Luxembourg - 29 February 2024 - Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo BĂžrs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY,
ISIN: LU0075646355, the Company) announced today results of Subsea7 Group (the
Group, Subsea7) for the fourth quarter and full year which ended 31 December
âŠ
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- Unless otherwise stated the comparative period is the full year which
ended 31 December 2022.
Fourth quarter and full year highlights
-
At least $1 billion of shareholder returns over four years through a
combination of dividends and share repurchases
-
Full year Adjusted EBITDA of $714 million, up 28% year-on-year, equating to
a margin of 12%
-
Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $245 million, a margin of 15%, up 45% on
the prior year period
-
Full year order intake of $7.4 billion resulted in a book-to-bill of 1.2
times and continued backlog growth to $10.6 billion
-
Full year 2024 guidance reconfirmed: Adjusted EBITDA expected to be within a
range from $950 million to $1.0 billion
Fourth Quarter Full Year
------------------------------------
For the period (in $ millions, except Q4 2023 Q4 2022 2023 2022
Adjusted EBITDA margin and per share data) Unaudited Unaudited Audited Audited
Revenue 1,631 1,291 5,974 5,136
Adjusted EBITDA((a)) 245 169 714 559
Adjusted EBITDA margin((a)) 15% 13% 12% 11%
Net operating income 55 109 105 149
Net (loss)/income (11) 27 10 36
Earnings per share - in $ per share
Basic (0.06) 0.10 0.05 0.20
Diluted((b)) (0.06) 0.09 0.05 0.19
2023 2022
At (in $ millions) 31 Dec 31 Dec
Backlog((a)) 10,587 9,008
Book-to-bill ratio((a)) 1.2x 1.4x
Cash and cash equivalents 751 646
Borrowings (845) (356)
Net (debt)/cash excluding lease
liabilities((a)) (94) 290
Net (debt)/cash including lease
liabilities((a)) (552) 33
(a) For explanations and reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA
margin, Backlog, Book-to-bill ratio and Net debt refer to the âAlternative
Performance Measuresâ section of the Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
(b) For the explanation and a reconciliation of diluted earnings per share refer
to Note 7 âEarnings per shareâ to the Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
John Evans, Chief Executive Officer, said:
Subsea7 closed 2023 with a strong operational performance in the fourth quarter,
resulting in Adjusted EBITDA of $714 million for the year, up 28% on the prior
year. After another year of active tendering, the Group secured $7.4 billion of
high quality contract awards, taking our backlog to $10.6 billion, a year end
level last seen in 2013. With $5.7 billion of firm work for execution in the
coming year, the Group has excellent visibility on 2024, and we expect to
deliver Adjusted EBITDA growth of at least 33%. Confidence in the Groupâs
outlook for cash generation in 2024 and beyond, combined with a sharp reduction
in capital expenditure following the completion of our two newbuild wind
vessels, supports the Boardâs recommendation for shareholder returns totalling
at least $1 billion over the next four years. This extends Subsea7âs track
record of shareholder returns since 2011 to $3 billion and underscores the
commitment of both management and the Board to strong capital stewardship.
Fourth quarter operational highlights
During the fourth quarter, Subsea7 made good progress on its portfolio of Subsea
and Conventional projects. In Australia, where environmental permits for both
Scarborough and Barossa have been obtained by our clients, we completed the
fabrication of pipeline stalks at the Bintan spoolbase and Seven Oceans and
Seven Oceanic commenced offshore operations. In TĂŒrkiye, we ramped up activity
for Sakarya Phase 2a with the commencement of procurement. In Brazil, we
progressed engineering on the combined Mero 3&4 while, on Bacalhau, Seven Vega,
Seven Pacific and Seven Cruzeiro installed pipelines and umbilicals.
With the North Sea winter off-season underway for the offshore wind industry,
Seaway Strashnov was deployed to the Sanha Lean Gas subsea project in Angola,
and Seaway Aimery and Seaway Moxie underwent scheduled maintenance in the
Netherlands. Seaway Alfa Lift continued to install transition pieces at Dogger
Bank A. In Taiwan, Seaway Phoenix continued cable lay activities at Changfang
and Xidao and, at Yunlin, one export cable and four inner-array cables were
installed by Maersk Connector. The newbuild Seaway Ventus began its transit from
the yard in China to Europe.
Fourth quarter financial review
Revenue of $1.6 billion increased 26% compared to the prior year period.
Adjusted EBITDA of $245 million equated to an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 15%, up
from 13% in Q4 2022. This reflected the third consecutive quarter of double-
digit margins in Renewables and a strong performance in Subsea and Conventional
across our portfolio of projects.
