Scorpio Bulkers Inc. Announces Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2019 and Declares a Quarterly Cash Dividend

MONACO, Jan. 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scorpio Bulkers Inc. (NYSE: SALT) (“Scorpio Bulkers”, or the “Company”), today reported its results for the three months ended December 31, 2019.

The Company also announced that on January 27, 2020, its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per share on the Company’s common shares.

Results for the Three and Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

For the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company’s GAAP net income was $15.1 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, including:

• a non-cash gain of approximately $46.1 million and cash dividend income of $0.5 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, primarily from the Company’s equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc.;
• a write-down of assets held for sale of approximately $25.2 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, related to the classification of four Ultramax vessels as held for sale; and
• a write-off of approximately $0.2 million of deferred financing costs on the credit facility related to the SBI Puma and the SBI Cougar.

For the same period in 2018, the Company’s GAAP net loss was $7.4 million, or $0.11 per diluted share. These results include a non-cash loss of approximately $7.7 million and cash dividend income of $0.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, from the Company’s equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc. and a write-off of deferred financing costs of $1.7 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, related to the refinancing of debt.

Total vessel revenues for the fourth quarter of 2019 were $60.3 million, compared to $65.2 million for the same period in 2018. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018 were $41.5 million and $23.3 million, respectively (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below).

For the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company’s adjusted net income was $40.6 million, or $0.57 adjusted per diluted share, which excludes the impact of the write-down of assets held for sale of approximately $25.2 million relating to the classification of four Ultramax vessels as held for sale and the write-off of approximately $0.2 million of deferred financing costs on the credit facility related to the SBI Puma and the SBI Cougar. Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2019 was $66.7 million. There were no such non-GAAP adjustments to net loss in the fourth quarter of 2018 (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below).

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company’s GAAP net income was $44.7 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, including:

• a non-cash gain of approximately $114.7 million and cash dividend income of $2.2 million, or $1.68 per diluted share, primarily from the Company’s equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc.;
• a write-down of assets either sold or held for sale of approximately $38.0 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, related to the classification of four vessels as held for sale, the sales of the SBI Electra, SBI Flamenco, SBI Cougar and SBI Puma and the write-off of deferred financing costs on the credit facilities related to the four vessels sold; and
• the write-off of deferred financing costs of approximately $3.1 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, related to the refinancing of existing debt.

For the same period in 2018, the Company’s GAAP net loss was $12.7 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, including a non-cash loss of approximately $7.7 million and cash dividend income of $0.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, from the Company’s equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc. and a write-off of deferred financing costs of $3.8 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, related to the refinancing of debt.

Total vessel revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $224.6 million, compared to $242.5 million for the same period in 2018. EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were $158.3 million and $100.6 million, respectively (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below).

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company’s adjusted net income was $82.6 million, or $1.19 adjusted per diluted share, which excludes the impact of the write-down of assets either sold or held for sale of $37.3 million and the write-off of deferred financing costs on the credit facilities relating to the vessels sold of $0.7 million. Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $195.6 million. There were no such non-GAAP adjustments to net loss in the year ended December 31, 2018 (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below).

TCE Revenue

TCE Revenue Earned during the Fourth Quarter of 2019 (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures)

• Our Kamsarmax fleet earned an average of $11,934 per day
• Our Ultramax fleet earned an average of $11,244 per day

Voyages Fixed thus far for the First Quarter of 2020, as of the date hereof

• Kamsarmax fleet: approximately $12,242 per day on average for 57% of the days
• Ultramax fleet: approximately $10,505 per day on average for 49% of the days

Cash and Cash Equivalents

As of January 24, 2020, the Company had approximately $65.9 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Recent Significant Events

Special Stock Dividend

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a one-time special stock dividend to the shareholders of the Company of an aggregate of approximately one million shares of common stock of Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG), a related party. For each common share that a shareholder held in the Company on November 15, 2019, that shareholder received 0.0138 shares of common stock of Scorpio Tankers Inc. Following the payment of the special dividend, the Company continues to own approximately 4.4 million common shares of Scorpio Tankers Inc.

Quarterly Cash Dividend

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors declared and the Company paid a quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per share totaling approximately $1.4 million.

On January 27, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per share, payable on or about March 13, 2020, to all shareholders of record as of February 14, 2020. As of January 24, 2020, 72,482,958 shares were outstanding.

Vessel Sales

In October 2019, the Company completed the sale of the SBI Puma and SBI Cougar, 2014 and 2015 built Ultramax vessels, respectively, that the Company agreed to sell in September 2019, for approximately $37.9 million in aggregate to an unaffiliated third party. The Company recorded a loss of approximately $4.9 million in the second quarter of 2019 and wrote-off deferred financing costs of approximately $0.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 upon the repayment of $21.9 million of outstanding debt.

During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors made the decision to sell four Ultramax vessels and as such these vessels were classified as held for sale at December 31, 2019. The Company recorded a loss of approximately $25.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and expects to write-off deferred financing costs of approximately $0.8 million upon closing of the sale and repaying the outstanding debt.

