Clearwater Paper Reports Second Quarter 2023 Results

Clearwater Paper Corporation (NYSE:CLW, Financial), a premier supplier of quality tissue and bleached paperboard products, today reported financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2023.

SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

• Net sales of $525 million, slightly below the second quarter of last year
• Net income of $30 million, or $1.75 per diluted share
• Adjusted net income of $30 million, $11 million higher than the second quarter of last year
• Adjusted EBITDA of $71 million, $8 million higher than second quarter of last year
• Adjusted EBITDA margin at 13.6%, up from 12% during the second quarter of last year
• Reduced net debt by $25 million from first quarter of this year
• Repurchased $8 million of outstanding shares, with $15 million remaining under program

“We had a stronger than expected second quarter, with solid operational performance and lower than expected costs for key inputs such as pulp, energy, and transportation. Tissue demand remained strong, while paperboard was soft as consumer spending slowed and customers continued to manage inventories,” said Arsen Kitch, president and chief executive officer. “We continued to focus on cash flow generation and were able to reduce our net debt by $25 million and repurchase 263 thousand shares of our stock.”

OVERALL RESULTS

For the second quarter of 2023, Clearwater Paper reported net sales of $525 million compared to net sales of $526 million for the second quarter of 2022. Net income for the second quarter of 2023 was $30 million, or $1.75 per diluted share, compared to net income for the second quarter of 2022 of $15 million, or $0.86 per diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, Clearwater Paper reported adjusted net income in the second quarter of 2023 of $30 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, compared to second quarter 2022 adjusted net income of $19 million, or $1.11 per diluted share. Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2023 was $71 million, compared to the second quarter of 2022 Adjusted EBITDA of $63 million.

For the first six months of 2023, Clearwater Paper reported net sales of $1.1 billion, a 3% increase compared to net sales of $1.0 billion for the first six months of 2022. Net income for the first six months of 2023 was $54 million, or $3.15 per diluted share, compared to net income for the first six months of 2022 of $31 million, or $1.83 per diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, Clearwater Paper reported adjusted net income in the first six months of 2023 of $55 million, or $3.21 per diluted share, compared to first six months of 2022 adjusted net income of $36 million, or $2.13 per diluted share. Adjusted EBITDA for the first six months of 2023 was $137 million, compared to the first six months of 2022 Adjusted EBITDA of $122 million.

Pulp and Paperboard Segment

Net sales in the Pulp and Paperboard segment were $272 million for the second quarter of 2023, down 8% compared to second quarter 2022 net sales of $296 million. Segment operating income for the second quarter of 2023 was $42 million, compared to $52 million for the second quarter of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for the segment was $51 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared to $61 million in the second quarter of 2022. The decrease in operating income and Adjusted EBITDA was primarily driven by planned production downtime to manage inventories, higher maintenance costs and lower sales volumes, partially offset by higher sales prices.

Net sales in the Pulp and Paperboard segment were $551 million for the first six months of 2023, down 2% compared to net sales of $562 million in the first six months of 2022. Segment operating income for the first six months of 2023 was $99 million, compared to $102 million for the first six months of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for the segment was $118 million in the first six months of 2023, compared to $121 million in the first six months of 2022. The decrease in operating income and Adjusted EBITDA was driven primarily by planned production downtime to manage inventories and lower sales volumes, partially offset by higher sales prices.

Pulp and Paperboard Sales Volumes and Prices:

• Paperboard sales volumes were 186,160 tons in the second quarter of 2023, a decrease of 14% compared to 215,903 tons in the second quarter of 2022. Paperboard sales volumes were 375,558 tons in the first six months of 2023, a decrease of 10% compared to 417,259 tons in the first six months of 2022.
• Paperboard average net selling price increased 6% to $1,413 per ton for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $1,332 per ton in the second quarter of 2022. Paperboard average net selling price increased 10% to $1,428 per ton for the first six months of 2023, compared to $1,299 per ton in the first six months of 2022.

Consumer Products Segment

Net sales in the Consumer Products segment were $254 million for the second quarter of 2023, up 9% compared to second quarter 2022 net sales of $232 million. Segment operating income for the second quarter of 2023 was $25 million compared to operating income of $3 million in the second quarter of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for the segment was $40 million in the second quarter of 2023, compared to $19 million in the second quarter of 2022. The increase in operating income and Adjusted EBITDA was driven by higher sales prices and lower input costs, primarily in freight and energy.

