EquityStory.RS, LLC-News: PJSC Mechel / Key word(s): Quarter Results PJSC Mechel : MECHEL REPORTS THE 2Q 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS 2021-08-27 / 13:00 MSK The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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MECHEL REPORTS THE 2Q 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Moscow, Russia - August 27, 2021 - Mechel PAO (MOEX: MTLR, NYSE: MTL), a leading Russian mining and steel group, announces financial results for the 2Q 2021 and 1H 2021.

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS FOR THE 2Q'2021 AND 1H'2021

Mechel PAO's Chief Executive Officer Oleg Korzhov commented:

"The Group's consolidated revenue in 2Q'2021 amounted to 108.9 billion rubles, up by 43% quarter-on-quarter. EBITDA was 33.7 billion rubles, up by 85% quarter-on-quarter. EBITDA margin reached 31%.

"Improved results were due to an increase in prices on the Group's nearly entire product range, both in the mining and the steel division. Given the favorable market trends, our enterprises increased sales on numerous of the most profitable products. For example, coking coal concentrate sales to third parties went up by 121% quarter-on-quarter, coke sales increased by 53%, anthracites and PCI by 11%, sales of the universal rolling mill's structural shapes advanced by 41%, rebar by 24%, hardware by 21%, flat products by 15%, forgings by 15% and stampings by 42%.

"The steel division's sales volumes were boosted in 2Q'2021 by high demand for steel products in the heat of the construction season, as well as our measures for improving our operations' stability after the decrease late last year and early this year due to insufficient investment in the last year.

"The boost in coal production and sales contributed to decreased unit costs at our mining facilities. The steel products' costs grew mostly due to increased prices for incoming raw materials such as iron ore concentrate, including pellets, and coke.

"With the money the Group earned in the fairly successful 1Q'2021, we managed to increase our facilities' supply of raw materials, spare parts and components, intensify repairs, maintenance and acquisitions of new mining equipment. These works continue actively in 3Q'2021. We conduct repairs as scheduled, the equipment we ordered and paid for continues to arrive as soon as it is ready.

"The current market trends enable the Group to pursue its plans to restore production volumes. Coal prices remain high and demonstrate only upward trends. Steel prices show signs of cooling off, but nevertheless remain quite favorable."


Mln rubles                                        2Q'21   1Q'21  %    1H'21   1H'20   % 
Revenue 
                                                  108,862 76,048 43%  184,910 131,773 40% 
from contracts with external customers 
Operating profit                                  30,378  12,975 134% 43,353  5,670   665% 
EBITDA[*]                                         33,727  18,242 85%  51,969  22,013  136% 
EBITDA, margin                                    31%     24%         28%     17% 
Profit 
                                                  23,909  7,896  203% 31,805  10,196  212% 
attributable to equity shareholders of Mechel PAO 

FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE 2Q'2021 VS 1Q'2021

Revenue

The Group's consolidated revenue from contracts with external customers in 2Q'2021 went up by 43% and amounted to 108.9 billion rubles.

EBITDA

Consolidated EBITDA in this reporting period amounted to 33.7 billion rubles, which was nearly double the previous quarter's result.

Profit

Profit attributable to equity shareholders of Mechel PAO in 2Q'2021 amounted to 23.9 billion rubles, which is 16 billion rubles more quarter-on-quarter. The growth of gross profit by 17.6 billion rubles due to a quarter-on-quarter increase in global and domestic prices for our mining and steel segments' output had a great impact on these dynamics.

Operating cash flow

Operating cash flow reached 15.5 billion rubles in 2Q'2021 as compared to 13.1 billion rubles in 1Q'2021. The cash flow remains sufficient not only for funding the Group's operating and investing needs, but also for reducing its leverage.

Finance costs

In 2Q'2021, the Group's finance costs demonstrated a slight increase of 0.4 billion rubles, rising to 5.7 billion rubles from 5.3 billion rubles in 1Q'2021 as the Bank of Russia's key interest rate went up. The amount of interest paid, including capitalized interest and interest expense on lease liabilities, declined largely due to refinancing of US dollar-denominated debt in 1Q'2021 and amounted to 4.4 billion rubles in 2Q'2021 as compared to 5.2 billion rubles in 1Q'2021.

FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE 1H'2021 VS 1H'2020

Revenue

In 1H'2021 the Group's consolidated revenue amounted to 184.9 billion rubles, up by 40% year-on-year.