Debt

$38.7 Million Credit Facility

During October 2019, the Company prepaid $21.9 million of its $38.7 Million Credit Facility and wrote-off approximately $0.2 million of deferred financing costs as part of the sale of the SBI Puma and SBI Cougar.

Debt Overview

The Company’s outstanding debt balances, gross of unamortized deferred financing costs as of December 31, 2019 and January 24, 2020, are as follows (dollars in thousands):

		As of December 31, 2019				As of January 24, 2020				As of January 24, 2020
Credit Facility		Amount Outstanding								Amount Committed (1)
$12.5 Million Credit Facility		$	8,617			$	8,617			$	—
$27.3 Million Credit Facility		8,813				8,617				—
$85.5 Million Credit Facility		46,499				46,499				—
$38.7 Million Credit Facility		10,200				10,200				—
$12.8 Million Credit Facility		11,475				11,475				1,398
$30.0 Million Credit Facility		27,198				27,198				2,585
$60.0 Million Credit Facility		26,573				26,573				2,862
$184.0 Million Credit Facility		130,145				165,145				17,448
$34.0 Million Credit Facility		31,571				31,571				3,000
$90.0 Million Credit Facility		82,100				82,100				8,706
$19.6 Million Lease Financing - SBI Rumba		16,883				16,780				—
$19.0 Million Lease Financing - SBI Tango		17,303				17,207				—
$19.0 Million Lease Financing - SBI Echo		17,396				17,305				—
$20.5 Million Lease Financing - SBI Hermes		19,059				18,954				—
$21.4 Million Lease Financing - SBI Samba		20,384				20,269				—
CMBFL Lease Financing		113,006				113,006				11,842
$45.0 Million Lease Financing - SBI Virgo & SBI Libra		40,027				39,772				3,000
AVIC Lease Financing		111,450				110,304				8,200
Total		$	738,699			$	771,592			$	59,041

1. Includes the maximum loan amount available for the installation of exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers, following upsizes of certain credit facilities.

The Company’s projected quarterly debt repayments on its bank loans and lease financing arrangements through 2020 are as follows (dollars in thousands):

		Principal on Bank Loans				Principal on Lease Financing Arrangements				Total (1)
Q1 2020 (2)		$	9,065			$	5,656			$	14,721
Q2 2020		10,527				7,875				18,402
Q3 2020		10,281				8,342				18,623
Q4 2020 (3)		18,575				8,454				27,029
Total		$	48,448			$	30,327			$	78,775

1. Includes estimated repayments on the upsizings of certain credit facilities for the installation of scrubbers, for which the timing of the drawdowns and repayment schedules set forth are estimates only and may vary as the timing of the related installations finalizes.
2. Relates to payments expected to be made from January 25, 2020 to March 31, 2020.
3. Includes $8.0 million repayment of the $12.5 Million Credit Facility due at maturity.

IMO 2020

The Company’s projected schedule and estimated payments for the installation of scrubbers on all the owned and finance leased vessels in the Company’s fleet is as follows (dollars in thousands). Through January 24, 2020, the Company has completed the installation of scrubbers on eight of its vessels.

		Completed Scrubber Installation by Vessel Type						Estimated Payments (1)
		Ultramax			Kamsarmax
Q1 2020 (2)		9			5			20,209
Q2 2020		10			4			25,028
Q3 2020		1			5			15,467
Q4 2020		4			—			8,622
Q1 2021		2			—			4,467
Total		26			14			$	73,793

1. Includes estimated cash payments for scrubbers that are due in advance of the scheduled service and may be scheduled to occur in quarters prior to the actual installation. In addition to these installment payments, these amounts also include estimates of the installation costs of such systems. The timing of the payments set forth are estimates only and may vary as the timing of the related installations finalizes.
2. Relates to payments expected to be made from January 25, 2020 to March 31, 2020.

Financial Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018

For the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company’s GAAP net income was $15.1 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $7.4 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the same period in 2018. Results for the fourth quarter of 2019 include: a non-cash gain of approximately $46.1 million and cash dividend income of $0.5 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, primarily from the Company’s equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc., charges of approximately $25.2 million related to the classification of four Ultramax vessels as held for sale and the write-off of deferred financing costs of approximately $0.2 million on the credit facility related to the SBI Puma and the SBI Cougar. Results for the fourth quarter of 2018 include a non-cash loss of approximately $7.7 million and cash dividend income of $0.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, from the Company’s equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc. and a write-off of deferred financing costs of $1.7 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, related to the refinancing of debt.

EBITDA for the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018 were $41.5 million and $23.3 million, respectively (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below).

For the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company’s adjusted net income was $40.6 million, or $0.57 adjusted per diluted share, which excludes the impact of the write-down of assets held for sale of approximately $25.2 million and the write-off of deferred financing costs of approximately $0.2 million on the credit facility related to the SBI Puma and the SBI Cougar. Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2019 was $66.7 million. There were no such non-GAAP adjustments to net loss in the fourth quarter of 2018 (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below).

Total vessel revenues for the fourth quarter of 2019 were $60.3 million compared to $65.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. The Company’s TCE revenue (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below) for the fourth quarter of 2019 was $56.9 million, a decrease of $8.1 million from the prior year period.

Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2019 were $80.9 million, including the charge related to the classification of four Ultramax vessels as held for sale of approximately $25.2 million and an increase in charterhire expense of approximately $5.4 million due to an increase in the number vessels time chartered-in, compared to $51.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Ultramax Operations

	Three Months Ended December 31,
Dollars in thousands	2019				2018				Change				% Change
TCE Revenue:
Vessel revenue	$	35,153			$	42,419			$	(7,266	)		(17	)
Voyage expenses	1,073				65				1,008				1,551
TCE Revenue	$	34,080			$	42,354			$	(8,274	)		(20	)
Operating expenses:
Vessel operating costs	16,343				17,791				(1,448		)		(8	)
Charterhire expense	996				981				15				2
Vessel depreciation	8,824				9,401				(577		)		(6	)
General and administrative expense	1,021				1,089				(68		)		(6	)
Loss / write-down on assets held for sale	25,248				—				25,248				NA
Total operating expenses	$	52,432			$	29,262			$	23,170			79
Operating (loss) income	$	(18,352	)		$	13,092			$	(31,444	)		(240	)

Vessel revenue for the Company’s Ultramax Operations decreased to $35.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 from $42.4 million in the prior year period.

TCE revenue (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below) for the Company’s Ultramax Operations was $34.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to $42.4 million for the prior year period.  The Company’s Ultramax fleet consisted of a day-weighted average of 35 vessels owned or finance leased and one time chartered-in during the fourth quarter of 2019 and 37 vessels owned or finance leased and one vessel time chartered-in during the fourth quarter of 2018. TCE revenue per day was $11,244 and $12,213 for the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively.

	Three Months Ended December 31,
Ultramax Operations:	2019				2018				Change				% Change
TCE Revenue (in thousands)	$	34,080			$	42,354			$	(8,274	)		(20	)
TCE Revenue / Day	$	11,244			$	12,213			$	(969	)		(8	)
Revenue Days	3,031				3,468				(437		)		(13	)

The Company’s Ultramax Operations vessel operating costs were $16.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2019, including approximately $0.6 million of takeover costs and contingency expenses, compared with vessel operating costs of $17.8 million in the prior year period, relating to the 35 and 37 vessels owned or finance leased on average, respectively, during the periods. Daily operating costs excluding takeover costs and contingency expenses for the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018 were $4,871 and $4,901, respectively. Daily operating costs for the fourth quarter of 2019 decreased from the fourth quarter of 2018 due primarily to the timing of repairs and the purchase of spares and stores.

Charterhire expense for the Company’s Ultramax Operations was approximately $1.0 million for both the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018 and relates to the vessel the Company time chartered-in at $10,125 per day until September 2019, when the Company exercised its option to extend the time charter for one year at $10,885 per day.

Ultramax Operations depreciation decreased from $9.4 million to $8.8 million due primarily to the reduction in the size of the fleet by two vessels and the classification of four vessels as held for sale during the fourth quarter of 2019.

General and administrative expense for the Company’s Ultramax Operations, which consists primarily of administrative service fees, which are incurred on a per vessel per day basis, and bank charges, which are incurred based on the number of transactions, was approximately $1.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $1.1 million in the prior year period.

During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company recorded a write-down on assets held for sale related to the classification of four Ultramax vessels as held for sale.

Kamsarmax Operations

	Three Months Ended December 31,
Dollars in thousands	2019				2018				Change				% Change
TCE Revenue:
Vessel revenue	$	25,111			$	22,752			$	2,359			10
Voyage expenses	2,281				112				2,169				1,937
TCE Revenue	$	22,830			$	22,640			$	190			1
Operating expenses:
Vessel operating costs	8,086				8,796				(710		)		(8	)
Charterhire expense	5,458				104				5,354				5,148
Vessel depreciation	4,597				5,013				(416		)		(8	)
General and administrative expense	478				554				(76		)		(14	)
Total operating expenses	$	18,619			$	14,467			$	4,152			29
Operating income	$	4,211			$	8,173			$	(3,962	)		(48	)

Vessel revenue for the Company’s Kamsarmax Operations increased to $25.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 from $22.8 million in the prior year period.

TCE revenue (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures) for the Company’s Kamsarmax Operations was $22.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 associated with a day-weighted average of 17 vessels owned or finance leased and five vessels time chartered-in, compared to $22.6 million for the prior year period associated with a day-weighted average of 19 vessels owned or finance leased. TCE revenue per day was $11,934 and $13,148 for the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively.

	Three Months Ended December 31,
Kamsarmax Operations:	2019				2018				Change				% Change
TCE Revenue (in thousands)	$	22,830			$	22,640			$	190			1
TCE Revenue / Day	$	11,934			$	13,148			$	(1,214	)		(9	)
Revenue Days	1,913				1,722				191				11

Kamsarmax Operations vessel operating costs were $8.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2019, including approximately $0.3 million of takeover costs and contingency expenses, compared with vessel operating costs of $8.8 million in the prior year period, relating to 17 and 19 vessels owned or finance leased on average, respectively, during the periods. The year over year decrease is due to the reduction in fleet size. Daily operating costs excluding takeover costs and contingency expenses for the fourth quarter of 2019 increased to $4,967 from $4,857 in the prior year period due primarily to the timing of repairs and maintenance.

