Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On April 29, 2021, we issued a press release with respect to our 2021 first quarter earnings. The press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report. The press release contains certain measures (discussed below) which may be deemed “non-GAAP financial measures” as defined in Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). In each case, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure and information reconciling the GAAP and non-GAAP measures is also included in the press release.
Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act unless specifically identified in such filing as being incorporated therein by reference.
From time to time management discloses Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Earnings per Share, Return on Capital Employed, Discretionary Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow, EBITDAX and Net Debt calculations and ratios. These non-GAAP financial measures, to the extent included in Exhibit 99.1, are reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measures in Exhibit 99.1.
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per Share are presented based on our management's belief that these non-GAAP measures enable a user of the financial information to understand the impact of identified adjustments on reported results. Adjusted Net Income is defined as net income plus gain and loss on sale of assets, gain and loss on derivative instruments, stock-based compensation expense, severance expense and tax effect on selected items. Adjusted Earnings per Share is defined as Adjusted Net Income divided by weighted-average common shares outstanding. Additionally, our management believes these measures provide beneficial comparisons to similarly adjusted measurements of prior periods, and uses these measures for that purpose. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per Share are not measures of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income and earnings per share, as defined by GAAP.
Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) is defined as Adjusted Net Income (defined above) plus after-tax net interest expense divided by average capital employed, which is defined as total debt plus stockholders’ equity. ROCE is presented based on our management's belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when evaluating our profitability and the efficiency with which management has employed capital over time. Our management uses ROCE for that purpose. ROCE is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered an alternative to net income, as defined by GAAP.
Discretionary Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities excluding changes in assets and liabilities. Discretionary Cash Flow is widely accepted and is used by our management as a financial indicator of an oil and gas company’s ability to generate cash which is used to internally fund exploration and development activities, return capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, and service debt. Discretionary Cash Flow is presented based on our management's belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when comparing our cash flows with the cash flows of other companies that use the full cost method of accounting for oil and gas producing activities or have different financing and capital structures or tax rates. Discretionary Cash Flow is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities or net income, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity.
Free Cash Flow is defined as Discretionary Cash Flow (defined above) less capital expenditures and investment in equity method investments. Free Cash Flow is an indicator of a company's ability to generate cash flow after spending the money required to maintain or expand its asset base, and is used by our management for that purpose. Free Cash Flow is presented based on our management's belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when comparing our cash flows with the cash flows of other companies. Free Cash Flow is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities or net income, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity.
EBITDAX is defined as net income plus interest expense, other expense, income tax expense and benefit, depreciation, depletion and amortization (including impairments), exploration expense, gain and loss on sale of assets, non-cash gain and loss on derivative instruments, earnings and loss on equity method investments, and stock-based compensation expense. EBITDAX is presented based on our management's belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when evaluating our ability to internally fund exploration and development activities and to service or incur debt without regard to financial or capital structure. Our management uses EBITDAX for that purpose. EBITDAX is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities or net income, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity.
The total debt to total capitalization ratio is calculated by dividing total debt by the sum of total debt and total stockholders’ equity. This ratio is a measurement which is presented in our annual and interim filings and our management believes this ratio is useful to investors in determining our leverage. Net Debt is calculated by subtracting cash and cash equivalents from total debt. The Net Debt to Adjusted Capitalization ratio is calculated by dividing Net Debt by the sum of Net Debt and total stockholders' equity. Net Debt and the Net Debt to Adjusted Capitalization ratio are non-GAAP measures which our management believes are also useful to investors since we have the ability to and may decide to use a portion of our cash and cash equivalents to retire debt. Our management uses these measures for that purpose. Additionally, as we may incur additional expenditures without increasing debt, our management believes it is appropriate to apply cash and cash equivalents to debt in calculating the Net Debt to Adjusted Capitalization ratio.