Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation Reports Financial Results for the First Quarter Ended March 31, 2019


  • 67.1% increase in Q1 2019 revenue to $77.1 million
  • $9.9 million net cash from operating activities for Q1 2019
  • 5x increase in Q1 2019 EBITDA to $41.7 million
  • $0.9 million net income in Q1 2019; $0.06 earnings per share
  • Fleet Renewal:
    °  2 VLCC newbuilding under bareboat lease ordered in 2018
    °  Option for 3rd VLCC newbuilding under bareboat lease exercised in Q1 2019
    °  Sale of the two oldest VLCCs of the fleet
  • $103.2 million sale and leaseback agreement
  • Returning capital to stockholders:
    °  Quarterly dividend: $0.30 per share
    °  Total stock repurchased:  735,251 shares (5.4% of fully diluted shares)

MONACO, May 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation (“Navios Acquisition”) (NYSE: NNA), an owner and operator of tanker vessels, reported its financial results today for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019.

Angeliki Frangou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Navios Acquisition stated, “I am pleased to report that for the first quarter of 2019, Navios Acquisition recorded revenue of $77.1 million, EBITDA of $41.7 million and net income of $0.9 million. We declared a quarterly distribution of $0.30 per share for Q1, and repurchased about 735,000 shares since the program was initiated, together providing a total annualized return of about 22%.”

Angeliki Frangou continued, “We began to renew our fleet a couple of years ago when asset values were weak. We are selling older vessels for scrap and committing to new bareboat charters. We recently sold two vessels over 18 years of age and exercised an option to bareboat-in a third new Japanese-built VLCC with an implied purchase price of $84.5 million. The VLCC is expected to deliver to our fleet in Q3 2021 with a bareboat charter for 12 years and de-escalating purchase options.“

HIGHLIGHTS — RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Quarterly dividend: $0.30 per share

On May 10, 2019, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend in respect of the first quarter of 2019 of $0.30 per share of common stock which will be paid on June 27, 2019 to stockholders of record as of May 29, 2019. The declaration and payment of any further dividends remain subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend on, among other things, Navios Acquisition’s cash requirements as measured by market opportunities and restrictions under its credit agreements and other debt obligations and such other factors as the Board of Directors may deem advisable.

Fleet Renewal:

Exercised our option for VLCC newbuilding under bareboat lease

In the first quarter of 2019, we exercised our option for a third VLCC newbuilding under a bareboat operating lease with an expected delivery in the third quarter of 2021.

Navios Acquisition has agreed to the main terms of a 12-year bareboat charter-in agreement with de-escalating purchase options for one newbuild Japanese VLCC. The bareboat charter-in agreement reflects an implied price of approximately $84.5 million and an annual effective interest of approximately 6% fixed for the duration of the agreement.

Sale of two VLCCs

On March 25, 2019, Navios Acquisition sold the C. Dream, a 2000-built VLCC vessel of 298,570 dwt to an unaffiliated third party for a sale price of $21.8 million. The gain on sale of the vessel amounted to $0.7 million.

In April 2019, Navios Acquisition sold the Shinyo Ocean, a 2001-built VLCC vessel of 281,395 dwt to an unaffiliated third party for a sale price of $12.5 million. Unrepaired damages plus expenses incurred since the incident covering the fair market value of the vessel are recovered by insurance (subject to applicable deductibles and other customary limitations).

Sale and leaseback agreement

In March and April 2019, Navios Acquisition entered into sale and lease back agreements each for $103.2 million in order to refinance $50.3 million outstanding on the existing facility on three product tankers and to finance two product tankers for which their previous credit facility was fully prepaid in March 2019 in an amount of $32.2 million. The agreements will be repayable in 28 equal consecutive quarterly installments of $2.3 million each, with a repurchase obligation of $39.7 million on the last repayment date. The agreements each mature in March and April 2026 and bear interest at LIBOR plus 350 bps per annum.

Stock repurchase program

As of May 12, 2019, Navios Acquisition had repurchased 735,251 shares since program was initiated for approximately $7.5 million, under the $25.0 million stock repurchase program, being 5.4% of the current fully diluted shares.

Fleet employment

As of May 13, 2019, our fleet consisted of a total of 42 vessels, of which 11 are VLCCs, 26 are product tankers, two are chemical tankers and three are bareboat VLCC chartered-in vessels to be delivered in the third and fourth quarters of 2020 and third quarter of 2021.