Kamsarmax Operations charterhire expense was $5.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, relating to five vessels the Company time chartered-in during the period. While the Company did not time charter-in any Kamsarmax vessels in the fourth quarter of 2018, it had a profit and loss sharing agreement with a third party related to one Kamsarmax vessel for which it recorded its residual share of the loss in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Kamsarmax Operations depreciation was $4.6 million and $5.0 million in the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively, as the number of vessels owned or finance leased on average decreased to 17 in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 19 in the fourth quarter of 2018 due to the sale of the SBI Electra and SBI Flamenco.

General and administrative expense for the Company’s Kamsarmax Operations was $0.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $0.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2018.  The expense consists primarily of administrative services fees, which are incurred on a per vessel per day basis, and bank charges, which are incurred based on the number of transactions.

Corporate

Certain general and administrative expenses the Company incurs, as well as all of its financial expenses and investment income or losses, are not attributable to a specific segment. Accordingly, these costs are not allocated to the Company’s segments. These general and administrative expenses, including compensation, audit, legal and other professional fees, as well as the costs of being a public company, such as director fees, were $6.5 million and $7.4 million in the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively. The decrease from the prior year is due primarily to the costs incurred in relation to the investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc. during the fourth quarter of 2018.

The Company recorded a non-cash gain of approximately $46.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and cash dividend income of $0.5 million primarily from its equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc. During the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company recorded a non-cash loss of approximately $7.7 million as well as cash dividend income of $0.5 million also related to its equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc.

Financial expenses, net of interest income decreased to $10.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 from $14.0 million in the prior year period due to lower LIBOR rates, the redemption of our Senior Notes during the third quarter of 2019, and a write-off of $1.7 million of deferred financing costs related to then existing debt in the fourth quarter of 2018. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company wrote-off approximately $0.2 million upon the repayment of the existing debt on the SBI Cougar and SBI Puma which were sold.

Financial Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2018

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company’s GAAP net income was $44.7 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, compared to a GAAP net loss of $12.7 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, for the same period in 2018. Results for 2019 include: a non-cash gain of approximately $114.7 million and cash dividend income of $2.2 million, or $1.68 per diluted share, primarily from the Company’s equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc., charges of approximately $38.0 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, related to the sales of the SBI Electra, SBI Flamenco, SBI Cougar and SBI Puma and the related write-off of deferred financing costs on the credit facilities related to those vessels, as well as the classification of four Ultramax vessels as held for sale, and the write-off of deferred financing costs of approximately $3.1 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, related to the refinancing of existing debt. EBITDA for 2019 and 2018 were $158.3 million and $100.6 million, respectively (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below).

For 2019, the Company’s adjusted net income was $82.6 million, or $1.19 adjusted per diluted share, which excludes the impact of the write-down of assets either sold or held for sale and the write-off of related deferred financing costs totaling $38.0 million. Adjusted EBITDA for 2019 was $195.6 million. There were no such non-GAAP adjustments to net loss in 2018 (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below).

Total vessel revenues for 2019 were $224.6 million compared to $242.5 million in the prior year period. The Company’s TCE revenue (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below) for 2019 was $220.4 million, a decrease of $21.6 million from the prior year period.

Total operating expenses for 2019 were $246.0 million, including the write-down of assets either sold or held for sale of $37.3 million, compared to $199.2 million in 2018.  This increase is due primarily to the aforementioned write-downs and an increase in charterhire expense due to the increase in the number of vessels time chartered-in.

Ultramax Operations

	Year Ended December 31,
Dollars in thousands	2019				2018				Change				% Change
TCE Revenue:
Vessel revenue	$	138,387			$	155,197			$	(16,810	)		(11	)
Voyage expenses	1,512				330				1,182				358
TCE Revenue	$	136,875			$	154,867			$	(17,992	)		(12	)
Operating expenses:
Vessel operating costs	67,305				71,220				(3,915		)		(5	)
Charterhire expense	3,726				3,754				(28		)		(1	)
Vessel depreciation	35,932				37,287				(1,355		)		(4	)
General and administrative expense	4,152				4,344				(192		)		(4	)
Loss / write-down on assets held for sale	29,936				—				29,936				NA
Total operating expenses	$	141,051			$	116,605			$	24,446			21
Operating (loss) income	$	(4,176	)		$	38,262			$	(42,438	)		(111	)

Vessel revenue for the Company’s Ultramax Operations decreased to $138.4 million for 2019 from $155.2 million in the prior year period.

TCE revenue (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures below) for the Company’s Ultramax Operations was $136.9 million for 2019 compared to $154.9 million for the prior year period. During both periods, the Company’s Ultramax fleet consisted of a day-weighted average of 37 vessels owned or finance leased and one vessel time chartered-in. TCE revenue per day was $10,291 and $11,226 for 2019 and 2018, respectively.

