Devon’s operating cash flow totaled $377 million in the first quarter. The timing of working capital changes largely related to the Canadian business, driven by weak heavy-oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2018, reduced operating cash flow by $302 million in the quarter. First-quarter EBITDAX reached $779 million, a 26 percent improvement compared to the fourth quarter of 2018.
Industry-Leading $5 Billion Share Repurchase Program Advances
The company’s $5 billion share-repurchase authorization represents the largest in the upstream industry when measured as a percentage of market capitalization. To date, Devon has repurchased 114 million shares, or greater than 20 percent of outstanding shares, at a total cost of $4 billion. The company expects its repurchase program to reach $5 billion by year end.
The company is also rewarding shareholders with its quarterly common stock dividend. Earlier this year the company’s board of directions increased the quarterly dividend by 13 percent to $0.09 per share. The new quarterly dividend is effective in the second quarter of 2019.
Devon’s financial position remains exceptionally strong, with investment-grade credit ratings and excellent liquidity. The company exited the first quarter with $1.3 billion of cash on hand and an undrawn credit facility of $3 billion. At the end of March, Devon had an outstanding debt balance of $5.8 billion with no significant debt maturities untilmid-2021.
Divestiture Program Accelerates Value Creation
Devon announced earlier this year its plan to transform to a high-return U.S. oil growth company by exiting Canada and the Barnett Shale by the end of 2019. The company is evaluating multiple methods of separating the assets, including a potential sale orspin-off. Data rooms for Canada and the Barnett Shale open in the second quarter of 2019.
Conference Call Webcast and Supplemental Earnings Materials
Also provided with today’s release is the company’s detailed operations report that is available on the company’s website atwww.devonenergy.com. The company’s first-quarter conference call will be held at 10 a.m. Central (11 a.m. Eastern) on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, and will serve primarily as a forum for analyst and investor questions and answers.
Non-GAAP Disclosures
This release may includenon-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) financial measures. Suchnon-GAAP measures are not alternatives to GAAP measures, and you should not consider thesenon-GAAP measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of results as reported under GAAP. Reconciliations of thesenon-GAAP measures and other disclosures are provided within the supplemental financial tables that are available on the company’s website atwww.devonenergy.comand see our related Form10-Q.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Such statements include those concerning strategic plans, our expectations and objectives for future operations, as well as other future events or conditions, and are often identified by use of the words and phrases “expects,” “believes,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “continue,” “may,” “aims,” “likely to be,” “intends,” “forecasts,” “projections,” “estimates,” “plans,” “expectations,” “targets,” “opportunities,” “potential,” “anticipates,” “outlook” and other similar terminology. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that