Currently, Navios Acquisition has contracted 77.1% of its available days on a charter-out basis for 2019, which are expected to generate revenues of approximately $172.2 million for 2019. The average contractual net daily charter-out rate for the 59.4% of available days that are contracted on base rate and/or base rate with profit sharing arrangements are expected to be $18,807.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

For the following results and the selected financial data presented herein, Navios Acquisition has compiled its consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018. The quarterly information for 2019 and 2018 was derived from the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the respective periods.  

Following the completion of the merger, effective as of December 13, 2018, Navios Midstream Partners L.P. (“Navios Midstream”) is included in the consolidated financial statements of Navios Acquisition, as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)  Three Month
Period ended
March 31, 
2019
(unaudited)
  Three Month
Period ended
March 31, 
2018
(unaudited)
 
Revenue  $77,119  $46,150 
Net income/ (loss)  $861  $(24,466
Net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities  $9,888  $(11,416)
EBITDA  $41,664  $8,760 
Income/ (loss) per share (basic)  $0.06  $(2.35)

EBITDA is non-GAAP financial measures and should not be used in isolation or substitution for Navios Acquisition’s results (see Exhibit II for reconciliation of EBITDA). 

Three month periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018

Revenue for the three month period ended March 31, 2019 increased by $31.0 million, or 67.1%, to $77.1 million, as compared to $46.2 million for the same period of 2018. The increase was mainly attributable to an: (i) increase in revenue by $20.3 million due to the acquisition and resulting consolidation of Navios Midstream; and (ii) increase in market rates during the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 as compared to the same period of 2008. Available days of the fleet increased to 3,683 days for the three month period ended March 31, 2019, as compared to 3,181 days for the three month period ended March 31, 2018, as a result of the merger with Navios Midstream effective as of December 13, 2018. The time charter equivalent rate, or TCE Rate, increased to $19,643 for the three month period ended March 31, 2019, from $14,205 for the three month period ended March 31, 2018.

Time charter and voyage expenses for the three month period ended March 31, 2019 decreased by approximately $1.1 million, or 18.2%, to $4.8 million, as compared to $5.8 million for the same period of 2018. The decrease was mainly attributable to a: (a) $4.9 million decrease in the backstop commitment; partially mitigated by a: (i) $3.1 million increase in bunkers consumption and voyage expenses due to spot voyages incurred in the period; and (ii) $0.7 million increase in brokers’ commission.

Net income for the three month period ended March 31, 2019 was $0.9 million as compared to $24.5 million loss for the same period of 2018. The increase in net income was due to a: (a) $32.9 million increase in EBITDA; and (b) $0.3 million increase in interest income; partially mitigated by a: (i) $3.5 million increase in depreciation and amortization, due to the acquisition of Navios Midstream on December 13, 2018; (ii) $3.6 million increase in interest expense and finance cost, net of deferred finance cost; and (iii) $0.8 million increase in direct vessel expenses.

EBITDA for the three month period ended March 31, 2019 increased by $32.9 million to $41.7 million, as compared to $8.8 million for the same period of 2018. The increase in EBITDA was mainly due to a: (a) $31.0 million increase in revenue; (b) $5.1 million increase in equity /(loss) in net earnings of affiliated companies; (c) $1.6 million increase in other income/ (expense), net; (d) $1.1 million decrease in time charter and voyage expenses, as described above; (e) $0.6 million gain on sale of vessels; (f) $0.3 million decrease in other expense; partially mitigated by a: (i) $4.5 million increase in management fees due to the acquisition of Navios Midstream on December 13, 2018 and to the amendment of the fees under the Management Agreement; and (ii) $2.0 million increase in general and administrative expenses mainly due to expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition of Navios Midstream on December 13, 2018.

Fleet Employment Profile   

The following table reflects certain key indicators of the performance of Navios Acquisition and its core fleet for the three month periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018.

          
  Three month period ended
March 31,
  
  2019
(unaudited)
  2018
(unaudited)
  
FLEET DATA         
Available days(1)  3,683   3,181  
Operating days(2)  3,672   3,166  
Fleet utilization(3)  99.7  99.5 
Vessels operating at period end  40     35  
AVERAGE DAILY RESULTS         
Time charter equivalent rate per day(4) $19,643  $14,205  

Navios Acquisition believes that the important measures for analyzing trends in its results of operations consist of the following:

