Paddy Rodgers
Analyst · J. P. Morgan. Please go ahead
Thank you, Hugo. Let’s turn to dividends. We will pay an annual minimum fixed cash dividend of $0.12 per share, payable $0.06 per share in each half, no matter what the conditions in the freight market. We believe this is a more accurate reflection of Euronav’s business now but we have secured longer term feasible income from; A, our FSO contract extension; B, four seven-year Suezmax contracts with the Blue Chip U.S. refiner; and C, our sustained track record in maintaining a visible income stream from our other time charter relationships, particularly our French flag business. In addition to building a solid fixed income platform, we have also constructed a very strong balance sheet over the past 18 months with which to navigate the current tanker cycle and indeed to take opportunities to fleet renewal or addition if accretive to do so. In addition to the minimum fixed cash dividend, Euronav will look to distribute or utilize excess cash with either; A, additional cash dividends, depending on our earnings and outlook on the cycle; and/or B, in buying back our own stock, should there be a material disconnect between the share price and our estimate of the intrinsic value of our shares. This is something we believe is in Euronav’s DNA, both at the Board and the management level, where we take our responsibility of good stewards of capital seriously. The chart on slide on seven is instructive on this. Firstly, it shows how central dividends have been within the investment case at Euronav since our listing on Euronext in 2004. Investors have benefited from nearly $1 billion returns in cash dividends over that period. Secondly, this is being done in a prudent and responsible manner as the chart illustrates; dividends were not paid when freight rates endure the sustained blow period between 2010 and 2014. During this downturn, Euronav did not default on any debt or credit lines nor compromise creditors and continued to expand its fleet. Thirdly, since freight rates return to higher levels in 2015, Euronav has returned nearly $400 million in excess cash to shareholders, largely in the form of dividends. I will now move onto an important feature of our Q2 results, the confirmation of our FSO contract extension on slide eight. During May, we announced with our JV partner, International Seaways, the confirmed signing of a five year extension to our current FSO contract to 2022. This was an important milestone to Euronav, and it provides us with a quality recurring income stream for the next five years, whilst we retain 50% ownership of the world class asset with an operational life through to 2032. Our FSO capability may not be fully understood or fully appreciated. The two vessels, the FSO Africa and the FSO Asia, are not basic tankers serving as floating offshore units, but very sophisticated highly engineered operational units, which process all oil produced from the Al-Shaheen field, eliminating the water content within it to create a high quality export grade crude oil. This value added procedure is highlighted in a simple format on slide eight, and we look forward to bringing it to the market’s attention as time goes by in the future. The decision by the IMO to defer the implementation of ballast water treatment directive, from September of this year to 2019, was regarded by some as a negative development for the market as it remove the potential catalyst for accelerated scraping. Euronav did not subscribe for the view that there would be an immediate uptick in scrapping as a result of this directive coming into force. The current age of the global VLCC and Suezmax fleets are both around 9.5 years, which is relatively young compared to the other shipping segments. But the large tanker fleets, however, is entering normal scrapping range for the older part of the world fleet, which will add to the pressure to scrap as we highlight in slide nine. This analysis focuses on vessels over 20 years of age only, and those due to go through that fifth or sixth survey dry-dockings between now and the end of 2020. With further regulation, in addition to ballast water treatment due to come into force on sulfur content in fuel in 2020, we would expect to see the vessels highlighted on slide 10 to come on to both regulatory and commercial pressure scrap between now and the end of 2020, representing around 6% of both the VLCC and Suezmax global fleet. Some scrapping activity has returned with six Suezmax’s and four VLCC removed from the world fleet so far in 2017 according to recent data from [Pareto] operator. Further momentum in this will bring a positive driver for tanker operators. Now, moving into the summary slide. Our traffic lights continue to look reasonably positive, but the key metric of vessel supply remains amber. Demand has continued to improve. The IEA has upgraded demand for both 2017 and 2018. OPEC production cuts have been offset by the return of Nigerian and Libyan barrels with U.S. shale continuing to grow. According to Petrofin Research for the 40 billion bank-lending less to shipping sector in 2016, so financing continues to be restricted. And finally ton miles remain changeable, but positive, as crude exports continue to be a dynamic area. However, these positives are overshadowed by the order book in two ways; firstly, the nature of its concentrated delivery schedule for both VLCCs and Suezmax sectors over the next 12 to 18 months; means the new VLCC and Suezmax is entering the global fleet nearly every week until the end of 2018; secondly, shipyards have, by aggressively discounting newbuilding prices, enable to attract new orders, which was the majority have come from existing rational industrial owners has nevertheless meant the balance between supply and demand remains in favor of the charterers. So to conclude, if the illness is low freight rates then the cure appears to be sustained low freight rates as this should drive scrapping activity, so bringing the market back into balance. Until this inflection point is reached, Euronav retains substantial balance sheet capacity and fixed income visibility to navigate through such a period of lower freight rates and/or take advantage of any expansion opportunities. This concludes the formal part of the presentation. Thank you for listening. I will pass you back to the operator.