	Year Ended December 31,
Ultramax Operations:	2019				2018				Change				% Change
TCE Revenue (in thousands)	$	136,875			$	154,867			$	(17,992	)		(12	)
TCE Revenue / Day	$	10,291			$	11,226			$	(935	)		(8	)
Revenue Days	13,300				13,795				(495		)		(4	)

The Company’s Ultramax Operations vessel operating costs were $67.3 million for 2019, including approximately $2.3 million of takeover costs and contingency expenses, compared with vessel operating costs of $71.2 million in the prior year period, relating to the 37 vessels owned or finance leased on average during both periods. Daily operating costs excluding takeover costs and contingency expenses for 2019 of $4,873 were down slightly from the prior year period of $4,962 due to the timing of repairs and the purchase of spares and stores.

Charterhire expense for the Company’s Ultramax Operations was approximately $3.7 million for 2019 and $3.8 million for the same period in 2018 and relates to the vessel the Company time chartered-in at $10,125 per day until September 2019, when the Company exercised its option to extend the time charter for one year at $10,885 per day.

Ultramax Operations depreciation decreased from $37.3 million in 2018 to $35.9 million in 2019 due to the sale or classification as held for sale of a total of six vessels during 2019.

General and administrative expense for the Company’s Ultramax Operations, which consists primarily of administrative service fees, which are incurred on a per vessel per day basis, and bank charges, which are incurred based on the number of transactions, was $4.2 million for 2019 and $4.3 million for 2018.

During 2019, the Company recorded a write-down on assets held for sale related to the classification of six vessels as held for sale.  The sale of the SBI Cougar and SBI Puma was completed in October 2019 and four vessels remained classified as held for sale at December 31, 2019.

Kamsarmax Operations

	Year Ended December 31,
Dollars in thousands	2019				2018				Change				% Change
TCE Revenue:
Vessel revenue	$	86,192			$	87,305			$	(1,113	)		(1	)
Voyage expenses	2,688				219				2,469				1,127
TCE Revenue	$	83,504			$	87,086			$	(3,582	)		(4	)
Operating expenses:
Vessel operating costs	33,816				34,255				(439		)		(1	)
Charterhire expense	13,498				422				13,076				3,099
Vessel depreciation	18,292				19,320				(1,028		)		(5	)
General and administrative expense	2,083				2,069				14				1
Loss / write-down on assets held for sale	7,353				—				7,353				NA
Total operating expenses	$	75,042			$	56,066			$	18,976			34
Operating income	$	8,462			$	31,020			$	(22,558	)		(73	)

Vessel revenue for the Company’s Kamsarmax Operations decreased slightly to $86.2 million in 2019 from $87.3 million in the prior year period.

TCE revenue (see Non-GAAP Financial Measures) for the Company’s Kamsarmax Operations was $83.5 million for 2019 associated with a day-weighted average of 18 vessels owned or finance leased and three vessels time chartered-in, compared to $87.1 million for the prior year period associated with a day-weighted average of 19 vessels owned or finance leased. TCE revenue per day was $11,671 and $13,127 for 2019 and 2018, respectively.

	Year Ended December 31,
Kamsarmax Operations:	2019				2018				Change				% Change
TCE Revenue (in thousands)	$	83,504			$	87,086			$	(3,582	)		(4	)
TCE Revenue / Day	$	11,671			$	13,127			$	(1,456	)		(11	)
Revenue Days	7,155				6,634				521				8

Kamsarmax Operations vessel operating costs were $33.8 million for 2019, including approximately $1.2 million of takeover costs and contingency expenses, compared with vessel operating costs of $34.3 million in the prior year period, relating to 18 and 19 vessels owned or finance leased on average, respectively, during the periods. Daily operating costs excluding takeover costs and contingency expenses increased for 2019 from 2018 at $4,986 and $4,940, respectively, due to the timing of spares and stores purchases as well as the timing of repairs and maintenance.

Kamsarmax Operations charterhire expense was $13.5 million in 2019, relating to five vessels the Company began time chartering-in during 2019. Prior to that, the Company had a profit and loss sharing agreement with a third party related to one Kamsarmax vessel for which the Company recorded its residual share of the profit or loss.

Kamsarmax Operations depreciation was $18.3 million and $19.3 million in 2019 and 2018, respectively reflecting the decrease in vessels owned or finance leased following the sale of the SBI Electra and SBI Flamenco.

General and administrative expense for the Company’s Kamsarmax Operations was $2.1 million for both 2019 and 2018.  The expense consists primarily of administrative services fees, which are incurred on a per vessel per day basis, and bank charges, which are incurred based on the number of transactions.

During 2019, the Company recorded write-downs of assets held for sale related to the sale of the SBI Electra and SBI Flamenco totaling approximately $7.4 million.

Corporate

Certain general and administrative expenses the Company incurs, as well as all of its financial expenses and investment income or losses, are not attributable to a specific segment. Accordingly, these costs are not allocated to the Company’s segments. These general and administrative expenses, including compensation, audit, legal and other professional fees, as well as the costs of being a public company, such as director fees, were $25.7 million and $25.9 million in 2019 and 2018, respectively. The year over year decrease is due primarily to fees incurred in relation to the investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc., offset in part by an increase in non-cash restricted stock amortization.

The Company recorded a non-cash gain of approximately $114.7 million and cash dividend income of $2.2 million during 2019 and a non-cash loss of approximately $7.7 million and cash dividend income of $0.5 million during 2018 primarily from its equity investment in Scorpio Tankers Inc.

