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NuStar (NS) Q1 Earnings Lag Amid High Impairment Charges
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NuStar Energy L.P. (NS - Free Report) reported first-quarter 2019 results on May 10, wherein earnings and sales lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in a comprehensive miss. The partnership posted adjusted earnings per limited partner unit of 14 cents, significantly missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 32 cents due to massive impairment charges that spiked total costs in the quarter under review by 90.6% on a year-over-year basis. The bottom line also deteriorated from the year-ago earnings of 33 cents a unit.
NuStar incurred an operating loss of $233.1 against an income of $98.5 million in the prior-year quarter, owing to an increase in total costs. Total costs and expenses amounted to $719.6 million compared with the year-ago level of $377.4 million. Asset and goodwill impairment charges incurred in the quarter under review hit the company hard, as is evident fromits net loss of $277.8 million against earnings of $126.1 million in the year-ago period.
Quarterly revenues of $486.5 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $488 million. However, the top line was higher than the year-ago level of $475.8 million. The outperformance can be attributed to increased throughput volumes from crude oil pipelines.
NuStar Energy L.P. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Pipeline: Total quarterly throughput volumes from the segment were 1,522,093 barrels per day (Bbl/d), up 15% from the year-ago period. While throughput volumes from crude oil pipelines jumped 29% (primarily owing to higher contribution from the Permian crude system) from the year-ago quarter to 959,041 Bbl/d, throughput from refined product pipelines scaled down from 531,894 Bbl/d in the year-ago period to 503,485 Bbl/d. As a result, the segment’s revenues rose 14.2% year over year to $156.3 million. Concurrently, operating income of $67.3 million was up from the year-ago figure of $57.8 million.
Storage: Throughput volumes from the Storage segment rose to 364,854Bbl/d from 343,933Bbl/d in the prior-year quarter. The unit’s quarterly revenues fell to $143 million from $155.3 in the prior-year period, owing to a plunge in storage terminal revenues (from 135.3 million in first-quarter 2018 to $121.3 million). The segment’s results were majorly hit by huge asset impairment charges of $297.3 million. Operating and depreciation costs recorded an increase from the year-ago quarter. As a result, the segment slipped to an operatingloss of $247.2 in the quarter under review versus the year-ago profit of $56.3 million.
Fuels Marketing: Product sales and other revenues from this segment increased to $189 million from $186 million in the year-ago quarter. Operating costs skyrocketed 430.7% year over year to $4.4 million. Further, the segment bore the brunt of goodwill impairment charges of $31.1 million. Consequently, the segment recorded a loss of $25 million in the quarter under review against a profit of $6.3 million in first-quarter 2018.
Cash Flow &Balance Sheet
First-quarter 2019 distributable cash flow available to limited partners was $95 million (providing 1.47x distribution coverage), higher than $91.7 million (providing 1.64x distribution coverage) in the year-ago period.
As of Mar 31, the partnership’s cash and cash equivalents came in at $15.8 million. Total debt was $3,333.2 million, representing a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 57.6%.
2019 Guidance Reiterated
The partnership continues to expect full-year adjusted EBITDA in the band of $665-$715 million. Distribution coverage forecast for 2019 is also maintained in the range of 1.2-1.3 times. Moreover, capital expenditure budget remains unchanged at $500-550 million.
Meanwhile, investors interested in the energy space can consider some better-ranked players such as:
Devon Energy Corporation (DVN - Free Report) : Devon’s 2019 earnings are expected to grow 68.2% on a year-over-year basis.
Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR - Free Report) : Murphy surpassed earnings estimates in three out of the trailing four quarters, with average positive surprise of 17.33%. The company’s 2019 earnings are expected to grow 26.2%.
Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. : The company delivered average positive earnings surprise of 3.99% in the trailing four quarters. Bonanza Creek’s 2019 revenues are expected to grow 23.1% y/y.
Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?
Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.