(1)Available days: Available days for the fleet are total calendar days the vessels were in Navios Acquisition’s possession for the relevant period after subtracting off-hire days associated with major repairs, drydocking or special surveys. The shipping industry uses available days to measure the number of days in a relevant period during which vessels should be capable of generating revenues.
(2)Operating days: Operating days are the number of available days in the relevant period less the aggregate number of days that the vessels are off-hire due to any reason, including unforeseen circumstances. The shipping industry uses operating days to measure the aggregate number of days in a relevant period during which vessels actually generate revenues.
(3)Fleet utilization: Fleet utilization is the percentage of time that Navios Acquisition’s vessels were available for generating revenue, and is determined by dividing the number of operating days during a relevant period by the number of available days during that period. The shipping industry uses fleet utilization to measure a company’s efficiency in finding suitable employment for its vessels and minimizing the amount of days that its vessels are off hire for reasons other than scheduled repairs, dry dockings or special surveys.
(4)TCE Rate: Time charter equivalent rate per day is defined as voyage and time charter revenues less voyage expenses during a period divided by the number of available days during the period. The TCE Rate per day is a standard shipping industry performance measure used primarily to present the actual daily earnings generated by vessels of various types of charter contracts for the number of available days of the fleet.

Conference Call, Webcast and Presentation Details:
As previously announced, Navios Acquisition will host a conference call today, Monday, May 13, 2019 at 8:00 am ET, at which time Navios Acquisition's senior management will provide highlights and commentary on earnings results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019.

US Dial In: +1.877.480.3873
International Dial In: +1.404.665.9927
Conference ID: 2470965

The conference call replay will be available shortly after the live call and remain available for one week at the following numbers:

US Replay Dial In: +1.800.585.8367
International Replay Dial In: +1.404.537.3406
Conference ID: 2470965

The call will be simultaneously Webcast. The Webcast will be available on the Navios Acquisition website, www.navios-acquisition.com, under the "Investors" section. The Webcast will be archived and available at the same Web address for two weeks following the call.

A supplemental slide presentation will be available by 7:30 am ET on the day of the call.

About Navios Acquisition
Navios Acquisition (NYSE: NNA) is an owner and operator of tanker vessels focusing on the transportation of petroleum products (clean and dirty) and bulk liquid chemicals. 

For more information about Navios Acquisition, please visit our website: www.navios-acquisition.com.

Forward Looking Statements 

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events and expectations, including with respect to Navios Acquisition’s future dividends, expected cash flow generation and Navios Acquisition’s growth strategy and measures to implement such strategy; including expected vessel acquisitions and entering into further employment contracts. Words such as “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “hopes,” “estimates,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include comments regarding expected revenue and employment contracts. These forward-looking statements are based on the information available to, and the expectations and assumptions deemed reasonable by, Navios Acquisition at the time this filing was made. Although Navios Acquisition believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of Navios Acquisition. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to the creditworthiness of our charterers and the ability of our contract counterparties to fulfill their obligations to us, tanker industry trends, including charter rates and vessel values and factors affecting vessel supply and demand, the aging of our vessels and resultant increases in operation and dry docking costs, the loss of any customer or charter or vessel, our ability to repay outstanding indebtedness, to obtain additional financing and to obtain replacement charters for our vessels, in each case, at commercially acceptable rates or at all, increases in costs and expenses, including but not limited to: crew wages, insurance, provisions, port expenses, lube oil, bunkers, repairs, maintenance and general and administrative expenses, the expected cost of, and our ability to comply with, governmental regulations and maritime self-regulatory organization standards, as well as standard regulations imposed by our charterers applicable to our business, potential liability from litigation and our vessel operations, including discharge of pollutants, general domestic and international political conditions, competitive factors in the market in which Navios Acquisition operates; risks associated with operations outside the United States; and other factors listed from time to time in the Navios Acquisition’s filings with the SEC, including its annual and interim reports filed on Form 20-F and Form 6-K. Navios Acquisition expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Navios Acquisition’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. Navios Acquisition makes no prediction or statement about the performance of its common stock.

