Daphne Foster
Analyst · Ben Brownlow with Raymond James. Please proceed with your question
Thank you Eric, and good morning everyone. As Eric noted, in December we signed an agreement to voluntarily terminate early a sublease with a counterparty for 1,610 railcars that were underutilized due to unfavorable market conditions in the crude by rail market. Separately, we entered into a fleet management services agreement, effective January 1, 2017 with the counterparty, pursuant to which we will provide them with the railcar storage, freight, cleaning and other services. As a result of the sublease termination, we recognize the least exit expense of 80.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, which consisted of 61.7 million cash consideration in settlement of the remaining lease payments, 10.7 million of cost for railcar storage, freight, cleaning, insurance, and other services; and 8.3 million in non-cash accounting adjustments. The payment of 61.7 million represents a discount of approximately 10.2 million in railcar lease payments that Global would have been obligated to pay over the next three years. The termination of the sublease eliminates future lease payments related to these railcars of approximately 30 million, 29 million and 13 million in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. In connection with the sublease termination, we executed an amendment to our credit agreement that permitted the use of borrowings to make the early termination payments. The amendment also accelerates the step-down in the combined total leverage ratio from 5.5 times to 5 times effective with the quarter ended December 31, 2016. Now let me review our fourth quarter and full-year 2016 results, and provide our EBITDA guidance for 2017. Combined product margin in the fourth quarter increased 18.5 million or 12% year-over-year to 175.9 million. The increase was driven by strong performance across the wholesale segment and growth in our commercial segment, which was up 64%, due primarily to colder weather. Rising wholesale gasoline prices, as well as the sale of sites contributed to a 9.6 million product margin decline in the GDSO segment. The combination of growth in the wholesale and commercial segments more than offset the decline in the GDSO segment. Total expenses decreased 1.9 million year-over-year excluding the loss in asset sales and disposition of assets and the lease termination expense. SG&A expenses in Q4 increased approximately 1 million to 41.3 million. Operating expenses increased 2.3 million or 3% to 69.8 million, largely due to declines at our North Dakota and Oregon facilities, reflecting lower volume and reduce debt. The decrease was partially offset by higher expenses associated with our GDSO segment, including rent and various other expenses related to the addition of leased sites. Fourth quarter 2016 adjusted EBITDA when further adjusted for the lease termination expense increased by 19.7 million to 66.3 million from the same period a year earlier. As a result of the higher combined product margin and lower expenses. Interest expense decreased 1.1 million to 21.1 million. The decrease is primarily due to lower average balances on our revolving credit facility for the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with the same period in 2015. Those lower balances reflect use of proceeds from asset sales, including the sale-leaseback transaction to pay down debt offset by the railcar lease termination payment. Excluding the one-time railcar lease termination expenses and net loss in sale and disposition of assets, distributable cash flow would have been $35.4 million, compared with $18.1 million for the same period in 2015. While DCF is defined by our partnership agreement does not permit adjustment for certain non-cash charges, we believe that adding back these non-cash charges, as well as the lease termination expense more accurately reflects the partnership cash flow from normal operations. For the full year, excluding the lease termination expense, net loss on sale and disposition of assets and the goodwill and long-lived asset impairment DCF would have been 93.9 million, while distribution coverage was negative on a trailing 12-month basis. Distribution coverage after these adjustments would have been 1.48 times. Let me take you through our segments in more detail beginning with GDSO. Comparing Q4 2016 with the same period in 2015, product margin was down 9.6 million in the 111.7 million. This reduction reflects rising wholesale gasoline prices and the sale of sites, partly offset by the addition of leased sites to our portfolio. The gasoline distribution portion of the GDSO segment was down 4.7 million in the quarter to 68.9 million and station operations product margin decreased 4.9 million to 42.8 million. Wholesale segment product margin increased 25.1 million to 56.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. Crude oil product margin was 15.7 million in the quarter, compared with 6.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, primarily due to increased revenue from a crude take or pay contract, which more than offset lower sales activity. The decline in activity reflects continuing tight crude differentials. Wholesale gasoline and gasoline blendstock product margin increased 7.9 million to 19.2 million, primarily reflecting more favorable market conditions. Other oils and related products, which include distillates and residual fuel also benefited from favorable market conditions, including weather that was 25% colder than last year, resulting in a $7.9 million increase in product margins to 21.8 million. Commercial segment product margin increased 2.9 million or 64% to 7.4 million from the fourth quarter of 2015, primarily due to colder weather. Total volume for the fourth quarter of 2016 was down about 31 million gallons to 1.3 billion. Increases in GDSO and commercial volume were offset by 92 million