Westmoreland Reports Second Quarter 2016 Results; Reiterates Full-Year Guidance

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westmoreland Coal Company WLB today reported financial results for the second quarter and reaffirmed its full-year 2016 guidance.

Second Quarter Highlights

• Revenues of $356.2 million from 12.0 million tons sold
• Net loss applicable to common shareholders of $25.4 million, or $1.37 per diluted share
• Adjusted EBITDA of $43.6 million

Six Month Highlights

• Revenues of $711.0 million from 25.8 million tons sold
  
• Net income applicable to common shareholders of $5.2 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, including a sizable tax benefit
  
• Adjusted EBITDA of $106.5 million 
  
• Cash flow provided by operating activities of $37.4 million
  
• Free cash flow of $28.1 million
  

"We remain on track to meet our 2016 adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow guidance based on our first half results and the demand trends that have continued to strengthen since June.  We delivered second quarter profitability and cash flow right on our plan which factored in power demand at its lowest during the spring months," said Chief Executive Officer Kevin Paprzycki.

"We are executing well on our business strategies with a focus on maximizing cash flow from our sales volume.  Based on our expectation that cash flow generation will be greater in the second half, we plan to reduce our total debt later in 2016."

Safety

Westmoreland's commitment to safety in all aspects of its operations is again reflected in the safety metrics.

Consolidated and Segment Results

Second quarter results are influenced by the normal seasonality of low springtime power demand and significant scheduled maintenance downtime at customer plants.  While consolidated adjusted EBITDA was down 21% for the second quarter and 4% for the first six months compared with the same periods last year, cash flow from operations and free cash flow for the first six months exceeded last year's levels.  Coal - Canada had a strong second quarter in 2015 including accelerated loan and lease payments which aided adjusted EBITDA.  In comparison, Canadian demand in the second quarter of 2016 was impacted by weather, most notably above-average rainfall.  Coal - U.S. and Coal - WMLP segments grew adjusted EBITDA for the quarter and six months compared to the same periods last year.  The Coal - U.S. growth resulted from the San Juan acquisition closing in the first quarter of 2016 and the Coal - WMLP growth was from improved operations.

Cash Flow and Liquidity

Westmoreland improved free cash flow generation during the first half of 2016 from the same period last year driven in part by recovery of cash from working capital.  Free cash flow through June 30, 2016, was $28.1 million comprised of cash flow provided by operations of $37.4 million, less capital expenditures of $12.2 million, plus net cash collected under certain contracts for loan and lease receivables of $2.9 million.  In the first six months, cash flow benefited from a positive working capital change of $6.6 million while asset retirement obligations were a use of $16.4 million.

Cash and cash equivalents on hand at June 30, 2016 were $35.9 million, a $12.9 million increase from year end.  Contributing to the increase in cash on hand were the free cash flow generation of $28.1 million; proceeds from asset sales of $6.7 million; net cash debt reductions, mostly capital lease pay downs, of $17.0 million; cash used, net of loan proceeds received, to purchase San Juan of $3.1 million; and cash required for bonding of $0.7 million.

Gross debt plus capital lease obligations at quarter end totaled $1,181.0 million.  The increase from year end is attributable to the San Juan financing.  Gross debt includes $3.0 million drawn on the revolving credit facility at June 30, 2016.  There was $43.3 million available to draw, net of letters of credit.

Full-Year Guidance

"This year, so far, is progressing normally and as we expected.  The strengthening demand, and the resulting cash flow, taken together with our first-half results provide confidence in our ability to achieve our guidance this year," said Paprzycki.

Westmoreland's 2016 guidance remains:

Notes

Westmoreland presents certain non-GAAP financial measures including Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow that management believes provide meaningful supplemental information and provide meaningful comparability to prior periods.  Reconciliations of non-GAAP to GAAP measures are presented in the accompanying tables.

