Kevin Kremke
Analyst · Goldman Sachs
Thanks Keith. For the first quarter of 2018, Delek US recorded a net loss of $34.9 million or $0.43 per basic share compared to net income of $11.2 million or $0.18 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2017. On an adjusted basis for the first quarter of 2018, Delek US reported net income of $28 million or $0.33 per basic share compared to an adjusted net income of $10.1 million or $0.16 per diluted share in the prior year period. Our adjusted EBITDA was $113.1 million in the first quarter this year compared to $60.1 million in the prior year period. A reconciliation of reported results to adjusted results is included in the financial tables of our press release. During the first quarter of 2018, results included a net benefit of approximately $79.8 million related to the net effect of a RINs waiver and mark-to-market adjustments due to a declining RINs price environment. This benefit was partially offset by $34.6 million related to operating performance in the first quarter of 2018. That amount include approximately $25.6 million of estimated loss profit opportunity relative to the first quarter of 2018 crude oil throughput guidance we gave you during the fourth quarter earnings call. In addition, there was a $9 million operating loss primarily from West Coast asphalt operations, which are expected to be sold to a third party in the second quarter and a West Coast plant offtake agreement that is expiring in May. The combination of these items was approximately $45.2 million before tax benefit or approximately $0.42 per share after-tax. On a consolidated basis, line items such as operating expenses, G&A, and interests increased on a year-over-year basis, primarily due to the addition of Alon. I'd like to note that G&A expense included approximately $10.5 million of transaction costs this quarter. Our income tax rate, excluding the non-controlling interest income of $14.9 million was 38.9% in the first quarter. This rate included a $7.4 million income tax-related benefit from re-measuring certain net deferred tax liabilities as a result of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the effects from the biodiesel tax credit, and goodwill impairment. Excluding these items, the income tax rate was approximately 18%. For full year 2018, we expect the combined annual effective tax rate to be in a range of approximately 21% to 23%. Turning now to capital spending. Our capital expenditures during the period were approximately $70.1 million compared to $15.2 million in the first quarter last year. During the first quarter of 2018, we spent $51.5 million in our refining segment, $2.2 million in our logistics segment, $2 million in our retail segment, and $14.4 million at corporate. Our 2018 CapEx forecast is $232.3 million. This amount includes $182.6 million in our refining segment, $19.9 million in our logistics segment, $17.4 million in our retail segment, and $12.4 million at the corporate level. This amount for 2018 does not include approximately $80 million of midstream projects to enhance our position in the Permian Basin. On March 30th, we completed a series of steps to reduce our interest cost and simplify our debt structure. We closed on a $1 billion senior secured revolving ABL credit facility and a $700 million senior secured Term Loan B. We use proceeds to pay off other high interest rate borrowings and consolidated the number of debt instruments on the balance sheet. The expected interest expense savings from this step is approximately $20 million on an annualized basis, which is an addition to the cost of capital synergies already captured through Q1 of 2018. We ended the first quarter with approximately $1 billion of cash on a consolidated basis and $942 million of net debt. Excluding net debt at Delek logistics of $733 million, we had net debt of $209 million at March 31st, 2018. Now, I would like to discuss our results by segment. In our refining segment, we reported contribution margin of $133.6 million compared to a contribution margin of $64.4 million in the first quarter last year. This year-over-year increase in contribution margin is primarily due to the addition of the Big Spring and Cross Spring refineries from the Alon transaction, improved market conditions, and the benefit from the RINs waiver and biodiesel tax credit. First quarter 2018 results were reduced by a series of operating factors that I mentioned earlier. Market conditions as measured by Gulf Coast 5-3-2 crack spread increased on a year-over-year basis to $11.53 per barrel for the first quarter this year compared to $10.58 per barrel for the same period last year. In addition, the refining systems benefited from the Midland WTI crude differential to Brent crude that was an average discount of $4.70 per barrel compared to $2.81 per barrel in Q1 of last year. In March of 2018, the El Dorado and Krotz Spring refineries received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency for a small refinery exemption from the requirements of the renewable fuel standard for calendar year 2017. This waiver value based on market prices, resulted in approximately $59.3 million of RINs expense reduction to El Dorado and additional $31.6 million at Krotz Spring. In the first quarter of 2017, El Dorado received a waiver that resulted in approximately $47.5 million of RINs expense reduction. During the first quarter of 2018, approximately $24.6 million of income was recognized in the renewable business as part of the refining segment from a $1 per gallon biodiesel blenders federal tax credit that was approved in February of 2018 on a retroactive basis for calendar year 2017. Our logistics segment contribution margin was $36.3 million in the first quarter of this year compared to $26.6 million in the prior year period. On a year-over-year basis, improved performance was primarily due to the West Texas wholesale business, the Paline Pipeline, and one month of benefit from the Big Spring drop down. Contribution margin in the retail segment was $11.9 million. Merchandise sales were approximately $80.5 million with an average margin of 30.2% and approximately $53.7 million retail fuel gallons that were sold in average margin of $0.19 per gallon. There is no year-over-year comparison for the retail segment as it was acquired in the Alon transaction of July 1st, 2017. Contribution margin for the Corporate/Other segment was negative $29.5 million in the first quarter of 2018 compared to negative $5.7 million in the prior year period. Included in these results was a net hedging loss of $17.9 million for the first quarter this year compared to a loss of $3.5 million in the prior year period. This hedging amount represents system-wide hedges that are not applicable to a specific refinery. Now I will turn the call over to Uzi.