Public & Investor Relations Contact:
Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation
+1.212.906.8644
info@navios-acquisition.com


EXHIBIT I

NAVIOS MARITIME ACQUISITION CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars- except share data)

   March 31,
2019
  December 31,
2018
 
ASSETS         
Cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash  $67,898  $46,609 
Accounts receivable, net   18,945   25,100 
Due from related parties, short term   37,739   18,926 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   9,398   13,343 
Vessels, net   1,348,405   1,383,605 
Intangible assets other than goodwill   35,326   36,645 
Goodwill   1,579   1,579 
Other long-term assets   1,226   —  
Deferred dry dock and special survey costs, net   29,940   32,161 
Investment in affiliates   11,400   11,400 
Due from related parties, long-term   58,858   58,016 
Total assets  $1,620,714  $1,627,384 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY         
Accounts payable  $8,522  $12,621 
Accrued expenses   26,378   13,205 
Due to related parties, short-term   661   12,029 
Deferred revenue   2,034   3,340 
Long-term debt, including current portion, net of deferred finance costs and premium   1,206,164   1,205,837 
Total liabilities  $1,243,759  $1,247,032 
Total stockholders’ equity   376,955   380,352 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity  $1,620,714  $1,627,384 


NAVIOS MARITIME ACQUISITION CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars- except share and per share data)

          
   For the Three Months
Ended
March 31, 2019
(unaudited)
  For the Three Months
Ended
March 31, 2018
(unaudited)
 
Revenue  $77,119  $46,150 
Time charter and voyage expenses   (4,767)  (5,826
Direct vessel expenses   (2,355)  (1,548
Management fees (entirely through related party transactions)   (27,906)  (23,399
General and administrative expenses   (5,137)  (3,163
Depreciation and amortization   (17,721)  (14,210
Interest income   2,160   1,836 
Interest expenses and finance cost   (22,929)  (19,304
Gain on sale of vessel   651   25 
Equity/ (loss) in net earnings of affiliated companies   845   (4,288
Other income/ (expense), net   901   (739
Net income/ (loss)  $861  $(24,466
Net earnings/ (loss) per share, basic and diluted  $0.06  $(2.35
Weighted average number of shares, basic   13,317,668   9,903,448 
Weighted average number of shares, diluted   13,533,733
   9,903,448 


NAVIOS MARITIME ACQUISITION CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)

          
   For the Three Months
Ended March 31, 2019
(unaudited)
  For the Three Months
Ended March 31, 2018
(unaudited)
 
Operating Activities         
Net income/ (loss)  $861  $(24,466
Adjustments to reconcile net income/ (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:         
Depreciation and amortization   17,721   14,210 
Amortization and write-off of deferred finance fees and bond premium   974   1,096 
Amortization of dry dock and special survey costs   2,313   1,548 
Stock based compensation   229   269 
Gain on sale of vessel   (651)  (25
(Equity)/ loss in net earnings of affiliated companies, net of dividends received   (845)  4,288 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:         
Decrease/ (increase) in prepaid expenses and other current assets   3,946   (1,157
Decrease in other long term assets   —    450 
Decrease in accounts receivable   6,155   324 
Increase in due from related parties, short-term   (18,813)  (1,558
Decrease in due from related parties, long-term   2,003   17 
Decrease in accounts payable   (4,411)  (13
Increase in accrued expenses   13,172   11,988 
Payments for dry dock and special survey costs   (92)  (3,870
Decrease in due to related parties, short-term   (11,368)  (12,958
Decrease in deferred revenue   (1,306)  (1,559
Net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities  $9,888  $(11,416
Investing Activities         
Loans receivable from affiliates   (2,000)  —  
Dividends received from affiliates   —    5,326 
Vessels additions   (1,931)  —  
Net cash proceeds from sale of vessel   21,381   44,500 
Net cash provided by investing activities  $17,450  $49,826 
Financing Activities         
Loan proceeds, net of deferred finance costs   39,055   —  
Loan repayments   (40,617)  (36,515
Dividend paid   (4,121)  (3,102
Acquisition of treasury stock   (366)  (4,116
Net cash used in financing activities  $(6,049) $(43,733
Net increase /(decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash   21,289   (5,323
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period   46,609   86,458 
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period  $67,898  $81,135 

EXHIBIT II

   Reconciliation of EBITDA to Net Cash from Operating Activities

  Three Month 
Period 
Ended 
March 31, 
2019 
(unaudited)
  Three Month 
Period 
Ended 
March 31, 
2018 
(unaudited)
 
Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars        
Net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities $9,888  $(11,416)
Net increase in operating assets  6,709   1,924 
Net decrease in operating liabilities  3,913   2,542 
Net interest cost  20,769   17,468 
Amortization and write-off of deferred finance costs and bond premium  (974)  (1,096)
Equity/ (loss) in net earnings of affiliates, net of dividends received  845   (4,288)
Payments for dry dock and special survey costs  92   3,870 
Gain on sale of vessel  651   25 
Stock-based compensation  (229)  (269)
EBITDA $41,664  $8,760 


  Three Month 
Period 
Ended 
March 31, 
2019 
(unaudited)
  Three Month 
Period 
Ended 
March 31, 
2018 
(unaudited)
 
Net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities $9,888  $(11,416)
Net cash provided by investing activities $17,450  $49,826 
Net cash used in financing activities $(6,049) $(43,733)

Disclosure of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

EBITDA is non-U.S. GAAP financial measures and should not be used in isolation or as substitution for Navios Acquisition’s results calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”).

