Star Group, L.P. Reports Fiscal 2024 First Quarter Results
- None.
- Total revenue decreased by 18.5% due to a decline in volume sold and lower selling prices.
- Net income decreased by $0.6 million to $13.0 million due to unfavorable non-cash changes.
Insights
The reported 18.5 percent decrease in total revenue for Star Group's fiscal 2024 first quarter is a significant indicator of the company's performance, especially as it reflects a decline in both volume sold and lower selling prices for petroleum products. The volume reduction, driven by warmer weather and customer attrition and the decrease in selling prices due to lower wholesale product costs, suggest a challenging market environment for Star Group. It is important to note that while net income decreased, the company's ability to maintain virtually unchanged Adjusted EBITDA indicates effective cost management and margin improvement strategies.
Investors should consider the impact of weather patterns on Star Group's operations, as the reported warmer temperatures have directly influenced demand. Furthermore, the strategic acquisitions mentioned could signify an expansion strategy that may bolster the company's market presence in Long Island. However, the success of these acquisitions will depend on their integration into the existing operations and their contribution to future revenue streams.
While Adjusted EBITDA remained stable, it is vital to assess the sustainability of this performance, especially if the trend of warmer temperatures continues. Investors should also be aware of the non-cash change in the fair value of derivative instruments, which has unfavorably impacted net income. This could indicate a level of volatility in earnings that may concern some stakeholders.
The energy distribution market is sensitive to external factors such as weather conditions and commodity prices. Star Group's experience with warmer weather leading to reduced volume sales is a common industry challenge. The mention of lower lead activity due to market conditions suggests a need for the company to adapt its customer acquisition strategies to maintain growth. Additionally, the decrease in wholesale product costs, while beneficial to customers, indicates a potential broader shift in the petroleum market that could affect future pricing strategies and profitability.
From a competitive standpoint, the strategic acquisitions after the quarter's end could be a response to increased competition or market consolidation trends. These acquisitions could provide Star Group with a competitive advantage in the Long Island market, potentially leading to increased market share and customer base expansion.
Understanding the company's hedging strategies, particularly the weather hedge benefit that contributed to the stable Adjusted EBITDA, is crucial for stakeholders. This insight into risk management practices can provide confidence in the company's ability to navigate market uncertainties. However, it is also essential to monitor the long-term effectiveness of these strategies, as hedging can only mitigate so much of the inherent market risk.
The energy sector is often seen as a bellwether for broader economic trends and the reported decrease in volume and selling prices of petroleum products by Star Group may reflect underlying economic conditions. Lower demand for home heating oil and propane could be indicative of not only warmer weather but also potential shifts in consumer behavior or efficiency improvements in heating technologies. The relationship between energy prices and consumption is a critical aspect of macroeconomic analysis, as it affects both consumer spending and inflation.
The company's mention of 'different market conditions' leading to lower new customer additions could suggest a broader economic slowdown or increased market saturation. These factors can have a ripple effect across the economy, influencing employment levels in the sector, investment in infrastructure and overall economic growth.
Star Group's performance must be contextualized within the larger economic framework, considering factors such as energy policies, environmental regulations and technological advancements that could influence the company's long-term viability and the energy distribution industry as a whole.
STAMFORD, Conn., Feb. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Star Group, L.P. (the "Company" or "Star") (NYSE:SGU), a home energy distributor and services provider, today announced financial results for its fiscal 2024 first quarter, the three month period ended December 31, 2023.
Three Months Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022
For the fiscal 2024 first quarter, Star reported an 18.5 percent decrease in total revenue to
Star’s net income decreased by
The Company reported first quarter Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure defined below) of
“The beginning of fiscal 2024 has provided both challenges and opportunities, which we believe we have navigated well,” Jeff Woosnam, Star Group’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “While product costs declined, providing relief to customers, warmer temperatures resulted in lower demand and, thus, reduced overall volumes. New customer additions were also down from the extraordinary levels we experienced during the first quarter of fiscal 2023, due in part to the mild weather but also the result of much different market conditions, resulting in lower lead activity. However, by employing strong cost discipline, a weather hedge benefit, and achieving higher per-gallon margins, Adjusted EBITDA was nearly equivalent to the prior-year period. In addition, we closed on two strategic acquisitions after the end of the quarter, in February. Both are located on Long Island and further strengthen our presence in that market.”
