FRONTLINE PLC REPORTS RESULTS FOR THE
FOURTH QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024
Frontline plc (the “Company”, “Frontline,” “we,”
“us,” or “our”), today reported unaudited results for the three and
twelve months ended December 31, 2024:
Highlights
- Profit of $66.7 million, or $0.30
per share for the fourth quarter of 2024.
- Adjusted profit of $45.1 million,
or $0.20 per share for the fourth quarter of 2024.
- Declared a cash dividend of $0.20
per share for the fourth quarter of 2024.
- Reported revenues of $425.6 million
for the fourth quarter of 2024.
- Achieved average daily spot time
charter equivalent earnings ("TCEs")1 for VLCCs, Suezmax tankers
and LR2/Aframax tankers in the fourth quarter of $35,900, $33,300
and $26,100 per day, respectively.
- Fully drew down a
sale-and-leaseback agreement in an amount of $512.1 million to
refinance 10 Suezmax tankers, which generated net cash proceeds of
$101.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.
- Sold its oldest Suezmax tanker,
built in 2010, for a net sales price of $48.5 million and delivered
the vessel to its new owner in October 2024. The transaction
generated net cash proceeds of $36.5 million after repayment of
existing debt and a gain of $17.9 million in the fourth
quarter of 2024.
- Repaid the remaining $75.0 million
outstanding under the $275.0 million senior unsecured revolving
credit facility with an affiliate of Hemen Holding Limited, the
Company's largest shareholder (“Hemen”) in the fourth quarter of
2024.
- Entered into three senior secured
credit facilities for a total amount of up to $239.0 million to
refinance outstanding debt on three VLCCs and one Suezmax tanker
and, in addition, to provide revolving credit capacity in a total
amount of up to $91.9 million.
Lars H. Barstad, Chief Executive Officer
of Frontline Management AS, commented:
“The fourth quarter of 2024 came in unusually
soft compared to previous years. Global oil demand was up
marginally as the year came to an end, but global seaborne exports
slowed in the fourth quarter. During the quarter we saw positive
developments in the enforcement of sanctions against Iran and
Russia in particular, but we could not escape the fact that these
two countries represent a material part of the supply to Asia, at
cost to demand for the vessels Frontline operates. For 2025 we have
already seen broader sanctions with a wider scope, at the same time
as key importers of exposed crude are diversifying away from the
mentioned suppliers. Compliant fleet growth for the asset classes
we deploy peaked a few years back, making the outlook very
constructive as Frontline sail into the new year with our
cost-efficient operations and modern fleet.”
Inger M. Klemp, Chief Financial Officer
of Frontline Management AS, added:
”In February 2025 we entered into three senior
secured credit facilities for a total amount of up to $239.0
million to refinance three existing term loan facilities, with
total balloon payments of $142.0 million maturing during 2025,
leaving the Company with no debt maturities until the end of 2026
and, in addition, to provide revolving credit capacity in a total
amount of up to $91.9 million. Through these new financings we
further strengthen our strong liquidity and reduce our borrowing
costs and cash break even rates. We continue to focus on
maintaining our competitive cost structure, breakeven levels and
solid balance sheet to ensure that we are well positioned to
generate significant cash flow and create value for our
shareholders.”
Average daily TCEs and estimated cash
breakeven rates
($ per day) |
Spot TCE |
Spot TCE currently contracted |
% Covered |
Estimated average daily cash breakeven rates for
2025 |
|
2024 |
Q4 2024 |
Q3 2024 |
Q2 2024 |
Q1 2024 |
2023 |
Q1 2025 |
2025 |
VLCC |
43,400 |
35,900 |
39,600 |
49,600 |
48,100 |
50,300 |
43,700 |
80% |
29,200 |
Suezmax |
41,400 |
33,300 |
39,900 |
45,600 |
45,800 |
52,600 |
35,400 |
77% |
24,000 |
LR2 / Aframax |
42,300 |
26,100 |
36,000 |
53,100 |
54,300 |
46,800 |
29,700 |
64% |
22,200 |
We expect the spot TCEs for the full first
quarter of 2025 to be lower than the spot TCEs currently
contracted, due to the impact of ballast days during the first
quarter of 2025. See Appendix 1 for further
details.
The Board of DirectorsFrontline plcLimassol,
CyprusFebruary 27, 2025
Ola Lorentzon - Chairman and DirectorJohn
Fredriksen - Director James O'Shaughnessy - Director Steen Jakobsen
- DirectorCato Stonex - DirectorØrjan Svanevik - DirectorDr. Maria
Papakokkinou - Director
Questions should be directed to:
Lars H. Barstad: Chief Executive Officer,
Frontline Management AS+47 23 11 40 00
Inger M. Klemp: Chief Financial Officer,
Frontline Management AS+47 23 11 40 00
Forward-Looking Statements
Matters discussed in this report may constitute
forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for
forward-looking statements, which include statements concerning
plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance,
and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other
than statements of historical facts.
