Business News

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2008 Financial Results

2008-08-11 08:00:00

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2008 Financial Results

                                 Highlights

  - Net sales up 74% over Q2 of 2007 and up 69% over the six months ended

                               June 30, 2007

       - Gallons sold up 52% from Q2 of 2007 to 66.8 million gallons

               - Loss per diluted share of $0.23 for Q2 2008

 - EBITDA was negative $0.8 million for Q2 2008 and positive $11.7 million

                   for the six months ended June 30, 2008

    - Replaced Kinergy's line of credit with a new $40 million facility

- Additional issuance of common stock, preferred stock and related warrants

                          for $32.4 million in Q2

            - Stockton plant to be completed in current quarter



    SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 11 /EMWNews/ -- Pacific Ethanol,

Inc. (Nasdaq: PEIX), the leading West Coast-based marketer and producer of

ethanol, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June

30, 2008.



    Three Months Ended June 30, 2008



    For the three months ended June 30, 2008, the Company reported net

sales of $198.0 million, an increase of $84.2 million, or 74%, compared to

$113.8 million for the same period in 2007. This increase in net sales is

primarily due to a substantial increase in sales volume, coupled with

higher average sales prices. The Company's sales volume increased by 22.9

million gallons, or 52%, to 66.8 million gallons, compared to 43.9 million

gallons for the same period in 2007. The Company's average sales price of

ethanol increased by $0.23 per gallon, or 10%, to $2.55 per gallon compared

to an average sales price of $2.32 per gallon in the same period in 2007.



    Average corn prices increased 67% for the three months ended June 30,

2008 as compared to the same period in 2007. Gross profit for the three

months ended June 30, 2008 totaled $0.4 million compared to $11.1 million

for the same period in 2007. The Company's gross margin was 0.2% for the

three months ended June 30, 2008 compared to 9.8% for the same period in

2007.



    The Company's net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2008 was

$8.3 million compared to net income of $2.2 million for the same period in

2007. Loss available to common stockholders for the three months ended June

30, 2008 was $10.5 million compared to income available to common

stockholders of $1.1 million for the same period in 2007. The Company

reported loss per common share of $0.23 for the three months ended June 30,

2008 as compared to income per common share of $0.03 for the same period in

2007. The Company's weighted-average number of diluted shares outstanding

for the three months ended June 30, 2008 totaled 46.5 million.



    During the second quarter, the Company raised $32.4 million in cash

from sales of common and preferred stock and related warrants, bringing in

additional working capital to operate its business in an environment of

challenging commodity prices.



    Six Months Ended June 30, 2008



    For the six months ended June 30, 2008, the Company reported net sales

of $359.5 million, an increase of $146.5 million, or 69%, compared to

$213.0 million for the same period in 2007. This increase in net sales is

primarily due to a substantial increase in sales volume, coupled with

modestly higher average sales prices. The Company's sales volume increased

by 43.2 million gallons, or 52%, to 126.0 million gallons, compared to 82.8

million gallons for the same period in 2007. The Company's average sales

price of ethanol increased by $0.14 per gallon, or 6%, to $2.43 per gallon

compared to an average sales price of $2.29 per gallon for the same period

in 2007.



    Average corn prices increased 64% for the six months ended June 30,

2008 as compared to the same period in 2007. Gross profit for the six

months ended June 30, 2008 totaled $16.1 million compared to $26.5 million

for the same period in 2007. The Company's gross margin was 4.5% for the

six months ended June 30, 2008 compared to 12.4% in the same period in

2007.



    The Company's net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2008 was $43.5

million compared to net income of $5.1 million for the same period in 2007.

Loss available to common stockholders for the six months ended June 30,

2008 was $46.7 million compared to income of $3.0 million for the same

period in 2007. The Company reported loss per common share of $1.08 for the

six months ended June 30, 2008 as compared to income per common share of

$0.08 for the same period in 2007. The Company's weighted-average number of

diluted shares outstanding for the six months ended June 30, 2008 totaled

43.3 million.



    During the six months ended June 30, 2008, the Company completed its

annual goodwill impairment test and as a result, the Company recorded a

non-cash goodwill impairment of $87.0 million. Of this amount $48.4 million

related to noncontrolling interests of the Company's variable interest

entity, resulting in net goodwill impairment of $38.6 million, which is

included in the Company's net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2008.