decrease in wholesale volume, due primarily to the weak crude oil market. CapEx in the quarter was approximately 16.5 million, including 4.4 million in expansion CapEx and 12.1 million in maintenance CapEx. Expansion CapEx consisted of approximately 3.4 million in investments in our gas station business with much of the remaining funds used in IT-related projects. Maintenance CapEx included 10.2 million related to our retail sites. Now let me provide you some color on our full-year 2016 performance. Product margin in our GDSO segment increased approximately 17.8 million or 4% from full-year 2015, driven primarily by a full year of Capitol petroleum and the addition of the O'Connell and Getty leased sites, partially offset by the sale of non-strategic sites. Volume increased to 72 million gallons to 1.6 billion and fuel margin increased 12.6 million to 289.4 million for the same reasons. Product margin to station operations grew 5.2 million or 3% to 183.7 million, primarily due to a full-year of rental income from the Capitol Petroleum site. In contrast, wholesale segment product margin declined 63 million to 144.9 million, due primarily to tight crude differentials as mid-continent crude did not discount sufficiently to make rail transport to the East Coast competitive with imports. Crude oil product margin declined 87.3 million to negative 13.1 million, which includes 45.7 million in fixed cost associated with the railcar lease expenses. With the early lease termination in December, we have approximately 800 crude oil railcars remaining under our lease. We estimate the lease expense for these cars will be approximately 12 million in 2017, 6 million in 2018, and 2 million in 2019, after which the leases expire. Product margin from gasoline and gasoline blendstocks of 83.7 million was up 27% from full year 2015, reflecting favorable market conditions for wholesale gasoline and gasoline blendstocks, as well as higher volumes through our terminals. The margin from other oils and related products, including distillates increased by 10% or 6.6 million to 74.3 million, due primarily to more favorable market conditions and distillates. The decline in crude oil product margin more than offset growth in other parts of our business resulting in $50.4 million decline in combined product margin in 2016 to $642.1 million. SG&A expenses decreased 27.3 million or 15% to 149.7 million, due to decreases of 12.9 million in professional fees, and due diligence expenses, 8 million in wages and benefits, and 11.2 million in 2015 acquisition costs related to Warren and Capitol, partly offset by increases including severance charges related to the reduction in our workforce. Operating expenses declined 1.8 million to 288.5 million with more than 10 million in decreases across our terminal networks, including lower wages and benefits, partially offset by the addition of leased sites in our GDSO segment, and a full year of capital. Interest expense of 86.3 million includes 11.8 million associated with the financing obligations recognized in connection with the acquisition of Capitol, and the sale-leaseback transactions, and a $1.8 million write-off associated with a portion of the deferred financing fees when we reduced our credit facility in early 2016. Adjusting for the net loss in sale and disposition of assets, non-cash impairment charges and the lease exit and termination expense, full-year 2016 EBITDA would have been 210.4 million. Turning to CapEx maintenance CapEx was approximately 33 million for 2016 of which more than 25 million was less investments in the larger portfolio of retail sites in our GDSO segment. Expansion CapEx totaled 38.3 million for the year with 25.4 million in raze and rebuilds, expansion and improvements at our retail gasoline station and new to industry sites, including 5.7 million related to the addition of the 22 O'Connell sites. We invested approximately 7.9 million in terminal assets, including 7.5 million in dock and infrastructure expansion at our Oregon facility and approximately 5 million in other expansion projects, including IT. We currently expect 2017 maintenance CapEx of approximately 35 million to 45 million and expansion CapEx of approximately 25 million to 35 million in 2017, relating primarily to investments in our gas station business. Turning to our balance sheet, as of December 31, 2016 the partnership had total borrowings of 641.3 million under our $1.475 billion facility. Borrowings consisted of 216.7 million, under our 575 million revolving credit facility, and 424.6 million under our 900 million working capital facility. Our leverage as defined in our credit agreement was 4.3 times at the end of the quarter. As we have said on prior calls, our goal is to maintain a strong balance sheet with ample liquidity and we target long-term leverage of four times or lower we are pleased with the progress we have made on that front of this year. At the end of the first quarter last year, leverage was 4.6 times with borrowings under our revolver of 275 million. With proceeds from asset sales and the sale lease back, we reduced outstanding approximately 58 million to 216.7 million and financed the 61.7 million early lease termination payment. In 2016, we sold more than 75 sites, excluding the 30 sale leaseback sites and as of 12/31/2016 we had more than 40 sites held for sale and so expect incremental proceeds from sales in the next few quarters. In addition, we received more than 16 million in cash proceeds from the sale of our natural gas business, which closed in February. Our actions have positioned us to invest in our business, pursue opportunities and move closer to our long-term leverage target. For the full year 2017, we expect to generate EBITDA in the range of 190 million to 220 million, which guidance excludes the gain or loss on the sale and disposition of assets, and any impairment charges. Now we're happy to take your questions. Operator.