Net sales in the Consumer Products segment were $502 million for the first six months of 2023, up 10% compared to net sales of $455 million in the first six months of 2022. Segment operating income for the first six months of 2023 was $29 million compared to operating income of $4 million in the first six months of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for the segment was $59 million in the first six months of 2023, compared to $35 million in the first six months of 2022. The increase in operating income and Adjusted EBITDA was driven by higher sales prices partially offset by higher input costs, primarily in pulp, freight and energy costs.

Retail Tissue Sales Volumes and Prices:

• Retail tissue volumes sold were 78,672 tons in the second quarter of 2023 compared to 76,604 tons in the second quarter of 2022. Retail tissue volumes sold were 155,520 tons in the first six months of 2023, an increase of 2% compared to 152,030 tons in the first six months of 2022.
• Retail tissue average net selling price increased 8% to $3,214 per ton in the second quarter of 2023, compared to $2,984 per ton in the second quarter of 2022. Retail tissue average net selling price increased 10% to $3,207 per ton in the first six months of 2023, compared to $2,928 per ton in the first six months of 2022.

COMPANY OUTLOOK

“We expect continued strength in our tissue business in the coming quarters, with projected strong demand and lower input costs driving improved margins. We also anticipate that our paperboard volumes will improve in the second half of this year as compared to the first half. We will continue our focus on cash flow generation through strong operating performance and managing inventories by matching supply with demand,” continued Kitch.

WEBCAST INFORMATION

Clearwater Paper Corporation will discuss these results during an earnings conference call that begins at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today. A live webcast and accompanying supplemental information will be available on the company's website at http://ir.clearwaterpaper.com. A replay of today's conference call will be available on the website at https://ir.clearwaterpaper.com/investors/events-and-presentations beginning at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time today.

ABOUT CLEARWATER PAPER

Clearwater Paper is a premier supplier of private brand tissue to major retailers, including grocery, club, mass merchants, and discount stores. In addition, the company produces bleached paperboard used by quality-conscious printers and packaging converters, and offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting, and cutting. Clearwater Paper's employees build shareholder value by developing strong relationships through quality and service.

USE OF NON-GAAP MEASURES

In this press release, the company presents certain non-GAAP financial information for the second quarter and first six months of 2023 and 2022, including adjusted income and Adjusted EBITDA. Because these amounts are not in accordance with GAAP, reconciliations to net income as determined in accordance with GAAP are included in the tables at the end of this press release. The company presents these non-GAAP metrics because management believes they assist investors and analysts in comparing the company's performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by excluding items that the company does not believe are indicative of its core operating performance. In addition, the company uses Adjusted EBITDA: (i) as a factor in evaluating management’s performance when determining incentive compensation, (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's business strategies, and (iii) because the company's credit agreement and the indentures governing the company's outstanding notes use metrics similar to Adjusted EBITDA to measure the company's compliance with certain covenants.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as amended, including statements regarding demand, inflation, our expectations regarding the paperboard and tissue markets, operational and financial performance, and our focus on cash flow and inventory management. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections that are subject to change, and actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: competitive pricing pressures for our products, including as a result of capacity additions, demand reduction and the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on the pricing of products globally; changes in the U.S. and international economies and in general economic conditions in the regions and industries in which we operate; manufacturing or operating disruptions, including equipment malfunctions and damage to our manufacturing facilities; the loss of, changes in prices in regard to, or reduction in, orders from a significant customer; changes in the cost and availability of wood fiber and wood pulp; changes in energy, chemicals, packaging and transportation costs and disruptions in transportation services impacting our ability to receive inputs or ship products to customers; reliance on a limited number of third-party suppliers, vendors and service providers required for the production of our products and our operations; changes in customer product preferences and competitors' product offerings; cyber-security risks; larger competitors having operational, financial and other advantages; consolidation and vertical integration of converting operations in the paperboard industry; our ability to successfully execute capital projects and other activities to operate our assets, including effective maintenance, implement our operational efficiencies and realize higher throughput or lower costs; IT system disruptions and IT system implementation failures; labor disruptions; cyclical industry conditions; changes in expenses, required contributions and potential withdrawal costs associated with our pension plans; environmental liabilities or expenditures and climate change; our ability to attract, motivate, train and retain qualified and key personnel; ability to service our debt obligations and restrictions on our business from debt covenants and terms; changes in our banking relations, or in our customer supply chain financing; negative changes in our credit agency ratings; changes in laws, regulations or industry standards affecting our business; and other risks and uncertainties described from time to time in the company's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements based on new developments or changes in the company's expectations after the date of this press release.

`