Depreciation and amortisation charges were $142 million. In addition, we
recognised a net impairment charge of $48 million, including $74 million of
impairment charges, relating to i) Seaway Alfa Lift monopile installation
equipment, owing to a contractual dispute in relation to which Subsea7 intends
to use all legal resources available to reach a satisfactory outcome, and ii) a
loss on Seaway Yudin disposal. These were partly offset by impairment reversals
of $26 million. Net operating income was $55 million compared to $109 million in
the prior year period. Net finance costs of $18 million and a net foreign
exchange loss of $28 million, resulted in net loss for the quarter of $11
million compared with net income of $27 million in the prior year period.
Net cash generated from operating activities in the fourth quarter was $529
million, including a better than expected $306 million improvement in net
working capital, equating to a cash conversion of 2.2 times. Net cash used in
investing activities was $374 million mainly related to the final payments for
Seaway Ventus and the first instalment of $153 million for the Groupâs
investment in OneSubsea. Net cash generated from financing activities was $62
million with net proceeds from borrowings of $119 million partly offset by lease
payments of $42 million. Overall, cash and cash equivalents increased by
$221 million to $751 million at 31 December 2023 and net debt was $552 million,
including lease liabilities of $458 million.
Fourth quarter order intake was $1.2 billion comprising new awards of $0.6
billion and escalations of $0.6 billion resulting in a book-to-bill ratio of
0.8 times. Backlog at the end of December was $10.6 billion, of which $5.7
billion is expected to be executed in 2024, $3.8 billion in 2025 and $1.1
billion in 2026 and beyond.
Commitment to shareholder returns
Reflecting its confidence in the outlook and the expected financial performance
of Subsea7, the Board of Directors proposes that the Company returns at least $1
billion to shareholders over four years, from 2024 to 2027.
At the Annual General Meeting on 2 May 2024, the Board of Directors will propose
that shareholders approve a cash dividend of NOK 6.00 per share, equating to
approximately $170 million, payable in two equal instalments in May and November
2024. The Companyâs dividend policy will be revised to reflect an increase in
the regular dividend to NOK 6.00 from NOK 1.00 per share to be paid in two equal
instalments.
The Company has also committed to repurchase approximately $80 million of its
own shares in 2024, resulting in shareholder returns of approximately
$250 million.
Outlook
We anticipate that revenue in 2024 will be between $6.0 billion and $6.5
billion, while Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be within a range from $950
million to $1.0 billion. Our expectation for capital expenditure in 2024 has
increased slightly to $300-320 million (from $280-300 million) driven by spend
deferred from 2023 into 2024. As the mix of activity continues to shift to
projects won in a favourable environment, our Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected
to be within an 18-20% range in full year 2025.
Longer term, we continue to see a positive outlook for demand for our Subsea and
Conventional business, supported by a tender pipeline of $21 billion. As a
source of reliable energy, the hydrocarbon industry is likely to remain a key
contributor to global production under plausible ranges of energy transition
scenarios. We are confident that our focus on the deepwater subsea market, with
attractive economics, will enable us to maximise the return on the significant
historical investments made in our modern subsea fleet.
In Renewables, last yearâs project delays and cancellations put many countriesâ
clean energy ambitions under pressure and prompted a swift response in countries
such as the UK and US, with positive indications for our tender pipeline in
2024. While the growth trajectory for the offshore wind market may not be smooth
it is certainly clear that long-term demand is set to significantly exceed the
current fleet capacity of the industry. With a strong focus on achieving an
equitable risk-return balance, we believe our offshore wind business will
deliver sustainable value creation for shareholders.
Conference Call Information
Date: 29 February 2024
Time: 11:00 UK Time, 12:00 CET
Access the webcast at subsea7.com (https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/sdhad4b2)
or https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/n24x2p3g/
Register for the conference call at
Conference Registration
For further information, please contact:
Katherine Tonks
Head of Investor Relations
Email: ir@subsea7.com (mailto:ir@subsea7.com)
Telephone: +44 20 8210 5568
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document may contain âforward-looking statementsâ (within the meaning of
the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs,
intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to
known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events
to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements.
Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as
âanticipateâ, âbelieveâ, âestimateâ, âexpectâ, âfutureâ, âgoalâ, âintendâ,
âlikelyâ âmayâ, âplanâ, âprojectâ, âseekâ, âshouldâ, âstrategyâ âwillâ, and
similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of
the Group are described in the âRisk Managementâ section of the Groupâs Annual
Report. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ
materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to):
(i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client
expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns;
(ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect
the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects;
(iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by
fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v)
unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi)
competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we
operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any
significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental
inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including
economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour
unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency
fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster;
(xi) liability to Fourth parties for the failure of our joint venture partners
to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with,
applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing
climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental
damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse
weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs,
impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion
requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely
completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with
technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber
security or data security breaches; (xvii) global availability at scale and
commercially viability of suitable alternative vessel fuels; and, (xviii) the
effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control
over financial reporting. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to
control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue
reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement
speaks only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to
update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of
new information, future events or otherwise.
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU
Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant
to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
This stock exchange release was published by Katherine Tonks, Investor
Relations, Subsea7, on 29 February 2024 08:00 CET.
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