Exhibit 99.1
WHX Corporation Reports Financial Results for First Quarter 2008
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2008--WHX Corporation (OTC: WXCP) (“WHX” or the “Company”) today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2008.
WHX reported a net loss of $6.2 million, on sales of $177.3 million for the three months ending March 31, 2008, compared to a net loss of $8.5 million on sales of $117.8 million for the same period in 2007. Of the total first quarter’s sales increase, $51.0 million was attributable to the acquisition of Bairnco Corporation in April of 2007. Basic and diluted net loss per common share was $0.62 for the first quarter of 2008, compared with basic and diluted net loss per common share of $0.85 in the same period of 2007.
The Company generated Consolidated EBITDA of $10.1 million in 2008, up from $2.3 million in 2007. We define EBITDA as net income before the effects of realized and unrealized losses on derivatives, interest expense, taxes, other income / expense, depreciation and amortization and pension credit. (See Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measurements below for definitions.)
“We are reasonably pleased with our results for the 2008 first quarter. Excluding our Bairnco acquisition and despite difficult economic conditions in several of our North American markets, WHX generated operating income and EBITDA well ahead of the comparable 2007 quarter,” said Glen Kassan, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WHX. “I’m confident that the work that we have done in 2007 and into 2008, including the Bairnco acquisition and strengthening our senior management team, has positioned the Company for growth in 2008 and beyond.”
First Quarter Operating Results
Precious Metal Segment:
Precious Metal Segment sales in the quarter increased by $7.9 million to $45.7 million. The increase resulted primarily from higher precious metal prices, increased market share and new product sales. The Precious Metal Segment contributed $2.4 million to WHX’s total operating income in the first quarter of 2008, compared to an operating loss for the segment of $0.3 million in the first quarter of 2007. The 2007 operating results for this segment included losses of $1.2 million from operating facilities that have subsequently been sold.
Tubing Segment:
Tubing Segment sales increased by $0.3 million to $29.6 million. Strong growth in the petrochemical and shipbuilding markets serviced by the Stainless Steel Tubing Group were offset by weakness in the domestic and foreign refrigeration and transportation markets serviced by the Specialty Tubing Group. The Tubing Segment contributed $1.3 million to WHX’s operating income of in the first quarter of 2008, compared to an operating loss of $0.9 million in the same period of 2007. The improvement in operating income was principally due to improved operating efficiencies within the North American specialty tubing facilities.
Engineered Materials Segment:
Engineered Materials Segment sales increased by $0.3 million to $51.0 million as weakness in the new home construction market continued to impact the sector. The Engineered Materials Segment contributed $1.3 million to WHX’s operating income in the first quarter of 2008, compared to $2.1 million in the same period of 2007. Factors resulting in lower operating income included aforementioned weakness in the domestic housing market and an increase in volume of lower margin private label products.
Bairnco Segments:
Bairnco Corporation was acquired by WHX in April 2007. The three Bairnco Segments (Arlon Electronic Materials (EM), Arlon Coated Materials (CM), and Kasco) generated $51.0 million of net sales in the first quarter of 2008, which contributed $16.1 million to WHX’s gross profit and increased the Company’s consolidated gross profit percentage by 3.4%. Arlon EM, Arlon CM, and Kasco contributed $1.2 million, ($1.1 million), and $0.8 million, respectively, to the Company’s operating profit in the first quarter. Included in operating income within the Arlon EM segment is $0.4 million of amortization expense related to intangibles recorded as part of the purchase price of the WHX acquisition of Bairnco. Also included in operating income are expenses of $0.6 million related to move costs to consolidate the two Arlon CM plants into one plant. In addition to the direct move costs, the results of the quarter were negatively impacted by operating inefficiencies during the move. Management expects that the consolidation of the plants will result in future cost savings and operating efficiencies. Bairnco maintains strong positions in its three business segments and following its acquisition by WHX is executing plans to improve sales, plant level operations and profit margins while reducing working capital.