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP Financial Measures)
EBITDA (Earnings from continuing operations before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) and Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings from continuing operations before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, (increase) decrease in the fair value of derivatives, other income (loss), net, multiemployer pension plan withdrawal charge, gain or loss on debt redemption, goodwill impairment, and other non-cash and non-operating charges) are non-GAAP financial measures that are used as supplemental financial measures by management and external users of the Company’s financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks and research analysts, to assess Star’s position with regard to the following:
- compliance with certain financial covenants included in our debt agreements;
- financial performance without regard to financing methods, capital structure, income taxes or historical cost basis;
- operating performance and return on invested capital compared to those of other companies in the retail distribution of refined petroleum products, without regard to financing methods and capital structure;
- ability to generate cash sufficient to pay interest on our indebtedness and to make distributions to our partners; and
- the viability of acquisitions and capital expenditure projects and the overall rates of return of alternative investment opportunities.
The method of calculating Adjusted EBITDA may not be consistent with that of other companies, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA both have limitations as analytical tools and so should not be viewed in isolation but in conjunction with measurements that are computed in accordance with GAAP. Some of the limitations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are as follows:
- EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect cash used for capital expenditures;
- although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated or amortized often will have to be replaced and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash requirements for such replacements;
- EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital;
- EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash necessary to make payments of interest or principal on indebtedness; and
- EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the cash required to pay taxes.
REMINDER:
Members of Star's management team will host a webcast and conference call at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, February 8, 2024. The webcast will be accessible on the company’s website, at www.stargrouplp.com, and the telephone number for the conference call is 888-346-3470 (or 412-317-5169 for international callers).
About Star Group, L.P.
Star Group, L.P. is a full service provider specializing in the sale of home heating products and services to residential and commercial customers to heat their homes and buildings. The Company also sells and services heating and air conditioning equipment to its home heating oil and propane customers and, to a lesser extent, provides these offerings to customers outside of its home heating oil and propane customer base. Star also sells diesel, gasoline and home heating oil on a delivery only basis. We believe Star is the nation's largest retail distributor of home heating oil based upon sales volume. Including its propane locations, Star serves customers in the more northern and eastern states within the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. regions. Additional information is available by obtaining the Company's SEC filings at www.sec.gov and by visiting Star's website at www.stargrouplp.com, where unit holders may request a hard copy of Star’s complete audited financial statements free of charge.
Forward Looking Information
This news release includes "forward-looking statements" which represent the Company’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events that involve risks and uncertainties, including the impact of geopolitical events on wholesale product cost volatility, the price and supply of the products that we sell, our ability to purchase sufficient quantities of product to meet our customer’s needs, rapid increases in levels of inflation, the consumption patterns of our customers, our ability to obtain satisfactory gross profit margins, the effect of weather conditions on our financial performance, our ability to obtain new customers and retain existing customers, our ability to make strategic acquisitions, the impact of litigation, natural gas conversions and electrification of heating systems, pandemic and future global health pandemics, recessionary economic conditions, future union relations and the outcome of current and future union negotiations, the impact of current and future governmental regulations, including climate change, environmental, health, and safety regulations, the ability to attract and retain employees, customer credit worthiness, counterparty credit worthiness, marketing plans, cyber-attacks, global supply chain issues, labor shortages and new technology, including alternative methods for heating and cooling residences. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Report including, without limitation, the statements under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere herein, are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “seek,” “estimate,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" and "Business Strategy" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "Form 10-K") for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations ("Cautionary Statements") are disclosed in this news release and in the Company’s Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements. Unless otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this news release.