Frontline plc and its subsidiaries, or the
Company, desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is
including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe
harbor legislation. This report and any other written or oral
statements made by us or on our behalf may include forward-looking
statements, which reflect our current views with respect to future
events and financial performance and are not intended to give any
assurance as to future results. When used in this document, the
words "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast,"
"project," "plan," "potential," "will," "may," "should," "expect"
and similar expressions, terms or phrases may identify
forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements in this report
are based upon various assumptions, including without limitation,
management's examination of historical operating trends, data
contained in our records and data available from third parties.
Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when
made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to
significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or
impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure
you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs
or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
In addition to these important factors and
matters discussed elsewhere herein, important factors that, in our
view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those
discussed in the forward-looking statements include:
- the strength of world
economies;
- fluctuations in currencies and
interest rates, including inflationary pressures and central bank
policies intended to combat overall inflation and rising interest
rates and foreign exchange rates;
- the impact that any discontinuance,
modification or other reform or the establishment of alternative
reference rates have on the Company’s floating interest rate debt
instruments;
- general market conditions,
including fluctuations in charter hire rates and vessel
values;
- changes in the supply and demand
for vessels comparable to ours and the number of newbuildings under
construction;
- the highly cyclical nature of the
industry that we operate in;
- the loss of a large customer or
significant business relationship;
- changes in worldwide oil production
and consumption and storage;
- changes in the Company's operating
expenses, including bunker prices, dry docking, crew costs and
insurance costs;
- planned, pending or recent
acquisitions, business strategy and expected capital spending or
operating expenses, including dry docking, surveys and
upgrades;
- risks associated with any future
vessel construction;
- our expectations regarding the
availability of vessel acquisitions and our ability to complete
vessel acquisition transactions as planned;
- our ability to successfully compete
for and enter into new time charters or other employment
arrangements for our existing vessels after our current time
charters expire and our ability to earn income in the spot
market;
- availability of financing and
refinancing, our ability to obtain financing and comply with the
restrictions and other covenants in our financing
arrangements;
- availability of skilled crew
members and other employees and the related labor costs;
- work stoppages or other labor
disruptions by our employees or the employees of other companies in
related industries;
- compliance with governmental, tax,
environmental and safety regulation, any non-compliance with U.S.
or European Union regulations;
- the impact of increasing scrutiny
and changing expectations from investors, lenders and other market
participants with respect to our ESG policies;
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of
1977 or other applicable regulations relating to bribery;
- general economic conditions and
conditions in the oil industry;
- effects of new products and new
technology in our industry, including the potential for
technological innovation to reduce the value of our vessels and
charter income derived therefrom;
- new environmental regulations and
restrictions, whether at a global level stipulated by the
International Maritime Organization, and/or imposed by regional or
national authorities such as the European Union or individual
countries;
- vessel breakdowns and instances of
off-hire;
- the impact of an interruption in or
failure of our information technology and communications systems,
including the impact of cyber-attacks upon our ability to
operate;
- potential conflicts of interest
involving members of our Board of Directors and senior
management;
- the failure of counter parties to
fully perform their contracts with us;
- changes in credit risk with respect
to our counterparties on contracts;
- our dependence on key personnel and
our ability to attract, retain and motivate key employees;
- adequacy of insurance
coverage;
- our ability to obtain indemnities
from customers;
- changes in laws, treaties or
regulations;
- the volatility of the price of our
ordinary shares;
- our incorporation under the laws of
Cyprus and the different rights to relief that may be available
compared to other countries, including the United States;
- changes in governmental rules and
regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities;
- government requisition of our
vessels during a period of war or emergency;
- potential liability from pending or
future litigation and potential costs due to environmental damage
and vessel collisions;
- the arrest of our vessels by
maritime claimants;
- general domestic and international
political conditions or events, including “trade wars”;
- any further changes in U.S. trade
policy that could trigger retaliatory actions by the affected
countries;
- potential disruption of shipping
routes due to accidents, environmental factors, political events,
public health threats, international hostilities including the
ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict between
Israel and Hamas and related conflicts in the Middle East, the
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, acts by
terrorists or acts of piracy on ocean-going vessels;
- the impact of the U.S. presidential
and congressional election results affecting the economy, future
government laws and regulations, trade policy matters, such as the
imposition of tariffs, the amendment, termination or any other
material change to a relationship governed by a treaty and other
import restrictions;
- the length and severity of
epidemics and pandemics and their impacts on the demand for
seaborne transportation of crude oil and refined products;
- the impact of port or canal
congestion;
- business disruptions due to adverse
weather, natural disasters or other disasters outside our control;
and
- other important factors described
from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
We caution readers of this report not to place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of their dates. These forward-looking statements are no
guarantee of our future performance, and actual results and future
developments may vary materially from those projected in the
forward-looking statements.
This information is subject to the disclosure
requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities
Trading Act.
1 This press release describes Time Charter Equivalent earnings
and related per day amounts and spot TCE currently contracted,
which are not measures prepared in accordance with IFRS
(“non-GAAP”). See Appendix 1 for a full description of the measures
and reconciliation to the nearest IFRS measure.
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