Other developments:
On October 18, 2007, WHX filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for a rights offering to its existing stockholders. WHX filed amendments to the S-1 registration on 11/30/07, 12/21/07 and 4/14/08. The purpose of this rights offering is to raise equity capital in a cost-effective manner that gives all of our stockholders the opportunity to participate. The net proceeds will be used to (i) make partial payments to certain senior lenders, to certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of WHX and/or to contribute to the working capital of such subsidiaries, (ii) redeem preferred stock which is held by Steel Partners, and was issued by a wholly-owned subsidiary of WHX, (iii) purchase shares of common stock of CoSine Communications, Inc. from Steel Partners, (iv) repay WHX indebtedness to Steel Partners, and (v) repay indebtedness of wholly-owned subsidiaries of WHX to Steel Partners. The proposed rights offering, if fully subscribed could provide WHX with gross proceeds of $200 million. While a registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC, it has not yet become effective.
Note Regarding Presentation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures:
The financial data contained in this press release includes non-GAAP financial measures, including “Consolidated EBITDA”. We are presenting EBITDA because we believe that it provides useful information to investors about WHX, our business and our financial condition. We define EBITDA as net income before the effects of realized and unrealized losses on derivatives, interest expense, taxes, other income / expense, depreciation and amortization and pension credit. We believe EBITDA is useful to investors because it is one of the measures used by our board of directors and management to evaluate our business, including in our internal management reporting, budgeting and forecasting processes, in comparing our operating results across our business, as an internal profitability measure, as a component in evaluating our ability and the desirability of making capital expenditures and significant acquisitions, and as an element in determining executive compensation. Further, we believe that Consolidated EBITDA is a measure of leverage capacity and the Company’s ability to service its debt.
However, Consolidated EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), and the items excluded from Consolidated EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance. Therefore, Consolidated EBITDA should not be considered a substitute for Net income (loss) or cash flows from operating, investing, or financing activities. Because EBITDA is calculated before recurring cash charges including realized and unrealized losses on derivatives, interest expense and taxes, and is not adjusted for capital expenditures or other recurring cash requirements of the business, it should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to invest in the growth of the business. There are a number of material limitations to the use of EBITDA as an analytical tool, including the following:
| -- | EBITDA does not reflect our net realized and unrealized losses on derivatives; |
| -- | EBITDA does not reflect our interest expense; |
| -- | EBITDA does not reflect our tax expense or the cash requirements to pay our taxes; and |
| -- | although depreciation and amortization are non-cash expenses in the period recorded, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA does not reflect the cash requirements for such replacement. |
| -- | EBITDA does not include pension credit |
We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP financial measures and by using EBITDA only supplementally. We believe that consideration of EBITDA, together with a careful review of our GAAP financial measures, is the most informed method of analyzing our company.
The Company reconciles Consolidated EBITDA to Net income (loss), which reconciliation is set forth below. Because Consolidated EBITDA is not a measurement determined in accordance with GAAP and is thus susceptible to varying calculations, Consolidated EBITDA, as presented, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Revenues and expenses are measured in accordance with the policies and procedures described in the 2007 Form 10-K.
WHX CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
| | Three Months Ended | |
| | March 31, | |
| | | | | | |
| | (in thousands except per share) | |
Net sales | | $ | 177,277 | | | $ | 117,837 | |
Cost of goods sold | | | 136,473 | | | | 98,355 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Gross profit | | | 40,804 | | | | 19,482 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Selling, general and administrative expenses | | | 34,280 | | | | 18,775 | |
Loss (gain) on disposal of assets | | | (22 | ) | | | 130 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Income from operations | | | 6,546 | | | | 577 | |
Other: | | | | | | | | |