EBITDA represents net (loss)/income before interest and finance costs, before depreciation and amortization and before income taxes. We use EBITDA as liquidity measure and reconcile EBITDA to net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities, the most comparable U.S. GAAP liquidity measure. EBITDA is calculated as follows: net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities adding back, when applicable and as the case may be, the effect of: (i) net increase/(decrease) in operating assets; (ii) net (increase)/decrease in operating liabilities; (iii) net interest cost; (iv) amortization of deferred finance costs and other related expenses; (v) equity/ (loss) in net earnings of affiliates, net of dividends received; (vi) payments for dry dock and special survey costs; (vii) impairment charges; (viii) gain on sale of assets; (ix) gain/ (loss) on debt repayment; (x) stock- based compensation; and (xi) transaction costs. Navios Acquisition believes that EBITDA is the basis upon which liquidity can be assessed and present useful information to investors regarding Navios Acquisition’s ability to service and/or incur indebtedness, pay capital expenditures, meet working capital requirements and pay dividends. Navios Acquisition also believes that EBITDA is used: (i) by potential lenders to evaluate potential transactions; (ii) to evaluate and price potential acquisition candidates; and (iii) by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry. EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the analysis of Navios Acquisition’s results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations are: (i) EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital needs; and (ii) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future. EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such capital expenditures. Because of these limitations, EBITDA should not be considered as a principal indicator of Navios Acquisition’s performance. Furthermore, our calculation of EBITDA may not be comparable to that reported by other companies due to differences in methods of calculation.

EXHIBIT III

VesselsTypeYear Built/DeliveryDWT
Date
Owned Vessels    
Nave PolarisChemical Tanker2011 25,145
Nave CosmosChemical Tanker2010 25,130
Nave VelocityMR2 Product Tanker2015 49,999
Nave SextansMR2 Product Tanker2015 49,999
Nave PyxisMR2 Product Tanker2014 49,998
Nave LuminosityMR2 Product Tanker2014 49,999
Nave JupiterMR2 Product Tanker2014   49,999
BougainvilleMR2 Product Tanker2013 50,626
Nave AlderaminMR2 Product Tanker2013 49,998
Nave BellatrixMR2 Product Tanker2013 49,999
Nave CapellaMR2 Product Tanker2013 49,995
Nave OrionMR2 Product Tanker2013 49,999
Nave TitanMR2 Product Tanker2013 49,999
Nave AquilaMR2 Product Tanker2012 49,991
Nave AtriaMR2 Product Tanker2012 49,992
Nave OrbitMR2 Product Tanker2009 50,470
Nave EquatorMR2 Product Tanker2009 50,542
Nave EquinoxMR2 Product Tanker2007 50,922
Nave PulsarMR2 Product Tanker2007 50,922
Nave DoradoMR2 Product Tanker2005 47,999
Nave AtroposLR1 Product Tanker2013 74,695
Nave RigelLR1 Product Tanker2013 74,673
Nave CassiopeiaLR1 Product Tanker2012 74,711
Nave CetusLR1 Product Tanker2012 74,581
Nave EstellaLR1 Product Tanker2012 75,000
Nave AndromedaLR1 Product Tanker2011 75,000
Nave AriadneLR1 Product Tanker2007 74,671
Nave CieloLR1 Product Tanker2007 74,671
Nave ElectronVLCC2002 305,178
Nave NeutrinoVLCC2003 298,287
Nave CelesteVLCC2003 298,717
Nave PhotonVLCC2008 297,395
Nave SphericalVLCC2009 297,188
Nave GalacticVLCC2009 297,168
Nave QuasarVLCC2010  297,376
Nave SynergyVLCC2010299,973
Shinyo SaowalakVLCC2010 298,000
Shinyo KieranVLCC2011 297,066
Nave Buena SuerteVLCC2011   297,491
Vessels to be delivered*    
TBN IVLCCExpected Q3 2020 310,000
TBN IIVLCCExpected Q4 2020 310,000
TBN IIIVLCCExpected Q3 2021 310,000

 *Bareboat chartered-in vessels with purchase option