    Neil Koehler, the Company's President and CEO, commented, "We faced a

challenging commodity environment this quarter and are disappointed with

our net loss. Despite these difficulties, we continue to execute on our

plan to be a leading producer and marketer of ethanol with a differentiated

strategy. During the quarter, we continued to increase our sales through a

combination of production and third party gallons, and we strengthened our

balance sheet with $32.4 million in equity and a new $40.0 million credit

facility. We are nearing completion of our Stockton plant, which will

accomplish our goal of 220 million gallons of annual operating capacity in

2008. I am also pleased to announce that we have commenced marketing

ethanol for Calgren Renewable Fuels, LLC, who we congratulate on the

startup of their 55.0 million gallon per year plant located in Pixley,

California."



    Reconciliation of EBITDA to Net Income (Loss)



    This press release contains, and the Company's conference call will

include, references to unaudited earnings before interest, taxes,

depreciation and amortization, including goodwill impairment ("EBITDA"), a

financial measure that is not in accordance with generally accepted

accounting procedures ("GAAP"). The table set forth below provides a

reconciliation of EBITDA to net income (loss). Management believes that

EBITDA is a meaningful measure of liquidity and the Company's ability to

service debt because it provides a measure of cash available for such

purposes. Additionally, management provides an EBITDA measure so that

investors will have the same financial information that management uses

with the belief that it will assist investors in properly assessing the

Company's performance on a period-over-period basis. EBITDA is not a

measure of financial performance under GAAP, and should not be considered

an alternative to net income or any other measure of performance under

GAAP, or to cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities as

an indicator of cash flows or as a measure of liquidity. EBITDA has

limitations as an analytical tool and you should not consider it in

isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's results as

reported under GAAP.



    Earnings Call



    The Company will host a live conference call and webcast today at 10:00

AM EDT / 7:00 AM PDT. Neil Koehler, Chief Executive Officer, and Joseph

Hansen, Chief Financial Officer, will host the call.



    To listen to the conference call, United States callers may dial

866-700-7101. International callers may dial 617-213-8837. All callers

should enter access code 47725694.



    A link to the live audio webcast of the Company's earnings conference

call may be found on the Company's website at

http://www.pacificethanol.net.



    Approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call, an audio

replay of the call will be available. To listen to the replay, United

States callers may dial 888-286-8010. International callers may dial

617-801-6888. All callers should enter access code 98592887. The replay

will be available through August 25, 2008.



    About Pacific Ethanol, Inc.



    Pacific Ethanol is the largest West Coast-based marketer and producer

of ethanol. Pacific Ethanol has ethanol plants in Madera, California;

Boardman, Oregon; and Burley, Idaho and has an additional plant under

construction in Stockton, California. Pacific Ethanol also owns a 42%

interest in Front Range Energy, LLC which owns an ethanol plant in Windsor,

Colorado. Central to Pacific Ethanol's growth strategy is its destination

business model, whereby each respective ethanol plant achieves lower

process and transportation costs by servicing local markets for both fuel

and feed. Pacific Ethanol's goal is to achieve 220 million gallons per year

of ethanol production capacity in 2008 and to increase total production

capacity to 420 million gallons per year in 2010. In addition, Pacific

Ethanol is working to identify and develop other renewable fuel

technologies, such as cellulose-based ethanol production and bio-diesel.



    Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform

Act of 1995



    With the exception of historical information, the matters discussed in

this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of

risks and uncertainties. The actual future results of Pacific Ethanol could

differ from those statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to

such differences include, but are not limited to, the ability of Pacific

Ethanol to successfully and timely complete, in a cost-effective manner,

construction of its remaining ethanol plant under construction; the ability

of Pacific Ethanol to obtain all necessary financing to complete the

construction of its other planned ethanol production facilities; the

ability of Pacific Ethanol to timely complete its ethanol plant build-out

program and to successfully capitalize on its internal growth initiatives;

the ability of Pacific Ethanol to operate its plants at their planned

production capacities; the price of ethanol relative to the price of

gasoline; and the factors contained in the "Risk Factors" section of

Pacific Ethanol's Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange

Commission on March 27, 2008.




