Segment Operating Income Variance
As of the second quarter 2020, the company’s results from the newsprint and specialty papers segments have been combined into one paper segment. Comparative information, including the information in this earnings release, has been modified to conform with the revised segment presentation.
Market Pulp
The market pulp segment recorded an operating loss of $4 million in the quarter, compared to operating income of $10 million in the previous quarter. The change reflects a $26 per metric ton, or 4%, slip in the average transaction price on softer market conditions and an increase of $27 per metric ton, or 5%, in the operating cost per unit (the “delivered cost”) due mostly to higher planned maintenance costs. Shipments improved by 15,000 metric tons and finished goods inventory fell to 71,000 metric tons at quarter-end. EBITDA in the segment was $2 million.
Tissue
The company reported operating income of $2 million in the tissue segment in the quarter, $4 million better than the previous quarter. The average transaction price rose by 4%, or $71 per short ton in the quarter, primarily as a result of the company’s ongoing progress around customer and product mix. But shipments slipped by 3,000 short tons in the quarter as a result of increasingly challenging conditions in away-from-home end-markets due to the effects of the pandemic. Delivered cost per unit fell by $55 per short ton, or 3%, as a result of lower maintenance costs compared to annual outages in the previous quarter. Finished goods inventory at quarter-end was 6,000 short tons. Quarter-over-quarter segment EBITDA improved by $3 million, to $6 million.
Wood Products
The wood products segment reported operating income of $128 million in the quarter, an improvement of $113 million compared to the previous quarter. The significant improvement is due to the $217 per thousand board feet, or 57%, increase in average transaction price, reflecting strong market conditions, particularly from the repair and remodeling market and U.S. housing starts. The delivered cost rose by $6 per thousand board feet, or 2%, to $361 per thousand board feet, mostly due to higher stumpage fees, which track lumber market prices. Shipments rose by 16 million board feet and inventory was unchanged, at 121 million board feet. EBITDA in the segment improved by $114 million, to $139 million, with the recently-acquired U.S. sawmills contributing $31 million to our EBITDA in the quarter.
Paper
The company generated an operating loss of $12 million in the paper segment in the quarter, unchanged from the previous quarter. Despite the challenging market conditions for marketing-dependent products like newspapers, inserts, flyers and commercial papers, the average transaction price improved slightly in the quarter, to $594 per metric ton, or 1%, and inventory fell by 5%. Shipments were unchanged, at 351,000 metric tons, reflecting the company’s leaner production footprint implemented to cope with the dramatic reduction in economic activity during the pandemic. The delivered cost was stable. EBITDA in the segment improved by $2 million, to $6 million.
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