Financial expenses, net of interest income increased to $50.7 million in 2019 from $48.8 million in the prior year period due to higher levels of debt. In 2019, approximately $3.7 million of deferred financing costs were written off related to vessel sales and debt refinancings under the Company’s new sale and leaseback transactions.

Scorpio Bulkers Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

		Unaudited
		Three Months Ended December 31,								Year Ended December 31,
		2019				2018				2019				2018
Revenue:
Vessel revenue		$	60,264			$	65,171			$	224,579			$	242,502
Operating expenses:
Voyage expenses		3,354				177				4,200				549
Vessel operating costs		24,429				26,587				101,121				105,475
Charterhire expense		6,454				1,085				17,224				4,176
Vessel depreciation		13,421				14,414				54,224				56,607
General and administrative expenses		7,973				9,102				31,973				32,385
Loss / write-down on assets sold or held for sale		25,248				—				37,289				—
Total operating expenses		80,879				51,365				246,031				199,192
Operating (loss) income		(20,615		)		13,806				(21,452		)		43,310
Other income (expense):
Interest income		224				351				1,450				1,107
Income from equity investments		46,697				(7,178		)		116,925				(7,178		)
Foreign exchange (loss) gain		(81		)		5				(115		)		(68		)
Financial expense, net		(11,141		)		(14,357		)		(52,154		)		(49,869		)
Total other income (expense)		35,699				(21,179		)		66,106				(56,008		)
Net income (loss)		$	15,084			$	(7,373	)		$	44,654			$	(12,698	)
Earnings (loss) per share:
Basic		$	0.22			$	(0.11	)		$	0.66			$	(0.18	)
Diluted		$	0.21			$	(0.11	)		$	0.64			$	(0.18	)
Basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding		68,675				69,387				68,087				71,827
Diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding		70,301				69,387				69,532				71,827

Scorpio Bulkers Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Dollars in thousands)

		Unaudited
		December 31, 2019				December 31, 2018
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents		$	42,530			$	67,495
Accounts receivable		10,487				10,290
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		9,547				6,314
Total current assets		62,564				84,099
Non-current assets
Vessels, net		1,271,993				1,507,918
Assets held for sale		77,536				—
Equity investments		173,298				92,281
Deferred financing costs, net		2,982				3,706
Other assets		74,464				15,822
Total non-current assets		1,600,273				1,619,727
Total assets		$	1,662,837			$	1,703,826
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Current liabilities
Bank loans, net		$	44,956			$	60,310
Capital lease obligations		29,159				4,594
Senior Notes, net		—				73,253
Accounts payable and accrued expenses		46,996				14,457
Total current liabilities		121,111				152,614
Non-current liabilities
Bank loans, net		332,613				621,179
Capital lease obligations		321,646				69,229
Other liabilities		12,500				—
Total non-current liabilities		666,759				690,408
Total liabilities		787,870				843,022
Shareholders’ equity
Preferred shares, $0.01 par value per share; 50,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding		—				—
Common shares, $0.01 par value per share; authorized 212,500,000 shares as of December 31, 2019 and 2018; outstanding 72,482,958 shares and 71,217,258 shares as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively		809				796
Paid-in capital		1,717,144				1,747,648
Common shares held in treasury, at cost; 8,567,846 shares at December 31, 2019 and 2018		(56,720		)		(56,720		)
Accumulated deficit		(786,266		)		(830,920		)
Total shareholders’ equity		874,967				860,804
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity		$	1,662,837			$	1,703,826

Scorpio Bulkers Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)
(Amounts in thousands)

		Year Ended December 31,
		2019				2018
Operating activities
Net income (loss)		$	44,654			$	(12,698	)
Adjustment to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Restricted share amortization		8,956				7,881
Vessel depreciation		54,224				56,607
Amortization of deferred financing costs		6,915				9,582
Write-off of deferred financing costs		681				—
Loss / write-down on assets held for sale		33,389				—
Net unrealized (gains) losses on investments		(114,762		)		7,719
Dividend income on equity investment		(2,163		)		(541		)
Drydocking expenditure		(5,352		)		—
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Increase in accounts receivable		(197		)		(2,356		)
Decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets		10,564				4,002
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses		(3,029		)		250
Net cash provided by operating activities		33,880				70,446
Investing activities
Equity investment		(1,500		)		(100,000		)
Sale of equity investment		1,547				—
Dividend income on equity investment		2,163				541
Proceeds from sale of assets held for sale		84,241				—
Scrubber payments		(32,610		)		(1,235		)
Payments for vessels and vessels under construction		—				(21,799		)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		53,841				(122,493		)
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt		306,710				469,225
Repayments of long-term debt		(409,002		)		(358,858		)
Common shares repurchased		—				(45,716		)
Dividends paid		(5,748		)		(6,042		)
Debt issue costs paid		(4,646		)		(7,602		)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities		(112,686		)		51,007
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents		(24,965		)		(1,040		)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		67,495				68,535
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period		$	42,530			$	67,495

Scorpio Bulkers Inc. and Subsidiaries
Other Operating Data (unaudited)

