International Seaways, Inc., one of the largest tanker companies worldwide providing energy transportation services for crude oil and petroleum products, today reported results for the third quarter 2023.

HIGHLIGHTS & RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

• Net income for the third quarter was $98 million, or $1.99 per diluted share, compared to net income of $113 million, or $2.28 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2022.
• Cumulative net income over the last twelve months was $643 million.
• Adjusted EBITDA(A) for the third quarter was $151 million.
• Total liquidity was approximately $581 million as of September 30, 2023, including cash and short-term investments(B) of $214 million and $367 million of undrawn revolver capacity.
• As of November 1, 2023, the Company had $417 million in undrawn revolving credit capacity, approximately $771 million in gross debt outstanding and 30 unencumbered vessels.

Balance Sheet Enhancements:

• Executed a new revolving credit facility agreement (the “$160 Million Revolving Credit Facility”) which resulted in, among other things, the:
• Increase in total revolving capacity of $160 million, of which $50 million was drawn as of September 30, 2023.
• Prepayment of $104 million of the principal outstanding of the $750 Million Credit Facility.
• Reduction of cash break-even costs by nearly $1,000 per day to approximately $14,750 per day through lower debt service costs.
• Net loan to value is lowest in Company history at 19%.
• In October 2023, the Company prepaid an additional $21 million of the $750 Million Credit Facility and repaid the full $50 million drawn on the new $160 Million Revolving Credit Facility.

Returns to Shareholders:

• Paid a combined $1.42 per share in regular and supplemental dividends in September 2023.
• Declared a combined dividend of $1.25 per share composed of a supplemental dividend of $1.13 per share and $0.12 per share of a regular quarterly cash dividend to be paid in December 2023.
• Cumulative cash returns of over $320 million paid over the last twelve months through dividends and share repurchases.

Fleet Optimization Program:

• Sold a 2008-built MR for net proceeds of $13 million after debt repayment in October 2023
• Declared options for two scrubber-fitted, dual-fuel (LNG) ready, LR1 newbuildings for delivery in the first quarter of 2026. In aggregate, the Company has four LR1s on order with a total contract price of $231 million with deliveries beginning in the second half of 2025.
• Increased contracted revenues to $344 million by entering into a new time charter agreement.

“We continued to generate significant cash and earnings from our diversified portfolio of crude and product tankers during the third quarter,” said Lois K. Zabrocky, International Seaways’ President and CEO. “Seaways remains committed to returning cash to shareholders by declaring a combined dividend of $1.25 per share for the fourth quarter. Including this declaration, aggregate dividends during 2023 will be $6.29 per share increasing our cumulative returns to shareholders to over $320 million. Moving forward, we remain dedicated to a balanced capital allocation approach, which enables us to pay substantial dividends, execute opportunistic share buybacks, and reinvest in our fleet to maximize long-term shareholder value.”

Ms. Zabrocky added, “We expect the tanker markets’ attractive supply and demand dynamics to continue to drive strong tanker earnings for the foreseeable future. Supply side growth remains limited due to evolving regulations and limited newbuild capacity in the near term at shipyards while the world fleet continues to age. Positive tanker demand fundamentals are supported by increasing oil demand and higher tanker utilization from the shifting global energy trade, with geopolitical tensions driving further focus on energy security.”

Jeff Pribor, the Company’s CFO stated, “Maintaining a strong and diverse capital structure remains a top priority for Seaways. During the third quarter, we continued to enhance our balance sheet, executing a new revolving credit facility agreement that increased our total revolving capacity, which together with further de-leveraging, reduced our cash breakeven costs nearly $1,000 per day. We are pleased with our success to-date, lowering our breakeven levels to amongst the lowest in the industry at $14,750 per day in a diversified tanker company. This further improves our ability to generate free cash, and, combined with our ample liquidity of $581 million and net loan-to-value ratio of 19%, ensures Seaways is ideally positioned to optimize returns to shareholders.”

