EBITDA, which are not measures prepared in accordance with IFRS ("Non-IFRS" measures). The Non-IFRS measures are presented in this press release as we believe that they provide investors and other users of our financial statements, such as our lenders, with a means of evaluating and understanding how the Company's management evaluates the Company's operating performance. These Non-IFRS measures should not be considered in isolation from, as substitutes for, or superior to financial measures prepared in accordance with IFRS.

The Company believes that the presentation of TCE revenue, adjusted net income or loss with adjusted earnings or loss per share, basic and diluted, and adjusted EBITDA are useful to investors or other users of our financial statements, such as our lenders, because they facilitate the comparability and the evaluation of companies in the Company’s industry. In addition, the Company believes that TCE revenue, adjusted net income or loss with adjusted earnings or loss per share, basic and diluted, and adjusted EBITDA are useful in evaluating its operating performance compared to that of other companies in the Company’s industry. The Company’s definitions of TCE revenue, adjusted net income or loss with adjusted earnings or loss per share, basic and diluted, and adjusted EBITDA may not be the same as reported by other companies in the shipping industry or other industries.

TCE revenue, on a historical basis, is reconciled above in the section entitled "Explanation of Variances on the Third Quarter of 2024 Financial Results Compared to the Third Quarter of 2023". The Company has not provided a reconciliation of forward-looking TCE revenue because the most directly comparable IFRS measure on a forward-looking basis is not available to the Company without unreasonable effort.

Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted Net Income

Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA

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," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "target," "project," "likely," "may," "will," "would," "could" 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, management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company’s records and other data available from third parties. Although management believes 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 the Company’s control, there can be no assurance that the Company will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. The Company undertakes no obligation, and specifically declines any obligation, except as required by law, to publicly update or revise any forward‐looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company’s view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward‐looking statements include unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies in response to epidemics and other public health concerns including any effect on demand for petroleum products and the transportation thereof, expansion and growth of the Company’s operations, risks relating to the integration of assets or operations of entities that it has or may in the future acquire and the possibility that the anticipated synergies and other benefits of such acquisitions may not be realized within expected timeframes or at all, the failure of counterparties to fully perform their contracts with the Company, the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for tanker vessel capacity, changes in the Company’s operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company’s vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, charter counterparty performance, ability to obtain financing and comply with covenants in such financing arrangements, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, including the impact of the conflict in Ukraine and the developments in the Middle East, including the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off‐hires, and other factors. Please see the Company's filings with the SEC for a more complete discussion of certain of these and other risks and uncertainties.

Contact Information

Scorpio Tankers Inc.

James Doyle - Head of Corporate Development & Investor Relations

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