Interest expense | | | 10,371 | | | | 7,570 | |
Realized and unrealized loss on derivatives | | | 1,627 | | | | 691 | |
Other (income) expense | | | (51 | ) | | | 140 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Loss before taxes | | | (5,401 | ) | | | (7,824 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Tax provision | | | 811 | | | | 709 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net loss | | | (6,212 | ) | | | (8,533 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Basic and diluted per share of common stock | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net loss per share | | $ | (0.62 | ) | | $ | (0.85 | ) |
WHX CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
| | March 31, 2008 | | | December 31, 2007 | |
| | (Dollars and shares in thousands) | |
ASSETS | | | | | | |
Current Assets: | | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents | | $ | 5,013 | | | $ | 6,090 | |
Accounts receivable - net | | | 110,045 | | | | 89,546 | �� |
Inventories | | | 85,542 | | | | 83,709 | |
Deferred income taxes | | | 3,433 | | | | 3,339 | |
Other current assets | | | 11,554 | | | | 12,023 | |
Total current assets | | | 215,587 | | | | 194,707 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Property, plant and equipment at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization | | | 123,677 | | | | 124,336 | |
Goodwill | | | 64,567 | | | | 64,317 | |
Other intangibles, net | | | 39,167 | | | | 39,892 | |
Other non-current assets | | | 18,195 | | | | 18,337 | |
| | $ | 461,193 | | | $ | 441,589 | |
| | | | | | | | |
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY | | | | | | | | |
Current Liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
Trade payables | | $ | 55,106 | | | $ | 49,053 | |
Accrued environmental liability | | | 7,576 | | | | 7,805 | |
Accrued liabilities | | | 42,785 | | | | 40,308 | |
Accrued interest expense - related party | | | 23,802 | | | | 19,615 | |
Current portion of long-term debt | | | 11,223 | | | | 7,513 | |
Short-term debt - related party | | | 5,100 | | | | 5,100 | |
Short-term debt | | | 61,522 | | | | 50,180 | |
Deferred income taxes | | | 142 | | | | 142 | |
Total current liabilities | | | 207,256 | | | | 179,716 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Long-term debt | | | 138,782 | | | | 141,678 | |
Long-term debt - related party | | | 156,676 | | | | 154,901 | |
Accrued pension liability | | | 13,429 | | | | 15,653 | |
Other employee benefit liabilities | | | 7,751 | | | | 7,595 | |
Deferred income taxes | | | 8,377 | | | | 8,217 | |
Other long-term liabilities | | | 3,810 | | | | 3,374 | |
| | | 536,081 | | | | 511,134 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Stockholders’ (Deficit) Equity: | | | | | | | | |
Preferred stock- $.01 par value; authorized 5,000 shares; issued and outstanding 0 shares | | | - | | | | - | |
Common stock - $.01 par value; authorized 95,000 and 50,000 shares, respectively; issued and outstanding 10,000 shares | | | 100 | | | | 100 | |
Warrants | | | - | | | | 1,287 | |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | | | (31,879 | ) | | | (32,559 | ) |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 397,224 | | | | 395,748 | |
Accumulated deficit | | | (440,333 | ) | | | (434,121 | ) |
| | | (74,888 | ) | | | (69,545 | ) |
| | $ | 461,193 | | | $ | 441,589 | |
WHX CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2008 | | | 2007 | |
| | (in thousands) | |
Cash flows from operating activities: | | | | | | |
Net loss | | $ | (6,212 | ) | | $ | (8,533 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: | | | | | | | | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | 5,348 | | | | 3,124 | |
Non-cash stock based compensation | | | 69 | | | | 168 | |
Amortization of debt related costs | | | 355 | | | | 1,086 | |
Payment in kind interest on related party debt | | | 1,775 | | | | - | |
Deferred income taxes | | | 66 | | | | 65 | |
(Gain) loss on asset dispositions | | | (22 | ) | | | 130 | |
Equity in after-tax income of affiliated companies | | | (13 | ) | | | (18 | ) |
Unrealized gain on derivatives | | | (162 | ) | | | (41 | ) |
Reclassification of net cash settlements on derivative instruments | | | 1,789 | | | | 732 | |
Decrease (increase) in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions: | | | | | | | | |
Trade receivables | | | (19,890 | ) | | | (12,570 | ) |
Inventories | | | (1,565 | ) | | | 2,261 | |
Other current assets | | | 583 | | | | 151 | |
Accrued interest expense-related party | | | 4,188 | | | | 3,822 | |
Other current liabilities | | | 5,521 | | | | (642 | ) |
Other items-net | | | 98 | | | | 48 | |
Net cash used in operating activities | | | (8,072 | ) | | | (10,217 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Cash flows from investing activities: | | | | | | | | |
Plant additions and improvements | | | (3,523 | ) | | | (1,003 | ) |
Net cash settlements on derivative instruments | | | (1,789 | ) | | | (732 | ) |