		Three Months Ended December 31,								Year Ended December 31,
		2019				2018				2019				2018
Time charter equivalent revenue ($000’s) (1):
Vessel revenue		$	60,264			$	65,171			$	224,579			$	242,502
Voyage expenses		(3,354		)		(177		)		(4,200		)		(549		)
Time charter equivalent revenue		$	56,910			$	64,994			$	220,379			$	241,953
Time charter equivalent revenue attributable to:
Kamsarmax		$	22,830			$	22,640			$	83,504			$	87,086
Ultramax		34,080				42,354				136,875				154,867
		$	56,910			$	64,994			$	220,379			$	241,953
Revenue days:
Kamsarmax		1,913				1,722				7,155				6,634
Ultramax		3,031				3,468				13,300				13,795
Combined		4,944				5,190				20,455				20,429
TCE per revenue day (1):
Kamsarmax		$	11,934			$	13,148			$	11,671			$	13,127
Ultramax		$	11,244			$	12,213			$	10,291			$	11,226
Combined		$	11,511			$	12,523			$	10,774			$	11,844

1. The Company defines Time Charter Equivalent (TCE) revenue as vessel revenues less voyage expenses.  Such TCE revenue, divided by the number of the Company’s available days during the period, or revenue days, is TCE per revenue day, which is consistent with industry standards.  TCE per revenue day is a common shipping industry performance measure used primarily to compare daily earnings generated by vessels on time charters with daily earnings generated by vessels on voyage charters, because charter hire rates for vessels on voyage charters are generally not expressed in per-day amounts while charter hire rates for vessels on time charters generally are expressed in such amounts.
   
   The Company reports TCE revenue, a non-GAAP financial measure, because (i) the Company believes it provides additional meaningful information in conjunction with vessel revenues and voyage expenses, the most directly comparable U.S.-GAAP measures, (ii) it assists the Company’s management in making decisions regarding the deployment and use of its vessels and in evaluating their financial performance, (iii) 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 charters, time charters and bareboat charters) under which the vessels may be employed between the periods, and (iv) the Company believes that it presents useful information to investors. See Non-GAAP Financial Measures below.

Fleet List as of January 24, 2020

Vessel Name		Year Built		DWT			Vessel Type		Scrubber Installed ?
SBI Samba		2015		84,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Rumba		2015		84,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Capoeira		2015		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Carioca		2015		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Conga		2015		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Bolero		2015		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Sousta		2016		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Rock		2016		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Lambada		2016		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Reggae		2016		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Zumba		2016		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Macarena		2016		82,000			Kamsarmax		Yes
SBI Parapara		2017		82,000			Kamsarmax		Yes
SBI Mazurka		2017		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
SBI Swing		2017		82,000			Kamsarmax		Yes
SBI Jive		2017		82,000			Kamsarmax		Yes
SBI Lynx		2018		82,000			Kamsarmax		No
Total Kamsarmax				1,398,000
SBI Antares		2015		61,000			Ultramax		Yes
SBI Athena		2015		64,000			Ultramax		Yes
SBI Bravo		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Leo		2015		61,000			Ultramax		Yes
SBI Echo		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Lyra		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Tango		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Maia		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Hydra		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Subaru		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Pegasus		2015		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Ursa		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Thalia		2015		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Cronos		2015		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Orion		2015		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Achilles		2016		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Hercules		2016		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Perseus		2016		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Hermes		2016		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Zeus		2016		60,200			Ultramax		No
SBI Hera		2016		60,200			Ultramax		No
SBI Hyperion		2016		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Tethys		2016		61,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Phoebe		2016		64,000			Ultramax		Yes
SBI Poseidon		2016		60,200			Ultramax		No
SBI Apollo		2016		60,200			Ultramax		No
SBI Samson		2017		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Phoenix		2017		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Gemini		2015		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Libra		2017		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Jaguar		2014		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Aries		2015		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Taurus		2015		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Pisces		2016		64,000			Ultramax		No
SBI Virgo		2017		64,000			Ultramax		No
Total Ultramax				2,179,800
Total Owned or Finance Leased Vessels DWT				3,577,800

Time chartered-in vessels

The Company currently time charters-in one Ultramax vessel and five Kamsarmax vessels. The terms of the contracts are summarized as follows:

Vessel Type		Year Built		DWT			Country of Build		Daily Base Rate				Earliest Expiry
Ultramax		2017		62,100			Japan		$	10,885			30-Sep-20		(1)
Kamsarmax		2019		81,100			China		Variable				10-Mar-21		(2)
Kamsarmax		2019		81,100			China		Variable				7-Apr-21		(3)
Kamsarmax		2018		82,000			China		$	12,000			25-June-21		(4)
Kamsarmax		2018		81,100			China		Variable				13-Jul-21		(5)
Kamsarmax		2015		81,100			China		Variable				22-Jul-21		(6)
Total TC DWT				468,500