(financials follow)
| STAR GROUP, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | ||||||||
| December 31, | September 30, | |||||||
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2023 | ||||||
| ASSETS | (unaudited) | |||||||
| Current assets | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 19,925 | $ | 45,191 | ||||
| Receivables, net of allowance of | 187,122 | 114,079 | ||||||
| Inventories | 84,033 | 56,463 | ||||||
| Fair asset value of derivative instruments | — | 10,660 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 38,409 | 28,308 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 329,489 | 254,701 | ||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 105,158 | 105,404 | ||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 87,725 | 90,643 | ||||||
| Goodwill | 262,347 | 262,103 | ||||||
| Intangibles, net | 73,969 | 76,306 | ||||||
| Restricted cash | 250 | 250 | ||||||
| Captive insurance collateral | 72,020 | 70,717 | ||||||
| Deferred charges and other assets, net | 13,981 | 15,354 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 944,939 | $ | 875,478 | ||||
| LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS’ CAPITAL | ||||||||
| Current liabilities | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 45,881 | $ | 35,609 | ||||
| Revolving credit facility borrowings | 51,877 | 240 | ||||||
| Fair liability value of derivative instruments | 14,832 | 118 | ||||||
| Current maturities of long-term debt | 20,625 | 20,500 | ||||||
| Current portion of operating lease liabilities | 17,923 | 18,085 | ||||||
| Accrued expenses and other current liabilities | 118,382 | 115,606 | ||||||
| Unearned service contract revenue | 75,371 | 63,215 | ||||||
| Customer credit balances | 90,916 | 111,508 | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 435,807 | 364,881 | ||||||
| Long-term debt | 123,258 | 127,327 | ||||||
| Long-term operating lease liabilities | 74,752 | 77,600 | ||||||
| Deferred tax liabilities, net | 24,172 | 25,771 | ||||||
| Other long-term liabilities | 16,298 | 16,175 | ||||||
| Partners’ capital | ||||||||
| Common unitholders | 288,789 | 281,862 | ||||||
| General partner | (4,831 | ) | (4,615 | ) | ||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of taxes | (13,306 | ) | (13,523 | ) | ||||
| Total partners’ capital | 270,652 | 263,724 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and partners’ capital | $ | 944,939 | $ | 875,478 | ||||
| STAR GROUP, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except per unit data - unaudited) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Sales: | ||||||||
| Product | $ | 448,550 | $ | 569,929 | ||||
| Installations and services | 79,546 | 78,258 | ||||||
| Total sales | 528,096 | 648,187 | ||||||
| Cost and expenses: | ||||||||
| Cost of product | 303,338 | 419,093 | ||||||
| Cost of installations and services | 75,107 | 76,543 | ||||||
| (Increase) decrease in the fair value of derivative instruments | 19,030 | 17,636 | ||||||
| Delivery and branch expenses | 94,364 | 97,936 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization expenses | 8,386 | 7,837 | ||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 7,021 | 6,856 | ||||||
| Finance charge income | (771 | ) | (1,319 | ) | ||||
| Operating income | 21,621 | 23,605 | ||||||
| Interest expense, net | (3,218 | ) | (4,274 | ) | ||||
| Amortization of debt issuance costs | (250 | ) | (329 | ) | ||||
| Income before income taxes | 18,153 | 19,002 | ||||||
| Income tax expense | 5,174 | 5,463 | ||||||
| Net income | $ | 12,979 | $ | 13,539 | ||||
| General Partner’s interest in net income | 118 | 122 | ||||||
| Limited Partners’ interest in net income | $ | 12,861 | $ | 13,417 | ||||
| Per unit data (Basic and Diluted): | ||||||||
| Net income available to limited partners | $ | 0.36 | $ | 0.37 | ||||
| Dilutive impact of theoretical distribution of earnings | 0.04 | 0.04 | ||||||
| Basic and diluted income per Limited Partner Unit: | $ | 0.32 | $ | 0.33 | ||||
| Weighted average number of Limited Partner units outstanding (Basic and Diluted) | 35,593 | 35,916 | ||||||
| SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION STAR GROUP, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended December 31, | ||||||||
| (in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Net income | $ | 12,979 | $ | 13,539 | ||||
| Plus: | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | 5,174 | 5,463 | ||||||
| Amortization of debt issuance costs | 250 | 329 | ||||||
| Interest expense, net | 3,218 | 4,274 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 8,386 | 7,837 | ||||||
| EBITDA | 30,007 | 31,442 | ||||||
| (Increase) / decrease in the fair value of derivative instruments | 19,030 | 17,636 | ||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | 49,037 | 49,078 | ||||||
| Add / (subtract) | ||||||||
| Income tax expense | (5,174 | ) | (5,463 | ) | ||||
| Interest expense, net | (3,218 | ) | (4,274 | ) | ||||
| Provision for losses on accounts receivable | 649 | 1,046 | ||||||
| Increase in accounts receivables | (73,590 | ) | (115,164 | ) | ||||
| Increase in inventories | (26,805 | ) | (28,717 | ) | ||||
| Decrease in customer credit balances | (21,852 | ) | (14,700 | ) | ||||
| Change in deferred taxes | (1,591 | ) | (1,224 | ) | ||||
| Change in other operating assets and liabilities | 22,236 | 26,677 | ||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (60,308 | ) | $ | (92,741 | ) | ||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (5,875 | ) | $ | (2,086 | ) | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 40,917 | $ | 102,798 | ||||
| Home heating oil and propane gallons sold | 80,100 | 89,200 | ||||||
| Other petroleum products | 32,400 | 35,600 | ||||||
| Total all products | 112,500 | 124,800 | ||||||
| CONTACT: | ||
| Star Group, L.P. | Chris Witty | |
| Investor Relations | Darrow Associates | |
| 203/328-7310 | 646/438-9385 or cwitty@darrowir.com |
FAQ
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