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Dec 31, 2021

Sylvamo Q4 2021 Earnings Report

Sylvamo released fourth-quarter results with strong earnings and cash flow.

Key Takeaways

Sylvamo reported strong fourth-quarter earnings with adjusted EBITDA of $170 million and free cash flow of $162 million. The company used the cash flow to reduce debt by $124 million and increase cash on hand by $48 million.

Net income was $62 million ($1.41 per diluted share).

Adjusted operating earnings (non-GAAP) were $75 million ($1.71 per diluted share).

Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) was $170 million (17.5% margin).

Free cash flow (non-GAAP) was $162 million.

Total Revenue
$972M
Previous year: $257M
+278.2%
EPS
$1.71
Previous year: $3.85
-55.6%
Adjusted EBITDA
$170M
Previous year: $112M
+51.8%
Free Cash Flow
$162M
Previous year: $118M
+37.3%
Effective Tax Rate
38%
Gross Profit
$294M
Previous year: $257M
+14.4%
Cash and Equivalents
$180M
Previous year: $70M
+157.1%
Free Cash Flow
$162M
Previous year: $118M
+37.3%
Total Assets
$2.6B
Previous year: $2.91B
-10.8%

Sylvamo

Sylvamo

Sylvamo Revenue by Segment

Sylvamo Revenue by Geographic Location

Forward Guidance

Sylvamo projects first-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $180 to $190 million and adjusted operating earnings per share of $1.70 to $1.90.

Positive Outlook

  • Price and mix are expected to improve by $35 to $40 million compared to the fourth quarter, reflecting continued realization of prior price increases in all regions
  • Maintenance outage expenses are projected to decrease by $31 million, reflecting fewer outages during the winter months in the northern hemisphere.
  • Global industry demand continued to recover and we expect this to continue in 2022 as more white-collar workers return to their offices.
  • In the first quarter, we expect price and mix to further improve, reflecting continued realization of prior price increases in all three regions and our focus on commercial excellence.
  • Our mills ran well and we executed extensive maintenance outages in our Eastover and Saillat mills safely, efficiently and on budget.

Challenges Ahead

  • Volume is expected to be down by $13 to $18 million, reflecting seasonally weaker demand in Latin America and Eastern Europe
  • Operations and costs are expected to increase by $18 to $20 million, reflecting the non-repeat of $7 million favorable overhead benefits and environmental credits in Europe and a $10 million favorable North America LIFO adjustment, both in the fourth quarter
  • Input and transportation costs are projected to increase by $18 to $23 million due to higher fiber, chemicals and transportation costs
  • We also project $8 million in costs related to transition service agreements in the quarter
  • We also project $15 million of one-time costs

Revenue & Expenses

Visualization of income flow from segment revenue to net income