1. This vessel was originally time chartered-in for 22 to 24 months at the Company’s option at $10,125 per day.  In September 2019, the Company exercised its option to extend the time charter for one year at $10,885 per day. The vessel was delivered to the Company in September 2017.
2. This vessel has been time chartered-in for 24 to 27 months at the Company’s option at 118% of the Baltic Exchange’s 74,000 DWT Panamax Index, or the BPI. The vessel was delivered to the Company in March 2019.
3. This vessel has been time chartered-in for 24 to 27 months at the Company’s option at 118% of the BPI. The vessel was delivered to the Company in May 2019.
4. This vessel has been time chartered-in for 24 months at $12,000 per day for the first 12 months and at $12,500 per day for the second 12 months.  The Company has the option to extend this time charter for 12 months at $13,000 per day and an additional 12 months at $14,500 per day.  The vessel was delivered to the Company in July 2019.
5. This vessel has been time chartered-in for 24 to 27 months at the Company’s option at 118% of the BPI. The vessel was delivered to the Company in July 2019.
6. This vessel has been time chartered-in for 24 to 27 months at the Company’s option at 118% of the BPI.  The vessel was delivered to the Company in August 2019.

Conference Call on Results:

A conference call to discuss the Company’s results will be held today, January 27, 2020, at 9:00 AM Eastern Standard Time / 3:00 PM Central European Standard Time.  Those wishing to listen to the call should dial 1 [phone] (U.S.) or 1 [phone] (International) at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call to ensure connection. The conference participant passcode is 6095912.

There will also be a simultaneous live webcast over the internet, through the Scorpio Bulkers Inc. website www.scorpiobulkers.com.  Participants to the live webcast should register on the website approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast.

Webcast URL: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/6bup7q2a

About Scorpio Bulkers Inc.

Scorpio Bulkers Inc. is a provider of marine transportation of dry bulk commodities.  Scorpio Bulkers Inc. has an operating fleet of 58 vessels consisting of 52 wholly-owned or finance leased drybulk vessels (including 17 Kamsarmax vessels and 35 Ultramax vessels), and six time chartered-in vessels (including five Kamsarmax vessels and one Ultramax vessel). The Company’s owned and finance leased fleet has a total carrying capacity of approximately 3.6 million dwt and all of the Company’s owned vessels have carrying capacities of greater than 60,000 dwt. Additional information about the Company is available on the Company’s website www.scorpiobulkers.com, which is not a part of this press release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement the Company’s financial information presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”) management uses certain “non-GAAP financial measures” as such term is defined in Regulation G promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s operating performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are included in, or excluded from, the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Management believes the presentation of these measures provides investors with greater transparency and supplemental data relating to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, and therefore a more complete understanding of factors affecting its business than GAAP measures alone. In addition, management believes the presentation of these matters is useful to investors for period-to-period comparison of results as the items may reflect certain unique and/or non-operating items such as asset sales, write-offs, contract termination costs or items outside of management’s control.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), adjusted net income and related per share amounts, as well as adjusted EBITDA and TCE Revenue are non-GAAP financial measures that the Company believes provide investors with a means of evaluating and understanding how the Company’s management evaluates the Company’s operating performance.  These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, as substitutes for, nor superior to financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.  Please see below for reconciliations of EBITDA, adjusted net income (loss) and related per share amounts, and adjusted EBITDA.  Please see “Other Operating Data” for a reconciliation of TCE revenue.

EBITDA (unaudited)

	Three Months Ended December 31,								Year Ended December 31,
In thousands	2019				2018				2019				2018
Net income (loss)	$	15,084			$	(7,373	)		$	44,654			$	(12,698	)
Add Back:
Net interest expense	9,488				10,907				42,887				39,180
Depreciation and amortization (1)	16,911				19,769				70,775				74,070
EBITDA	$	41,483			$	23,303			$	158,316			$	100,552

1. Includes depreciation, amortization of deferred financing costs and restricted share amortization.

Adjusted net income (loss) (unaudited)

		Three Months Ended December 31,								Year Ended December 31,
In thousands, except per share data		2019								2019
		Amount				Per share				Amount				Per share
Net income		$	15,084			$	0.21			$	44,654			$	0.64
Adjustments:
Loss / write-down on assets sold or held for sale		25,248				0.36				37,289				0.54
Write-off of deferred financing cost		235				—				681				0.01
Total adjustments		$	25,483			$	0.36			$	37,970			$	0.55
Adjusted net income		$	40,567			$	0.57			$	82,624			$	1.19

Adjusted EBITDA (unaudited)

		Three Months Ended December 31,				Year Ended December 31,
In thousands		2019				2019
Net income		$	15,084			$	44,654
Impact of adjustments		25,483				37,970
Adjusted net income		40,567				82,624
Add Back:
Net interest expense		9,488				42,887
Depreciation and amortization (1)		16,676				70,094
Adjusted EBITDA		$	66,731			$	195,605

1. Includes depreciation, amortization of deferred financing costs and restricted share amortization.

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,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending” 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 the failure of counterparties to fully perform their contracts with us, the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk vessel capacity, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, counterparty performance, ability to obtain financing (including for capital expenditures) and comply with covenants in such financing arrangements, fluctuations in the value of our investments, 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, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors.  Please see our filings with the SEC for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

 

CONTACT: Contact:

Scorpio Bulkers Inc.
[phone] (Monaco)
[phone] (New York)