Methanex Corporation
MEOH
logged a loss (attributable to shareholders) of $27 million or 35 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared with a profit of $9 million or 12 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted earnings per share (barring one-time items) in the reported quarter were 15 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 26 cents.
Revenues rose around 5% year over year to $811.3 million in the quarter. It surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $660 million. The company saw improved global demand and prices for methanol in the fourth quarter.
Adjusted EBITDA for the reported quarter was flat year over year at $136 million.
Methanex Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Methanex Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart
|
Methanex Corporation Quote
Operational Highlights
Production in the quarter totaled 1,607,000 tons, down around 24% year over year. Total sales volume was 2,868,000 tons, down roughly 4% year over year.
Average realized price for methanol was $282 per ton in the quarter, up roughly 10% from $256 in the prior-year quarter. Methanol industry supply outages and the delayed start-up of new industry capacity additions resulted in tighter market conditions and reduced global inventory levels in the fourth quarter, which coupled with higher demand led to an increase in methanol prices.
FY20 Results
Loss (as reported) for full-year 2020 was $2.06 per share, compared with earnings of $1.01 per share a year ago. Revenues dropped around 19% year over year to $2,650 million.
Financials
Cash and cash equivalents doubled year over year to $833.8 million at the end of 2020. Long-term debt was $2,323.6 million, up around 34% year over year.
For the fourth quarter, cash flow from operating activities was $98 million, down around 14% year over year.
Outlook
While Methanex is encouraged by sustained improvement in methanol demand and prices, it noted that the uncertain path for global economic recovery makes the near-term difficult to predict. The company believes that methanol industry fundamentals remain strong and demand for methanol will continue to improve as the global economy recovers. It remains focused on preserving liquidity and financial flexibility.
Price Performance
Methanex’s shares have lost 7.7% in the past year compared with the
industry
’s 23.2% rise.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Methanex currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Better-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include
Fortescue Metals Group Limited
FSUGY
,
Impala Platinum Holdings Limited
IMPUY
and
BHP Group
BHP
.
Fortescue has a projected earnings growth rate of 75.5% for the current fiscal. The company’s shares have surged around 129% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see
the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here
.
Impala Platinum has an expected earnings growth rate of 189.4% for the current fiscal. The company’s shares have rallied around 42% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.
BHP Group has a projected earnings growth rate of 59.5% for the current fiscal year. The company’s shares have gained around 30% in a year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.
Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?
Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.
Ignited by referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $17.7 billion in 2019 to a staggering $73.6 billion by 2027. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.
See the pot stocks we’re targeting >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.
Click to get this free report