Proceeds from sales of assets | | | 78 | | | | 3,633 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | | | (5,234 | ) | | | 1,898 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Cash flows from financing activities: | | | | | | | | |
Proceeds from term loans - domestic | | | 4,000 | | | | - | |
Proceeds from term loans - foreign | | | 3 | | | | - | |
Net revolver borrowings (repayments) | | | 11,291 | | | | 11,558 | |
Repayments of term loans - foreign | | | (136 | ) | | | (120 | ) |
Repayments of term loans - domestic | | | (3,509 | ) | | | (3,339 | ) |
Deferred finance charges | | | (1,146 | ) | | | (170 | ) |
Net change in overdrafts | | | 1,577 | | | | (876 | ) |
Net cash provided by financing activities | | | 12,080 | | | | 7,053 | |
Net change for the period | | | (1,226 | ) | | | (1,266 | ) |
Effect of exchange rate changes on net cash | | | 149 | | | | 30 | |
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | | | 6,090 | | | | 4,776 | |
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | | $ | 5,013 | | | $ | 3,540 | |
WHX CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED SEGMENT DATA
(Unaudited)
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | | | | | |
| | (in thousands) | |
Net sales | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
Precious Metal | | $ | 45,688 | | | $ | 37,762 | |
Tubing | | | 29,626 | | | | 29,337 | |
Engineered Materials | | | 51,009 | | | | 50,738 | |
Arlon Electronic Materials (a) | | | 16,404 | | | | - | |
Arlon Coated Materials (a) | | | 17,675 | | | | - | |
Kasco (a) | | | 16,875 | | | | - | |
Net sales | | $ | 177,277 | | | $ | 117,837 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Segment operating income (loss) | | | | | | | | |
Precious Metal | | $ | 2,397 | | | $ | (271 | ) |
Tubing | | | 1,273 | | | | (900 | ) |
Engineered Materials | | | 1,264 | | | | 2,073 | |
Arlon Electronic Materials (a) | | | 1,157 | | | | - | |
Arlon Coated Materials (a) | | | (1,108 | ) | | | - | |
Kasco (a) | | | 833 | | | | - | |
| | | 5,816 | | | | 902 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Unallocated corporate expenses | | | 1,091 | | | | 1,445 | |
Unallocated pension expense (credit) | | | (1,800 | ) | | | (1,250 | ) |
Loss (gain) on disposal of assets | | | (22 | ) | | | 130 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Income from operations | | | 6,547 | | | | 577 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Interest expense | | | 10,371 | | | | 7,570 | |
Realized and unrealized loss on derivatives | | | 1,627 | | | | 691 | |
Other (income) expense | | | (51 | ) | | | 140 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Loss before taxes | | | (5,400 | ) | | | (7,824 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Tax provision | | | 811 | | | | 709 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Net loss | | $ | (6,211 | ) | | $ | (8,533 | ) |
(a) Bairnco was acquired on April 13, 2007 and thus, these segments do not appear in the period ended March 31, 2007.
Supplemental Non-GAAP Disclosures
Consolidated EBITDA
| | Three Months Ended | |
| | March 31, | |
| | | | | | |
| | (amounts in thousands) | |
| | | |
Net loss | | $ | (6,211 | ) | | $ | (8,533 | ) |
Add: | | | | | | | | |
Tax provision | | | 811 | | | | 709 | |
Interest expense | | | 10,371 | | | | 7,570 | |
Realized and unrealized loss on derivatives | | | 1,627 | | | | 691 | |
Depreciation & amortization | | | 5,348 | | | | 3,124 | |
Pension credit | | | (1,800 | ) | | | (1,250 | ) |
EBITDA | | $ | 10,146 | | | $ | 2,311 | |
About the Companies
Handy & Harman, a subsidiary of WHX Corporation, is a diversified manufacturer and the “parent” of a family of materials engineering and specialty manufacturing companies. Its products include specialty fasteners, engineered materials, stainless steel tubing, specialty tubing and fabricated precious metals, brazing soldering fluxes and alloys of precious and non-precious metals. Handy & Harman��s strategic business units encompass three reportable segments: precious metal, tubing and engineered materials.
WHX is a holding company that invests in and manages a group of businesses on a decentralized basis. Apart from owning Handy & Harman, WHX acquired Bairnco Corporation in April 2007. Bairnco is a diversified multinational manufacturing company that operates business units in three reportable segments: Arlon Electronic Materials, Arlon Coated Materials and Kasco replacement products and services.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty, including without limitation, general economic conditions, the ability of the Company to market and sell its products, and the effects of competition and pricing. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there cannot be assurance that any forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in any forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the Company will be achieved.
CONTACT: WHX Corporation
Glen Kassan, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
914-461-1260