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NuStar (NS) Q1 Earnings Lag Amid High Impairment Charges
NuStar Energy L.P. (NS - Free Report) reported first-quarter 2019 results on May 10, wherein earnings and sales lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in a comprehensive miss. The partnership posted adjusted earnings per limited partner unit of 14 cents, significantly missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 32 cents due to massive impairment charges that spiked total costs in the quarter under review by 90.6% on a year-over-year basis. The bottom line also deteriorated from the year-ago earnings of 33 cents a unit.
NuStar incurred an operating loss of $233.1 against an income of $98.5 million in the prior-year quarter, owing to an increase in total costs. Total costs and expenses amounted to $719.6 million compared with the year-ago level of $377.4 million. Asset and goodwill impairment charges incurred in the quarter under review hit the company hard, as is evident fromits net loss of $277.8 million against earnings of $126.1 million in the year-ago period.
Quarterly revenues of $486.5 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $488 million. However, the top line was higher than the year-ago level of $475.8 million. The outperformance can be attributed to increased throughput volumes from crude oil pipelines.
NuStar Energy L.P. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
NuStar Energy L.P. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | NuStar Energy L.P. Quote
Segmental Performance
Pipeline: Total quarterly throughput volumes from the segment were 1,522,093 barrels per day (Bbl/d), up 15% from the year-ago period. While throughput volumes from crude oil pipelines jumped 29% (primarily owing to higher contribution from the Permian crude system) from the year-ago quarter to 959,041 Bbl/d, throughput from refined product pipelines scaled down from 531,894 Bbl/d in the year-ago period to 503,485 Bbl/d. As a result, the segment’s revenues rose 14.2% year over year to $156.3 million. Concurrently, operating income of $67.3 million was up from the year-ago figure of $57.8 million.
Storage: Throughput volumes from the Storage segment rose to 364,854Bbl/d from 343,933Bbl/d in the prior-year quarter. The unit’s quarterly revenues fell to $143 million from $155.3 in the prior-year period, owing to a plunge in storage terminal revenues (from 135.3 million in first-quarter 2018 to $121.3 million). The segment’s results were majorly hit by huge asset impairment charges of $297.3 million. Operating and depreciation costs recorded an increase from the year-ago quarter. As a result, the segment slipped to an operatingloss of $247.2 in the quarter under review versus the year-ago profit of $56.3 million.
Fuels Marketing: Product sales and other revenues from this segment increased to $189 million from $186 million in the year-ago quarter. Operating costs skyrocketed 430.7% year over year to $4.4 million. Further, the segment bore the brunt of goodwill impairment charges of $31.1 million. Consequently, the segment recorded a loss of $25 million in the quarter under review against a profit of $6.3 million in first-quarter 2018.
Cash Flow &Balance Sheet
First-quarter 2019 distributable cash flow available to limited partners was $95 million (providing 1.47x distribution coverage), higher than $91.7 million (providing 1.64x distribution coverage) in the year-ago period.
As of Mar 31, the partnership’s cash and cash equivalents came in at $15.8 million. Total debt was $3,333.2 million, representing a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 57.6%.
2019 Guidance Reiterated
The partnership continues to expect full-year adjusted EBITDA in the band of $665-$715 million. Distribution coverage forecast for 2019 is also maintained in the range of 1.2-1.3 times. Moreover, capital expenditure budget remains unchanged at $500-550 million.
Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider
Currently, NuStar has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Meanwhile, investors interested in the energy space can consider some better-ranked players such as:
Devon Energy Corporation (DVN - Free Report) : Devon’s 2019 earnings are expected to grow 68.2% on a year-over-year basis.
Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR - Free Report) : Murphy surpassed earnings estimates in three out of the trailing four quarters, with average positive surprise of 17.33%. The company’s 2019 earnings are expected to grow 26.2%.
Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. : The company delivered average positive earnings surprise of 3.99% in the trailing four quarters. Bonanza Creek’s 2019 revenues are expected to grow 23.1% y/y.
Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?
Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.
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