EBITDA

Consolidated EBITDA in 1H'2021 was 52 billion rubles, which is 30 billion rubles more than in 1H'2020 (22 billion rubles) primarily due to gross profit's 34.2-billion-ruble growth as global and domestic prices for our mining and steel products went up.

Profit

Profit attributable to Mechel PAO's shareholders amounted to 31.8 billion rubles, which is 21.6 billion rubles more than in 1H'2020 (10.2 billion rubles). Apart from gross profit's growth, another major impact came from the increase in foreign exchange gains on foreign currency denominated liabilities by 25.3 billion rubles, which was due to the fact that the ruble's exchange rate volatility against US dollar and Euro was minor in 1H'2021, while in 1H'2020 the ruble demonstrated substantial weakness.

Trade working capital

In 1H'2021 the Group's trade working capital went up by 16.3 billion rubles and amounted to 7.3 billion rubles, which was largely due to accumulating stockpiles for sale in future periods and increase in trade receivables as revenue demonstrated substantial growth.

Finance costs

In 1H'2021, the Group's finance costs went down year-on-year by 3.3 billion rubles or 23%, and the amount of interest paid, including capitalized interest and interest expense on lease liabilities, was 9.5 billion rubles, which was 5 billion rubles or 34% less year-on-year (14.5 billion rubles in 1H'2020). This effect was largely due to our partial repayment of loans with Gazprombank and VTB Bank using the gain on the Elga Coal Complex sale in late April 2020 and also due to the decrease of the Bank of Russia's key interest average rate for the periods under review.

Debt leverage

As of today, the company's average debt portfolio cost is 6.6% per annum.

As of June 30, 2021, the Group's net debt excluding fines and penalties on overdue amounts went down by 20.4 billion rubles as compared to December 31, 2020, and amounted to 305.2 billion rubles. This was due to net loan settlement as well as the ruble's strengthening against the US dollar and Euro.

The Net Debt to EBITDA ratio amounted to 4.3 at the end of 1H'2020. At the end of 2020 this ratio was 7.9. This was mostly due to a significant EBITDA growth in 1H'2021.

The debt portfolio's structure has remained largely unchanged and currently consists of 55% in rubles and the rest in foreign currency. The share of state-controlled banks is 88%.

MINING SEGMENT


Mln rubles                             2Q'21  1Q'21  %    1H'21  1H'20  % 
Revenue 
                                       29,320 16,240 81%  45,560 35,280 29% 
from contracts with external customers 
Revenue 
                                       13,052 10,566 24%  23,618 16,695 41% 
inter-segment 
EBITDA                                 19,551 8,326  135% 27,877 13,340 109% 
EBITDA, margin                         46%    31%         40%    26% 

Revenue

Revenue from contracts with external customers in 2Q'2021 went up by 81% quarter-on-quarter. This was due to increased sales volumes of all types of metallurgical coal and coke. At the same time average sale prices for the division's products in this reporting period exceeded those of the previous quarter. Revenue from contracts with external customers in 1H'2021 went up by 29% year-on-year.

EBITDA

EBITDA in 2Q'2021 went up by 135% quarter-on-quarter as sales volumes and prices improved. In 1H'2021 the division's EBITDA went up 109% year-on-year. This was primarily due to higher prices for nearly all kinds of coal products, coke and iron ore concentrate year-on-year.

In 2Q'2021 the division increased coal mining by 12% quarter-on-quarter. Meanwhile, sales volumes of metallurgical coals went up by 61% as we began disposing of stockpiles accumulated earlier. As market trends remained favorable, this gave us an 81% increase in revenue from third parties quarter-on-quarter, and the division's EBITDA at once grew by 135%. The division's EBITDA margin in 2Q'2021 was 46%.

At the beginning of 2Q'2021, coking coal prices remained stable, but in May-June they soared on the FOB Australia and CFR China basis. China saw tight domestic supply of coking coal as unsafe mines were closed ahead of the Communist Party of China centenary celebration. Uncertainty regarding China's steel production limitations in 2H'2021 and the reduction in domestic coal output continued to support steel production in June at high levels and uphold China's demand for coking coal. Despite the lack of Australian coal imports to China, the fairly stable demand in Asia Pacific enabled Australian miners to also increase their prices. As a result, the company's average coking coal concentrate price on FCA basis in this reporting period was 51% higher quarter-on-quarter.

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August 27, 2021 06:00 ET (10:00 GMT)