PACIFIC ETHANOL, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited, in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2008 2007 2008 2007 Net sales $197,974 $113,763 $359,509 $213,005 Cost of goods sold 197,531 102,642 343,408 186,543 Gross profit 443 11,121 16,101 26,462 Selling, general and administrative expenses 7,678 8,320 17,544 17,822 Goodwill impairment - - 87,047 - Income (loss) from operations (7,235) 2,801 (88,490) 8,640 Other income (expense), net 889 1,235 (1,410) 1,310 Income (loss) before noncontrolling interest in variable interest entity (6,346) 4,036 (89,900) 9,950 Noncontrolling interest in variable interest entity (1,987) (1,880) 46,416 (4,819) Net income (loss) before provision for income taxes (8,333) 2,156 (43,484) 5,131 Provision for income taxes - - - - Net income (loss) $(8,333) $2,156 $(43,484) $5,131 Preferred stock dividends $(1,388) $(1,050) $(2,489) $ (2,100) Deemed dividend on preferred stock $(761) $- $(761) $- Income (loss) available to common stockholders $(10,482) $1,106 $(46,734) $3,031 Net income (loss) per share, basic $(0.23) $ 0.03 $(1.08) $0.08 Net income (loss) per share, diluted $(0.23) $ 0.03 $(1.08) $0.08 Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic 46,455 39,894 43,254 39,784 Weighted-average shares outstanding, diluted 46,455 40,273 43,254 40,256 PACIFIC ETHANOL, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands) June 30, December 31, ASSETS 2008 2007 (unaudited) * Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $19,102 $5,707 Investments in marketable securities 7,555 19,353 Accounts receivable, net 35,804 28,034 Restricted cash 8,349 780 Inventories 38,486 18,540 Prepaid expenses 1,378 1,498 Prepaid inventory 5,474 3,038 Derivative instruments 147 1,613 Other current assets 3,779 3,630 Total current assets 120,074 82,193 Property and equipment, net 560,860 468,704 Other Assets: Goodwill -- 88,168 Intangible assets, net 5,934 6,324 Other assets 9,125 6,211 Total other assets 15,059 100,703 Total Assets $695,993 $651,600 * Amounts derived from the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2007.
PACIFIC ETHANOL, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED) (in thousands, except par value) June 30, December 31, LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY 2008 2007 (unaudited) * Current Liabilities: Accounts payable - trade $17,622 $22,641 Accrued liabilities 9,633 8,526 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities - construction-related 47,128 55,203 Contract retentions 3,426 5,358 Other liabilities - related parties 255 900 Current portion - notes payable 43,800 11,098 Short-term note payable 3,000 6,000 Derivative instruments 10,240 10,353 Total current liabilities 135,104 120,079 Notes payable, net of current portion 194,614 151,188 Other liabilities 2,822 1,965 Total Liabilities 332,540 273,232 Commitments and Contingencies Noncontrolling interest in variable interest entity 49,957 96,082 Stockholders' Equity: Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000 shares authorized; Series A: 0 and 5,316 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively Series B: 2,346 and 0 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively 2 5 Common stock, $0.001 par value; 100,000 shares authorized; 57,878 and 40,606 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively 58 41 Additional paid-in capital 477,382 402,932 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 1,097 (2,383) Accumulated deficit (165,043) (118,309) Total stockholders' equity 313,496 282,286 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $695,993 $651,600 * Amounts derived from the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2007.
Reconciliation of EBITDA to Net Income (Loss) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, (in thousands) (unaudited) 2008 2007 2008 2007 Net income (loss) $(8,333) $2,156 $(43,484) $5,131 Adjustments: Interest expense* 2,048 173 7,254 988 Interest income* (80) (1,532) (205) (3,205) Income taxes -- -- -- -- Goodwill impairment* -- -- 38,636 -- Depreciation and amortization expense* 5,607 2,683 9,478 5,367 Total adjustments 7,575 1,324 55,163 3,150 EBITDA $(758) $3,480 $11,679 $8,281 * adjusted for non-controlling interest. Commodity Price Performance Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, (unaudited) 2008 2007 2008 2007 Ethanol sales (million gallons) 66.8 43.9 126.0 82.8 Ethanol sales price per gallon $2.55 $2.32 $2.43 $2.29 Delivered corn cost per bushel $6.73 $4.23 $6.15 $3.90 Average basis $0.75 $0.64 $0.76 $0.62 Corn cost - CBOT equivalent $5.98 $3.59 $5.39 $3.28 Co-product return % (1) 21.7% 26.5% 23.4% 28.5% Production commodity margin per gallon (2) $0.49 $1.10 $0.64 $1.21 (1) Co-product revenue as a percentage of delivered cost of corn (2) Ethanol sales price per gallon less net cost of corn (delivered cost of corn less co-product revenue)

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Blake Masterson

Freelance Writer, Journalist and Father of 5

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