THIRD QUARTER 2023 RESULTS

Net income for the third quarter of 2023 was $97.9 million, or $1.99 per diluted share, compared to net income of $113.4 million, or $2.28 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2022. Net income for the third quarter of 2023 reflects the write-off of deferred finance costs, debt modification fees and a loss on extinguishment of debt, aggregating $2.8 million. Net income excluding these items was $100.7 million, or $2.04 per diluted share. The decrease in net income for the third quarter of 2023 was primarily driven by an increase in charter hire expenses, an increase in vessel expenses, primarily due to the impact of VLCC newbuilding deliveries combined with inflationary increases in lubes, stores and spares; and an increase in depreciation and amortization due to the impact of VLCC newbuilding deliveries as well as increased drydockings and amortization.

Shipping revenues for the third quarter were $241.7 million, compared to $236.8 million for the third quarter of 2022. Consolidated TCE revenues for the third quarter were $236.0 million, compared to $234.5 million for the third quarter of 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter was $150.9 million, compared to $157.1 million for the third quarter of 2022.

Crude Tankers

Shipping revenues for the Crude Tankers segment were $114.3 million for the third quarter of 2023, compared to $77.1 million for the third quarter of 2022. TCE revenues were $110.8 million for the third quarter, compared to $75.2 million for the third quarter of 2022. This increase was primarily attributable to substantially higher spot rates as the average spot earnings of the VLCC and Suezmax sectors were approximately $41,000 and $38,700 per day, respectively, compared with approximately $24,400 and $34,200 per day, respectively, during the third quarter of 2022. These rate increases were supplemented by an increase in revenue days from both the VLCC and Suezmax fleets and partially offset by lower average Aframax sector spot earnings of approximately $34,000 per day in the third quarter of 2023, compared to $38,300 per day during the third quarter of 2022.

Product Carriers

Shipping revenues for the Product Carriers segment were $127.5 million for the third quarter, compared to $159.8 million for the third quarter of 2022. TCE revenues were $125.2 million for the third quarter, compared to $159.4 million for the third quarter of 2022. This decrease is primarily attributed to lower spot earnings in the MR sector that averaged approximately $26,600 per day in the third quarter of 2023, compared to $36,000 per day during the third quarter of 2022. This rate decrease was partially offset by higher average LR1 sector spot earnings of approximately $56,300 per day in the third quarter of 2023, compared to $41,000 per day during the third quarter of 2022.

THIRD QUARTER YEAR-TO-DATE 2023 RESULTS

Net income for the first nine months of 2023 was $424.3 million, or $8.58 per diluted share, compared to net income of $169.5 million, or $3.40 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2022.

Shipping revenues for the first nine months of 2023 were $821.0 million, compared to $526.5 million for the first nine months of 2022. Consolidated TCE revenuesfor the first nine months of 2023 were $807.6 million, compared to $518.1 million for the first nine months of 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2023 was $565.0 million, compared to $294.8 million for the first nine months of 2022.

Crude Tankers

TCE revenues for the Crude Tankers segment were $389.0 million for the first nine months of 2023, compared to $171.1 million for the first nine months of 2022. Shipping revenues for the Crude Tankers segment were $398.8 million for the first nine months of 2023, compared to $178.8 million for the first nine months of 2022.

Product Carriers

TCE revenues for the Product Carriers segment were $418.6 million for the first nine months of 2023 compared to $346.9 million for the first nine months of 2022. Shipping revenues for the Product Carriers segment were $422.2 million for the first nine months of 2023, compared to $347.7 million for the first nine months of 2022.

DELEVERAGING INITIATIVES

During the third quarter of 2023, the Company entered into a new revolving credit facility agreement (the “$160 Million Revolving Credit Facility”, or the “Revolver”), which resulted in an increase in total revolving capacity by $160 million. The Revolver matures in March 2029 and capacity is reduced on a quarterly basis based on a 20-year age-adjusted profile of the five collateral vessels. The Revolver bears an interest rate of term SOFR+190bps (the “margin”) and includes similar sustainability-linked features as included in the $750 Million Credit Facility, which could impact the margin by 7.5 basis points. The Company drew $50 million under the Revolver to partially fund a prepayment of $104 million of the principal outstanding on the $750 Million Credit Facility and the release of four vessels from its collateral package. During October 2023, the Company repaid the $50 million outstanding on the Revolver.