Conference Call

Westmoreland Coal Company will conduct a joint earnings conference call with Westmoreland Resource Partners, LP WMLP, on August 2, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.  Participants may join the call using the numbers below:

About Westmoreland Coal Company

Westmoreland Coal Company is the oldest independent coal company in the United States.  Westmoreland's coal operations include surface coal mines in the United States and Canada, underground coal mines in Ohio and New Mexico, a char production facility, and a 50% interest in an activated carbon plant.  Westmoreland also owns the general partner of and a majority interest in Westmoreland Resource Partners, LP, a publicly-traded coal master limited partnership WMLP.  Its power operations include ownership of the two-unit ROVA coal-fired power plant in North Carolina.  For more information, visit www.westmoreland.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements are based on Westmoreland's current expectations and assumptions regarding its business, the economy and other future conditions.  Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict.  Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements.  Westmoreland cautions you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements.  They are statements neither of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance.  Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include political, economic, business, competitive, market, weather and regulatory conditions.

Any forward-looking statements made by Westmoreland in this news release speak only as of the date on which it was made.  Westmoreland undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Westmoreland Coal Company and Subsidiaries
Non-GAAP Reconciliations (Unaudited)

The tables below show how the Company calculates and reconciles to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure EBITDA; Adjusted EBITDA, including a breakdown by segment; and free cash flow.

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow are supplemental measures of financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP.  EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow are included in this news release because they are key metrics used by management to assess Westmoreland's operating performance and as a basis for strategic planning and forecasting.  Westmoreland believes that EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow are useful to an investor in evaluating the Company's operating performance because these measures:

• are used widely by investors to measure a company's operating performance without regard to items excluded from the calculation of such terms, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods and book value of assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired, among other factors;
  
• are used by rating agencies, lenders and other parties to evaluate creditworthiness; and 
  
• help investors to more meaningfully evaluate and compare the results of Westmoreland's operations from period to period by removing the effect of the Company's capital structure and asset base from the Company's operating results.
  

Neither EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA nor free cash flow are measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.  The items excluded from EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow are significant in assessing Westmoreland's operating results.  EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, analysis of the Company's results as reported under GAAP.

Other companies in Westmoreland's industry and in other industries may calculate EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow differently from the way that Westmoreland does, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.  Because of these limitations, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to the Company to invest in the growth of its business.  Westmoreland compensates for these limitations by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow only as supplemental data.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

EBITDA (earnings before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion expense) and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures that do not reflect the Company's cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital and major maintenance expenditures or contractual commitments; do not reflect income tax expenses or the cash requirements necessary to pay income taxes; do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, the Company's working capital needs; and do not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on certain of the Company's debt obligations.  In addition, although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements.  Westmoreland considers Adjusted EBITDA to be useful because it reflects operating performance before the effects of certain non-cash items and other items that it believes are not indicative of core operations.  The Company uses Adjusted EBITDA to assess operating performance.

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⁽¹⁾ Includes the impact of cost of sales related to the sale of inventory written up to fair value in the acquisition of Westmoreland Resources GP, LLC, the general partner of WMLP.
⁽²⁾ Represents a return of and on capital. These amounts are not included in operating income or operating cash flows, as the capital outlays are treated as loan and lease receivables but are included within Adjusted EBITDA so that the cash received by the Company is treated consistently with all other contracts within the Company that do not result in loan and lease receivable accounting.

Free Cash Flow

Free cash flow represents net cash provided (used) by operating activities less additions to property, plant and equipment ("CAPEX" or "capital expenditures") plus net customer payments received under loan and lease receivable.  Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure and should not be considered as an alternative to cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations, cash flow from investing activities, cash flow from financing activities, net income (loss) or any other measure of performance presented in accordance with GAAP.  Free cash flow is intended to represent cash flow available to satisfy our debts, after giving consideration to those expenses required to maintain our assets and infrastructure.  Accordingly, although free cash flow is not a measure of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP, the Company believes free cash flow is useful to investors because it allows analysts and others in the industry to assess performance, liquidity and ability to satisfy debt requirements.