For the first ten months of 2023, the Company has extinguished approximately $316 million of debt. During the first quarter, the Company amended the $750 Million Credit Facility, which included a prepayment of $97 million on the term loan, increased the capacity of the revolving credit facility tranche by $40 million and released 22 vessels from the collateral package. During the second quarter, the Company prepaid approximately $75 million in debt with the exercise of purchase options for two vessels under sale-leaseback agreements for $46 million and the prepayment of $29 million on the $750 Million Credit Facility, which also released another vessel from the collateral package. During the third quarter, a net prepayment of $54 million resulted from the aforementioned activities. In October, the Company prepaid approximately $71 million of debt, consisting of approximately $21 million on the $750 Million Credit Facility that released one additional vessel from the collateral package and $50 million payment on the Revolver. The Company also paid approximately $19 million on the $750 Million Credit Facility in connection with the sales of two 2008-built MRs during 2023.

As of November 1, 2023, the Company has approximately $771 million in outstanding debt, 30 unencumbered vessels and undrawn revolving credit capacity of approximately $417 million.

RETURNING CASH TO SHAREHOLDERS

In September 2023, the Company paid a combined dividend of $1.42 per share of common stock, composed of a regular quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock and a supplemental dividend of $1.30 per share. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company has paid combined dividends of approximately $5.04 per share.
On November 6, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a combined dividend of $1.25 per share of common stock, composed of a regular quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock and a supplemental dividend of $1.13 per share of common stock. Both dividends will be paid on December 27, 2023, to shareholders with a record date at the close of business on December 13, 2023.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company repurchased and retired 366,483 shares of its common stock in open market purchases, at an average price of $38.03 at an aggregate cost of approximately $14 million. The Company has $50 million authorized under its share repurchase program, which was increased in the second quarter of 2023. In November 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors extended the expiry of the program to the end of 2025.

FLEET OPTIMIZATION PROGRAM

The Company entered into contracts and declared options to build a total of four scrubber-fitted, dual-fuel (LNG) ready, LR1 vessels in Korea with K Shipbuilding Co, Ltd at a price in aggregate of approximately $231 million. Two contracts were executed in August 2023 with two additional options that were exercised in October 2023. The vessels are expected to be delivered beginning in the second half of 2025 through the first quarter of 2026. Upon delivery, these vessels are expected to deliver into our niche, Panamax International Pool, which has consistently outperformed the market.

In the third quarter, the Company entered into a time charter agreement for three years on a 2008-built MR. During 2023, the Company has entered into six, time charter agreements: one 2017-built Aframax, three 2008-built MRs, one 2011-built MR and one 2012-built Suezmax. The charters have durations of two to three years and have increased contracted future revenues to approximately $344 million remaining under time charter agreements from October 1, 2023 through charter expiry, excluding any applicable profit share.

During 2023, the Company sold two 2008-built MRs, which generated approximately $24 million in net proceeds after debt repayment, including one MR that delivered to buyers in October 2023.

During 2023, the Company took delivery of three dual-fuel VLCC newbuildings. The vessels were ordered for an aggregate contract price of $288 million, which are financed under sale leaseback arrangements at a fixed rate of approximately $4.25%. The vessels have commenced long-term time charters with an oil major for the next seven years at a base rate of $31,000 per day plus a profit share component.

In December 2022, the Company exercised its purchase options on two 2009-built Aframax vessels under sale leaseback arrangement, which were accounted for as operating leases prior to declaration of the options. The aggregate purchase price, net of prepaid charter hire of both vessels was approximately $41 million, representing a discount at the time of approximately 45% to the market value of these vessels.

Source: International Seaways